Should I buy second hand?

Yes, but remember that Subaru does not stock all parts. Some dealers, like mine, give poor after sales service, but I must mention that not all Subaru dealers are as bad. Be prepared to support an independent Subaru mechanic, though. Fortunately, there are Subaru internet forums that will recommend a good mechanic near you.

But otherwise I am very happy with my Outback and I would recommend anyone to buy one second hand. Their resale value is quite poor and you can get a lot of car for relatively little money. I was able to drive down the price of my 2012 model to R173 000. I believe brand new ones cost almost half a million rand just eight years ago.

I have such confidence in my Outback after the few issues were ironed out that we’ll soon be driving up to Etosha– Tjoppie and Lyla will have to stay with my parents in Port Elizabeth – and from there to the Kgalagadi.

My Outback moves my soul. Every time I get in, I want to drive somewhere far away, like the time we drove to the Tankwa farm stall in the Karoo for a braai – a return trip of almost 400 km – all because I love driving my Outback.