What Is The Best Year And Model From 1990-1996 ? And Why?

[roadsubiedog]

my next subie will be in this year range and I have read hundreds of threads and posts and would like USMB members advice on the best year and model and reason why.

 

im leaning towards the 93-94 legacy or a 95-96 with the 2.2 but need to do more research. I really like the 1.8 motor too.

 

I thought it would be interesting to throw this question out here. thanks in advance.

[Prwa101]

as far as i know the legacy never came with the 1.8. Only the imprezas and older gen loyale/gl/brats.  Theres really not much difference in there. Only difference that i can think of is they changed to OBD2 so you can read the codes with a scanner, and a little more efficient ecu/engine 95 and on. 

[johnceggleston]

 

as far as i know the legacy never came with the 1.8. Only the imprezas and older gen loyale/gl/brats.

the impreza 1.8L engine is an ej18.

same design as the ej22 in the legacy.

 

the earlier 1.8L engine , ea82, was a different design,

that i am not familiar with.

the ea82 was used as late as 94 in the loyale, i think.

 

but the EJ series, ej18 and ej22 are very hardy, very reliable, very forgiving engines.

 

 

What Is The Best Year And Model From 1990-1996 ? And Why?

 

of those years there are not a lot of differences in the engines.

in 96 they went to single port heads instead of the dual port 90 - 95.

short of that, the engines are the same.

 

there is an obd2 change in 95, but that has no affect on engine reliability or durability

 

so that means the other car ''options'' are the deciding factor.

and there are some who believe that the luxury cars of the 90 - 94  years are a much better choice than the later years.

the more luxury cars would be the LS, or the LSi if they had them.

there may be other models that i am nor familiar with as well.

90 - 94 are not my area of expertise.

 

having said all this,

 i like your thinking.

 

you may want to expand your thinking to include the 96 - 99 Outback, IF, IF, IF, it has a 95 - 96 ej22 engine transplant.

i do not know how the outback compares to the 90 - 94 high end cars,

but i know they are more popular than the lego L, or brighton.

and maybe the impreza.

i have zero experience with the impreza.

Edited May 29, 2014 by johnceggleston

[Fairtax4me]

I guess you're looking for a non-interference EJ?

 

Which model is "best" depends on what you're looking for in the car. Best fuel economy? Best ride/comfort? Best handling?

Best cargo space?

Legacy and Impreza share the same engines, transmissions, basically the entire drivetrain and suspension; barring minor differences like spring rate, strut length, and differential ratios.

 

For fuel economy you want a 1.8 FWD Impreza.

Sporty ride, AWD Impreza.

Cargo space, Legacy Wagon. Just a few examples.

[heartless]

Owning both a 1990 Legacy LS wagon, and a 1995 Legacy L wagon... hmmm, tough choice.

 

There are things I like/dislike about each one.

 

The 90 LS - was "top of the line" for it's model year, so it had basically everything, including the power sun/moon roof (which I miss on the 95) and air struts which were problematic, but fairly easily swapped out for standard coilover struts. It also has a much nicer interior/seats than the 95.

 

the 95 L is a little sleeker on the exterior, front turn signals are integrated into the corner markers (up higher than the 90, which are under the bumper) making them more visible to other traffic, and has OBDII, which makes reading/clearing any codes a LOT easier. But, they cheaped out on the interior...

 

engine bay on both is pretty much identical, aside from the EGR and no "cover" over the coil on the 95.

Both are the "bullet-proof", non-interference EJ22 and 4EAT with AWD (they did still make FWD versions in the 90-94 range - not sure about 95+)

 

90 has the automatic shoulder belts that tend to quit working with age, 95 has front airbags.

 

the 95 seems to run slightly lower RPMs than the 90 at the same speed - potentially slightly better fuel economy

90 at 60 mph runs at about 2500 RPM

95 at 60 mph runs at about 2300 RPM

 

general driving/handling are about the same between them, altho I think the 90 is maybe just a little bit heavier - a bit more body roll than the 95 in hard corners - but that could be just differences in struts - I have brand new forester struts/springs on the 95 - the 90 has stock Legacy struts (new)/springs (old)...

