I am currently car shopping and am really, really leaning toward Subaru. I know I want a wagon, that is for sure. Something similar to a Honda CR-V, or Pontiac Vibe.
If you own any of these, or any sort of Wagon, please share your thoughts, especially if you have had problems with it.
I am getting a call in the morning about a 1997 Subaru Legacy with 70,000 mi. on it. I am very interested and the dealer may cut $2,000 off the asking price as a sponsorship deal.
Thanks in advance,
Got 2 - Forester and a Baja (Outback with the back cut off). Really like them both. Personally, between the Forester and the Outback / Legacy, I’d actually get a Forester, but it’s comes down to personal preference. They both handle well in slippery conditions, much better than big SUVs (it’s all about momentum when you change direction), good mileage, reliable. I would definitely buy another Subaru.
Deke
Felipe,
I was going that direction myself, but with all the camping gear and racing gear we have, in addition to two yellow labs in crates, we went with the dodge grand caravan ES- AWD. I handles like a dream in the snow. My only gripe is lack of ground clearance for some of the dirt raods we drive to get to trailheads in the Sierras around Lake Tahoe. Big upside is it holds a ton of crap! I see Toyota had come out with a Sienna AWD van now too. Saw the interior just last week, it’s very plush. When we hit 100K on this van we will definitely get another one, mabey not a Dodge, but I’m sold on the van.
Peace, Karma
I have a '91 Legacy with 160,000 miles on it and I simply cannot kill it. Bought it from my Dad in '01 so I knew it was in great condition … As much as a I want a truck or an SUV I will probably buy my Dad’s 2000 Legacy with 60,000 miles, as I like getting 28 mpg on the freeway and I’m not down with $350/mo. car payments. Dad wants to get a very expensive and roomy volvo (he deserves it) but is scared it may not be as dependable as a subaru! -TB
I would definitely go for the Legacy. You can get 2 bike in there fully assembled for racing and training with the back seat down. You have the handling and comfort of a car, which you would miss in an SUV (apparently only important to us Europeans! Plus the excellent reliability of Subaru with it’s AWD system, what’s not to like? I will be buying one when I get to Canada.
I had a Legacy…about 1995, I think. VERY good car. A wagon in that car should be great for hauling bike stuff. We now have a CR-V and an Element…Element is hard to beat for biking junk, dirty kids and dogs. Gets 28 mpg on Hwy if you keep it under 70 mph. Oh, and it’s one of the only cars uglier than a Subaru! Actually, Subaru has improved their looks (in my eyes) significantly over the past decade. Should be a good car for you!
Bought an Impreza wagon for my wife the first year they came out. It’s small, but it’s been a great car for her. No problems, great in the snow, fast and incredible handling. Fun little car. I’m not a fan of the car myself (for aesthetic and ergonomic reasons - the car is bad for anyone over about 5’ 10"), but it was money well spent.
exactly the reason i went with a subaru. have 2 friends with ancient (by today’s standards) subaru’s that swear by them. one of them considers their 12yr old subaru to be the reliable vehicle between that and their 6yr old minivan.
i’ve had my impreza for 3 yrs with no problems at all and i am looking forward to another 10 the same way. and yes, i’m the coolest chick around that drives a wagon 
We had a 95 Legacy wagon and drove it for 135K miles before selling privately. Very reliable. Only non-routine maintenance was to replace some bearings in the transmission at about 110K miles, I think it was about $600. Other than that, no problems whatsoever. We replaced it with a Toyata Sienna AWD minivan, we needed the 3rd row seats for carpooling for the kids, and have had many more quality control issues with the Sienna, which might have somthing to do with ours being a very early production batch.
My mother has driven nothing but Subies for 2 decades. My parents in laws have 2 Subies. A couple of decades ago, they weren’t so hot quality and reliability-wise, but now I think they are among the most reliable cars out there.
