Looking to purchase my first car, wanted to get the opinion of those who are more experienced.
What are your thoughts on a 2005 Subaru Impreza RS with 180,000km on it?
It's had three owners, has no modifications, and the seller supposedly has the service book.
Thanks for your time
EDIT: Also, it seems that there is no damage to the exterior
EDIT: Thanks for the advice everyone
Haven't seen this model with that amount of kms, and I'm pretty set on this model
Subaru engines are pretty durable especially stock standard. Good for at least 300k+.
Just make surr the timing belt, cam seals and crank seal have been done recently.
But like most cars at this age and km. You will need to start replacing things like the rubber cv steering boots if they have not been replaced already at least 8 on the drive shafts and 2 for steering. Not costly but certainly more to replace than a 2wd car
For a car closer to 200k I would grab the workshop manual and be prepared to do my own mechanical work which is a good if your keen to learn. Think my first Datsun had 280k on the clock when I purchased it. Had it off the road at first for a month getting it road worthy and learning how to fix it. lasted me for 8 years :) and cost me $1800.. still miss it today. If only if I knew how to Weld back then I would have probably kept it and restored it. Wish you luck!
Thanks
If you really like that model, I don't believe km's on their own say much. It's more important to assess how well the car has been maintained.
Be prepared to spend thousands of dollars on maintenance if you want to keep the car running 'like new' (which I am sure you would if you like it so much). The engine may be fine, it's everything else that will have started to break down with a car that age.
The seals around the doors that keep the road noise out.
Rust and buildup in the exhaust
Cracks and chipped paint
Anything made of plastic under the bonnet.
There is nothing wrong with this, but just keep in mind if you could get a newer or higher model for a few thousand dollars more now, It may end up as money saved later. If you want a nice Subaru pay for it.
Okay, cheers
Exactly.. Can't be bothered anymore lol
It reaches a point…
Family? Friends? Your own gut feel after looking for a car for 6 weeks?
I was hoping someone may have had some experience with the model. I don't know anyone that owns or has owned this model
@SkepticLegend: had an 97 wrx ages ago. The rx share many similar parts to the wrx. It's one of the more overengineered sedans. Awd is safer to handle. Rx is kinda heavy and underpowered in drivability but that's just a personal opinion.
Subaru Awd in general is fantastic but uses more fuel and wears tyre quicker
Even if someone did, it might be a positive experience, yet the car you're looking at could be thrashed all it's life, so 1 opinion of the model isn't going to match another vehicle. Or it could be the opposite, someone has a dud car, yet it's not applicable to the others out there.
It's obvious you're looking at Subarus. All I can recommend is to try to get lower mileage (this may mean a sacrifice to a lower-spec car), and ensure it's been serviced properly, including timing belts!
And get it mechanically checked!
Side note, you're asking us about a car (for the 3rd time), yet don't state price, don't have pictures, nothing for us to go off. How can we form an opinion on that?
I understand that, but if the majority's experience is that this particular model begins to have overwhelming issues at around this mileage, then I'll know to stay clear.
With regards to me not mentioning/including anything else, I just wanted to ensure that the topic was surrounding the reliability of this model at this kind of mileage.
Thanks for the advice, I will definitely take those things into consideration.
I'm not having a go at either of you, but why would you discourage me from seeking advice? Isn't that the whole point of forums?
I used to have one of these, it is hardly over engineered. Its just an awd econobox. And how does it wear tyres more quickly? It's AWD, so it generally has better traction than a fwd or rwd. Unless you are torque steering the fronts all the time, then the tyres should last longer.
@thorton82: more traction = more friction to tyres = faster wear.
This is why fwd fronts wear quicker, rwd rear wears quicker
@thorton82: ok let me try it one more time, tyres wear more when there is power applied to it. Awd means power us applied to all wheels when you accelerate
@supnigs: Tyre wear is caused by a loss of traction. AWD cars maintain and gain traction better than fwd or rwd. I found my Impreza had very minimal tyre wear.
@supnigs: Its simple physics mate. If the tyres don't slip, there is less friction, hence less wear.
@supnigs: AWD is probably bad for OP to have considering a) it adds weight, complexity and reduces economy and b) he's probably not going to use need it for performance driving in such a slow car.
A great safety rating and good ESP would be heaps more important
@btst7000: OP likes it.
