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Complete ignorance about Subbies


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Hey all.  My son is looking for a late model car to replace his Mazda Tribute which just blew the engine this week.  Because we're in the snowy NE,  he's looking for another AWD, and several people have recommended a Subaru as a good used car.

I know only two things about Subarus in general; they have had head gasket issues in the past, and they can have drivetrain failures if a new tire is mixed with older tires.

I don't know if that info is now outdated or still holds true.  So my question is what years (without buying new)  and/or models are safe from those issues.  He's just out of college and this will be his first loan.  He'll need at least 5 years out of a used car.

Any insight greatly appreciated.

Edit:  he's not particular when it comes to a sedan, wagon, or SUV... just wants something reliable.

John

 

 

Edited by JohnCT
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2011 or 2012 Legacy Outback with a 2.5 (non turbo ONLY) and manual transmission.

Those years are after they fixed the HG issue, but before they went to the FB engine with the ring tension problems. 

Avoid the CVT transmissions so that pretty much means going with the 5 speed. 

The tire size thing affects ALL all-wheel-drive cars and trucks. It's not specific to Subaru. It does nothing good for any of them. 

Don't even consider any other models. Everything from 96 to 2010 has one form or another of HG problems. You don't even want to deal with that. And the CVT's came out in about 2010 and those earlier years are having to be replaced frequently now around 100k give or take. 

GD

Edited by GeneralDisorder
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Crap.  If it was for me, I'd take the stick.  I learned on a manual and can drive one in a coma.  Unfortunately, my son never has.  I'll relay your excellent info to him, perhaps he'd be willing to learn.

Regarding the transmissions; all Subarus autos are CVT?   I remember Ford had a CVT in the early 2000s that was troublesome and parts are made of unobtainium.  Low mileage Ford cars and SUVs with bad CVTs are being scrapped out for no support.  If he does buy a Subaru and the CVT dies, is this a reasonable thing cost wise or is it crazy expensive?

Thanks for the advice!!

John

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Yea, pretty hard to get away from the head gasket issues. Good news is it's virtually always an oil leak, not a catastrophic failure like most cars with failed head gaskets. I let my '03 leak for nearly 50k miles before I finally fixed it. Just check the oil and fill it if it gets low.

2011-2012 Legacy and Outback 2.5s are the only ones with the old style engine that finally fixed the head gaskets. There are some components that are specific to those couple years, which makes a few parts hard to come by, but not too bad.

 

Subaru made conventional autos, 4 and 5-speeds. But not paired to that version of the EJ25 engine.

 

I looked for a 6-cylinder to avoid the head gasket issue. Those are much less likely to have head gasket problems, but it still happens, and when it does it's catastrophic and VERY labor intensive to repair (usually cheaper to replace the engine), so that's a bit of a gamble.

 

 

That said, I would not avoid the new generation of engines. They started in 2011 in the Forester, 2012 in the Impreza, and 2013 in the Legacy/Outback. Some do have oil consumption issues (warranty was extended to 100k miles for that issue. So get one under that and you might get a free engine), but generally pretty reliable.

I'm not sure what to think about the CVTs, there are plenty of them with lots of miles on them, and I was seeing used ones for pretty cheap. But, it's possible that warranty periods were skewing that. They started in 2010 in the Legacy/Outback 4-cyl, I think 2012 in the Impreza, 2014 in the Forester, and 2016 in the 6-cyl Legacy/Outback (I'm not completely certain on those years off the top of my head, but within a couple years).

 

Check out Cars101.com for lots of information on model and trim options

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57 minutes ago, john in KY said:

The Mazda Tribute and the Ford whatever are decent vehicles. Bought a well used one for a family member a couple of years ago and still running strong at around 300K. Replacing the alternator on the other hand will make a strong man cry. What a PITA. 