 

For me and my situation (having both cars at my disposal) - the 95 is now my daily driver - but I am swapping in the better seats from the 90 as time permits - drivers seat is in already, passenger and rear seats to come later. I also want to swap in the wiper switch from the 90 - it has the adjustable intermittent control vs. single speed intermittent...

 

My advice would be to try each out and see which version suits you/your needs the best. Obviously cost and availability would also be factors...

For me, I like the 95 in general (really like the OBDII, but we also have our own scanner), and will like it even more with the planned "upgrades" swapped in from the 90

[roadsubiedog]

appreciate the responses. learning a lot.

 

are all 2,2 non interference?

 

 

 

where I work , at least 7-8 co workers have bought brand new Subarus in the last year mainly because of me. I have been commuting 85 miles a day for 15 years and they see me in my subies everyday and see how dependable they are.

 

I just cant spend 25-30k for a new car plus sales tax, higher insurance, High DMV fees and not to mention the huge depreciation hit you have with a new car. I've had my 84gl for 11 years ( 75k miles ) and it cost $650. My 99 outback cost a lot ( one third of new price ) in 2005 and ive gone about 175k in that, I recently bought a 97 legacy limited with a 2.2 for 1900. in real good condition. just got it so don't know how it will fare in long run.

 

I'd like to find probably the right 93-95 or as another poster mentioned a 96-99 with a 2.2 transplant with extremely low miles for my retirement years . that's why I'm doing some homework now a couple years before that time.

 

really appreciate all the help. you people are the greatest. I wish I had more expertise to help other members with their problems. I do have some 1982 and 84 parts I can put up for sale someday soon.

[Rooster2]

starting in 96 or 97, all 2.2 motors became interference engines. Not that big a deal, just have to remember to replace the timing belt and belt tensioners on a regular basis.

 

Since you just bought the 97, I see where someone has transplanted a 2.2 motor to replace the original 2.5 motor. Do you know what year the 2.2 motor is??

 

With any used car I buy, I make it a point to pull a spark plug to check condition, Also, like to change the ATF and antifreeze, if it is unknown when the last time they were changed.

 

Also, like to pull a front wheel to check how much brake pad there is. Usually, I have replacement brake pads nearby, so I can swap in new pads if needed. If you are handy at all, doing these things will bring your maintenance up to date.

 

Buying a 93-95 can be good, if you can find one in good condition. Bear in mind these cars are old, with probably a lot of miles. However, sometime you can get lucky and  find one with low miles driven by a little old lady. Just be careful that you don't accidentally buy someone's abused and worn out junk.

[pginter96]

as far as i know the legacy never came with the 1.8. Only the imprezas and older gen loyale/gl/brats.  Theres really not much difference in there. Only difference that i can think of is they changed to OBD2 so you can read the codes with a scanner, and a little more efficient ecu/engine 95 and on. 

I agree with this, and add that pre-OBDII can be better if you plan on modifications and what said modifications are. "Best" is kinda vague. But as the owner of a 97 EJ25D and having worked on EJ22's, I'd go for the EJ22 in a heartbeat as parts tend to be interchangeable on the EJ series, which was made for years so parts are easy to find (might run into OBDII compliance issues and minor changes, to be expected). Im unfamiliar with the earlier 1.8, but just from my experience i have a lot of confidence behind the EJ22. If i were in your shoes, I'd personally look for a 95 Legacy.

[heartless]

just an added thought on the 95 version of the 2.2 - it makes for a highly compatible transplant into a newer 2.5 version with a bad motor - mostly plug & play, where the 90-94 versions would not be (major wiring harness differences)

[roadsubiedog]

Rooster2

 

you scared me for a moment. I have the original Subaru invoice for this 97 legacy limited and it shows that it has the 2.2 motor .

