What would you do?

[guidance1]

We have a 96 Legacy Sedan. We're in Texas so no rust and is basically in good condition.

 

226,000 miles motor runs great but it's time for brakes (prob at least 1 rotor too) front end work rack & pinion shot at least the rubber boots and they're leaking onto the exhaust and smoking. Might have leaky seals in the front of the motor too! Probably $1K -$1500 + to get this thing back in order maybe more.

 

The thing is so tight and fun to drive.

 

Spend the money or get a new one?

 

The gas prices are completely out of control --I think it's still getting 25-30 MPG.

 

What is you choice for a new Subaru? need good gas milage and really looking at point a - b

 

Thanks for your thoughts...

[nipper]

Well sit down and do the math, where are you going to get a new car at 1500.00 (plus sales tax plus reggy fees and any increase in insurance)?

 

nipper

[idosubaru]

doesn't sound like things are really failing, seals do leak over time/mileage and are in a way maintenance items at this point. you've got a great non-interference EJ22 engine which is a good candidate for 280,000 miles.

 

this car should be good for another 60,000 miles (another timing belt life), so if $2,000 is worth 60,000 miles to you then it's not a bad idea to keep it. that should be another 2-3 years. you'll likely spend $1,000-$500 to fix stuff now and at most $500-$1,000 in the next 2-3 years, so $2,000 is a reasonable number to work from considering 280,000 is not unreasonable to expect from this vehicle from your description of it.

 

if brakes are working fine now then you only need pads. if you have some vibration or the rotors are scared then you may need new rotors. you should not need new calipers.

 

as for the oil leaks....depends where it's leaking. valve cover gaskets are cheap and easy to replace. start there or at least have a look. after that the cam/crank/oil pump seals are all very cheap but they reside behind the timing belt. so replace those with the next timing belt change. make sure you replace them all...crank seal, oil pump oring, cam seals, and cam cap oring. since they're all behind the timing belt you typically replace them all at the same time, unless they're bone dry then you can leave them. the timing belt removal is the expensive part (labor) so this job will typically run $300-$600 depending on parts and mechanic labor charges.

 

replace the steering rack with a used unit. in my opinion subaru racks don't fail enough to warrant the cost of new/rebuilt units. used racks are easy to find cheap since they rarely fail, yards aren't really selling many of those.

[guidance1]

I don't have the time to do the wrenching on this! It might be time to move on...

 

Fantastic car though..

 

How do the new ones compare?

 

Whats' the car worth $2-3K?

[aircraft engineer]

maybe if running in good condition - as-is maybe 1500 to 2k depending on exterior. You might get more from someone who doesn't know much about Subs.

 

Brakes are cheap maybe 150 depending on what needs replaced (how many rotors)

 

But the seals/timing belt/water pump parts will be up to $300 or so and maybe 4 hours to pull it down and put it back (for those who turn their own wrenches) Plugs, filters, etc etc

 

No sense pulling it down without doing the whole job AT ONCE (brakes are "anytime")

[idosubaru]

nothing wrong with new cars except the car payment! new cars are designed to sell and be very appealing, doubtful you'll be disappointed.

[guidance1]

What is is $20K for an impreza? With gas prices, being a Realtor, I need something reasonable and gets good milage. What's a good one?

[four-fleet-feet]

I'd fix your corrent car, if I had it.

 

Think about it; you've already stated your engine is good. The EJ22 is much more trouble-free than the newer engines. Parts abound in junkyards. You don't have to pay stealer prices for new parts if you don't want to. On a new car you have no choice.

 

The repairs you're needing are typical ones for your mileage, not catastrophic failures. Get a new Subaru and you're staring a HG in the face down the road. If it happens under warranty, not so bad; if not, that's a significant expense you'd better put away for.

 

Most of the newer cars aren't getting the mileage of the older ones, a point made clearly if you read the 'mileage' post a few lines down. Therefore, your new car will co$t you more in payments (or up-front cash), higher insurance premiums, higher license tab fees, and more ga$ money! If you have cash to burn, please ignore me and go get that new car. I'm sure it will be real pretty.

 

Otherwise, fix up the one you have! Subarus can go l-o-n-g miles with proper care and maintenance. Any vehicle can! If you're not sold on the 'new-car' smell, keep yours awhile longer. Stash the amount of those payments away, if you want, and when you have a nice nest egg, go pay cash for your future new Subaru. You'll get interest on your money.

 

Failing that, if things get tight, you'll be glad you're only stashing it away and not having to pay it to the car loan... whew!

 

(edit: you posted while I was typing. A realtor? I'd think twice about that new car! Sure, you want to present a good impression to your clients, but you don't need a new car to do that IMHO. But maybe I'm strange.)