We put an alternator in my son's 04, and two in my 05.. I don't know how strong I am, but I did indeed cry...  If anyone here has one and needs to change one out, get a Bosch.  In the 01 - 04, Bosch alternators are brand new.  In the 05 and up, Bosch only offers a remanned.  BUT,  the Bosch is the only company that will install a brand new regulator and rectifier pack whether it needs it or not in all Ford and GM applications.  Everyone else including Motorcraft only replace the electrical parts if they're bad at the time of rebuild, which means they can fail months later.  If it was a half hour job, it would only be an inconvenience.  In the V6 Tribute/Escape, it's an 8 hour job.

John

Edited by JohnCT
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23 minutes ago, GeneralDisorder said:

Learning to drive a manual is an important life skill. Point out to him that LOTS of females can drive a manual. He needs to learn anyway. Best way to learn is to have to do it or not be able to get where you need to go. 

GD

"Sink or Swim" training method :D

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No shortage of Subarus here in CT. I see you’re in Htfd

Several small shops dedicated to Subarus. One in the Cheshire area I think it’s right on Rt 10 in Milldale just south of 691. Can’t recall the name. They seem to have a number of Subarus out front for sale. And at least a couple guys out east of you. You know the deal - try to avoid the major dealers if possible. 

 

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I would not avoid the 2000-2007 outbacks.   Buy one that is automatic if you want and one that has a leaky head gasket for the right price. Then pluck the motor, do the head gasket, timing belt routine and move on down the road.  I pick them up routinely for under $750 and either put in a new engine or do the head gasket if the miles are decent and the engine runs well and there is decent service history on the vehicle.

 

My 2 cents

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21 hours ago, GeneralDisorder said:

Learning to drive a manual is an important life skill. Point out to him that LOTS of females can drive a manual. He needs to learn anyway. Best way to learn is to have to do it or not be able to get where you need to go. 

GD

 

21 hours ago, Crazyeights said:

"Sink or Swim" training method :D

And that is EXACTLY how I learned to drive a stick! HAD to do it to get to the store for emergency supplies.. on a 1976 Plymouth Valiant, 3 on the tree.. Once I figured it out, I was hooked!

So much so that I turned it into a living - drove truck for 18 years, long haul - and those have a lot more gears to grind! LOL (oh, and btw - I am female ;) )

And I would have to agree with 3pin - don't discount the older models out of hand. I drive a 2002 Forester that currently has 244,500 plus miles on the clock. No major issues. Headgaskets were done on the car long before I got it - at around 108K or so. I bought it at 214K. 

Edited by heartless
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Thanks guys.  Trolling the Craigs now looking for something without a CVT.

Regarding the manual; I love driving them. I learned on a 66 Ford Econoline three on the tree.  I can drive a manual if I'm in a coma.

I know this is off topic a bit, but the thing that scares new stick drivers the most is the hill start (on cars with no hill holder feature).  I taught my wife and she picked up driving a stick in less than an hour.  Here's what I teach: when on a hill,  keep your foot on the brake and let the clutch up a bit until you feel the clutch *just* begin to grab.  You can now remove your foot from the brake and the car will not roll back. Put your foot on the gas pedal, add a bit of gas and then let the clutch up to move up the hill with zero back rolling.

Before they try it, I demonstrate it.   I bring them to a hill and stop.  I just let the clutch up until it grabs and take my foot off the brake.  The new driver sees the car just hang there like an automatic and that no panic move from the brake to the gas is necessary.  Yes, it takes a bit of practice as anything else does (easier with the radio and cabin fan off to hear the engine drop in rpm), but when new drivers see that the car won't roll backwards at all, they gain much more confidence and won't over-rev, over clutch, slip clutch, or stall.

You do want to explain that they mustn't sit on a hill with the clutch partially engaged and no foot on the brake for more than a second or so.

 

Back on topic, a guy I know has a 2007 Impreza auto (no CVT) that he just finished doing body work on (fatality!!) but it has a clean title and 74K miles.   If it were a Legacy, I'd probably jump on it but its a bit small and light for my preference.

 

John

 

 

 

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