So, as you all know Little Yaris has left us and has been transformed into the Gnusmobile. We needed something bigger to replace it and have ended up with an E91 318 estate, mainly because it was too much of a bargain to refuse. However, it is somewhat smaller than the word ‘estate’ would suggest… MrsH chose it, world’s least likely BMW driver, but now thinks it may have been a bad idea and wants something bigger. Had Little Yaris for many, many years, this one about a month.

Anyway, I have come across a 2004 Legacy estate, 2 litre petrol with 67k miles on the clock for surprisingly little money. Anyone got an older Legacy and if so what are the known faults I should look out for? (I know it’s not as big as a Mondeo or Accord or V70 but hopefully big enough. I suspect that what will happen is that she will get something slightly bigger than the current one and then imediately wish she’d got something much bigger and we’ll go through the whole palaver again)

Thanks

I just recently bought an 04 (that’s not older!) legacy gt, there’s some known issues but they’re pretty model specific I think- is the one you’re looking at a naturally aspirated or tubby, manual or auto? The subaru boxers are never exactly bombproof even in the softer versions but the main thing I’ve taken away from ownership, so far, is that it’s really nicely built. Not just in terms of quality but maintainability too, it feels like it was designed by someone who spanners (the undertray has a little flap so you can access the filter! That’s amazing). Basic services are fairly frequent though parts are easy to find and some are really surprisingly cheap. Running costs are generally a bit higher than other cars you could consider

Size, I had a mondeo before and it’s not as big as you say- and the arches intrude a little too. But it’s focuslike in that the boot (and front seats) are bigger than they should be, they really worked the space. I’m alternately annoyed that I can’t just throw a massive 29er enduro bike with the wheels on into it, and impressed by how much I can fit.

In fairness, mine is a japanese import with only 2 UK winters on it, and has a wrx engine + twinscroll turbo in it and the bilstein shocks, so it’s all a bit untypical- it’s in ludicrously good contition for a 14 year old car, I mean, original exhaust? My mondeo was on at least the third. So little rust underneath that I took offence at what there was and got rid of it, if I’d done that with either of my Fords, I’d have been left with nothing but plastic. It drives beautifully, civilised til its not, it’s always going faster than it feels… and automatics are shite, I wish I could have afforded the manual, ymmv. But I really do like it. It’s a good combination of practical and workmanlike and pleasant to sit in, with good handling and fun and (I think) pretty to boot.

Cons- you might end up turning into a Subaru Person and buying one of these

http://www.jacketandshirt.com/product_info.php?language=en&info=p1037_subaru-jacke-555-sammy.html

Thanks.

It’s an N/A manual, 135hp so I suspect a fairly low spec one, no WRX bits or fancy turbos. Got 8 months MOT left.

When you say ‘never exactly bombproof’ is there something specific I should be aware of or just the usual things like checking service history, cambelts etc? (It is a belt isn’t it?)

I had a Mondeo hatch years ago and that was big, bigger than the BMW estate anyway, never had any rust issues with that but my current Transit is mainly rust, shame as it’s mechanically excellent.

If the Subaru has been through 14 British winters (and therefore seven times as much salt as yours) are there any places where rust would set in?

.

Changing subject entirely, got the ale out of that hub by using the grinder to make some flat bits to get a spanner around (missing the freewheel!) and then poped the one you sold me in, all good and working perfectly now, cheers.

I have a 2006 legacy. Its never had any big issue and it seems ro be holding out against rust. Exhausts are expensive from subaru but u can get them super cheap on ebay. Its a nice enough place to sit and it’s big enough too. 4wd is useful where I live too. Only expensive thing for mine is the fuel but that’s because its a 3 litre. I love mine overall.

Theres a reason you don’t see many out in the road, and thats because of head gasket failure.

https://carfromjapan.com/article/industry-knowledge/the-history-of-subaru-head-gasket-problem/

2.0 na estate here, also 2004.

Fantastic cars and very well built. Mine still doesn’t have any creeks and rattles inside… Compare that with colleagues  new Merc or BMW which sound like they’re going to come apart going round corners!

Very useable space in the back and the back seats fold flat with a pull of a lever.

Seats are really really comfortable – best I’ve ever sat in on a ‘base spec’ car. We regularly do Sheffield-south coast in one hit and I have no aches or pains. Still no sag and no wear to speak of to drivers seat.

Mines on 159k, just on routine maintenance – oil and filter once a year.

4×4 means tyres last ages – last set of premacys did 40k – and on winter tyres it goes and stops anywhere. Low ratio box is mighty useful for crawling down Sheffield’s steep snow-covered roads without touching the brakes.

Things other than oil/filters/plugs/brakes/timing belt:-

Exhaust corroded through around 110k. Subaru wanted silly money but local exhaust place did a cat-back in stainless for 400.

Clutch and DMF replaced at 150k after it started to get a little juddery. The DMF has always has a squeak at idle since around 3k miles. Cost for parts and fitting was 850.

