Subaru. How reliable really?

If you remember, the first cars I bought were the Skoda Favorit and the Skoda Estelle.

there are a lot of smaller cars I can't fit in. I really can't fit them. Hence why I like larger cars. On top of that, as you know I have the missus who hates larger cars.

I tend to buy cheaper unpopualr cars. My buying the Celica and the Saab cab were actaully attempts at trying to buy more expensive better quality cars. The Saab Cab was a present to myself for getting through the grief of quiting smoking. but it has caused me more grief than anything else I've owned.

Yup, that's what I do - fixed rate discounted mortgage, change when the discount period is up. They seem to be 2 or 4 year fixed terms, many with no tie-in beyond the discount period. You get better rates with a

2-year fixed term, so that's what I go for.

For an easy life, I use a solicitor to deal with the environmental checks and such when I change, but so far the new mortgage provider has paid the solicitors bills, so it hasn't cost me a bean.

Come to Perth. The weather is better, the wages are better and you can get a V8 and afford to run it. Or bring the Saab and actually get to take the roof down. Selling your place there and converting your pounds to dollars will let you buy a place here just about outright.

Fraser

Bit new - how about the original 1.4D? :-)

cheers, clive

You mean the No Frills stuff. Great for toast. Stale bread always is.

It's tempting. I thought they were fussy about what trades they let in? The Missus would be OK, she works in admin for Utilities companies (gas/electric), but I'm a self taught internet programmer with a degree in English Lit. Have done some freelance journo bits in the past, but I doubt Aus needs any lodmouth brits popping up and expecting to get paid for it.

We are with the Market Harborough.

Went with this package.

It is all done online or by letter, it can however be a little slow.

Nah, they're known for head gasket weaknesses! At least the one redeeming feature of the 1.5D is that it's fairly reliable. And pretty economical - though there'd probably be virtually nothing in it between the 1.5D AX and a VAG 1.9 TDI on a run at 80mph.

I drove mine mercillessly (?sp?) for a week, on about £15 and did some insane amount of miles (circa 300 iirc - probably a bit less as that sounds like a lot, but that's what the sums in my head are suggesting). That was flat out, everywhere.

I was ordinarily happy to drive bangers, or even the just sub =A31k=20 "cheap" car. But you wouldn't believe some of the responses on here when I suggest=20 some, to get opinions.

The only car I had broken into was my old Favorit. I'm in Warrington, but before I can buy the next car, the Saab needs to=20 go.

If I'm going to spend money it will probably be a used Skoda Fabia=20 diesel (would love a VRs) or a Saab 9-3 2.2 TiD, couple of grand=20 cheaper, but not as nice, but nice enough, or Octavia TDi, cheaper still=20 but probably ex Taxi.

If I go with the bangernomics route I'm torn between either an old Golf=20 or Audi 80 Turbo diesel on Veg oil, or a Skoda Felicia (L&K if can find=20 one).

I would love an old Rapid again, but the rear engined Skodas are selling=20 for more than Saab of a simialr age at the moment.

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

Homepage:

I used to thrash mine absolutely everywhere - well, you sort of had to. On B-roads I used to average just under 60mpg. On the motorway, it would cruise happily at 90, eventually, and at 75-80mph would give 65-70mpg. I had it during the petrol protests, and driving like a nun I averaged just over 75mpg on my normal 45 mile B/A road/motorway/urban run.

Aye, that's the stuff. I'm not sure it's actually edible if you don't toast it. I used to go through a loaf a day at one point.

It is barely edible. It was all my dad bought and that was for sandwiches, with meals, and toast, everything.

It was disgustign and I had to use it for butties for work and everything.

I usually get the Hovis one with beans on the bag now :-)

Yeah, but I bet its possible for you to drive for hundreds of miles without going round a corner. (c:

I could be wrong here, but I think TDM's talking about his Sierra Cosworth.

me me me me me me ! Oh hang on, it was my turn for the last five years.

100K? Depends on the model. Some have it set for 50K. And the gearboxes get noisy, and the non-turbo-nutter models (aside from the Legacy) understeer like mad and are about as pleasant to drive as a Proton.

I like them still. I liked the Legacy 4Cam Turbo a lot. I'd like an XT or SVX, even though I know what an utter nightmare they would be.

But... I don't think I would really have a normal Subaru over anything else; certainly an MX5, or Golf GTI Mk II, or Sera, or countless other cars would come first.

Richard

Cheers. Solid none biased advice. thank you.

I was gonna suggest MX5 - saw one for sale that looked tidy from the outside for £2k the other day, so I suspect early ones can be had pretty cheap now?

I nearly had an MX5 instead of the 206 - worked out nicely in the end (they wouldn't insure me) as I'd never have got the wheelchair in the back of an MX5...