Fits, Clubmen, and Legacy(s?) help NOISE pick a car or something

"noise" (noise) 10/20/2014 at 15:21 • Filed to: car buying, new car, subaru, mini, honda, fit, clubman, legacy, outback, help, doritos

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Hello beautiful people of Oppo, I come with a conundrum.

For the first and probably last time in my life I have sufficient funds where buying a new car won't mean cutting into my food or beer budget (I think we know which budget would suffer). SO to that end, I think the trusty focus needs to go. I've essentially fixed everything on that thing by now anyway, so I might as well toss it before i need to replace the power steering again (lucky number three?).

As you know, or will soon know, I'm an agricultural scientist. And for anyone who knows farmers, or scientists, we have a lot of shit. On any given day my piddly ass focus sedan could be carrying my tools (for inevitable roadside repairs), 15 pumpkins, shovels and hoes (aw yeah), a weather station, four flats of seed plants, a bunch of genotyping equipment, all my sampling gear, myself, my lunch, and that damn audio cord I keep meaning to return at wal-mart. I need a car to accommodate my lifestyle you see.

So buy a truck you say, I have a work truck at my farm. I use it when i need to carry 75 pumpkins, or a shit ton of fertilizer, or 5 crates of seed potatoes and two undergraduate interns (my lunch gets the passenger seat). But I don't always work at my close farm Sometimes I drive to buffalo, sometimes i drive all over the damn state. Once a month I drive back home to Massachusetts for the Mrs to get her hair done and to drink beer with my high school friends in the same bar and basement we've been drinking beer in since 2005. I drive a lot, gas is expensive, you get the idea. Plus half that scientific shit i have to carry shouldnt be out in a truck bed.

So buy an SUV? Same as above, plus I like cars. i like low, sleek cars and wagons. Not big on the suvs.

Which leads me to my options. As all good jalops when I think "I need a new car" of course i say "well then get a miata you ding dong" but thats clearly a terrible idea. So being a resident of Ithaca NY, i of course then say "so get a volvo!" but then i remember how goddamn expensive volvo parts are and how goddamn expensive volvos are out here. So then I obviously settle on buying an ancient BMW and making that work, but I remember my wife's dissaproving look and how small and cold my couch was for sleeping last time I bought a moped, or that time i bought that jeep, or that oldsmobile with no seats.

So that takes me to real options. Like a SUUUUUBAAAARUUUUU

A legacy wagon to be exact, or an outback. I love scoobies, and would love one. But they don't come cheap out here and I'd have to give up having 4 mismatched junk yard tires... plus keeping all those spare head gaskets in my apartment might make the old lady angry...

So how about a fit?

These things look great. They could hold all my shit and still be little. Honda parts arent too bad and they last forever right? Well I had a honda once, and when its transmission exploded all over downtown Amherst Ma it wasnt cheap or easy. And at only 130k! Come on honda, step up.

Or finally, what about one of these bad boys?! BARN DOORS!

I've never had a mini. I don't know anyone with a mini. My first thought is EUROPEAN LUXURY CAR PARTS RUN but i honestly have no idea. Are parts expensive? Do I need to remove the bumper to change headlights like on my old jetta? Will people think i'm cooler? Am i YOLOing enough for a mini? What is a bae? Why are these kids on my lwan? What is a twerk and can i catch it through the internet? So many questions.


What do you think Oppo, how should i spend my income. We're only talking about like 10 grand here after I pay Governor Cuomo and that Geiko gecko.

What buy?

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > noise 10/20/2014 at 15:23

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anything but this

noise > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 10/20/2014 at 15:25

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It was never a real consideration honestly. I just saw one on craigslist and realized i have absolutely no feel for minis. I dont know anything about them except one parks really poorly in my parking lot at work, which I assume is a symptom of its bimmer-ness

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > noise 10/20/2014 at 15:27

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HammerheadFistpunch > noise 10/20/2014 at 15:27

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Legacy or outback wagon would be great. The fit is a fun little car, but the sonic/fiesta/mazda 2/etc are also fun. DON'T BUY A MINI

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > noise 10/20/2014 at 15:28

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hahaha, there's a countryman that parks next to my Milan at work and I just shake my head because the MINI make my Milan look like a sub-compact.

and barn doors are fun, but the Ford Excursion is the only one who did 'em right, lift up glass and split low doors. Was genius because you know, you could see out of it.

