Crosstrekkin’

Well, our poor 2001 Toyota 4Runner, which we bought new in 2001, started to fail often enough that we decided (months ago, actually) that we needed to start shopping for another second car. We did a fair amount of research, primarily because of our screwy garage door, which should have been a 16-footer but is only 15’ wide. So getting in and out of the garage can be tricky, mostly because our primary car is a 2014 Dodge Durango. The 2001 4Runner was built on a small pickup truck chassis. so it was relatively narrow but still reasonably tall. Its narrowness made slipping it in beside the Durango easier than it would be with a modern 4Runner. We looked hard for something that was no wider than the 4Runner, and as close as we could come was the Subaru Crosstrek. Ok, there were a few other candidates. Our choice was driven by what we could find.

Subaru has a good reputation for reliability. So we did what we did when we bought our Durango: drove up to CarMax to see what they had. CarMax had treated us very well when we bought the Durango there at the end of 2014. And the Durango itself has treated us very well in the 11 years that followed.

The Scottsdale CarMax had no Crosstreks on the lot. No sweat. They trucked one in from their larger facility on the west side of town, no charge. It was a white 2022 with about 15K miles on it. I brought my 25’ tape measure with me when we drove over to see it the first time. The car was within striking distance of 71” wide, mirror-edge to mirror-edge, as was our old 4Runner. So it would fit in the garage. It was a little lower than Carol would have preferred, but I doubted that anything only 71” wide would be as tall as the ‘01 Toyota.

We were offered a free 24-hour test drive. Getting the paperwork in order was an issue, especially with insurance. We basically bought a 2-day policy on the Crosstrek. Then off we went. It drove beautifully. We went back to CarMax and told them they had a buyer. A few days later (more paperwork!) we gave them a cashier’s check—and our 4Runner—and they gave us the car.

Again, it drove very well. Our problem with it was not about quality but complexity. It has a huge touch-screen control panel, as well as plenty of buttons. The stack of manuals that came with the vehicle is 2” high. Carol and I (but especially Carol) spent a huge amount of time going through the books and trying to figure out how everything worked.

There was a lot of everything.

We’re still learning. But that said, Carol loves the car. She drives it when she’s driving alone; when we go somewhere together we take the Durango. It’s an SUV with more cargo space than I would have guessed a car that small might have. Overall, a very big win. We also recommend CarMax if you’re looking for a used car. They were attentive, courteous, and had none of the weaselly arrogance that conventional car dealerships are famous for. Keep CarMax in mind if at some point you’re facing the same, um, adventure.