I am on to my second Legacy-Outback. My first was a 2000. When the dealer offered good deals on 2004s last year (in advance of the new model coming out), I got a new one. I can agree with what many have said. The AWD is excellent in the snow and rain and the car feels very stable due to its low center of gravity. Mileage is decent - about 25 - 27 mpg with the 2.0L 4-cyl, mostly highway driving, about 50 miles per day for my commute. The engine is maybe a little sluggish off from a standstill, but for the most part is powerful enough to get you into traffic without risking your life. They’ve been very reliable (knock on wood) too.
The storage can’t be beat unless you go to an SUV (in fact, I think Subaru claims the Outback has more storage capacity than an Explorer). You can easily fit two bikes with the front wheel and seat removed, standing side by side in a bike rack; and still have plenty of room for other gear. I’ve never even used the roof rack.
Subarus have a bit of a cult following, and you see a lot of very old ones on the road (I mean, 15-20 years old). Their bodies might be rusting, but those engines still spin like a top even with well over 100K miles!
I’ll throw in a slightly different perspective…
I’ve got a VW Passat wagon that’s been fantastic. I got the V6 AWD (4motion in VW-speak). It’s done really well in the few snowstorms I’ve experienced and there’s plenty of room for gear, bikes and our two labs (though not all at the same time). Last weekend I had two bikes on the roof rack, one bike fully assembled inside and three triathletes in the car to drive up to a race site.
I looked briefly at an Outback before I bought this and liked the VW more. The interior felt a bit more roomy and it just felt more solid to me. Nothing against the Subaru…I think I’m just partial to German cars.
Knock on wood…no major mechanical issues with the VW so far. I bought it about 9 months used and have put ~65k on it in 3 years.
Have you seen the Honda Element? Not for everyone, but the perfect SUV for me, will be getting an 05 or 06 4WD version later this year.
I am a huge fan of the Element. I test drove it and I swear it was designed by a triathlete. Everything you could think of, it has inside.
Out of my $$ range, though. Awesome car.
I am waiting on the dealer’s call to hopefully go get the car today.
I bought an 04’ Outback Sport (which is the Impreza) last year. It’s the best car I’ve ever owned. I’m not a big guy…just shy of 5’10"…and it suits me perfect. The Impreza is smaller than the Legacy, but I’ve never had issues with the space. It’s great in snow and gets decent mileage as well.
One slightly negative about the all wheel drive is that if you replace one tire, you’re supposed to replace them all. Having tires with different levels of wear can place undue stress on the transmission.
I had the '97 Outback edition in a stick shift (hard car to find) I wish I still ha that car! Good Pick up, solid feel, good gas mileage, good space and safety. The only thing missing was a sun roof!
You can’t go wrong.
I like the Passat Wagon, a little more space than the Legacy or Outback, can get AWD. But may be a little rare in the US.
I just bought a 1996 Legacy GT wagon w/79K a couple weeks ago. I had a 1984 Subaru wagon that I couldn’t kill so I decided to sell it while I could still get a few bucks. I am a Subaru owner for life. If you can get 2K off the wagon with 70K on it you have no choice but to buy that car. In my experience they a) don’t break down and b) are cheap to fix when something does go wrong.
I have a '92 Legacy turbo wagon, 165k miles. Goes like a rocket, hauls all my junk (bikes, canoes, kids), been very reliable for the last 8 years (bought used at 80k miles), goes anywhere in the snow… it’s a great car.
When it finally wears out, I’m buying another one.
Have a '96 Legacy with 108K on it. Would agree with all comments about engine/drivetrain reliability and cheap to fix/maintain. Electrical system/accessory does not seem as robust as the rest of the car. Dash lights (show the heater position, auto trans position, etc) have gone out, and the auto door locks don’t work too well. But, mechanical reliability is much more important to me. Also, you simply cannot beat a Subaru on snow/ice.
Hi,
I have a 1996 Legacy Wagon. It is the baseline (Brighton) model.
I paid $3500 for it a year ago, with 90,000 miles on it. I have put 25000 miles on it with no problems. I will definitely buy another
when this is done. I can fit my WW kayak inside, bikes, skis, etc.
It is nice on a crappy day to be able to toss the bike in the back
completely assembled.
Plus, I don’t shovel my driveway anymore with the AWD.