Lincoln's compact luxury SUV prioritizes serenity over sport, supremely comfortable seats, whisper-quiet ride, genuinely luxurious materials, but it splits buyers cleanly. If you're coming from a GTI expecting driving excitement, you'll be disappointed; if you have back problems and value comfort above all, you might love it. The catch: Sync infotainment is a recurring headache (freezing, memory seat failures, connectivity bugs), rattles are common in newer models, and the Grand Touring PHEV has been stuck with battery recall limits for months. The 2.3L engine in 2020-2022 models is well-regarded, but 2023+ redesigns brought increased quality control complaints. Owners either adore theirs enough to buy multiples for family members, or regret not getting a Lexus. Buy a well-discounted 2022 with the 2.3L if you can find one; approach 2023+ models with caution unless the dealer discount is steep.
Subaru built this three-row hauler for families who prioritize crash protection and winter capability over fuel bills, and the tradeoff is real. The turbo four moves 4,500 pounds with surprising punch, standard AWD handles snow confidently, and the safety structure is legitimately impressive (owners walk away from nasty wrecks). But 17 mpg in mixed driving will hurt every week, and the 2019-2020 models had CVT failures serious enough to warrant full transmission swaps at 40-70k miles. The third row barely fits kids, let alone adults. If you're shopping used, the 2019-2020s are a hard pass, aim for 2023+ when Subaru finally debugged the powertrain. Buy this if you need the safety, the AWD, and can stomach premium gas at SUV-worst efficiency. Skip it if you actually need three usable rows or want a vehicle that won't punish you at the pump, the Honda Pilot does both jobs better.