Subaru Forester - should I/shouldn't I
Discussion
Right, simple.
Current:
The family Volvo V70 140bhp estate, 120k miles. Black with leather, looks posh even though it's a shed car is refusing to die but at the same time is pissing fluids/smoke and the dashboard is starting to look like a Christmas tree. Liking the comfort and ageless charm, not liking mpg but can live with it.
Been looking at Subaru Forester S-turbo 103k miles - £1000 to swap (hopefully less but I've never been great at haggling)
Thoughts? MPG? Driving fun? Forester looks in good nick. 26 mile round trip to work. (most of my fuel cost is due to the photo location game!). 4x4/ground clearance would be handy for camping/trips up north in the snow.
ps. what do I need to look for when viewing?
Current:
The family Volvo V70 140bhp estate, 120k miles. Black with leather, looks posh even though it's a shed car is refusing to die but at the same time is pissing fluids/smoke and the dashboard is starting to look like a Christmas tree. Liking the comfort and ageless charm, not liking mpg but can live with it.
Been looking at Subaru Forester S-turbo 103k miles - £1000 to swap (hopefully less but I've never been great at haggling)
Thoughts? MPG? Driving fun? Forester looks in good nick. 26 mile round trip to work. (most of my fuel cost is due to the photo location game!). 4x4/ground clearance would be handy for camping/trips up north in the snow.
ps. what do I need to look for when viewing?
It'll be great over Winter.
Don't expect it to be any more reliable than your Volvo, or any cheaper to run. It probably won't be. Buy an A4 Avant TDi quattro
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...
Don't expect it to be any more reliable than your Volvo, or any cheaper to run. It probably won't be. Buy an A4 Avant TDi quattro
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...
80quattro said:
It'll be great over Winter.
Don't expect it to be any more reliable than your Volvo, or any cheaper to run. It probably won't be. Buy an A4 Avant TDi quattro
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...
worth £2k more than the forester? My fault.... i forgot to say I refuse to pay more than £2k for a car. I do appreciate the input though, is an Audi more reliable?Don't expect it to be any more reliable than your Volvo, or any cheaper to run. It probably won't be. Buy an A4 Avant TDi quattro
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...
I should also be buying a diesel focus/astra but can't bring myself to it.
Great cars, there are some bargains about.
Real world MPG about 25-28.
30 on a run, 20 round town or if you put your foot down.
That's not bad for a petrol permanent 4x4 with 177bhp.
Won't be as comfortable for long drives as the Volvo. They are a bit noisy at cruising speed and seats only so so. But much quicker and surprisingly good in the bends. I really enjoyed mine. Only changed as I wanted the 2.5 later Forester.
Look out for good service history and cambelt change, it might be due it's 2nd one now.
Great cars, but obviously at 10yrs old there will be some issues, but you'll be having very low depreciation. So unless you do big miles it will be cheap fun motoring.
Real world MPG about 25-28.
30 on a run, 20 round town or if you put your foot down.
That's not bad for a petrol permanent 4x4 with 177bhp.
Won't be as comfortable for long drives as the Volvo. They are a bit noisy at cruising speed and seats only so so. But much quicker and surprisingly good in the bends. I really enjoyed mine. Only changed as I wanted the 2.5 later Forester.
Look out for good service history and cambelt change, it might be due it's 2nd one now.
Great cars, but obviously at 10yrs old there will be some issues, but you'll be having very low depreciation. So unless you do big miles it will be cheap fun motoring.
noell35 said:
80quattro said:
It'll be great over Winter.
Don't expect it to be any more reliable than your Volvo, or any cheaper to run. It probably won't be. Buy an A4 Avant TDi quattro
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...
worth £2k more than the forester? My fault.... i forgot to say I refuse to pay more than £2k for a car. I do appreciate the input though, is an Audi more reliable?Don't expect it to be any more reliable than your Volvo, or any cheaper to run. It probably won't be. Buy an A4 Avant TDi quattro
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...
I should also be buying a diesel focus/astra but can't bring myself to it.
Definitely more reliable than a Subaru. A good friend of mine has a 1997 A6 he bought four years ago for £800. Its just ticked over 310,000 miles.
I have a 2004 Forester 2.0 Turbo that I bought a few months ago from a Subaru dealer. It had done 80k miles and was very well specd. I paid £4250 for it and intended to keep it solely for this summer as a camping/ RoadTrip car before selling it to a Winter Worrier!.. I have been mega impressed with it and will now keep it, my brother is also now determined to buy a newer one ( but not the newest incarnation which we both think looks a tad generic) when he comes back from his foreign posting. I absoloutely love it, and as a Winter car I am looking forward to using it.