Needed some new HT leads around 140k – 30 quid.

Hoping it’s going to get to the moon.

I looked at them a few years ago. Things I found common in non import scottish ones were rusty sills and inner wheel arch liners that resembled stretched pizza Dough you could see through them  .. while I can weld I didn’t fancy taking on another project.

Theres a reason you don’t see many out in the road, and thats because of head gasket failure.

Haha, never heard of that before. We’ve had three in the family and none have had that.

Quite a lot here in Sheffield.

Haha, never heard of that before. We’ve had three in the family and none have had that.

Quite a lot here in Sheffield.

Good to hear, great cars to drive.

Tbh it’s fairly common you’d need to look with your eyes closed to not have heard of it before .

Some cars I’ve come to regard head gaskets as service items as they are time bombs and if let go they can do expensive damage —— why most folk don’t want to fix em once they have gone. It’s like a box of chocolates at that point. You don’t know what your going to get

I should mention – short journeys (say 2 miles from cold) fuel consumption is *terrible*. As soon as it warms up then it’s ok. Motorways it averages 38mpg.  Overall average is 33.

Thanks all.

What should we look for RE head gasket? I know the symptons of a dodgy one and will walk away if I spot them but what else? Does regular coolant changes help for example, should I avoid if no record of this in the service history?

Dodgy head gasket wrote my first car off (no point spending £600 on getting a a £200 car fixed). Went on father’s MGTF, cost about £800 IIRC including skim. If it does go a few years down the line is it horrifically expensive on a boxer or no different to a conventional one?

38mpg sounds fine CP, shortest journey it’s ever likely to make is 25 miles up the A7, local stuff is mainly done by bike.

I bought an 04 Forester XT last year, and in the time I’ve had it I’ve found servicing parts and costs to be more expensive than the ‘usual’ brands (VAG, Ford etc). MPG is around 29/30 unless it’s booted or bimbling around town. IIRC the 2.0 engines are ‘sturdier’ than the later 2.5s.

I have a 2.0ren estate 2007. Mainly city and suburban driving and I have never got above 25mpg average. Even with really, really gentle driving.On a long run I’ve managed 30mpg. Just…

Lovely car though, mine is a pleasure to drive and costs to maintain are ok. As mentioned exhausts from Subaru are ££££ but I got a custom stainless one for£550 and it improved performance, I couldn’t find cheaper ones at the time from any suppliers, ii believe there are ones on eBay now.

Overall though it’s very reliable, very comfortable, extremely practical, and people often comment on how nice a car it is! It’s unusual. I would have another. But mines still only got 75000 on it, so barely broken in…

Head gasket failures affect the 2.5l. The 2.0 NA is utterly bombproof. Just check the timing belt tensioner and idlers have been changed, not just the timing belt. Kits are available from SKF, I think, so nowt shabby.

Bottom arm rear bushes are prone to go but you won’t notice until MOT time. Similarly some ARB linkages.

If there are twin tail pipes then the Y is a rust trap as are the fronts of the silencers.

I’ve had 5 subarus over the last 20 years, the youngest 5 years old, the oldest 20, and would have no qualms about getting another.

Great cars. Worth checking whether it has been used for towing or not as that might give you a steer on how much risk is in the clutch.

I think the only “BP Specific” rust things i’ve seen are the Y pipe of the exhaust if it has one, which is rubbish, and there’s a seam right along the front of the chassis, behind the front bumper, where 2 sheets are pressed together and rust can form inside gaps and eat the whole thing. The plastic wheel well trims don’t meet up very well to the metal so there’s definitely plenty of space for water to gather in there but that’s not really a subie thing and frinstance I don’t see it being as much of an issue as say the ford thing where the noise dampening foam fills with water or the bumpers rub all the paint off the edge of the wings and rust there

I think a lot of maintenance issues come into 2 camps. 1, people get these and rag the balls out of them, even the NAs are popular with people who wish they could insure a turbo but can’t, as opposed to rivals where frinstance someone buying a mondeo is very realistic about what they’re buying. There’s a weird sporty halo effect that makes no sense at all.

And the other is that, basically, it’s a slightly higher strung engine than most standard issue cars these days, with definite expectations on good servicing, good oils, short intervals, fluid level checking- none of which is really an issue but so many people these days treat cars as sealed boxes between services, and actually often that works out just fine, but I wouldn’t want to try it with one of these as opposed to say my old focus which had the temperament of a bilge pump and basically needed to have some of halfords’ cheapest oil thrown into it about every million miles. Whereas the legacy seems to have the soul of some sort of early 90s hot saloon car, which I suppose is basically what it is.

None of that stuff’s actually hard to live with but it’d be easy for a non-car-person to overlook. I mean, I’m a spannersy sort of guy but I’m still slightly surprised by the oil intervals. But I’m prepared to write these things all up as “character”