I personally would of done the same in retrospect if it were my first car. Firm believer that AWD is way to go
@supnigs: @thorton82 is not wrong.
It is situational. Tyres give diminishing ratio grip to wear. If the front tyres are doing very light starts, it will last longer.
For long cruises, FWD will wear tyres slower. For heavy stop and start, AWD spread the load more evenly and wears less overall.
Nah. Don't want to keep talking about this anymore. It's no big deal.
Keep in mind AWD is not a 50:50 split of power. Also AWD is heavier
@supnigs:
If it's variable AWD, the wear is actually better. Power is only distributed to the rear when traction in the front is tapering off.
AWDs are about 60kg heavier in sprung weight in the middle, not going to impact much.
@tshow:
Will impact fuel consumption moreso, and that is probably going to add-up to higher costs than the usual tyre change.
A subaru will last a long time but improper maintance will mean there will be heaps of leaks and issues.
If you are still trying to get advice for your first car, please use the same thread rather than starting a new thread. Future automotive threads from you will be merged.
Alright, no worries
Most people google stuff like this. Imagine if everyone just typed every question they ever had into ozbargain.
Imagine if everyone just typed every question they ever had into ozbargain.
Some days it seems like they do…
I tried, but I couldn't find much
you on your golds OP?
Golds? As in learners?
full license
No, I'm not
Asking 6500, said it's negotiable. I personally think it's too much. Even if he were to lower it, I doubt I'd want to get this specific car
@SkepticLegend: ok well then to answer your question, 2005 RS is a decent car, not as quick as you think. I'd maybe consider just getting a 2003~ rx and save the money if it would be cheaper. 180k kms is pretty much on point id say for a car this old.
and as always, check how much insurance and factor in that to the cost of getting the car.
Thanks, I'll keep the other models in mind as well.
And of course; insurance will be quite pricey for my first few years of driving
EDIT: You've recommended the RX if it were cheaper, does that recommendation extend to the GX as well?
@SkepticLegend: that model drinks fuel. Go for a smaller car. Maybe something 1.5 and smaller or turbo diesel
How long are you going to keep it? I've got a 2003 forester with 220,000kms on it. Had it for about 4 years. Had no trouble until recently when it is very close to needing a new clutch and also needs a new centre diff. Both not cheap on an AWD. I was quoted $1400 for the centre diff, haven't priced the clutch yet., but would expect around $1200.
Note the centre diff symptoms (clunking in the drivetrain while steering on ful lock) only present themselves after about 30min driving, so a short test drive won't show it up.
Good car, but can be pricey when long in the tooth.
I'm planning on driving it into the ground, hence why I want a car that I actually like.
If I get a car with this many kms, I'll undoubtedly get it looked over by a mechanic, I'm assuming they'll be able to identify any issues.
Is the centre diff issue that you experienced something that is easily identifiable by a mechanic?
Thanks
Afaik the centre diff is easy to find on a test drive, but as I said mine takes about 30min to get warm enough to show symptoms. When I rang the diff specialist to get a quote the guy said he could tell me the price really quickly as he had 4 or 5 lined up to do.
That said, there are heaps of Scooby dos still going well after 200k.
Alright, thanks
@SkepticLegend: is the one you are looking at automatic or manual? Mine has three pedals, apparently they are different in the centre diff bit.
No, there can be exceptions
But Mrs had a Liberty AWD with the 4-speed, I've driven other cars with 4-speed boxes. They're sluggish. So the thoughts you might have of having a zippy RS Impreza, may definitely not be the case if you're looking at auto only. Sure, it's your first car, it's going to seem amazing no matter what, just don't have any form of ego about your auto RS because you'll quickly get put in your place :P
@Spackbace: Haha, I understand it's not a speed machine. I just want something a little unique; more interested in the aesthetics
@Spackbace: Yup, I test drove an auto forester, around 2002 I think. Was a horrid drive, but the 2003 forest I got several years later in manual was pretty good to drive. auto's can work, but the Subaru 4speed wasn't that flash.
I bought a 2001 2.5L RS 4 years ago with 267,000kms on it. Drove from NSW back to VIC with it, it had a slow oil leak which I was told before buying was just rocket cover gaskets (common) but replaced them and still leaking, mechanic says it's head gasket which was common for that year. Decided to just keep driving anyway, it now has over 320,000kms on it and still going. Hasn't been serviced in over 2 years.
