Very odd comparison

[Dakota.morgan91]

So I am a long time employee of a Subaru dealership, and I love my brand. I just feel like I am ready for something different and have been a Honda fan boy as well. My first car was a civic coupe, and my favorite bike I have owned hands down was my Africa Twin. That led me to the new Integra!
Being a Subaru employee I HAVE to give my own brand a shot ofcourse, so I am comparing the Integra to the Outback Touring XT. I am so torn between the two, I know they seem like unlikely competitors but they are more alike when you look at what I want in a vehicle. I drive 35k miles per year with my commute, so comfort and sound system are huge to me. Both vehicles excel at this. Both have plenty of power for me, and both are hatch type vehicles as well. The outback is more expensive and gets about 10MPG less, so cost of ownership goes up. The outback however has more ground clearance and AWD for our NY winters. Sell it to me guys! Why do I want an Acura over a Subaru?! lol

 

[Integra23]

So I am a long time employee of a Subaru dealership, and I love my brand. I just feel like I am ready for something different and have been a Honda fan boy as well. My first car was a civic coupe, and my favorite bike I have owned hands down was my Africa Twin. That led me to the new Integra!
Being a Subaru employee I HAVE to give my own brand a shot ofcourse, so I am comparing the Integra to the Outback Touring XT. I am so torn between the two, I know they seem like unlikely competitors but they are more alike when you look at what I want in a vehicle. I drive 35k miles per year with my commute, so comfort and sound system are huge to me. Both vehicles excel at this. Both have plenty of power for me, and both are hatch type vehicles as well. The outback is more expensive and gets about 10MPG less, so cost of ownership goes up. The outback however has more ground clearance and AWD for our NY winters. Sell it to me guys! Why do I want an Acura over a Subaru?! lol

Do we need to? Throw some winter tires on the teggy.

 

[Dakota.morgan91]

Do we need to? Throw some winter tires on the teggy.

"Need to" no lol I know I am walking into the lions den with this post. I really love the integra or else I would not even be considering it with the discount I get buying a Subaru. Also the outback doesnt come in manual anymore which is so dissapointing.

 

[Integra23]

"Need to" no lol I know I am walking into the lions den with this post. I really love the integra or else I would not even be considering it with the discount I get buying a Subaru. Also the outback doesnt come in manual anymore which is so dissapointing.

Answered your question

I honestly don't care for Subarus. Seen enough videos of Motors blowing up. Think Donut media went through 6 and Savagegeese did a shootout recently with the STI 209( completely stock) against fl5 and gr Corolla.. guess what happened to the Subaru 3 laps in..

 

[Dakota.morgan91]

Answered your question

I honestly don't care for Subarus. Seen enough videos of Motors blowing up. Think Donut media went through 6 and Savagegeese did a shootout recently with the STI 209( completely stock) against fl5 and gr Corolla.. guess what happened to the Subaru 3 laps in..

This I know and hear about all too well. I honestly don't know what Subaru is doing with their sports cars. It drives me mad. The regular passenger cars like the outback are not as plagued by this fortunately. Working at a dealership for so long I see all the sick ones that come back. That's one reason this is Outback vs integra and not wrx integra lol. To be completely fair if you don't push them they will get along just fine. I have seen plenty come back with a few hundred thousand miles and no major power train repairs.

 

[Dakota.morgan91]

I am leaning towards the Integra, thats why I am here with this post. Its more to say hi and start a fun discussion! I am going to test drive a manual Liquid Carbo on black interior tomorrow that may just become mine

 

[Integra23]

I'd probably go with a Toyota Sienna over outback if your looking for large cabin space and efficiency and they offer AWD.
Outback is more of a crossover than a sedan/Liftback.
Another option would me a Mazda CX50. It has the same rugged appearance but fit in finish is more premium.

 

[Dakota.morgan91]

I'd probably go with a Toyota Sienna over outback if your looking for large cabin space and efficiency and they offer AWD.
Outback is more of a crossover than a sedan/Liftback.
Another option would me a Mazda CX50. It has the same rugged appearance but fit in finish is more premium.

I agree with these points for sure. The CX-50 is beautiful! It was on my list! I just don't like how small the CX-50 cockpit feels. It feels smaller than the Integra and that is a subcompact, so I checked it off the list early on. I wouldnt want the Siena due to vanity. I think Mini vans are amazing vehicles but I dont want the image, Plus the Toyota dealer near me unfortunately has a very poor reputation.

 

[Integra23]

I agree with these points for sure. The CX-50 is beautiful! It was on my list! I just don't like how small the CX-50 cockpit feels. It feels smaller than the Integra and that is a subcompact, so I checked it off the list early on. I wouldnt want the Siena due to vanity. I think Mini vans are amazing vehicles but I dont want the image, Plus the Toyota dealer near me unfortunately has a very poor reputation.

Funny how large the integra is for it's class.
I assume the CX-90 it too large?
RDX is nice but dated.
Toyota Venza is a slight step below a Lexus and you can get it with a pano roof.
Maybe one of the newer Lexus crossovers?

 

[Dakota.morgan91]

I actually havent looked at the Venza, I will have to check it out. The RDX is too similar to our product I don't think I could justify it. The Integra really stands on its own for its price point. Anything as nice as it is above 40k. Yeah the CX-90 is too large and hard to find around me since it is so new. Plus I dont like to get the first year of something. That new hybrid 6 cylinder needs some time under its belt.

 

[Lekna]

I think of them as two very different vehicles. I've been looking for an Integra alternative and never would have thought about an Outback. They seem to be an apples and oranges comparison.

The Outback has clearance going for it. It also has rugged looks, probably takes regular gasoline, and in my opinion has better color options (just my opinion, I'm sure many would differ). The Integra has longevity, fairly good gas mileage, and is reasonably fun to drive. If you're in upstate NY, enjoy a manual.

As Tom said, put on winter tires. Or Michelin CC2s on their own wheels. It won't play as fun in the winter. Unless you high-center the thing, you'll get through anything. Knock on wood, I've run winter tires on an older generation Integra and TSX for many, many years and made it through anything I needed to.

If you hang onto your cars, the Integra reliability will be nice. I never changed my Integra clutch and changed my original TSX clutch at 220K because I figured it had to be ready to go. The mechanic told me it had more life in it and I need not have done it when I did. Not a bad problem to experience and it speaks to Honda/Acura reliability.

Personally, I don't love the Integra. It is a big car for my tastes. Long, a bit fat and not so pretty. It should be small and nimble. However, I'll still probably buy one for the reasons mentioned above and since I can't figure out a better manual alternative.

You put a ton of miles on your car. If you keep it for a few years you'll get killed with depreciation. If you plan to hang onto it for the long term, go for the Integra's likely reliability and save yourself a ton of gas at the same time. Just be sure to run winter tires on it.

The Outback would be fine to drive on your long commute. However, the Integra would put a smile on your face a lot more often.

You could buy transportation (Outback). Or you could buy transportation and fun (Integra, manual). Life's too short to not have some enjoyment on a long commute.