Time for a new car. Imprezza?

Imprezza is great
I have a 2013 Imprezza and my wife just traded in her 2012 Forester for the 2016. We’re both short, so getting our 3 kayaks onto the Imprezza is easier than the Forester, particularly my 80 lb tandem. When I bought the Thule racks for both cars they said to get the 50" bars. I had a hard time getting 3 kayaks onto those 50" bars, so we got a set of longer ones (60?). They were annoyingly long, and a slight head-bump hazard, but they worked to fit all 3 kayaks on either car.



But, I bought a utility trailer 2 years ago and set up some 79" Thule bars across the frame of the trailer, and can easily fit 5 kayaks on it, possibly more if I had a need to. We only have 3 kayaks, with one being my bohemoth tandem. The Impreza tows the trailer with no problem at all, but it’s like another $1000 for the trailer total. The Impreza could handle the 3 kayaks in J-racks with the 60" bars. I got the trailer because I had a lot more stuff to carry, and we take our dog kayaking, which means he was sitting on our PFDs and paddles in the car before we got the trailer and a tool box for carrying the paddles and PFDs. But if you don’t have kids & a dog to go in the back, it’s big enough for 3 paddlers and their gear.

5 door WRX

– Last Updated: Jul-21-16 9:48 AM EST –

Had an 02 WRX and had a ton of fun with that car, great kayak car as well with a bomber rack system. Too bad they don't make the WRX in a 5 door anymore. Although what I would really like is a low slung Legacy wagon with a turbo, or possibly a diesel. Tried a manual Outback for a year, realized when I was trying to figure out how to drop the suspension the car wasn't a keeper, traded for a Flex which has been great. Needed the extra room for family truckster duty.

Johnny: shooting brake BR-Z
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/2016-toyota-86-shooting-brake-concept-6.jpg



Now it just needs AWD and a roof rack!

While
they may be decent haulers, their reliability is crap. My sister had a 2009 Suby Outback and spent a lot of money on hers when the warranty expired. At trade in, all dealers commented that they were slow sellers as most people much prefer the Toyota/Honda/Kia/Hyundai cars for reliability. I asked my mechanic about a low mileage Suby recently and he said avoid as they were not reliable and parts were very expensive. His thoughts mirror what many owners say as in, never again. YMMV.