Current status: I've had a 2006 wrx for the last 2 years and am dailying the RS until it dies. Which it seems to refuse to do.
Of course, I may just be incredibly lucky but hopefully you can see from this that buying the perfect car isn't always essential
Hasn't been serviced in 2 years?
Nice username, man.
Why am I talking to myself
At least change the oil, oil filter, spark plugs & air filter.. you'll be able to diy at home very simple tasks..
Boxster also requires upper engine cleaner else runs like crap
It's not for lack of knowledge, just lack of caring.
Any money I put into it doesn't seem likely to return me much benefits. Anyway, not about me, just trying to provide an alternate take on things for OP.
$50 of oil could be the difference between a few more years of life and a sludged engine. I'd do that at the very very least!
they ought to be reliable buggers but if you want to drive it to ground, you'll be better off with a circa 03 RS (it's the same model right? at least that's what I remember, pardon my memory) with a lower mileage. Good luck!
Thanks
180K? Not Imprezzed.
If my budget only allowed for a car that has done 180,000KM Suburu. It would probably be more sensible to get a Corolla that has done just under 100,000KM.
More sensible, but less enjoyable. Nonetheless, thanks for the advice
Much less enjoyable when you have to feed the car money.
True
I've got a 2001 WRX (bugeye) with just under 70,000k's (yes, seriously - I work part-time and don't do a lot of driving otherwise). Was a Japanese import and had 26,000k's on it when I bought it in 2007, absolutely immaculate little car. I had the timing belt done a couple of years ago, simply because of the age of the car, and replaced the tyres for the first time in May this year.
The only major issue I've had with it so far (touch wood) was a strong fuel smell in the cabin during the first 10 minutes or so of driving - that started happening last winter, disappeared as soon as the weather warmed up, then reappeared when we started getting some very cold mornings this year. Did a fair bit of Googling and found out it seemed to be a common issue with the bugeye (there was actually a recall in a number of US states to fix the problem) and was apparently caused by the connector hose tubing behind the intake manifold not fitting properly until the engine warmed up (or sometimes the tubing would split or crack) in very cold weather. Had the tubing replaced a couple of months ago (one piece turned out to have a split in it) which has fixed the problem - not a cheap fix, as of course it was in a b*tch of a place to get to so a considerable amount of labour involved, but had to be done.
Great little car, very reliable, although they can be a little heavy on the fuel usage - and of course with a WRX you need to use premium ULP, so that adds to the cost,
You sure it's a jap market import?
Did you get it complienced? Or did you buy it from someone?
Is it a special model?
Reason is that I didn't think these are allowed to be in Australia under sevs
Does the vin start with "REP"?
Not, not a special model but definitely a Jap market import. The various information stickers, spec plates etc on the back of the visors, inside the doors etc are all in Japanese and it has the Japanese badging as well. It was already complianced, I bought it from John Hughes (who owns overall probably the biggest car dealerships in Perth) - the car previously belonged to one of their buyers in Japan and had been brought over in one of their shipments (we saw the import and compliance paperwork when I bought the car).
Oh. Ok. I get it. Personal import. Yours is better than AUS delivered because of engine tune, best use 98 ;)
Subaru's really take a good beating, and in my experience they are so much more fun to drive than a corolla or civic of the same vintage for similar prices. I own the next gen 07 Impreza RS (have owned it for nearly 8 years) and it's up to about 165000kms, and it still drives heaps better than the Corolla I drive for work that's a 2013 model.
For $6500, if it has a good service history, no accident history, paint in good condition and it drives well (and more importantly you like it), that seems like a pretty reasonable deal. The 2.5 litre engine is also a lot more fun than the other models, and as long as you don't flog it all day every day, it should last a long time.
Good luck deciding.
Subaru's are quite good quality, but the head-gasket issue is real.
They can't take a good beating, or you will find it bleed in not-so long.
Subaru's heartplant is long overdue for an update, and I hear one is coming soon.
Other manufacturer's have problems with other things like transmission, heat/cooling pipes, etc etc.
But the biggest killer of cars by far is electronics; it can affect the smallest audi to the largest volvo.
This is generally a big problem with GM cars (poor quality), and European cars (unnecessarily complex).
This is a good site to see recalls:
http://australiancar.reviews/reviews.php#!content=recalls
(Note that major recalls are things you should be worried about, smaller recalls like alloy wheels aren't really a concern for used car buyers).
