Subaru. How reliable really?

I hated Subarus until I bought one. Now I love them. Just bought our third and couldn't be happier. Things to watch for is gearboxes in early ones. You can pour boost into the motors and they are happy as larry. I blew a gearbox on my early one after some severe mechanical abuse (7 grand launch and side step the clutch running 18 pounds boost). After putting in a STI box is was even better. My modded WRX wagon was close to my GTR in performance and I think it handled better. You can throw it into corners at silly speeds and it handled like it is on rails. My current one is the clubspec which means it has a nice leather interior and recaros. Buy one. You'll never regret it.

Fraser

We've got 2 Subarus: a 2000 Legacy 2.0 Combi and the new 2006 Legacy 3.0 RT.

I drive the 2000 Legacy now for a while till it terminates (120.000 km): some parts are indeed stupiditly expensif. Had to pay 250 Eur for the rear lock (just the piece, not installed).

At 120 kkm the only things changed (excluding normal maintenance) are the cltuch (went at 70.000 km), the ignition wires and the keys (are coded and F8% @-ing expensif at 150 Eur per piece).

Normal parts have normal wear: we pull quite a lot of trailers. Fuel consumption is a bit higher than a FWD due to the 4x4. Very low engine noice. The 2.0 drives really smooth, you have to be carefull late at night: noice in the car doesn't change if you drive at 120 kph or 170 kph.

Interior of the 2.0 is plastic and bad quality but the seats are comfy and not those hard plancs you find in german cars.

The 3.0 on the other hand is brand new. 3.0l 6H 245 HP, accelerates like a Sidewinder, heavy -and I mean heavy - on fuel: impossible to get below 20 l/

As to your statement that subarus are complicated when they break: I don't agree. Most parts are easily accessable and you don't need the fancy or purposemade spanners some make require.

There is more than Imprezas at Subaru: Legacy and Forrester are understated cars but they drive quite well. To me their bland image is not a problem espacially for the Legacy which interior space is vast.

Regards,

Tom De Moor

I did consider the Legacy saloon turbo. But as always the old "leaning over my shoulder" missus problem of "it's too big. She accepts I don't like little cars most of the time, now. But to her, an Octavia is big, and a Superb is too big. A Saab 9-3 (old shape) would be OK, because in her eyes it is a smaller car than a Saab 9000, or old 900 (and I mean she thinks it is a lot smaller).

I wish there was a decent 4x4 turbo petrol older Octavia. But they didn't want to produce that as it would have clashed with the VRS and been cheaper. I guess the Octavia, Impreza, Lancer Evo would be about as big as I could consider if I wanted to stay on her right side.

Forgot to mention, the wagons are unbelievably practical. I can get my bike into the back of the wagon without taking the wheels off. Interior is incredibly well thought out. Brilliant cars.

Fraser

My old Saab 900 was like that. Just a hatchback, but what a Hatchback. if you fold down the rear seats, you can get a 28" CRT, in it's packing box in straight, with enough room arround it to fit in a months shopping.

The Newer 900 and the early 9-3 still had huge boots, but didn't have the flat slide tail gate lip, there was an edge to lift over. The current 9-3 doesn't even have a hatchback anymore. Closest is the US only 9-2 which was a rebranded Impreza turbo wagon, and has been discontinued as unpopular.

My dad's old shape Octy estate 4X4 Turbo (w. Jabba remap) is an outstanding vehicle, proper response and control. You can pick them up for very reasonable prices and I think they were the first to use the Haldex 4X4 system

Ken

->I know the parts are dear, and they are complicated when they break.

->and I know after about 100k the "piss oil now" valve is programmed to

->open at random by the ECU.

I did 270,000 miles in my Impreza in five years, in that time nothing broke, not even a bulb still on the original clutch.

MPG was rubbish tho, poxy tank took 30 quid, I had to fill every two days.

Oil seal on the distributor failed at speed on the motorway, started to knock so I chopped it in.

I would have another if it was not for the type of people who drive them now ;-)

Cheers. Thats the sort of thing I was looking for. wow, didn't realise the tank was so small. Didn't think anything larger than a Fiesta/Corsa/Fabia came with a tank that small.

One of the lads I know who lives and works in CZ and goes cross country=20 a couple of times a year with a bot full of Skoda spares for the owners=20 club members had a mid 90's Legacy combi. The problem he had was that at arround 150k the CV joints started to=20 fail and the cost he was quoted just for parts was stupid money.=20 something like =A3900.

--=20 Carl Robson Car PC Build starts again.

And if you want to go for huge load space AND the performance to match a WRX, go for an import Legacy GT/B. I actually went to the dealer to buy an Impreza Wagon but for the same money I managed to buy my Legacy which although are extremely large cars, handle just as well and go like stink.....

See thats where I love mine, I picked up my TV in it and had the two kids with me meaning back seats have to stay there.... Got it from Tesco and the missus decided to do the food shopping....

A 28" widescreen (CRT), a weeks shop for four, two kids, a double pram and still a bit of space to spare.

But it is an estate so unlikely to get past people who prefer small cars as it just isn't by any means.

I managed that in my old Renault 5... Just.

Dom.

Don't eat much do you!

Ken

Heh, you can get £40 in the 206 :-) Granted, he doesn't say when it would only take £30...

I got most of a garden in the back of the 206 with the seats down. I think it was overloaded, the front end was insanely light (wheelspin in 2nd in the dry at low revs...).

->Cheers. Thats the sort of thing I was looking for.

->wow, didn't realise the tank was so small.

->Didn't think anything larger than a Fiesta/Corsa/Fabia came with a tank

->that small.

That combined with it's thirst made it a real pain, probably the only thing I didn't like about the car.

I usually use about 26-30 litres a week in the Saab, and do about 175-

->Heh, you can get £40 in the 206 :-) Granted, he doesn't say when it would

->only take £30...

When queuing at the pumps because of the blockades................

Bet that was annoying...

I think they're great, and would probably be high on my list of cars if I wanted to spend a bit more money. Having been driven in a normal boggo WRX by a nutter of a driver, I can honestly say I've never been in anything that felt so well sorted. More fun cars? Yes, but in terms of shear grip and cornering speeds, no! When I drove it it felt nice and solid, cant say I really noticed the platicy interior, but I guess I'm used to that. Didnt feel massively quick in a straightline, obviously not slow, but not as quick as I expected IYSWIM. The guy who I borrowed the car from reckoned the one to have was the WRX with the Suburu power upgrades to get you up to STi power, but still keeping the comfort levels of the not-quite-so-hardcore WRX.

My housemate also used to have a cooking model 4WD 1.8 estate. Often overlooked due to the Turbo. Not quick, and it would corner on it's door handles, but ignoring the roll it just kept on gripping. Good off road too, especially with the low range box (which you dont get on turbo models). Eventually he sold it and it then got nicked and used in a ram raid...