Any tips or suggestions on buying a Subaru

fordgirl15

I'm interested in buying a Subaru legacy or forester and would like sum advice on how to go about it. I'd like a nice one with low miles but that I don't have to pay a arm and leg for. Any help wud be appreciated!

Michaell

Used Subarus are crazy expensive, at least in my neck of the woods (Colorado).

Depending on your budget, you'll have to be careful that the car you select has had the work done on the head gaskets. This was a known point of failure for older Subarus and can cost some serious coin to put right.

You might want to search for some of the Subaru specific discussions here to find some expertise and better advise that what I can give you. My Subaru is only 5 months old.

fordgirl15

Ya I know and they are here to. The year I'm looking at is a 2012 . Low miles for around 17,000.

Mr_Shiftright

Here's the low down on the Subaru 2.5L engine defect. You'll want to pay close attention to this, depending on which year used car you are looking at. I don't think more modern Subarus have this problem anymore, but....BUT....I'd make sure someone looks it over anyway before you buy it.

fordgirl15

Ya. We have a friend that does cars and so I will be having him look it over. Or at least seeing what he thinks of it. Does that year have any defects in either the forester or legacy?

fordgirl15

Besides the head gasket?

dcm61

2012 Forester has the FB25 engine which should not have the head gasket issue. But, the early FB25 was known for excessive oil burning.

2012 Legacy was the last year for the head gasket blowing EJ25 engine.

fordgirl15

Ok. You know any pros and cons to this particular make and model?? We know someone that can TOTALLY brag Subaru up and down the country. And he acts like it's the way to go. Like to hear more from other Subaru owners.

stever

I had a used '97 Outback Ltd creampuff for a decade. Mostly was a winter driver and it wasn't too comfortable for trips over two hours. My sister has an '05 Forester that she's running into the ground (currently 155k) and her car is more comfortable that my Outback was.

Neither of us had head gasket issues (there's still time for my sister, lol).

So there's two more data points for you - both "ancient" history though and way older models than your 2012 search. My sister would buy another one. They've gotten too big or something for me (and they tend to burn oil, which is a bit of a peeve of mine).

fordgirl15

Well. I don't really like older vehicles that well. Maybe I am being way too picky. For me I would rather get a nice vehicle right away so I don't have to be fixing it so much. Don't have time for tht! I had looked at maybe a 2015 but price is a big thing. But if u can run Subaru well over 200,000 miles like I hear than is it worth to pay almost 30,000 for a 2015?

stever

Pretty much any car will make it to 200,000 miles these days.

You're kind of in a bad place - late model used cars (especially Subarus) get crazy money. So why spend big bucks for a three year old car when you can just throw in some more dollars and get something new?

Anyone who keeps their car for a decade is ahead in this game - with your example, you're paying $3,000 a year to drive a nice car with the latest gizmos and safety features.

(and yeah, we love spending other people's money around here ).

fordgirl15

Ya I feel like I am in a bad spot. The 2012 I'd basically 17,000. I want the 2015 but not sure I want to spend that much!

stever

Yeah, $17k is big bucks but $30k is almost double.

You could try for a deal around Labor Day and save some money that way as dealers try to clear out the inventory.

Got any family/friends down in, say, Tennessee? I almost picked up a used Subbie cheap in Chattanooga one year visiting family. I don't think people down there really appreciate them and they'd be cheaper than the ones on the lots in Colorado or even your neck of the woods.

When I decided to get one, I emailed a friend who had gotten an Outback for a retirement gift. I knew the car, so I emailed her, chit-chatted, and then asked her how her car was running. She replied "great!"

So then I asked her if she had thought about buying a new one and if so, let me know and I'd buy hers. She replied saying that she planned to drive her car forever.

Sure enough, that email was enough to put a bug in her ear and she went to the dealer to check out the new ones.

You know the rest of the story and I got a creampuff of a car. I'd of chased after her second one but she drove it to Arizona and parked it at her winter place there, getting a third new Outback for her daily driver.

Occasionally that trick works with people you chat up in parking lots and gas stations.

fordgirl15

Unfortunately I don't have any friends or family in that far off state! I'm looking for a job at a horse boarding and training stable in Minnesota so I'm gonna need a car. I wasn't gonna start looking till I knew I would get the job. But if I don't get it then I'll start emt training so u get the picture!:-) is there any other state that would be cheaper than my neck of the woods?? Besides Tennessee??

stever

Any place that doesn't get much, if any, snow. Can't recall ever seeing a Subaru in Texas but the big King Ranch pickups pretty much block your vision of everything else on the roads there but semis. Especially the ones pulling horse trailers.

Seriously, using the Used Car tab here, I see ~26 2012 Legacys within 200 miles of 50421 (where I spent a week one year). Those dealers are all in Minnesota; very few are close to $17,000 though. Most are more expensive.

dcm61

fordgirl15 said:

Ok. You know any pros and cons to this particular make and model??

Which model?

fordgirl15

Legacy sedan