What's better for the long haul- 2nd or 3rd/ 4th gen Legacy?

[Stevo F]

I'm thinking of buying an older Legacy/ Outback to give myself another automatic transmission car and then pass it down to my son (now 15) for something reliable and good in bad weather to take him through college. We did pass on our '98 Legacy wagon to my son now in college and it's doing well for him.

 

Given the issues the different generations are known to have (varying types of EJ25 head gasket failure, depending on year/ engine type), does the 2nd gen have any advantages over later cars in terms of long term reliability/ durability- i.e. going over 20 years old/ 200K miles? For example, thinking of looking at a '96 Outback, but will the car still be reliable at 25 years old since it's already 20?

 

I think I would take anything with an EJ22 over any of them, but again dealing with a car already at or near 20 years old.

[Rooster2]

Well certainly the newer, the better in terms of reliability and durability. With the 96, it is a 20 year old car, and like old people, it will have it's issues. Age and millage cause transmissions, clutches, half shafts, wheel bearings, and head gaskets to break.

 

Subarus are engineered, built well with quality parts, and carry a reputation for reliability. I feel confident that models built in the new millineaum will hold up well.

[1 Lucky Texan]

interesting problem. It's so hard to make a general suggestion because it depends A LOT on the individual car's prior care and present condition.

 

i THINK I'd probably go with a 5EAT model but with an EJ or EZ  engine. so, about 2005-2011 or so ?

Edited March 4, 2016 by 1 Lucky Texan

[idosubaru]

Phase I EJ22 equipped vehicle with no rust, new timing kit, plugs, wires, and front diff/ATF and run it another 100,000 miles.  It's the perfect college car.  They're hard to find due to age but worth the effort to find one or go get one from far away. 

found in 1998 and earlier impreza's (all of them except the 98 RS) and legacy's, and 1996 MT outback.

 

after that avoid the DOHC Phase EJ25 found in: 
1996 automatic outbacks and 1997-1999 Outback, Legacy GT, LSi's, and 1998 Forester and Impreza RS.  

That's the worst of the EJ25 for a myriad of reasons already discussed ad naseum. 

[Bushwick]

My 95' ej22 just has exterior rust issues, occasional brake line rot, occasional steel fuel line rot, and rear cross member was replaced after getting it. Being 21 years old and seeing it's share of Ohio winters, it's still a very strong car IMHO.  

 

I wanted a winter car/truck with AWD/4x4 and was interested in Subaru as I could never find anyone really bad mouthing them, and it was pure luck I got a desirable year/engine model, OBDII, dead simple layout, non-interference, etc.

 

Other than a simple fusible link jumper wire in the engine fuse box failing and car batteries not built as strong as they seemed to be in the past, it's always started. Heat and A/C still work. Added heated driver seat element under factory cloth from a OBW and so far no regrets.

 

Being in Virginia, it might behoove you to travel a bit south or S/W to get a cheap, no rust variant. I'd say mine qualifies as a great college student car, even in wagon.

Edited March 4, 2016 by Bushwick

[idosubaru]

Being in Virginia, it might behoove you to travel a bit south or S/W to get a cheap, no rust variant. I'd say mine qualifies as a great college student car, even in wagon.

 

wagons are great, easily carry gear and travel for breaks, summer, internships, etc, particularly if you have any hobbies. 

one down side is urban environments where break-ins are common - everything is easilyl accessible. 

[Numbchux]

Generally speaking, newer is better. The issues changed, but the parts and knowledge to repair them are simpler with newer cars.

 

For a daily driver, I would say avoid a turbo car. The extra complexity is generally not worth it.

 

The 6 cylinders are typically much more reliable, and hold their value extremely well (which also means they're generally more expensive to buy).

 

I'd go as new as your budget can allow. IMO, each generation is much nicer to drive than the last.

[AdventureSubaru]

I'm with gary on this one. The 1990-1998 cars with an EJ22 are standing the test of time just fine when maintained. The two things to look for would be 1. Rust as they are the older cars out there. and 2. Maintenance or abuse. Avoid anything that looks modified or neglected.

 

The 2000 and newer cars were good machines but less reliable than the earlier EJ22 90s cars. I still see more 2000-2008 cars in need of head gaskets and such than the 90-98 2.2s. Apart from the rust factor, I would trust the earlier cars to last longer. I don't subscribe to the newer=better theory in this case. Too many head gasket issues.

 

The great things I always say about these 90s cars is that they are known - we already know every weak point in the designs and the best and cheapest way to fix them. They are also very simple and cheap to fix if something goes wrong. An EJ22 motor in good running condition can be had for $300. and installed in a day. Junkyard parts are readily available and short of bad rust, they are simple and easy to repair - great for college.

 

Cheaper cars also mean it's often best to carry liability only insurance and worry far less if it becomes subject to spills, stains, scratches, dents etc. that usually come with the territory for younger drivers.

 

Lastly I think every kid needs to start with more of a "beater" car. I started out with a rattle trap that got me wherever I needed to go and didn't cost me much on gas or insurance. I prized it, but as I was able to drive nicer and newer cars I know the hard work and value it takes to acquire a newer and nicer machine. To have something that doesn't have rust or 200,000 miles on it is a luxury to me, not a standard. The lower the starting point, the more we recognize and appreciate the higher places we have to work toward. Certainly find a good reliable car for him, but don't spoil him.

[Olnick]

^+1!  very nicely put, AdventureSubaru.  I could not agree more--that is exactly what we did with our kids.  Thanks for stating it so well.

[wirelessenabled]

Put me in the newer the better camp.  I started driving with the proverbial junker, in my case it cost $10 plus some elbow grease.  I thought that is what kind of car my kids would drive when they got old enough.  Fate intervened. 

 

As my oldest kid approached driving age I read an article that made a lot of sense to me.  The point of the article was that we tend to put our worst driver, ie the 16 yr old, the driver most likely to get in an accident, in the worst, least safe car that the family owns.  That is all backward .... the driver most likely to crash should have the most crash-worthy car.

 

In my case I padded my son's car savings to get him in to a 2000 OBW wagon with front and side airbags, anti-lock brakes etc.  Did the same when my daughter came of age.  My daughter managed to have a few wrecks learning to drive and survived them with only bruises and scrapes at least in part due to her Subaru's ability to protect her.

 

The crash-worthiness of cars, ie ability for the occupant to survive a crash alive and in the best shape, has improved dramatically since the 1990s.  Go for as new as you can afford, at least in to the 2000s for a new driver.  Or let them drive one of your newer cars until they have a few years experience under their belt.

[1 Lucky Texan]

similar to the above - I told my daughters they didn't need a car unless they had a job, and if they had a job, they could at least pay for 1/2 a car. So, the wife and I (and later, sometimes an older sister) made sure each kid got to her job until she had 2 or 3 thousand bucks saved. I told them that, I had to OK the car if I was paying for half of it. I got them 4-door sedans (a 86 Toyota Camry, a 90 Maxima and a 96 Maxima) they bought their own tires and paid for maintenance, if a repair was directly safety related, I usually paid for it, and usually paid for 1/2 of other repairs.

They all 3 have an appreciation for maintaining their cars still today. The youngest one has the worst driving record, but has never hurt someone else or been seriously injured. I think she follows too closely, but, suggestions to back-off don't seem to have helped much - *sigh*

at least she keeps her fluids, tires and brakes in good shape!