3.0R with 200+ km, worth it?

[willisnz]

You guys think this is worth it if no major mechanical issues? Looking for a new daily/runabout to replace my BH which is reaching the uneconomic repair point...

 

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/subaru/auction-1202140286.htm

 

(Apologies if this is in the wrong part of the boards...)

[sobanoodle]

I'd go and have a look at it, meet the owners and see what sort of history the car had, take it for a drive etc. Might be a good buy at that price, got a few aftermarket bits on it too and is a high spec 3.0 with cruise control etc. 

 

Kms are high but it all really comes down to how it's been looked after and driven. Would probably need some bushings replaced (if haven't been done already), listen for suspension clunks as Bilsteins might be on their way, check how noisy the steering pump is, chain slap (tensioners), gearbox shifts without kicks etc. 

 

I'd say you can easily go up to 300k in these, will be worthless by then though.

[willisnz]

I don't buy cars without getting a mechanic to do an inspection (I'm too much of a noob to check those things myself...), would either take it to Subirex or have a mobile mechanic I use do one.

 

Other BP's in the same price bracket have fewer kms but are at/approaching cambelt replacement... e.g.

 

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=1183529951

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=1201259981

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=1194943219

 

 

[sobanoodle]

A bit of a mix you have there... Personally wouldn't touch turbos over 200-220k, you need to decide what you want - 3.0R, 2.0R or GT.

[willisnz]

Makes sense RE turbo...

 

There is a mix, but this would be our secondary car (we already have 2.0 NA BP with ~100k on the clock that the wife drives) for me to commute in/make trips to Mitre 10, so budget is the primary driver. Would love a GT for the fun, but really just want something that isn't going to fall apart/is worth repairing, unlike my BH which needs repairs that cost the same as what I paid for the car.

 

Totally get there can be a false economy with getting a high km car that needs more repairs than a lower km car...but will struggle to get higher upfront expenditure past the budget committee (aka my wife!)

[Technikhaus]

I've been interesting in getting exactly one of these 3.0s as a tow car for a club car and have seen a lot with this high KMs, so I also wonder have the fare that that high...

[Joker]

F

 

as in "Following" I was heading down this track once / still am I guess & lol Turbo : where? there is none on a 3.0R but it puts out 'almost' as much power as a 2.0T

[willisnz]

1 minute ago, Joker said:

 lol Turbo : where? there is none on a 3.0R but it puts out 'almost' as much power as a 2.0T

 

The reference to a turbo over 200km was in relation to one of the other TM links (a 2.0GT)  in my subsequent post

[Joker]

ahh good-o I definitely skim read a lot & jump to conclusions pretty easy  carry on then

[willisnz]

Fair enough, it is a slight tangent from the main heading and OP

 

More accurate heading would be "which of these completely different, high KM, ~$4k BP wagons should I buy

[JGM]

3 hours ago, willisnz said:

You guys think this is worth it if no major mechanical issues? Looking for a new daily/runabout to replace my BH which is reaching the uneconomic repair point...

 

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/subaru/auction-1202140286.htm

 

(Apologies if this is in the wrong part of the boards...)

 

Seen this around before... can't put my finger on where though.  

 

+1 for @sobanoodle advice.

 

Even if the car was mechanically perfect, the LL Bean would be enough to put me off...!

[willisnz]

1 minute ago, JGM said:

 

Seen this around before... can't put my finger on where though.  

 

+1 for @sobanoodle advice.

 

Even if the car was mechanically perfect, the LL Bean would be enough to put me off...!

Photos look like they are taken at Hobonsville point...

 

You mean you don't like the "cream leather interior"? hahaha. 

 

I could live with it (particularly if it puts others off so I get a deal). If it had fake wood trim and brown leather accents on the steering wheel it would be different story!

[JGM]

Just now, willisnz said:

You mean you don't like the "cream leather interior"? hahaha. 

 

Precisely!

 

In all seriousness though, I had a 2.0R which was still going strong at 230 thou

[willisnz]

How do you tell the difference between a 2.0i and 2.0R? Are all B-Sport spec ones 2.0R?  The non 04 b-sport one I posted has two exhausts whereas the 05 b-sport has one...

The chassis codes from a VIR report don't match up with anything in here...

 

 

[JGM]

@willisnz

 

2.0i = SOHC - single muffler

2.0R = DOHC - twin mufflers

 

'B-sport' are 2.0i only with single muffler.  16 inch wheels and no front fog lights.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=1201259981

 

2.0R is double overhead cam producing more exhaust fumes hence the twin mufflers.  2.0R come with 17 inch wheels and front fog lights...

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=1194943219

[Joker]

59 minutes ago, willisnz said:

You mean you don't like the "cream leather interior"? hahaha. 

 

 

TAN you mean tan

[willisnz]

ah yup, I figured the twin mufflers was the giveaway. Will both have Bilsteins? Have allways (ignorantly) assumed that B-Sports have Bilsteins...

 

The 2.0R was owned by a rental company for 7 years, so can assume it has been thrashed, but also would have been serviced properly?...current owner has only had it for 12 months.

1 minute ago, Joker said:

TAN you mean tan

 

Tan makes it sounds summery and appropriate for driving to the beach!...cream on the other hand....well....

[JGM]

23 minutes ago, willisnz said:

ah yup, I figured the twin mufflers was the giveaway. Will both have Bilsteins? Have allways (ignorantly) assumed that B-Sports have Bilsteins...

 

The 2.0R was owned by a rental company for 7 years, so can assume it has been thrashed, but also would have been serviced properly?...current owner has only had it for 12 months.

 

Neither have Bilsteins... Both run KYB.  Only GT & 3.0R got Bilsteins from the factory.

 

Servicing or not, not sure I'd trust an ex-rental.

[SpeedySub]

8 minutes ago, JGM said:

Servicing or not, not sure I'd trust an ex-rental

Fasted car in the world is a rental - Jeremy Clarkson

 

But my misses had an ex rental and had no issues with it, and it made it to over 300,000k before someone crashed into it.

[sobanoodle]

6 hours ago, JGM said:

the LL Bean

 

It's not LL

 

Lots of 3.0R came with beige interior.

[willisnz]

so the 2.0R, ex-rental has had it's asking price dropped to 3.8k...starting to think harder about it....

[JGM]

40 minutes ago, willisnz said:

so the 2.0R, ex-rental has had it's asking price dropped to 3.8k...starting to think harder about it....

 

Have you queried the cambelt situation?

 

Cambelt replacement on these is approx $1300.

[willisnz]

Yup, cambelt needs to be done, I also own a 2.0i which I recently did the 100k cambelt on, which from memory was 1200.

[willisnz]

Done ~22k km per year on average, which sounds like mostly highway miles by tourists to me (NZ average is 12-14k per year). On a quick google of issues with buying ex-rentals, people seem more concerned with manuals as there is more room for driver error/deliberate thrashing.

[SpeedySub]

The good thing is if its from a reputable rental company then it will be serviced regularly. Do you know what the rental company was? Would be good to find out