AWD wagon, oldish - Subaru? Audi? Other?

[Tokyo Slim]

And make sure Biff puts two coats on this time.

 

[j]

Pretty heavy!

I don't want a truck though.

 

[j]

I think I'm pretty well decided on a WRX wagon. There are some decent deals and though they are a fair bit over my original budget, they will already come with a lot of the stuff that I'd probably be adding to a cheaper car. Plus, I've always wanted one, so the temptation is great.

 

[DMcG]

Nice choice. I loved my WRX wagon and sometimes wish I had gone with another one instead of going with a Legacy GT when the WRX was totaled.

 

[Pilot]

Originally Posted by j

I think I'm pretty well decided on a WRX wagon. There are some decent deals and though they are a fair bit over my original budget, they will already come with a lot of the stuff that I'd probably be adding to a cheaper car. Plus, I've always wanted one, so the temptation is great.


with the WRX's i've heard the 5spds in those are pieces of junk. I know a guy who has about 120k on his and he has been through 3 transmissions with just normal everyday driving. the 6 spd in the STI is a much better ******. just something to look out for.

 

[Mustapha]

Originally Posted by NorCal

I have a Forrester and love it. Its a 2002 and has done everything I've asked it to. But it sounds like you are going for more of a off road rally car so why not try the Tacoma? The engine is legendary, my dad got well over three hundred thousand miles out of his, and you can add any number of after market modifications. A Toyota 4W4 with a Baja kit is pretty much the backwoods special and you ought to be able to pick up a used late 90's Tacoma with a lot of life left for under 5k.

2002 Forester... I've got one too, same year, had it since new, 240K now. Only oil and brakes. No head gasket yet, although it's a bit leaky. I would buy another.

 

[JoelF]

Never had a Subaru but I assume they're great, those lesbians know their cars.

 

[dtmt]

How about the "Saabaru" (9-2x)? Basically just a nicer looking WRX with a better interior.

 

[antirabbit]

J,
Seriously, get a volvo.
They will run forever, not too expensive to upkeep.
Plus, if you hit say and elk or a moose, you will be safe.
I have a CrossCountry and have owned Subarus, there is no comparison.
I also have experience with Audi, they kick ass.
You are looking at 2 classes of cars here.
In the PNW, I would say X country or an A4 would serve you better.

 

[j]

I'm rethinking this and thinking I'll more likely get an older Legacy wagon, maybe an Outback (for the extra ground clearance), and then do some mods to it to "ruggedize" it a bit. I don't really need a super fast car for this purpose and I'd have a lot more money left over (4-6k) if I went with a more boring/lame car to start with. If I need to go fast, my bike goes 0-60 in 3.8 seconds - I think that's fast enough. And if necessary, 4-6k could probably swap in a faster engine or a turbo or something on the stock engine. As for the Volvos, I considered them but they are heavier and get worse MPG, and their AWD can't compare with Subaru's (having driven both) at least in the year range I'm considering. Their newest stuff undoubtedly is improved but their older AWD was just not as good. Plus there is a ton of cheap aftermarket stuff available for Subaru engines and suspension etc. where Volvo or Audi would cost 2x as much easily. There are very few elk or moose to worry about hitting here.

 

[DMcG]

Originally Posted by Stylish Pilot

with the WRX's i've heard the 5spds in those are pieces of junk. I know a guy who has about 120k on his and he has been through 3 transmissions with just normal everyday driving. the 6 spd in the STI is a much better ******. just something to look out for.

The 6 speed is a better transmission but the 5 speed isn't bad. If we want to use single data points I have a friend with over 150K on his WRX including track days and auto-x, he's never even changed the transmission fluid, and it still works great.

 

[Orsini]

Originally Posted by otc

Having worked in a VW dealership, I'll suggest that for both audi and VW, the key is preventative maintenance. If you keep up on scheduled service, oil changes, and looking at anything that doesnt feel/sound right you should be fine for a long run. If you don't treat the car nice ahead of time, it is going to get pissed at you and take a LOT of effort and money to get it back to the happy place. Those 1.8Ts have always seemed pretty reliable to me--we had one come in with an oilpan that exploded on the highway (hit a rock I believe). I don't think it ran too long after that but still slowing down from 75 and pulling off the highway is still a nasty amount of driving to put on an engine with a sudden loss of ALL oil. The thing needed a new oil pan and was ready to go back on the road good as new... Also, I'm pretty sure we put regular in every car (except the diesels of course). Modern engines will ALL run fine on regular, you just might lose out on a few HP when the ecu dials itself back for the lower octane.
This is very good advice for any vehicle. Any way to adjust the front/rear torque split?

 

[Southern-Nupe]

Originally Posted by dtmt

How about the "Saabaru" (9-2x)? Basically just a nicer looking WRX with a better interior.
I thought about recommending the 9-2x, but figured it was more than he planned to spend. It does remind me of a matured version of the WRX.

 

[j]

I don't think I could ever drive a Saab, with the possible exception of one of the old turbos or a fighter jet. The new ones are waaaay too orange mocha frappucino for me. Also, their division was cancelled, IMMSMC.

 

[Southern-Nupe]

Originally Posted by j

their division was cancelled, IMMSMC.
Point taken.