OT: Need help deciding between 2012 Santa Fe and 2012 Subaru Forester

[chimo2u]

hello my fellow Canadians I posted this in the budget board, but thought I'd post here too so I could get some fellow Canadian perspectives: with that said-

-HELP!!! please can you give me some thoughts on the following two vehicles. We unfortunately found ourself in a balloon type loan on a 2011 FRD Escape, which we all HATE. our dealership was not forthright in explaining the loan, and if we stay with this we have another 3 hrs of payments, and we will still owe $11,300 T the end of it all. We have been driving it and paying for 2 yrs,with 60,000 KM (Canadian ...) on it. So warranty has basically expired. We are looking at getting out and refinancing into a non-balloon loan. YES, I realize I will have a loss of about 5k due to this financing mistake. BUT....I want out now before I am further into this escape and it begins to break down, etc....

I am willing to take a hit, and start paying for a vehicle I really want, if I must make car pmts. I better be paying for something worthwhile and that I like. I've decided between the two vehicles: 2012 Subaru forrester or 2012 Hyundai Santa fe.

I've always wanted a Subaru Forrester, due to reliability and AWD ( Alberta Canada can have some harsh winter conditions).....I need to drive why to work, and get nervous when driving on Icy roads.
Now, Santa Fe has AWD option too, but not the same as the forrester, it's more of a driver activated AWD , and you push a button when needed. Hyundai has some amazing deals and rebates (5,000 off) to offer to bet rid of 2012 stock....they also have quite nice options making a very nice package at a good price. Subaru is basic in comparison....but I am most concerned in getting a vehicle that will LAST and give me RELIABILITY in the winter and overall for the next 8 yrs or so......

I am going to the dealer tomorrow.....one to the Subaru dealer to see what kind of deal they can do, and then to the Hyundai dealer if we choose to go that way....I spent all day Sat with the salesperson, and have been given the deal, so know what I'll get from them already. Santa Fe looks like the best for all the things I'll get,: a very nicely loaded vehicle (mid line...NO NAV, but that's ok as I have my garmin), full protection pkg....rust, undercoat, paint, 3m on lights, hood, handles, paint and fabric protection, tow hitch, all season mats, free oil changes for life of ownership) 5 Yr , 100,000km warranty.
Diamond protection on windshield.
So the Santa fe looks best right now, but I don't want buyers remorse wishing I'd gone with the Subaru for overall reliability, safety and AWD superiority.

WWYD??? which vehicle do you think will holdup best over time!?
I'm not concerned with debating the financing issue, as those will vary and it is a way I need to go for now....I am most interested in which vehicle would suit me best and be most reliable! I don't want a situation of buyers remorse with a piece of junk in 5 years!
Thanks for your thoughts!

 

[dontthrowsand]

My coworker swears by his Subaru. In fact he is giving his last one (that was really old - about 18 years old) to his brother now. I have enjoyed every Subaru I have ever driven. They all handle amazing in Alberta winters. I was debating between an Impreza and my golf (I only went VW because I wanted a smaller car). I've never heard anything about the santa fe so I couldn't give you an opinion there. The one thing I will say is I don't know anyone who has had buyers remorse with a Subaru.

 

[disneyfan123]

We have had 2 subaru foresters and we also swear by them for reliability and safety. The only reason we don't currently own one is because we now have 3 kids in car seats and they simply don't fit. My son and I were in a terrible car accident with our first forester and while the other car was completely totalled, the forester did it's job and kept us safe. They also retain their value really well.

 

[RainbowsMist]

Not a Forester but my mom has a new Outback and had one before her new one. She swears by Subaru! My grandfather always drove a Subaru, he too swore by them! Subaru's are very well made and stand up against time....they also hold their value much better than Hyundai.

Happy shopping regardless

 

[Ted in Halifax]

My mother has had 2 Foresters (the one she just bought and her old one was given to my sister). I have to say that I'm impressed with Subaru.