If you want to be careless/beater, then my advice would be to go with a:
- Toyota Corolla/Camry.
- Mazda 3/MX5.
- VW Golf (5th gen).
- Honda Accord.
- etc etc (time tested, popular recommendations from Australia)
Yeah, the head gasket issue is one of the reasons I posted the question. Cheers for the advice
Thanks
Just an FYI, we've had 5 Subaru's which were Liberty's, Impreza's and Outback's with the 2.5 engine, and they all had the head gasket leak and require fixing at approximately 200,000km.
This was mentioned above already, and is a really common and expensive fault with Subaru's.
I'm not saying it will happen, but keep it in mind.
Same experience with head gaskets for a few Subaru owners I know with high km on the clock.
Is it difficult/expensive to fix in the early stages of the leaking?
If you really like it. Always best to get a 3rd party person involved to fully check the car out.
I used these guys just last month and their service was really good. Since your not very mechanically minded just like myself, it is worth for the peace of mind having a professional look over it fully.
Definitely. Thanks for the advice
Stay away from Subaru. Nice as new car. very expensive as used car. Expensive parts, expensive servicing and repairs and Id guess expensive insurance. In fact stay away from any car thats done more than 150,000km. They will all cost you big money. Try to get a car with 100,000km or less.
Lies!!! I have a WRX and a Camry Sportivo…
Parts are similar price, servicing is average at a specialist (around same as Camry), insurance is only more pricey because mine is a WRX.
servicing is average at a specialist
Nonsense. Finding someone decent to work on those bloody boxer engines at a fair price is a nigh on impossible. Some basic tasks require significant work that isn't necessary on a straight 4 too. Maintenance outside warranty on Subarus is a nightmare IME.
This OP is about to buy a money pit…
Finding someone decent to work on those bloody boxer engines at a fair price is a nigh on impossible.
Not necessarily. We had some great mechanics here in Perth who specialised in Subarus (husband had a WRX at one point as well) and normal servicing and even having major work done was very reasonably priced, certainly comparable to the cost of work we had done on other cars (Holden, Ford etc). Always did a great job, never did anything that didn't need doing, and we always highly recommended them to anyone else with a Subaru. Parts do tend to be a bit more expensive, but that's Subaru for you! Their workshop was only about 20 minutes away from where we live, but unfortunately they've now moved way down to the southern suburbs and time-wise, with traffic etc, it's now unfortunately totally impractical to get the car all the way down there, so we'll have to try to find someone else closer to home.
Had a wrx for almost 9 years. Got heaps of standard or performance parts pretty cheap of the wrx club forums.
Did my own servicing (quality oil, filter and upper engine cleaner) for less than $100. This would suit op as he wants to run it into ground.
Did 155k km and the engine was just as good at 230k km when i sold it, as the day i got it, even after many mods.
I changed all wheel bearings, one butterfly valve, thermostat, A/C compressor and condenser and a couple of control arm bearings during that time and they were all easy enough for myself or a local mechanic to do.
Only specialist things i needed to do was removal and replacement of their standard alarm and gearbox change when 3rd gear let go.
I'd recommend a subaru :)
P.S. Op, if you haven't already, ask on aus wrx forums. A lot more knowledge about what you want then here.
180,000 is alright for a cheap Subaru Impreza first car
Why do you need advice, in case it's not "cool" enough for the PC crowd?
If the price is right and its what you want just get it.
I'm aware of a fairly common issue relating to the head gaskets of certain Subarus. Just wanted to see if there were any other common issues
I would make sure you had some savings on the side. Almost 200k on the clock it's bound to have a mechanical surprise or two here n there. Why not join up with one of the Subaru forums ? I'm pretty sure they would give you heaps of pointers and tips for purchasing. Also you might be able to put on a BBQ with free beer incase you need other forum members to come over and give you a hand or two in fix car issues ?
You never know someone may be selling a Subaru on the forums where the mechanical history is known. Stuff like that.
ie.
180k is quite a bit for an engine that size, but it depends on the price
The 2.5L RS is quick in corners. You'll have the most fun with it on mountain roads.
If you are on your Learners licence I wouldn't recommend the 2.5L RS as there are a lot more learner friendly cars out there. Provisional licence holders are fine. I've seen heaps of P plate drivers zip around the mountains over the last decade.
I'd try and get a car with under 100k