Actually, a few days ago, I read in the newspaper that Subaru has agreed to replace the engines of Foresters, Imprezas, and Crosstreks for owners who have documented cases of excessive oil consumption.
I tried to find a link to the article, but I couldn’t yet find one. However, since a friend of mine also read the article and we discussed it, I know that I wasn’t imagining things.
If the company is going to the expense of replacing engines on these cars that are already in service, that means that the vehicles being produced at this point will also have the “new design” engines.
According to the CR article that was linked in this thread, only 2% of Subaru’s used a quart of oil between oil changes during the warranty period, which by the way is 60k miles.
As for the drivers of manuals downshifting a lot and creating a high vacuum condition that sucks oil up past the rings, I have the CVT an I use the (-) paddle a lot, just habit from a lifetime of driving manuals I guess, so maybe that is why I use a quart between changes.
But I don’t always use a quart between changes, only when I take a road trip between the oil changes. But every vehicle I have owned has always used a little oil while on long road trips.
I know someone that has an 06 Impreza , 2.5 engine . He purchased it from the original owner & it uses oil . Original owner said it has used oil since new . I don’t know how many miles per quart but quite a bit more than one would expect . It is a manual transmission if that matters .
If newish Subie Foresters have an oil consumption problem & CRV’s a vibration problem, it hasn’t shown up here yet, as far as I can tell. The only thing about the Forester than seems to show up here is the head gasket problem, which is now claimed to be solved I think. But if you are aware of these problems and don’t think the manufacturer is responding appropriately, why not just choose a different vehicle to purchase? That seems a common sense sol’n. It’s not like there’s an absence of vehicle selections to choose from, right?
In general when looking for a new car, I think Consumer Reports reliability reports are a pretty good place to start. Oil consumption is a compromise the manufacturers are making to achieve good mpg, good power. And the variable valve timing feature usually challenges the oil performance, requiring thinner oils. So whatever new car you buy, more oil consumption than you prefer may still bite you. You might try to choose a make/model that the manufacturer recommends the normal dino oil of the standard weight of yore, 10-30W. Not sure if any new cars are sold like that tho.
For your best chance at a reliable “get you where you’re going without drama” car down the road, avoid selections with a lot of electric gizmos, power doors and windows and push button start, blue tooth, & the like, turbos, CVT transmissions. In fact a manual transmission is usually the best choice if you can live with the gear shifting task. Parts and fixing over the years will usually be cheaper in vehicles that sell in high volumes too.