..will say though that these do tend to be bought by farmer types, and mine was no different. Although in superb mechanical condition it does have lots of bodywork scratches and imperfections and a stained boot carpet. Personally I like this, as it makes me less anal about using it. My other 3 cars are showroom fresh minters and accordingly cause me headaches about leaving them anywhere etc..the Subaru is refreshingly unencumbered by such worries. I love it, and the dealer has impressed me with their friendliness and service ( that rare thing nowadays-a family dealer group). The Legacy is also sensational, though lose some ground clearance and gain some extra interior space
Regarding fuel consumption..if you are using the excellent turbo performance, then frugality plummets. However when trundling off-turbo, it is fairly reasonable and certainly not what you would call thirsty
..would,say though check the rear shocks. They have a tendency to fail/ sag at around this age/ mileage. If you look at Foresters you will see some ride higher than others. Measure the gap between tyre and wheelarch on a good one and make sure yours is 'up'. In the dealer I bought from there was one which had sagged ( maybe someone had replaced the shocks with cheapie units, or maybe they were knackered- the Dealer reckoned it was okay, but you could see a visible difference)..apparently expensive parts and fitting at Subaru Dealers to do it right. The car I bought had newish shocks that wre very clean.
..will say though that these do tend to be bought by farmer types, and mine was no different. Although in superb mechanical condition it does have lots of bodywork scratches and imperfections and a stained boot carpet. Personally I like this, as it makes me less anal about using it. My other 3 cars are showroom fresh minters and accordingly cause me headaches about leaving them anywhere etc..the Subaru is refreshingly unencumbered by such worries. I love it, and the dealer has impressed me with their friendliness and service ( that rare thing nowadays-a family dealer group). The Legacy is also sensational, though lose some ground clearance and gain some extra interior space
Regarding fuel consumption..if you are using the excellent turbo performance, then frugality plummets. However when trundling off-turbo, it is fairly reasonable and certainly not what you would call thirsty
..would,say though check the rear shocks. They have a tendency to fail/ sag at around this age/ mileage. If you look at Foresters you will see some ride higher than others. Measure the gap between tyre and wheelarch on a good one and make sure yours is 'up'. In the dealer I bought from there was one which had sagged ( maybe someone had replaced the shocks with cheapie units, or maybe they were knackered- the Dealer reckoned it was okay, but you could see a visible difference)..apparently expensive parts and fitting at Subaru Dealers to do it right. The car I bought had newish shocks that wre very clean.
Edited by billzeebub on Tuesday 18th September 23:20
Edited by billzeebub on Tuesday 18th September 23:26
What about a legacy? Better looking than the forester IMO and probably a better steer too.
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012... should be able to haggle that down to £2k!
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012... should be able to haggle that down to £2k!
noell35 said:
80quattro said:
It'll be great over Winter.
Don't expect it to be any more reliable than your Volvo, or any cheaper to run. It probably won't be. Buy an A4 Avant TDi quattro
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...
is an Audi more reliable?Don't expect it to be any more reliable than your Volvo, or any cheaper to run. It probably won't be. Buy an A4 Avant TDi quattro
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...
A mate has owned an Impreza turbo for five years, and has owned a Legacy 3.0 Spec B for the last three years, and both have only needed servicing and consumables. I should imagine a Forester will be no different. It will ride a lot better than an A4 Avant TDi quattro if you're bothered about such things.
An Audi or Legacy would be great but neither give the extra ground clearance I was looking for. An allroad is going to be too dear, an XC70 would probably be good but I'm not sure about the reliability vs a Subaru. I'm off to see the Forester on Friday now as long as it isn't sold. The guy has provisionally offered a reasonable price for the V70 so we'll wait and see. Thanks for all the input
80quattro said:
noell35 said:
80quattro said:
It'll be great over Winter.
Don't expect it to be any more reliable than your Volvo, or any cheaper to run. It probably won't be. Buy an A4 Avant TDi quattro
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...
worth £2k more than the forester? My fault.... i forgot to say I refuse to pay more than £2k for a car. I do appreciate the input though, is an Audi more reliable?Don't expect it to be any more reliable than your Volvo, or any cheaper to run. It probably won't be. Buy an A4 Avant TDi quattro
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2012...
I should also be buying a diesel focus/astra but can't bring myself to it.
Definitely more reliable than a Subaru. A good friend of mine has a 1997 A6 he bought four years ago for £800. Its just ticked over 310,000 miles.
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