legacy lsi question

[Jellef]

This is basically a should i buy question.

 

I have never owned a non EA Subaru, this would be my first EJ. I dont know much about them at all.

This is a 95 legacy lsi sedan. Its a 2.2 automatic. The car has 120,000 miles on it, no damage, all receipts, and its only had one owner. They are asking 3,800 for it.

If i could get it for 3,500, would i be getting a fair, good or great deal? It seems the lsi trim is fairly hard to come across.

 

What should i look out for on EJ cars? Trouble spots?

 

Thanks for the advice!

[Suzam]

I had a 95 L series with 160k and no major problems, until an accident forced retirement. I was aiming on 200k before I was considering replacing it.

 

What to look for is tourque binding and mismatched tires.

 

Make sure the is NO fuse in the FWD socket under the hood.

 

Check for the usual fluid leaks underneath.

 

120k service which includes a timing belt is due. There will most likely be some cam seals leaking too.

[idosubaru]

great car. if you can keep a vehicle from running out of oil and overheating this engine will last a very long time.

 

look for torque bind. drive in tight circles (steering wheel turned all the way), slowly in a parking lot. any binding/breaking affect is bad. fixable, but a rather large expense. and yes it needs the timing belts and water pump addressed - that's a $500-$700 job at the dealer, much cheaper if you do it yourself. this year is a non-interference engine EJ22, a great motor that easily goes way over 200k without major issues.

 

that's not a great price, so the decision will be based on your need and finances and ability to wait. you could get one in the $2,000-$3,000 range but might take a long time to find the same mileage, condition, trim levels, so it depends on your situation. try to get them down lower and compare well else is out there on autotrader.com for reference. keep the large dollar timing belt maintenance in mind, that may be why they are selling it. 120k is a major maintenance marker. my friend was in the market for one of these as of last week. asking about price on here is a bit skewed sometimes. i very rarely pay 4 digit prices for mine, except my wifes and that was still a bargain. i've bought three legacy sedans this year and paid less that what you're tyring to pay for this one, but they all needed work. i end up with a great vehicle (a 96 LSi) for under a grand, that's the way i roll and many others on here do the same. we're also "connected" in ways that mean we see really good deals more often than the average folk. all that to say, you'll see people say things like "i paid XXX for mine, or i would'nt offer more than XXX for it" and sometimes those figures are not applicable in all markets and situations. take that into account, that's why i say plug around autotrader and internet valuing sites to see what's out there for this model.

 

private seller or dealer? either way i think they'd come down. if it's a dealer they should come down unless the subaru market is really good in your area. and if it's a dealer, demand that the 120k maintenance be done - particularly timing belts and water pump or at least supply the parts if you can do it yourself. do this AFTER you negotiate the best price you can.

[stevetone]

This is basically a should i buy question.

 

I have never owned a non EA Subaru, this would be my first EJ. I dont know much about them at all.

This is a 95 legacy lsi sedan. Its a 2.2 automatic. The car has 120,000 miles on it, no damage, all receipts, and its only had one owner. They are asking 3,800 for it.

If i could get it for 3,500, would i be getting a fair, good or great deal? It seems the lsi trim is fairly hard to come across.

 

What should i look out for on EJ cars? Trouble spots?

 

Thanks for the advice!

I have a '95 lsi wagon w/140,000 miles. I'd say it's a fair deal (if I could get that for mine I'd sell it today). The lsi trim is nothing to write home about. We bought the car new, and IIRC the only upgraded items are the leather seats, the tweeter and 4-wheel disks (w/15" wheels). They may be hard to come by, but they are not worth much of a premium.

 

What to look for? Timing belt should have been done twice by now, water pump should have been replaced, torque bind and the usual wear stuff. Struts are ready for a change on ours.

 

All-in-all it's been the most reliable car I've ever owned, but I wouldn't buy a used one for top dollar -- there are too many to choose from.

 

Good Luck!

 

Steve

[subaru360]

I think the price is kind of high, but not totally out of line. At a used car lot it wouldn't be too bad, a private seller it high. I sold a '97 LSI wagon for $2000 with around 130,000. The market isn't as good, at least here in PA for regular legacy wagons, everyone wants the outbacks.

[idosubaru]

The market isn't as good, at least here in PA for regular legacy wagons, everyone wants the outbacks.

in my market sedans are much more desirable than wagons as well. sedans are far easier to sell, wagons are a dime a dozen on ebay and locally.

[Jellef]

Well, I diddnt get the legacy. He told me he would meet with me, then he sold it to someone else:mad: . Oh well. I really want one now though, if anyone has one in Western WA i would love to come see it. It must be a sedan, and a LSI or SUS with an auto tranny. Ill post in items wanted too sometime.

 

Thanks for the advice on the car though everyone.