 

after I bought it changed oil filters, changed tranny fluid and the original owner I bought from had every repair and maintenance receipt since it was brand new so I could see when the last brake job and coolant change was made. the previous owner was very meticulous with upkeep and that was the major reason why I bought it after months of looking for my new daily driver.

 

your recommendations are good and highly appreciated.

[Rooster2]

Rooster2

 

you scared me for a moment. I have the original Subaru invoice for this 97 legacy limited and it shows that it has the 2.2 motor .

 

after I bought it changed oil filters, changed tranny fluid and the original owner I bought from had every repair and maintenance receipt since it was brand new so I could see when the last brake job and coolant change was made. the previous owner was very meticulous with upkeep and that was the major reason why I bought it after months of looking for my new daily driver.

 

your recommendations are good and highly appreciated.

Not trying to be argumentative..............Are you sure you have a 2.2 motor? Pretty sure all 97 Legacys came with the 2.5 motor, especially sure since the Limited model was the top of the line with leather interior, and auto tranny, so it would be built with the top of the line big motor, the 2.5 engine. Any chance the invoice says 97, but the car is actually a 96 model, which is known to be the last year the 2.2 was offered? If you look at the top of the motor, it will be embossed with either EJ 22, or EJ25 on the top of the engine block. Owners manual will also specify which engine you have.

 

Terrific that the previous owner kept meticulous notes and receipts on maintenance. That is one of the nice things about buying directly from previous owner. To buy used from a dealer, all records from previous owner are thrown away.

[roadsubiedog]

top of motor is ej22

 

invoice says 1997 Subaru legacy limited with 2.2 motor 5 speed. called the original owner and they confirmed that it is not a transplant. I would take a pic of invoice and owners manual but that is too much work.

 

I'm wondering if the early production of the 1997 , say sept 1996 for 1997, would still have the 2.2?

 

anyways, im happy that it is a 2.2

[johnceggleston]

 

Pretty sure all 97 Legacys came with the 2.5 motor,

 

nope.

95 - 99 the legacys L, brighton, and LS, had the ej22.

96 - 99 the legacy LSi, GT, and Outback had the ej25.

starting in 00, only the ej25 was available for those cars.

 

low end imprezas, (not wrx or the like)

93 - 94 = ej18

95 - 97 = ej18 or ej22

98 - 00 = ej22

01+ = ej25

Edited May 30, 2014 by johnceggleston

[roadsubiedog]

how do I know if my ej22 on the 97 is interference or not? I mistakenly thought all 2.2 were non.

[heartless]

chances are very high that yours IS interference - there have been a few reports of late 96s being so as well. I would just go on the assumption that it is an interference and care for it accordingly. as already mentioned, with proper care & maintenance of the timing system it shouldnt be a huge issue.

[Rooster2]

top of motor is ej22

 

invoice says 1997 Subaru legacy limited with 2.2 motor 5 speed. called the original owner and they confirmed that it is not a transplant. I would take a pic of invoice and owners manual but that is too much work.

 

I'm wondering if the early production of the 1997 , say sept 1996 for 1997, would still have the 2.2?

 

anyways, im happy that it is a 2.2

Yes, be happy it is an ej22. They have minimal head gasket problems. I have a 95, 2.2 transplanted into wife's 98 OBW. It runs great, nice and smooth, but is down on power from the original 2.5. My wife drives like a slow poke, so she never has mentioned the car is down on power.

 

I am curious, if you look at the plate on drive's door jam, you will see month & year of manufacturer. I wonder if your car was built late in the 96 model run, and sold as a 97 model?? Stuff like that happens. I had a Ford years back made late in the model year, with next year's paint color, that color wasn't offered during it's production year.

[Fairtax4me]

how do I know if my ej22 on the 97 is interference or not? I mistakenly thought all 2.2 were non.