Captain of the Enterprise > noise 10/20/2014 at 15:29

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BATTLE WAGON!

But seriously, Panther so reliable, big and v8 RWD, gas is ok probably high teens but you'll save money because they're cheap and easy to work on.

noise > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 10/20/2014 at 15:30

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Haven't you heard. Seeing is so out right now. Its all about the gun-slit windows

noise > Captain of the Enterprise 10/20/2014 at 15:31

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I would be the baddest bitch at the farm

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > noise 10/20/2014 at 15:32

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I'm glad you think that way, check out my recommendation of a Magnum R/T!

Captain of the Enterprise > noise 10/20/2014 at 15:33

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pegleg to your hearts content!

mcseanerson > noise 10/20/2014 at 15:35

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Mazda 3 Hatch or Mazda 5 van.

This was my '04 sedan with 2.0 motor and a 5 speed stick and no ABS. One trip peaked at 48 mpg, I won my class in HS at my first autocross, and it was cheap and easy to maintain and purchase. The hatch only adds utility to it while the 5 has three rows and similar driving dynamics and can still be had with a stick.

How fun is it and how good does it drive? I bought this car to replace a 2005 Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec V. That's the sportiest Sentra Vs. the most base Mazda 3. The Mazda is better.

noise > mcseanerson 10/20/2014 at 15:38

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ABS is over rated

I've been thinking about a mazda but there are surprisingly less of them upstate than i would like. And the ones i've found have mileage numbers i'm used to on volvos.

Though they seem to be glorious on the rust front

El-Verde > noise 10/20/2014 at 15:41

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Co-worker had a Fit, absolutely loved it. Tons of storage, cheap to run. It's a car!

noise > El-Verde 10/20/2014 at 15:46

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any idea how the automatic is in those things?

if I had my way i'd get the manual, but circumstances seem to be that the wife would drive it often, and she demands a slushbox.

And I've cleaned honda slushbox off the street enough times to never want to do that again

Ballzonya > noise 10/20/2014 at 15:47

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I'm biased, but I say get the Subaru.

I had an 07 Forester while in college in Erie PA , and I never had an issue getting around during the storms even though it would be 2-3 days before the side streets got plowed.

mcseanerson > noise 10/20/2014 at 15:50

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I loved the lack of ABS. Panic stops kept me awake. Also made trail braking the glorious thrill that it should be.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 10/20/2014 at 15:54

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The doors on a Clubman have reflectors on them, swing clear of the rear lights, and are on gas shocks. You can actually do stuff with them open.

noise > Ballzonya 10/20/2014 at 15:59

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Well 07 is about the vintage I could afford right now

What condition was the forester in wehn you sold her?

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 10/20/2014 at 16:10

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the opening and closing feature has nothing to do with the 2x4 in the rear view lol

Stupidru > noise 10/20/2014 at 16:11

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My heart says get the Subaru but my head says get the Fit

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 10/20/2014 at 16:15

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Full height split is how the Suburban has done it since time immemorial. *shrug*

Ballzonya > noise 10/20/2014 at 16:16

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I bought it with 46K, good shape, no rust...I don't recall any major issues. Replaced a joint in the suspension after hitting a pothole & popping a tire. Replaced 4 ties just before the 2nd winter I owned it...made a world of difference getting around in the snow. Old tires & AWD is good, new tires & AWD is GREAT!

Owned it for 3 years, put about 40K on it and traded it in for an Xterra (Full disclosure - I have since gotten rid of the Xterra for another Subaru). It was in pretty good shape when I traded it in, although there was a 4-5" dent in the front fender from a hit and run when it was parked on the street. No issues with engine, exhaust, tranny, etc.

DanZman > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 10/20/2014 at 16:17

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The astro vad did it first, they called the option the "dutch door".

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 10/20/2014 at 16:18

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I think the only one who's ever done it right is the Excursion:

Functionality of the swing open "barn doors" visibility of the hatch glass.

