Advice for buying a max $2000 Subaru for my wife

[vince.russ]

Hey everybody,

I am looking to buy a Subaru for my wife - daily commute and kids school pick up and drop off. It has to be a 4/5 doors and spacious. Never had a Subaru so any advice is welcome - reliability, maintenance cost etc. My other car is a 7 seater.

TIA

[pmkhoi]

If you want some space I think you should get a legacy wagon. But for 2k it is quite hard to get a good one, you may need to wait for a while, otherwise it would be high kms. You can get this one for low price if you lucky:

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/subaru/auction-945358649.htm

Tbh, with that price rance and the purpose, I suggest to find a honda or toyota, same reliable + much easier to find a good one.

Just my 2c

[Guest]

Fb best place to look. Increase budget to 3k, buy a bg5 and get it thoroughly checked over by a mech.

[heylinb4nz]

+1 , 3K gets you way more options, id be weary buying any turbo Subaru with over 180,000kms.

My pick based on quick TradeMe search would be this NA Wagon (Clutch done and Cambelt done)

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/subaru/auction-934418335.htm

At the risk of getting flamed if cheap and reliable are key then perhaps Toyota Corolla ??

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/toyota/auction-944119936.htm

[Guest]

Fb best place to look. Increase budget to 3k, buy a bg5 and get it thoroughly checked over by a mech.

[lachlan]

buy 1k subaru . you might get a year out of . when it ****s out scrap it

repeat .

happy days

[vince.russ]

 pmkhoi said:

If you want some space I think you should get a legacy wagon. But for 2k it is quite hard to get a good one, you may need to wait for a while, otherwise it would be high kms. You can get this one for low price if you lucky:

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/subaru/auction-945358649.htm

Tbh, with that price rance and the purpose, I suggest to find a honda or toyota, same reliable + much easier to find a good one.

Just my 2c

Thanks for the suggestion. I might check Hondas and Toyotas too.

[vince.russ]

 evowrx said:

Fb best place to look. Increase budget to 3k, buy a bg5 and get it thoroughly checked over by a mech.

What is a bg5?

[vince.russ]

 heylinb4nz said:

+1 , 3K gets you way more options, id be weary buying any turbo Subaru with over 180,000kms.

My pick based on quick TradeMe search would be this NA Wagon (Clutch done and Cambelt done)

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/subaru/auction-934418335.htm

Great suggestions. Thanks!

At the risk of getting flamed if cheap and reliable are key then perhaps Toyota Corolla ??

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/toyota/auction-944119936.htm

Great suggestions. Thanks!

[Guest]

Twin turbo Legacy wagon of 96ish era. Awesome bang for buck and can find the odd really tidy one for around 3k. Because theyre family car theyre comfy with ample gogo. Generally slightly cheaper than the non turbo slugs which are equally as comfy but thirsty as you need to hoof it to get yp hills etc with the turbo its a cruise so more economic unless you get excited and fang it everywhere.

[vince.russ]

 evowrx said:

Twin turbo Legacy wagon of 96ish era. Awesome bang for buck and can find the odd really tidy one for around 3k. Because theyre family car theyre comfy with ample gogo. Generally slightly cheaper than the non turbo slugs which are equally as comfy but thirsty as you need to hoof it to get yp hills etc with the turbo its a cruise so more economic unless you get excited and fang it everywhere.

Thanks evowrx,

are you talking about one like this - http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/subaru/auction-942548062.htm

[heylinb4nz]

 vince.russ said:

Thanks evowrx,

are you talking about one like this - http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/subaru/auction-942548062.htm

BG 1993 - 1998

BE\BH 1998 - 2004

[Guest]

 vince.russ said:

Thanks evowrx,

are you talking about one like this - http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/subaru/auction-942548062.htm

Thats a bh shape but better again if you can stretch the budget.

[vince.russ]

 evowrx said:

Thats a bh shape but better again if you can stretch the budget.

Thanks evowrx,

always easier when you have a bigger budget :-).

[Guest]

Shopping on the budget you have shop for the tidiest car you can find it generally means its been looked after all its life. Dont caught up on kms a high km looked after example is twice as nice as a raped rough low km jobbie.

[pmkhoi]

My advice is that ask for paperworks or what they did for the car. The longer the list, the better the car. If he/she took care of the car, they will know what they did for it. Also pay more attention to the interior and mechanical condition (weird noise, gear changing smooth or not, cambelt). Might take a while but good luck with that mate

Edited September 10, 2015 by pmkhoi

[Joker]

http://trademe.co.nz/941103138

[SpeedySub]

 Joker said:

http://trademe.co.nz/941103138

I test drove one like this when looking for a new car. Found it really under powered in a auto.

I was looking for my girlfriend

Edited September 10, 2015 by SpeedySub

[SpeedySub]

if looking for a legacy and if you could talk them down some and maybe stretch a lttle on budget then this would be good. http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/subaru/auction-934907733.htm

[Joker]

did you find her? ask an adult or she might come home when she's hungry

[SpeedySub]

 Joker said:

did you find her? ask an adult or she might come home when she's hungry

will try that next time

[Guest]

High km and auto dont mix.

[SpeedySub]

 evowrx said:

High km and auto dont mix.

But for the price might be hard to find a manual. It looks to be well serviced so if the autos had regular servicing it might be ok.

[Guest]

 SpeedySub said:

But for the price might be hard to find a manual. It looks to be well serviced so if the autos had regular servicing it might be ok.

Not on fb.

[vince.russ]

Thanks everyone for the comments!