Are after-market tuneup parts advisable — or not?

DEAR CAR TALK: I have a 2000 Chevy Monte Carlo with a 3.4-liter engine. I want to do a tuneup, and I need spark plugs, plug wires and coil packs.

When I started shopping around, the price for this set of items came to anywhere between $299 and $699.

The original-equipment stuffff from the manufacturers is at the high end, and the aftermarket stuffff, like NGK and MSD, is lower.

Should I use the or i gi - nal-equipment stuff ? Are aftermarket parts OK? And if so, which ones do you recommend that I use? CAR TALK: Prices vary tremendously from part to part. And while the dealer’s prices often are more expensive than aftermarket sellers’, they’re not always. It’s also worth searching online for the OEM parts. You often can fifind them at steep discounts.

The downside is that you have to wait a few days for delivery. But since you’re doing the work yourself, and the car is currently running, that’s not a problem.

On the other hand, aftermarket parts are a perfectly good option, too. Your car i s 1 6 ye a r s o l d - - i t ’s o l d enough to get a license and drive itself, Robert. So I also wouldn’t have any reservations about using good-quality aftermarket parts.

In our shop, in addition to original-equipment parts, we use Bosch, NGK and Nipppon-Denso tuneupp pparts.

New for 2016, Subaru Forester models equipped with EyeSight now also include Steering-Responsive Fog Lights, which use the pre-aimed fog lights to individually provide enhanced illumination in the direction of a turn.

The 2016 Subaru Forester 2.5i model is available in base, Premium, Limited and top-line Touring trims.

The turbocharged Forester 2.0XT, offered in the Premium and Touring trims is powered by a 250-horsepower 2.0-liter direct-injection turbocharged 4-cylinder BOXER engine.

All Foresters come standard with Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive. The Forester 2.5i trims are powered by a 170-horsepower 2.5-liter 4-cylinder BOXER engine. When equipped with the Lineartronic continuously variable transmission, they achieve EPA fuel economy estimates of 24 mpg city, 32 mpg highway -- figures that compare well to competitive models with front-wheel drive.

The CVT is standard on all other 2016 Subaru Forester trims, and high-line CVTequipped models also feature standard Hill Descent Control and a X-Mode, which provides extra control in certain driving conditions.

For 2016, the Forester Premium, Limited and Touring trims now feature the new SUBARU STARLINK Safety and Security features, which includes SOS Emergency Assistance, Enhanced Roadside Assistance, Automatic Collision Notification, Maintenance Notifications, Monthly Vehicle Health Report and Diagnostic Alerts.

All Forester trim lines for 2016 feature STARLINK, Subaru’s in-vehicle platform that provides hands-free connectivity and entertainment services. It is designed to work seamlessly with the in-car head unit to provide smartphone integration and tap into nearly unlimited entertainment through apps.