Car Hunt

New vs used — 7-year cost of ownership

Total cost = depreciation + loan interest + insurance + maintenance + fuel, over a 7-year hold. Rates reflect a “higher for longer” view (7.199999999999999% new / 8.9% used APR), gas at $3.6/gal on a high-oil view. The new car’s first-year depreciation cliff (~20%) is the single biggest line against it; high rates widen the gap because you finance a bigger balance.

Generated 2026-09-01 from scripts/car_buy_math.py. Assumes $4,000 down, 12,000 mi/yr, Idaho 6% sales tax + $500 doc fee. Excludes registration (~$140/yr, same for all). A RAV4 Hybrid (~39 mpg) cuts its fuel line ~$4,600 → cheapest in the table.

The verdict

The 2–3-year-old used car is the sweet spot: past the depreciation cliff, usually still inside the 5yr/60k powertrain warranty, and for Subaru it’s the good-era CVT. Buying new costs roughly $3.5–7k more over 7 years for little benefit. The strict-dollars pick is an older high-mile Forester, but you then own an out-of-warranty boxer engine with the maintenance line climbing.

Are CVTs bad?

They earned the reputation, then mostly fixed it — and Subaru’s history is worse than average.

• Early CVTs (2010–2017) genuinely failed. Nissan’s Jatco units overheated and died by 60–90k miles; warranties were extended under lawsuit pressure.
• Subaru’s TR580 (2014–2018 Forester/Outback/Impreza) shuddered and hesitated. The Yaeger v. Subaru class-action settlement extended the CVT warranty to 10 yr / 100,000 mi on those years — a tell that the base coverage wasn’t holding. Replacement cost when they go: $4,000–8,000.
• The second-gen unit (2019+, TR580 revised + TR690) has a much better field record. Shudder complaints drop off sharply after 2019; no class action.
• Honda’s CVT has been quietly reliable since ~2016. Toyota hedged with a physical launch gear, then dropped the CVT entirely on the 2019+ RAV4 (8-speed automatic).

Bottom line: a 2020–2023 Forester is a reasonable buy and the transmission shouldn’t keep you up at night — change the CVT fluid at 60k even though Subaru calls it “lifetime.” Want the worry gone entirely? That’s exactly what a 2019+ RAV4 or a 4Runner buys you.

The shortlist — camping + light offroading

The foothills use case (washboard gravel, forest two-track, ruts, snow — not rock crawling) rewards ground clearance and a lockable AWD/4WD mode. A road-biased crossover will scrape and spin.

Drop for real dirt: the base (non-Wilderness) Forester — 8.7" clearance is fine for a snowy driveway and light gravel, but the road-tuned suspension and all-season tires give up quickly on a rutted forest road.

Top picks — Boise metro, 2026-09-01

Hand-picked from the full listings below. Every one still needs a $150 pre-purchase inspection at an independent shop before money changes hands.

Subaru Forester

Her pick. All 2019+ = the reliable CVT era. Ordered by verified value.

Toyota RAV4

The no-CVT compromise that still fits the off-road brief. (No Cars.com listings surfaced — market data unavailable.)

Toyota 4Runner

His pick. Body-on-frame, no CVT, holds value like nothing else. ~17 mpg is the running cost. Ordered by verified value.

Honda Passport

Underrated value. No CVT (9-speed auto), big cargo box, Honda V6.

All listings — Boise metro

Scraped 2026-09-01 by scripts/car_finder.py. Sorted best-value first within each model. Deal rating and “$ vs. market” come from Cars.com’s price analysis; Craigslist listings carry no mileage or deal data.

Toyota Certified Pre-Owned

Toyota’s CPO (TCUV) adds a 7yr/100k powertrain warranty from the original in-service date, a 12mo/12k comprehensive warranty, a 160-point inspection, and a guaranteed clean title — no rebuilt/branded cars can be certified. Worth a modest premium on a RAV4 (newer 8-speed auto); worth less on a 4Runner, whose drivetrain rarely fails — there you’re really buying the clean-history guarantee. Compare the out-the-door price delta vs. a comparable non-certified unit, not the badge.

Local Toyota dealer sites (Peterson, Steve’s Hometown) are JavaScript apps the scraper can’t read, and Larry H. Miller Toyota Boise has closed — so check dealer CPO inventory directly. Watch for fake badges: a “Certified” tag on a listing aggregator sometimes means a third-party warranty (e.g. “Ford Blue Advantage”), not genuine Toyota Certified. Confirm the listing says “Toyota Certified Used Vehicle, backed by Toyota.”

Facebook Marketplace

FB Marketplace has no API and can’t be scraped reliably — but it’s where the private-party Subarus actually are. Saved searches (100 mi around Boise, logged in):

Used-SUV inspection checklist

Any Subaru

• Oil consumption — check the dipstick, ask for records; some FB25 burn a quart/1,000 mi
• Head gasket history (mostly a pre-2013 problem, but ask)
• CVT fluid: has it ever been changed? Any shudder at 20–40 mph light throttle?
• Confirm CVT warranty status on 2014–2018 (10yr/100k extension — VIN-specific)
• Wheel bearings — listen for a droning hum that changes when you sway the wheel
• Rust on rear subframe / lateral links (Idaho winters + road salt)
• Windshield — Subaru glass is expensive and EyeSight recalibration adds cost

Any used SUV

• Cold start — first key of the day, listen for rattle, watch for smoke
• Tires: matched brand + even wear (mismatched = AWD neglect / alignment)
• All-wheel-drive engages — dirt lot, tight circle, feel for binding or clunk
• Underbody — skid-plate scrapes, bent tie rods, fresh undercoating hiding rust
• Every warning light cycles on at key-on and then goes out
• Carfax / title: no branded title, service at real intervals, one or two owners
• Pre-purchase inspection at an independent shop — $150, non-negotiable
• Timing: chain (Subaru, Toyota V6, Honda V6) vs belt — none of the shortlist uses a belt