If you go with the Jeep, remember to set aside some money for a new transmission.
So every opinion is coming up Suburu. So I have to ask - why the heck is the Jeep priced similarly to the Suburu? I would expect it cost thousands less - used car buyers have access to the same information we do and will know the Suburu is a better choice.
Lots of feels support the Jeep. JEEP was good enough for the US Military. It’s an American car. Jeep is more likely to offer something like a true 4WD (closer to it than AWD anyway) which is a big deal for the sorts of people unified in their love of: Off-roading, American stuff, especially American military stuff. It’s a niche market of sorts. You’ve seen the spare tire cover on Jeeps (esp. stupid Wranglers) that says, “It’s a Jeep thing. If you have to ask, you wouldn’t understand.” There are also Saab people, believe it or not.
Subarus, in contrast are, well, nobody’s ever said Jeeps are the cars of choice for lesbians. They are more practical and car-like. Understated, using their AWD so you don’t NEED 4WD. Except for this badboy which is FWD with a true 4WD transfer case. I’ve rescued snowmobilers with it.
Fair enough. Though I keep thinking about the difference between thoughts and feels.
Pickett’s last charge. All the swagger, all the bravery and heroics of an impossible mission. Emotions were high, both for the spectators of the battle and the soldiers involved.
But as it turns out, the cold hard physics of canon-fire trumps emotion. All those bits of metal at hundreds of meters per second. They don’t care about uniforms or who’s side they are on.
Similarly, if someone plows into your son’s SUV at 50 mph, it’s not going to matter whether there’s an American flag on it. It matters whether or not the engineers did their homework, and whether or not cost cutting meant they could use materials up to the task or not.
look, I’m more or less a “homer” when it comes to the domestic car companies, but with few exceptions I seriously, seriously would NOT consider buying any used Chrysler, Dodge, or Jeep vehicle made from about 2004-2009. Daimler’s jackboots pretty much stripped every last penny out of those vehicles, and they don’t hold up.
True. Jeep does not have commercials of their twisted cars on a flatbed with the tow driver gasping incredulously, “They lived,” probably for a reason. But people buy on emotion and justify with logic. So Subaru is definitely cleverer. 
I’m not a Jeep guy.
Wife had a 2002 Grand Jeep. Perfect size (In our humble opinion). And did just great in the deep, deep snow of the Central Colorado Mountains.
But, there was always some shit that happened every year or two.
She bought an Outback. Very good even in deep snow, but not like the Grand. And a little too small. That 2016 Subaru developed some sort of short that kept killing the battery. Subaru put three new batteries in it but could not figure out the problem. As she didn’t like it THAT much. So, she went for a brand new 2019 Subaru Ascent. Good in snow too. And bigger (we have two dogs to cart around). Now that Ascent is sitting in Colorado springs awaiting a new transmission. It’s been there for two weeks. And won’t be ready for a few more. They gave my wife a new (500 miles on it) Outback as a loaner. Good on them, but… :sigh:
OP, for your son, the Jeep will have more room to haul stuff around, but I would give my nod to the Subaru.
Having driven both, honestly I’d say not to get either, you’ll end up spending a lot of money on repairs, probably a few times a year.
My general fuzzy impression over the years is that the new Grand Cherokee would have cost more than a new Outback, but Subaru’s hold their value pretty well, so I think that is why your are seeing them with similar used values now.
There’s always the public library. You could also buy just the auto issue of the Consumer Reports magazine, although I think that’s the April issue. And they used to publish the car reviews in book format, although I don’t know if they still do.
No unusual problems, just normal wear and tear things.
You buy a Jeep because you love the idea of having a Jeep.
You buy a Subaru because you want a car that is overall reliable, of modern design, thoughtfully engineered, and great in snow.
Seriously, no contest.
I’ve had 2 Subarus and a Jeep Cherokee. I just traded the most recent Subaru in. It was a 4 cyl. Outback with 107k. Zero maintenance beyond 1 headlight bulb and oil and filter changes. Stored outdoors in a tough environment.
The previous Subaru also never broke that I recall.
The Cherokee was from the mid eighties and I bought it used. I loved the way the interior of that car was laid out. But it was constantly breaking. Constantly.
Speaking of engineering, good and bad, the bulb for the headlight in the Subaru took all of 45 seconds to change.
14 years is an old car, but the odds are on the Subaru.
The Jeep is more expensive up front, and is a bigger, more substantial vehicle, but drops in value faster, you are most likely looking at the crossing point of the pricing, but also looking at near the end of value of them, guessing the mid to low 1000’s. At that point a lot comes down to condition, as there is not much more to drop.
I’ve owned a 92 Cherokee and a 2007 Subaru Legacy Wagon. Get the Subaru. The head gasket issue is primarily on the 2.5 L 4 cyl non-turbo versions. The 6 is a decent motor. Have a look at the forums for both vehicle. It’ll give you an idea of what you’re in for.
A used Subaru with 72k miles will go for much higher than 1000’s (at least in the Seattle area). Probably closer to 5k.
Yes that was what I meant by low to mid 1000’s, so to put it more clearly $2000 to $6800 range depending on condition assuming a road worthy car of some sorts.
Well, for all the Subaru Outback fans, you’ll be delighted to hear that cars in the 70,000 mile range go from $8k to nearly $10K at most used car dealers. Cars well over 100,000 miles are closer to the $5-6K range. These are numbers from across the US.
If anybody knows where to find them advertised cheaper, I’d love to hear about it.
My cite is cars dot com.
Dealers (other than “buy here, pay here” places) don’t sell 2005 Outbacks. Regardless of mileage, those are strictly auction fodder.
Agreed. These are not brand name car dealerships selling certified cars traded in by customers. Cars of the age and mileage I’m considering are from the independent, you pays your money you takes your chances, used car lots.