17th Apr 2006, 21:53

I must say that I disagree with some of the comments on this posting (and other less-than-positive postings) ; perhaps it is understandable that the car should be having problems after twenty-plus years and who knows how much abuse, but it still is good for a perspective buyer to know what kind of longevity to expect. I've got an old Volvo 240 with 180K miles, and it has never given me trouble (which seems to be a trend). It seems, on the other hand, that these Subarus aren't as long lived. Does that mean it should be ignored and avoided by posters?

15th May 2006, 22:10

My 1985 Subaru GL 4wd wagon has served me well. It has 244k miles on it. I bought it with 97k on the odometer. Major work has included 1 new clutch,1 radiator, 2 water pumps, 2 timing belts & 4 front transaxels. Now the time has come to retire my Sooby and donate it to someone other than the wrecking yard.

25th May 2006, 15:39

I have a subaru wagon GL 4X4 1987.

In the beginning I have had 2 problems:

1. Water came in from the front window - it was all rusty

2. She used a lot of fuel - 1 liter, 3 or 4 mileage. But I fixed those 2 problems and now everything is great.

This car is very old. You need to know how to take care of her. Your car is like your wife - if your wife lives with you in the middle of the desert, you can handle with the problem.

But... if your car stops running in the middle of the desert, you are in a every big problem...

Think about it...

5th Nov 2014, 16:41

I agree, the Volvo 240 is very reliable car and very easy to work on. Good commuter car, good visuals and lots of trunk space.

In my opinion the best car if you are on a budget is by far a Honda. I have owned and sold several Hondas with well over 300k, that still ran well and passed emissions with ease.

If you're not a Honda person, then I would look for a car that is as close to original as possible (no aftermarket stereos, wheels, etc) drives well when you test drive it, and when there are records and receipts of service, then any car has the potential to be a 300k car (some have better track records, do the research). Trust me, whatever car you are looking at buying is not the last one left in the world.