Considering Purchase of '94 Loyale Wagon

Greg;

Never owned a Quattro but have owned 94 Loyale. It is very utilitarian. A very practical car. Ours had the 4wd and would go through a lot of snow and slush, it felt safe where our 89 Blazer left us feeling uneasy.

I would not descibe a Loyale as fun to drive unless there was snow on the ground or going through some mud.

Practical, not too bad on gas, they don't get stolen too often, if at all.

I've got a 1992 Loyale Wagon that is still going strong with 153K miles on it.

I did have a Loyale before this one, and had to replace the oil pump and I think that's a common problem.

I have a '93 Loyale. My wife has driven this car around town since '94, we are the second owners. I am lucky in that mine only has 60k on it. I have had to replace the right front CV joint due to a split boot and replace the V belts. Check the CV boots for cracks and wear as this is a common problem. This engine leaks and burns oil and be aware that the Timing belt is only rated for 55k miles. I would expect that if yours has 144k it should have had the CV joints done at least once and coming up on its third timing belt change.

The Loyale is a very utilitarian vehicle, it is not designed for comfort. It has a rough and noisy ride, but is economical and reliable if properly maintained. It is great for grocery getting, but I have also driven it on a few extended trips. The economy is nice but long trips could be uncomfortable. I would be interested in how much they are asking for this vehicle.

Robin in Bremerton

Thanks for the tips.

KBB shows about $2400 for the car. The seller posted a message at work asking $1750 for it. There's a sign in the window that says "$2200 OBO" FWIW. I drove the car yesterday, and I don't think I'm willing to pay what he's going to want for the car. But I'll probably make him an offer that he can reject anyway.

I only plan to drive the car for the remainder of this winter. Its purpose is to get me around when the roads are choked with snow. In such conditions, "utilitarian" is exactly what I'm looking for in a car. When spring-time rolls around I'm hoping to have more buyers interested in my Caddy. After that's sold, the Oldsmobile and Audi go up for sale. After that, it's a new Subaru for me. I *had* been looking at the Forester XT, but after reading some complaints about the car's climate control, I'm now leaning toward a WRX wagon. *This* car -- if I end up buying it -- will then mostly just sit around until spring '05, when my son turns 16 and will inherit it. It would be a good car for a new teen-aged driver: Sturdy, dependable, and not very fast.

I got some more story about the car yesterday when I took it for a drive: It was originally owned by the local Subaru dearler's service manager, so I expect it was well maintained for that portion of its life. The second owners bought it for their son and sold it when it became clear that he would never learn to drive a stick. The current owner is number three, and he's had the car since May without any problems. I noticed that the clutch doesn't engage until it's almost completely released. It doesn't seem to slip at all (that I noticed) once it's engaged, but this observation combined with the second owners' story (a teenager trying -- and failing -- to learn how to drive it) makes me wonder whether the clutch is close to death. Is high clutch engagement normal for this car?

Thanks again,

- Greg

1976 Cadillac Fleetwood 75 9-Passenger Sedan (FS: Audi 200 Turbo Quattro 5-Speed Sedan (FS: send e-mail for info -- addr. at caddy site above)2000 Oldsmobile Intrigue2001 Chevy Astro AWD (wife's)

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Yeah, I figure $2500 would be the top price I could expect if I wanted to sell mine. I certainely couldn't buy another car for $2500 that would be as economical or reliable as this one. I am hanging on to mine and look forward to passing it on to one of my daughters in a few years.

Did you say that it was a four wheel drive? Mine is only front wheel drive and can have problems in deep snow.

Not sure about the clutch thing, mine has not had any clutch problems but I would not be surprised if this is eventually a problem because you are forced to slip the clutch a bit if you want any power taking off from a start. I re-read my post and it seemed like I was down on this car. Actually it is a great car for what it was designed for. Mine has AC, electric windows and door locks and I have been very happy with it's performance and reliability. I agree that this would be an excellent first car for a new driver. And if the kid can't learn to drive a stick they have got no business being on the road! ;-)

Robin

Yes, this car is 4WD. I'd really prefer a car with permanent AWD (like the Audi it's replacing) instead of one where you have to engage the 2nd set of wheels manually. But this Loyale would still be *much* better in the snow than my FWD-only Oldsmobile. And as I mentioned before, I'll be a good 1st car for my son.

I agree. The fact that so many American drivers can't operate a manual transmission is, in my ever-so-humble opinion, a reflection of a greater problem with too many American motorists: They don't involve themselves in their driving. Too many American drivers are far too preoccupied with putting on makeup, talking on cell phones, eating hamburgers and yelling at the kids to devote that much attention or effort to driving their cars. But I digress...

I've been trying to get hold my usual import mechanic, but he hasn't been answering his phone. He's been having some medical problems, so I fear he may be laid up at the moment. I'd really like to know what a new clutch would cost me if it has to be done. Anybody here have any ideas?

- Greg