True - and in places such as Utah and Colorado. They are also quite popular in Michigan. There are no fewer than three Subaru dealerships within ten miles of my house.Subaru's are all wheel drive, they are really popular in the pacific NW I'm told.
Subaru is known for its boxer-style engines (named such because the pistons lay flat and move horizontally as opposed to vertically), excellent AWD system that comes standard on every vehicle, and early adoption & widespread use of continuously variable transmissions. CVTs can be controversial - due to rubber-bandy acceleration feel and dronie motor noise - but Subaru's implementation is pretty good.
Now, time to mention some negative attributes. Years ago, Subaru had a blown head gasket issue. More recently, many late model Subarus have had issues with windshields cracking. Their cars also tend to have a lot of driver safety technology, some of which can be quite obtrusive and annoying. Their infotainment software prior to this year was also known to be very glitchy with poor interface layout.
If I were in the market for a subcompact CUV, the Crosstrek would be at or near the top of my list. Impressive rear leg room; far better than the Toyota Corolla Cross or Mazda CX-30 in that regard. Sufficient acceleration if you opt for the larger of the two engine choices. In contrast, the Corolla Cross suffers from pathetic headroom (especially in the front row) and a lethargic power train. I have no idea why someone would pick a Corolla Cross over a Camry sedan or lightly used lower trim RAV-4, either of which can be had for the same price.
Returning to Subaru, I'd steer clear of the full sized Ascent, which had extensive reliability and build quality issues its first couple years in production in particular.
As for Mazda, they make a pretty darn good powertrain these days. Overall, a good car for the money. There are three or four knocks against Mazda, though:
- Their infotainment interface, which is primarily controlled by way of a dial and buttons near the center armrest, can be a challenge to master. I've also read of issues with voice command recognition.
- Some of their seats are known to be on the overly firm / less comfortable side.
- Cargo capacity and leg room can be lacking compared to competing vehicles in the same class.
- Dealer network is more limited than several of its Asian competitors.
For Nissan, I'd avoid any vehicle with a Jatco-built continuously variable transmission unless the car can be had for a dirt cheap price. Those transmissions are flaming piles of garbage.
Speaking of flames, Hyundai and Kia vehicles have reputations for engine fires and electrical fires. Anyone who purchases one would be wise to adhere to the maintenance schedule to a tee to ensure the 100,000 mile / 10 year warranty doesn't get voided.
The new badging on Kia vehicles looks horrible; the crappy looking new logo is made to look even worse by virtue of the fact it looks to be either a sticker or painted.
I love the interior of the current generation Hyundai Santa Fe; it's a shame the front fascia of most trims of the current generation look hideous.
I would be remiss if I did not say to avoid the Jeep Compass and Jeep Renegade like the plague, unless again, you are able to pick one up for a dirt cheap price. Poor internals (plenty of Fiat parts), poor ride, and widespread reliability issues.