Quote Originally Posted by Robyn Maislin View Post
Subarus are very popular in New England, but my personal experience (good friends have 2) is that they are sluggish on the highway and we couldn't really fit 4 bikes and luggage for 4 people going on a trip in the station wagon.
Agreed. I drove a Forester for four years, and my DH always complained about how tiny it was on the long trips we take. With suitcases and a dog kennel, it was packed. If we took bikes in it, we had to stack them on their sides and there was no room for luggage or dogs then. The Element is much, much roomier, and bikes go in upright!

Plus, my Forester needed a new transmission after four years, and I was plagued by a "check engine" light that just couldn't be fixed for any length of time. I put a lot of miles on that car, but that just didn't seem right. The dealership where I live were jerks too, so I've sworn off Subies, even though I like the company's values.

We also used to have a Rav4, which was really tiny, but it was one of the earliest ones with 2 doors. They've changed a lot since then.

Emily