>college student
>sister totaled my '07 Mazda 3 back in January
>looking for a daily driver that's still fun to drive
>parents offering to get me a new car but want to spend under $7k
So I found pic related on craigslist: an '05 Subaru Legacy GT which is a 270HP turbo, 140k miles on it, cheap af to insure but fun to drive, automatic transmission (wish it was a manual), and AWD. Only $4000.
How's 140k miles for this car or am I going to start running into repairs? Should I go for it or no?
>recent rain storm
>windows open
>looks like condensation on the inside of the car
That aside, does it have a 2.5l?
Depends who was driving it. Any maintanance records? Its a great car but if some dude bro owns it and its obvious its been launched every corner stay far away. But if it looks very good like it doesnt even have 149k miles go for it
Yes
I would ask them if they have had the headgasket done and look for problem headgasket signs.
>'05 Subaru Legacy GT which is a 270HP turbo
250 hp, chief
I'll have to ask. What repairs do I check for (other than the headgasket)?
Normal stuff, ask for records, check trans fluid, oil, coolant, cv boots, hoses, pop the fuse box and look for blown fuses or hack job electrical repair, take to auto zone and have them check for codes, carfax, ask about differential service. Check for leaks before during and after test drive.
As long as it's been maintained, 140k is nothing for a Subaru.
never ever, ever buy an automatic car in which you hope to ever one day try to have fun.
You will always want the manual and you will only get to experience what feels like half of the car's potential.
The one with the manual is $7500, which is outside the budget. I really wish it had the manual :(
dem rusty rotors
Negotiating $500 off the asking price isn't hard
I got my 2006 Mazdaspeed6 for $7500 with 68k miles. Would highly recommend. The engines are kind of finicky but if they're reasonably well looked after, they're reliable and powerful cars with lots of potential.
just get a fucking civic. honestly.
daily drivers don't have to be "fun".
Not OP, but I've been eyeing these like a motherfucker.
They're pretty cheap as well for what you get I reckon.
Headgaskets don't generally go on the turbo models, the one thing that OP has to worry about is the fucking banjo bolt that feeds the turbo oil. The wire mesh in it tends to get dislodged and royally fuck the turbo up and possibly the motor.
t. former subaru mechanic
My dad was worried about there being a timing belt vs a timing chain like most of the other Japanese cars use. What's your opinion? Even so, that shouldn't be an issue since it should already have been replaced by now.
Well the timing belt, if it hasn't been replaced, is long overdue.
Timing belt v timing chain is really a moot point desu. Yeah, you'll replace a timing belt twice as often (80-100k vs ~200k), but they'll be perfectly fine for a long while, and have been used for decades.
I had a 97 legacy GT with the original timing belt on it at 140k. Had to replace it immediately, but it still didn't snap. It was in really rough shape though. If it has ANY cracks or looks weathered, replace immediately. It's very easy to check, all you need is 10mm socket on a ratchet, and to move the coolant reservoir connected to the radiator. Pop off the 4 bolts and just move the cover and look at it. Super simple. Or get it inspected by a trusted mechanic if you're not terribly mechanically inclined.
tl;dr, the chain v belt thing is really a matter of how often you want to maintain it.
get a focus svt
If it hasn't been replaced (though I assume any decently responsible owner would've), it shouldn't be that expensive to replace compared to an inline engine since it's a boxer, correct? My dad said it wasn't cheap to replace the timing belt in my mom's Volvo XC90.
If you can't do it yourself, you'll probably get dinged for 4 hours of labor plus parts. You don't need to replace the water pump, but you do need to replace all the pulleys, and tensioner. You can do it in your driveway with just the hood open, just be careful not to ding the radiator if you don't take it out.
All said and done, it'll probably cost around $800 to get it replaced, which is pretty standard for any vehicle.
that is, $800 if you take it to a shop, $400 if you do it by yourself.
makes me nostalgic for my old Explorer. replacing the belt on that was a 10 minute job.
Mine has a rebuilt title and even came with a 2010 MS3 engine swapped in, which is nice because lots of the rough edges Mazda had with the 2.3 DISI MZR early on (and there were some) were smoothed out by the 2010 refresh. I still have the extra comfort and AWD. I have CPE cold air intake, eBay down pipe w/ cat delete, magnaflow catback, turbosmart 50/50 BOV, stage 2 clutch and short throw shifter on mine so far. Dyno'd 283 hp 311 tq
>cat delete
get a load of this twat. I guess he's too hardcore for cats