 

[nepean]

I have a 2009 Santa Fe and I love it. It is not AWD but I have snow tires in the winter. We have driven it in some major storms, including one through the Washington/PA area where they closed the highways and it has performed like a dream. It has not had any repairs except for general maintenance. We know at least 7 people who have Santa Fe vehicles and no one has had any problems. I have one friend who bought one when they first came on the market many years ago and she drove it for ever and had no problems.

The car has got a high safety, low repair costs for insurance purposes. The insurance on the Santa Fe is lower than the 2006 Chev Impala that we also own.

Have fun choosing.

Nepean

 

[Maddysdaddy]

Another vote for Subaru.

Purchased a new 2010 Outback for my wife a few years ago and then convinced my parents to purchase a new Forester last year. The vehicles aren't particularly 'fancy', but they are solid and with the symmetrical AWD and snow tires, I worry a whole lot less about them driving in winter.

We looked at the Santa Fe at the time, and it seemed reasonably obvious to us why it was easy to find a used Hyundai, and why there are so few used Subys for sale. We're in our 3rd year of ownership, our daughter is 8, and we have no reason to think that this won't be her car when she starts driving.

Seeing you're from Alberta, I assume you'll get why they refer to Subaru as a "Canmore Cadillac".

 

[two*little*birds]

We have 2 Santa Fe's. One is a 2008 and one is a 2010, both are AWD. We love them. The 2010 is actually our 5th Hyundai product. So reliable and knock-on-wood we've never had any issues - and that with ALL 5 cars!

 

[CanuckTraveller]

No question the Subaru. The two are not comparable IMHO in terms of reliability, and the Subaru is phenomenal in the snow. If we didn't decide to go with a car last time, we'd be the current owners of a 2012 outback! Friends of ours have a 2002 Subaru that just keeps going, and going, and going...without a lot of expensive repairs. Considering your financing issues, this could buy you some car payment-free time to make up for the mistake.

 

[chimo2u]

VERDICT: ok, we ended up being about $7,000 negative due to the FORD ESCSPE balloon loan mistake. there won't be reprieve from payments, the new vehicle will start as soon as we sign and pick up the vehicle next week.....BUT, I decided when all was said and done to go with the SUBARU Forrester. I know the HYUNDAI had lots of bling, and protection to the hilt with windshield, paint, undercoating , 3 m protections.....but when you look at the fine print financing, I end up paying for the stuff anyway with an "accessory" charge of $5,000
So, I decided ultimately, the Subaru is more reliable, I'll feel safer in the winter driving, AWD is not beat in Subaru, and although it lacks the bling, it has some nice features....I went with the touring pckg, mid line.....it has a nice panoramic sunroof, heated front seats Bluetooth. It is very nice looking, but a bit sparser and more basic than the Hyundai. Being a lady, it fits me really nicely, it handles like it's stuck to the road....very nice! I feel like I have made a solid purchase....albeit, an expensive mistake with our ford, but we now know to scrutinize deals very closely. The fact that you can hardly find older Subarus speaks to the reliability of this vehicle!! I'm I get to say I'm part of the SUBBY Family!
I hope I don't get buyers remorse, but I have a feeling that WON'T happen!
ETA: the overall financed amount for the Subaru was less than they where going to charge for the Hyundai, so that was a plus.....I ended up paying $29,140 for my forrester.....with my 7k negative equity, I DO end up financing about $36k....but Hyundai wanted to finance over $40k....so I was better of with the Subaru deal!

 

[Maddysdaddy]

You'll love it (and you'll really love it in the middle of January).

Since you're spending $36k on the car, please, please do yourself a favour and spend an extra $1000 to purchase good snow tires. The Subaru AWD is awesome, but it won't do you much good if you're using all-season tires that can't grip the road.

 

[chimo2u]

You'll love it (and you'll really love it in the middle of January).

