Another thread about a car im looking at..., 2001 Outback H6 with 144k miles for 3500.   Go!

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=358638  Post #6

 

Chain drive camshafts, not belt drive self destructers. 

 

When my 2.5 lost a rod bearing I could find good 3.0's easily (and should have) - they are much more durable and haven't suffered the ignominy of an interference motor with cam belts having two strikes against it. The 3.0 H6 is a lot more available to find used in America, and the 2.5 SOHC was already limited because it was US only. And they crippled it with bad gaskets and belts. 

 

Two more cylinders, another 50+ hp, high reliability chain drive cams, what's not to like? Plenty of tuners are installing them as a N/A upgrade if hassling a turbo install isn't their cup of tea.

 

As in all things, YMMV - it doesn't get the same mileage, about 2-3 less. If the car's decent it looks like the one my wife reminds me I should have bought instead of the 2.5 I had to replace in 6 months of ownership. 

Thanks for the info and input. Went to see the car today, body was beat to hell (an axe murderer got after it), but the engine and everything was in good shape. I decided to pass when we couldn't come to an agreement on price. (I offered $2000 because of all the scratches, dents, and axe murderer wounds, dirty interior, and multiple other faults.) Now I am once again on the hunt for a under 130,000 miles, good shape, good motor, clean Soob.

They are sort of hard on the front end and brake rotors. Heavier nose, but a good engine otherwise.

with used cars, the care they got in the past and their present condition are way more important than the model's reliability.

 

That said, the H6s have a a few easily remedied niggling problems but are considered very desirable.

 

Consider paying a good mechanic for a prepurchase inspection.

I thought the H6 itself didn't weigh that much more? That is, the H6 cars usually had all the premium 'crap' that weighed things down.

I have a freind with an H6 and several H4's he says it is quite noticeable in the handling and he goes through a set of rotors a year. It isnt horrible, it just depends upon what your using it for. Also keep in mind that the weight of the engine is ahead of the wheels, so it doesnt take much to be noticable.