Perfect execution (which is probably what an even bigger Ford SUV would have been called if they made another level, thank god that war ended. The Ford Execution)

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > DanZman 10/20/2014 at 16:18

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oh you're absolutely right!

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 10/20/2014 at 16:22

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They also did the hatch+short doors on some Astros. Turns out it likes to leak.

Travelalls also did normal doors:

As did the Mini Countryman the Clubman draws from, E-series vans, and a lot of others:

I just find it odd that people were all "BUT YOU CAN'T SEE OUT THE BACK" and so forth when it, despite being a bit throwback, was a perfectly ordinary feature of vehicles for ages.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 10/20/2014 at 16:24

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Someone else just called me on the Astro Van - you're both 100% correct.

It may be true, but another big issue I have with the not so mini-mini is that it makes my Milan look TINY in the parking lot. I wish they hadn't made them GIANT

El-Verde > noise 10/20/2014 at 16:27

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I too have my concerns about Honda reliability, especially since my brother in law to be was a Honda dealership tech for about 5 years and has told me horror story after horror story regarding the auto transmissions...especially the Odyssey.

All I can say is my co-worker bought it used, drove the crap out of it (it was an auto), and the only issue was the A/C giving up at some point. Had it fixed rather cheaply and as far as I know it is running around the AZ desert to this day (he moved out there).

El-Verde > noise 10/20/2014 at 16:28

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Oh and last I remember it had 90k+ miles

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 10/20/2014 at 16:43

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I love the Clubman, detest the Countryman. An estate version of the allegedly-Mini MINI is okay. An SUV/crossover is not. 11" longer to give a little more rear seat room, and a much more usable back area is good, and the double doors give it a quirky freak factor that's kind of neat. Making the whole thing bigger all around around the same drive train is just dumb, though, hence the new-Countryman is UNACCEPTABLE.

handsoff > noise 10/20/2014 at 16:53

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Saabaru!

noise > El-Verde 10/20/2014 at 16:58

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Thanks, that does seem to be a fair argument for the little fit

noise > handsoff 10/20/2014 at 17:00

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Oh man i've wanted a 9-2x for years, but I can just feel the couch coming if i start chasing saabs again

noise > Ballzonya 10/20/2014 at 17:01

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well, i'm pretty convinced.

To craigslist!


and the dent is just battle scars. Makes the car look tougher

El-Verde > noise 10/20/2014 at 17:25

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I'd honestly go Legacy if I could because I had a WRX and that car had oodles and oodles of character. And I wouldn't care if people thought I was a lesbian couple. But I would imagine the Fit will be the most bang for your buck over the whole period of ownership.

Two Drink Minimum > noise 10/21/2014 at 17:19

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Upgrade the wife? The Fit with an auto is going to be a bit (more) sluggish to drive, and you'll have to worry about that tranny going south on you. We have a manual Fit Sport ('09) and it's been rock solid. But I'll warn you that the Fit is not a great long-range driver. It's very loud (wind, rode and engine noise) and tends to get pushed around in a cross wind. A Mazda5 might be a better choice.

noise > Two Drink Minimum 10/21/2014 at 21:29

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shes also into big old american cruising cars and likes engine work

you pick and choose your battles friend.

And i'll take that into consideration, hadent even considered a 5. though if I get a minivan my excuses keeping kids away will start to dwindle

Two Drink Minimum > noise 10/22/2014 at 06:40

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Yeah, I hear that. How about a Passat Wagon? Tons of space, drives well, and a solid road warrior. It's a VW so reliability can be a concern, but that could be an option for long haul trips and hauling gear.

handsoff > noise 10/22/2014 at 11:18

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But it's not really a Saab! It's a Subaru with a better interior and exterior!

noise > handsoff 10/22/2014 at 12:19

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Oh great! A saab built by GM out of subaru parts!

You couldnt find a more beautiful trifecta of reliability!

My head gasket will explode, causing me to jump and hit my not-on-the-center-console placed key which will turn off the ignition keeping the airbags from deploying so I die.


>i'm aware its just a rebadged impreza and none of this applies<

bob and john > noise 12/01/2014 at 14:42

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Odd-ball: honda element.