Since you're spending $36k on the car, please, please do yourself a favour and spend an extra $1000 to purchase good snow tires. The Subaru AWD is awesome, but it won't do you much good if you're using all-season tires that can't grip the road.

thanks maddysdaddy for the endorsement I talked to he dealer about snow tires and he said he can get me a good deal for 4 mounted on rims for $905..... He said this first Yr, being so new the car should be fine on these tires, but next Yr definitely switch to as in summer and fall// and winter in winter.
One question, what do you think of the undercoating/protection plans the finance manager tries to sell you while signing the loan papers? They want an extra $1800 on top for that! I declined hope that wasn't the wrong choice!

 

[dontthrowsand]

thanks maddysdaddy for the endorsement I talked to he dealer about snow tires and he said he can get me a good deal for 4 mounted on rims for $905..... He said this first Yr, being so new the car should be fine on these tires, but next Yr definitely switch to as in summer and fall// and winter in winter.
One question, what do you think of the undercoating/protection plans the finance manager tries to sell you while signing the loan papers? They want an extra $1800 on top for that! I declined hope that wasn't the wrong choice!

Being an alberta girl, you might be okay with the all seasons but do you really want to risk it? I know it is an amazing car but winter tires have saved my life before (in an AWD SUV).

As for the undercoating/protection plans, Undercoating is really only useful if you often travel on gravel roads or high salt areas - we don't use salt in alberta (at least not in Edmonton). If you really want it, have a 3rd party spray it on as they are a low cost, high profit item for the dealer. as for extra protection plans I don't know how beneficial they are as there is a lot of fine print in those. To me it wasn't worth it because I planned on possibly selling my vehicle about a year after it was paid off.

 

[Maddysdaddy]

thanks maddysdaddy for the endorsement I talked to he dealer about snow tires and he said he can get me a good deal for 4 mounted on rims for $905..... He said this first Yr, being so new the car should be fine on these tires, but next Yr definitely switch to as in summer and fall// and winter in winter.
One question, what do you think of the undercoating/protection plans the finance manager tries to sell you while signing the loan papers? They want an extra $1800 on top for that! I declined hope that wasn't the wrong choice!

Sounds like your dealer would rather see you put your money into the "protection package" rather than snow tires. I know it's rude to use all caps, but DON'T DO IT. Get the snow tires and use them this year!!! (yes I'm bossy, but this is one of those situations where a little bit of that is justified).

Everything I've ever read says that the protection package is just gravy for the dealer - that being said, I've always purchased it since we keep our cars forever, but have always negotiated the price down to less than 1/2 of what their initial quote is (pretty sure that they're still making a hefty profit even on what I agree to pay).

Did you purchase the extended warranty?

 

[chimo2u]

Sounds like your dealer would rather see you put your money into the "protection package" rather than snow tires. I know it's rude to use all caps, but DON'T DO IT. Get the snow tires and use them this year!!! (yes I'm bossy, but this is one of those situations where a little bit of that is justified).

Everything I've ever read says that the protection package is just gravy for the dealer - that being said, I've always purchased it since we keep our cars forever, but have always negotiated the price down to less than 1/2 of what their initial quote is (pretty sure that they're still making a hefty profit even on what I agree to pay).

Did you purchase the extended warranty?

Hi again I think the finance manager might get some kind of commission on selling the protection pkg. She wasn't sounding too happy when I called back to cancel it....tough luck though for her, because everything I've read also says it's a bonanza for the dealer, and not necessary nowadays. The snow tires mounted on rims IS a good deal, seeing as I was quoted $900 last Yr for 4 UNMOUNTED tires on my escape, at Costco ( usually the best tire pricing around) so I WILL be doing the snow tires....bit I think not this Yr.....I really am hoping the tread on the new car will be good for this Yr. I drive really slow in the winter.....I know and believe in the benefits of snow tires, but the cost is a little too high for me to throw together in a month or two ( snow tires should be mounted, I'm thinking around October).... I need time to save that kind of money.....so as much ad I'd love to put them on this Yr, I don't think I'll be able too.

I thought about the extra warranty, but I didn't purchase it. From what I've read on that, it's another cash cow for the dealer....rarely does the consumer get there money out of it.