96-97 were changeover years. In 96 the cylinder heads changed from 2 (dual) exhaust ports to single exhaust ports. This helped increase torque at low RPM, but still retained the non-interference design.

 

In 97 model year they changed the piston design to bump up compression from 9.5:1 to 9.7:1, which made it an interference engine.

The only way to tell for sure if you have the interference piston design is to pull the heads off and look. The general consensus is that if you have a 97 model year vehicle, you should assume it to be an interference engine.

[Stelcom66]

Owning both a 1990 Legacy LS wagon, and a 1995 Legacy L wagon... hmmm, tough choice.

 

the 95 seems to run slightly lower RPMs than the 90 at the same speed - potentially slightly better fuel economy

90 at 60 mph runs at about 2500 RPM

95 at 60 mph runs at about 2300 RPM

 

I'd love to find a '90-'94 Legacy AWD wagon with the manual transmission. Years ago I had a '92 sedan. Every once in a while I look on Craiglist, as expected they're a rare find. I wonder what transmissions you have in yours? I assume automatic, as they're typically geared higher than the manuals. I had a '98 Outback 5MT, ran about 3200 rpms at 65mph. I always wondered why it was geared accordingly. The 2.5 engine seemed to have plenty of power to be with a higher (lower rpm) overall top gear ratio. 

[roadsubiedog]

made in feb 07

 

5 speed mt

 

I live in Subaru country....reno/lake Tahoe . I take a walk around my neighborhood and they seem to be everywhere. people sell them in Reno but where I live they rarely do.

 

thanks everyone for all the info.  sometimes a low low mileage Subaru from 92-96 comes for sale but it usually is sold within the hr. I was told I should get the craigslist app to be notified every time a Subaru comes up for sale.

[MilesFox]

my next subie will be in this year range and I have read hundreds of threads and posts and would like USMB members advice on the best year and model and reason why.

 

im leaning towards the 93-94 legacy or a 95-96 with the 2.2 but need to do more research. I really like the 1.8 motor too.

 

I thought it would be interesting to throw this question out here. thanks in advance.

Non-interference timing belts and composite head gaskets. That is why

[Flowmastered87GL]

I always liked the 1996 Impreza Outback Sport.... one of the few years with 4 wheel disk brakes. (my mom still has one that she bought new) and the bulletproof EJ22

[Gloyale]

how do I know if my ej22 on the 97 is interference or not? I mistakenly thought all 2.2 were non.

pull the valve covers and look for the adjustable/solid rockers with rollers @ the cam.  That means 97 interference engine or at least heads.....if short block and pistons were changed to 96 or before type it could be free rolling if that was switched.

[bork]

I  tried to find my answer thru search function, but still confused. I'm searching for a 1995-99? impreza outback sport but I'm not sure about the engine. I want a 2.2, but was a 2.5 an option or did they all come with 2.2? and then switch to 2.5 in 1997ish? Anyone have correct knowledge of such?

[idosubaru]

US market 1990’s Outback Sports never got the EJ25 from the factory.

 

Avoid the 99+ EJ22. Get a 1998 or earlier EJ22...or EJ18. .

 

97-98 only if you’re willing to install a complete OEM or Aisin timing components as theyre interference.

 

To check engine offerings:

Cars101.com

 

You can also look up parts on www.car-part.com. You’ll see the available engines listed there for whateber year/model you out in. 2.5 won’t be listed.

 

You can also look up Subaru parts websites.

 

Lots of ways to skin that cat.

[idosubaru]

I tried to find my answer thru search function, but still confused. I'm searching for a 1995-99? impreza outback sport but I'm not sure about the engine. I want a 2.2, but was a 2.5 an option or did they all come with 2.2? and then switch to 2.5 in 1997ish? Anyone have correct knowledge of such?

Replies lasts post. All 95-99 Imprezas outback’s are 1.8 or 2.2.

 

All US market Imprezas in the 90s are 1.8 or 2.2 except the uncommon RS.