want one so bad

[ricpac]

hey all, i am from new york and in the process of finding a subaru forester as my first car. my family has had subaru's as their first car for a long time. I guess its my turn. My budget is about 5k, anybody know what year can be found for that price?

[moosens]

Check the Bargain News , goes by another name in NY but google it and you'll find plenty listed. It'll give you a real perspective of local sales.

 

Early ones - check the owner got the headgaskets done.

 

Good luck.

[idosubaru]

avoid 98's they are the only year that has the much more problematic Phase I EJ25.  99+ came with the Phase II which is far less ominous in that regard.

and also keep your eye on rust, underneath, lower door panels, rear quarter panels, exhaust, and fuel filler pipes.

 

$5,000 will easily put you in a forester around 2000 era.   You can get one for $1,000 or $2,000 if you want to put some work into it.

 

Totally depends what condition you want, how many miles, if you want one perfect working order, etc

[MilesFox]

I got a 98 forester for $500 bucks. Less than typical of rust, but some dings and scrapes. But i need to do the HG on it as that is why i got it for so cheap. The PO paid $2300 for this same car 3 months before i got onto it (i made my offers when i caught him adding coolant). And my 98 is specific to the axample given above. She got 219,000 miles before popping the head gasket, which is at least 75,000 more miles than when they usually let go. But replacing the gaskets will be an improvement over the original factory ones since the part has been updated.

 

But my math works out that i would have a $2300 book value car for about $200 woth of parts, under $1000 for sure overall investment including title and plates.

 

Really, you could find something decent for the $2500 mark. save the rest of your pennies for later.

 

Most importantly, the best deal you can get regardless of price would be a vehicle that has a maintenance history with documented service and repairs, kept clean and washed, private sale of a car that is already paid off for cash.

[jmoss5723]

I paid less than $6000 for a 2004 XS with 80,000 miles. It was a great deal, but they exist! shop around and buy from a private seller. Craigslist is your best friend. Get a carfax.