"Captain of the Enterprise" (justanotherdayinparadise)
10/29/2015 at 06:19 • Filed to: None
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"Captain of the Enterprise" (justanotherdayinparadise)
10/29/2015 at 06:19 • Filed to: None | 0
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Dusty Ventures
> Captain of the Enterprise
10/29/2015 at 06:55 |
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Yes
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Captain of the Enterprise
> Dusty Ventures
10/29/2015 at 07:25 |
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You have one right? I'm thinking about buying one as my new daily, I'm in college in Michigan with about $5000 saved for buying a car. Has yours been reliable and would you recommend them? I would probably have to get the previous gen but I think it would be good with our terrible roads and winter driving
BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
> Captain of the Enterprise
10/29/2015 at 08:20 |
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I’ve had a lot of experience with Subies and OBWs in particular.
Reliable? Yes, very much so. I’ve had Subies go to 175K+ miles, no problems EXCEPT:
You’re gonna need head gaskets on the H4. No way around it, sometime between 80 and 150k miles they’re gonna go. If you can’t do the work yourself, it’s a $1200-1800 job (counts the cost of the timing belts that need to be done at 105k). If the current owner HAS NOT done a HG job, you’re going to as the next owner.
But...you may be able to find a H6 early 00s OBW in your price range. I sold a low mileage 01 five years ago for $5500, so they've got to be close to $4500 now. The H6 is bullet-proof, though changing spark plugs sucks.
Mustafaluigi
> BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
10/29/2015 at 08:58 |
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I always assumed the Turbo motors didn’t have the head gasket issue like the N/A?
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BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
> Mustafaluigi
10/29/2015 at 09:15 |
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The turbos have *better* HGs, but are still likely to begin to leak sometime around the upper-100k mark.
BeaterGT
> Mustafaluigi
10/29/2015 at 10:01 |
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The turbo 2005+ models barely had any head gasket issues compared to the previous gen. They had more issues with the turbo setup itself.
Source: I own a 2005 Legacy GT.
Skamanda
> Captain of the Enterprise
10/29/2015 at 11:03 |
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You can usually find the 05-06 (the 06 is the sweet spot - better airbags, reinforced doors) 2.5i OBWs on CL in Michigan for around 5-6k, if there’s one listed. The XT will be closer to 10k from that generation, though.
The earlier generations are going to be pretty hit or miss around here for rust on the rear wheel arches. There’s a 1996 one on the Grand Rapids CL that needs a little work (wheel bearing, cracked windshield) that seems from the pics to have no rust, and it’s less than $2k. The 1999-2004 models (if you can stomach their looks) should be obtainable for less than $4k - even the Limited models.
The reliability is great, as long as you maintain them well. The head gaskets are the only major cringe factor, because to do it right you really should pull the engine (though there’s a video on youtube that shows you don’t have to). If a dealership does it, you could be looking at up to $2200 just for a head gasket job, and if they use the standard gasket (that is, not multi-layer steel), every ~100k you’re going to be doing it again.
You should also look at the Legacy Wagon. Same car, without the lift kit, and with smaller fog lights (and in the case of the 05-09 models, smaller fender flares). They won’t be as well equipped a lot of the time, but their prices are lower.
CaptDale - is secretly British
> Captain of the Enterprise
10/29/2015 at 12:11 |
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Always 3.0/3.6
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Dusty Ventures
> Captain of the Enterprise
10/29/2015 at 13:57 |
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I have the Outback version, which is basically the same car but taller and with a bodykit. Reliability depends largely on luck, mileage, and the previous owner. I’ve had some issues but have no regrets and still love the car as much as when I bought it. I plan on writing a one year review in early December. You can also check out http://legacygt.com , they can tell you absolutely everything about the cars.
I will say it might be tough finding a good model for under $5,000
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Captain of the Enterprise
> BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind
10/29/2015 at 21:37 |
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Is it possible to rent an engine hoist and stand?