theDirtyRue Posted November 4, 2005 Share Posted November 4, 2005 Okay, I got a job this winter at Crystal mountain and I need very reliable car to get up and back... I'm looking for something from 97 or earlier... with less than a 100k. My price range is in between $7~8k cash. I'm looking for an outback or an outback sport. possibly a legacy GT (but probably not, they seem to be out of my price range) What I need help is in determining what is the best option for me. What should I look for when I go to check out the cars? It's my understanding that the 2.2L is a better engine than the 2.5... but I'm not really sure why . What are some common problems with the outback? Outback sport? I've noticed that the outback has a a handful of recalls. If I buy a car that hasn't had one of the things thats been recalled fixed, will I be able to have it fixed (or will it cost me a lot of money?) I'm also aware that they CAN have head gasket problems. any giveaways? Anything else you feel like sharing is greatly appreciated... Thanks! Kyle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gnuman Posted November 5, 2005 Share Posted November 5, 2005 Okay, I got a job this winter at Crystal mountain and I need very reliable car to get up and back... I'm looking for something from 97 or earlier... with less than a 100k. My price range is in between $7~8k cash. I'm looking for an outback or an outback sport. possibly a legacy GT (but probably not, they seem to be out of my price range) What I need help is in determining what is the best option for me. What should I look for when I go to check out the cars? It's my understanding that the 2.2L is a better engine than the 2.5... but I'm not really sure why . I'm replying in red so everyone knows when it is you talking and when it is me. The early Models of the EJ25 (2.5L) had "problems" with head gaskets wearing out between the combustion chamber and the coolant jacket (where the coolant flows). teh EJ25 also was a DOHC design which caused a couple of other things to not work quite as well. ( the timing belt has less contact area with the camshaft sprockets, the plugs are harder to get to, the valves are harder to adjust, etc) The EJ22 (2.2L) had about 30HP less than the 25, so was not often installed in the Outback models. Also, in '97 the EJ22 went to an "interferance design, where the valves may come into contact with each other or with the pistons in case of a timing belt failure (the timing belt breaks) This last problem is not true of the 96 and earlier EJ22 models. In response to the head gasket failures on the early EJ25's Subaru has developed a new head gasket that is sold for these cars now. My best information tells me that installing these headgaskets fixes this problem once and for all. I cannot tell you this from personal experience, however. What are some common problems with the outback? Outback sport? I've noticed that the outback has a a handful of recalls. If I buy a car that hasn't had one of the things thats been recalled fixed, will I be able to have it fixed (or will it cost me a lot of money?) The most common problem with the Outback in those years is the head gasket issue. Subaru (IIRC) references teh recalls to the car, and not to the owner, so they should honor any recalls that have not been done on the car you buy. Some of the recalls (minor ones, IMHO) deal with having put a lot of extra features into the Outback to make it moree desireable, and not all of the bugs were worked out quite yet. . . I'm also aware that they CAN have head gasket problems. any giveaways? Overheating, smoke out the tailpipe, and bubbles in the coolant overflow are pretty much the giveaways for internal head gasket leaks. do a search on "Head gasket problems" and you should be just about inundated with info on this, and how t diagnose it. Anything else you feel like sharing is greatly appreciated... Thanks! Kyle The Outback is a great car, and I'm sure that you will enjoy it a lot when you find one. 100K miles, if really low miles for a Subaru, however, as these cars tend to go upwards of 200K miles. . . 140K is just about broke in. . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benebob Posted November 5, 2005 Share Posted November 5, 2005 Not so sure why you want an Outback OR a GT. Even a standard Legacy will outhandle, outbrake and get better gas mileage than an outback version (same with the OBS). Besides, it should be cheaper to buy. As for a 2.2 vs 2.5 head gaskets are the only real issue. If you buy from a dealer and get a 2.5 get a warranty that'll cover 'em and your fine (if you buy privately you can probably still get a warranty from a company). Other issues along with any 100k car, clutch, auto tranny (if not well maintained) brakes and esp rotors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theDirtyRue Posted November 5, 2005 Author Share Posted November 5, 2005 Not so sure why you want an Outback OR a GT. Even a standard Legacy will outhandle, outbrake and get better gas mileage than an outback version (same with the OBS). Besides, it should be cheaper to buy. As for a 2.2 vs 2.5 head gaskets are the only real issue. If you buy from a dealer and get a 2.5 get a warranty that'll cover 'em and your fine (if you buy privately you can probably still get a warranty from a company). Other issues along with any 100k car, clutch, auto tranny (if not well maintained) brakes and esp rotors. So same thing goes for the outback sport? Are the legacy's better than those too? I just don't really like the look of the legacy's compared to the outback's. Seems like I've been leaning towards the outback sport more now, but they're a bit difficult to come across (looking online) I was actually planning on finding a third party warranty for the engine... Thanks again... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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