Need some help with used car shopping....

Long story short, we are looking for a car to be shared by our 19 year old and 16 year old daughters. Our budget is pretty tight because of some things that we are facing health related in the near future. But, it is necessary to get the girls a car. We know we are going to have to settle on a high milage care but I know next to nothing about subaru's. We are also looking at some corollas as well.

Anyone with subaru knowledge care to comment / give advice on this:
https://www.mustachemotorsmaryland.com/details/used-2012-subaru-forester/100418880

 

For that amount of money, you could buy them a used 02-06 Tundra. Both of my daughters drive & love Tundras, though initially skeptical. Plus, at that age, they're gonna have some accidents and you know they'll be safe in a Tundra. The bonus is that they have a truck so it means they can do extra chores with it like picking up patio furniture for mom.

 

There is no chance they will drive a tundra. And the wife doesn’t want them driving a truck. Not a battle I can win so looking at smaller SUV’s, crossovers, etc

it’s very hard in this area to find reasonably priced cars that aren’t salvage titles - this is a one owner with clean carfax. Anything in this price range is typically a Hyundai or Kia and I would prefer to stay away from older models of those brands

 

A word of caution: A friend that owns a junkyard says over half the cars he gets have temporary tags. Meaning the owner bought someone else's problem and found it cost too much to fix.

Me? I never buy used from a dealer preferring to trust my own judgement regarding honest sellers. I was in a bind to find a car for mother in law and found a 2002 Avalon on FB. My question to the seller was would you put your 87 yr old mother in this car? She replied she most certainly would. It's been the perfect car so far.

 

I tend to agree but also don’t generally trust private owners. Especially in the dc area. This guy seems like a stand up guy so far (it was advertised on Facebook marketplace). Seems to be a very small dealership with great reviews. It’s one owner, clean title and carfax doesn’t show much of anything…..just hoping to find something relatively soon. I can fix a lot of stuff but engines, computer related stuff are not my wheelhouse.

 

Seems like a decent buy provided there's repair money in the budget just in case. I'd consider asking the seller if you could rent it for a week with a big deposit and put it through the daily paces just to confirm all is well. If they won't even think about it, inquire about why not and try to negotiate an agreement. Don't cost anything to talk, but expensive repairs can ruin a good deal quickly.

 

Not a bad idea; worst they can say is no.

 

If you have any specific questions, please feel free to ask... We've owned 3; wife's currently in a 2022 Forester, and our previous one was a 2011 (similar to what you are looking at)...

Overall, one of the safest vehicles you can buy in that class (small SUV)... The AWD is second to none; throw some Blizzaks on it in the winter (w/studs if dealing w/ice constantly) and you'll have no issues. Even w/o dedicated winter tires, Subis will run circles around most other vehicles in terms of wet/snow and other slick surface traction. Great visibility and crash ratings are very good; one of the benefits of the horizontally opposed engine, is that it's able to sit a bit lower in the engine bay which helps w/front corner/head-on type collisions as it forces the engine down during an impact instead of rearward toward the occupants.

Casey's daughter @RainMan_PNW took a pretty nasty head-on impact, and he has posted several photos of the vehicle and talked about the incident in depth if you'd like to reach out to him, I'm sure he'd be happy to comment.

They are very reliable, but a few model years had some transmission problems IIRC (not sure which years though) and they had some complaints about the 2.5XT (turbo) having some issues. Plenty of room and decent features for the price point. Gas mileage is good (not superb), and maintenance costs are reasonable.

If I was putting a teenager in a vehicle, I'd seriously consider Subaru...

 

Reach out to family and ask them to reach out to their family. Sometimes people aren't trading because the dealership won't give them a fair price for a good car. Might just find a win*win.

 

You want a Toyota corolla. They are remarkably durable and easy to work on with inexpensive parts costs. They are a good size for young drivers and get much better gas mileage than the Subaru. They are probably the best example of quality engineering next to a Land Cruiser. The damned things are cockroaches and will inherit this earth when we are all gone.

Now, I love me some Subarus and of the Subarus you could buy, that’s among the best. The problems with them are easy to fix but you will more than likely have to replace the lower control arm bushings every 50k miles or so due to their design. They will eat your tires before you notice they are bad however. They will also eat wheel bearings on the regular. The valve covers will leak. They will never stop. No matter how many times you try to fix it. The carpet is more of a felt than a traditional carpet and it’s difficult to clean. The dashboard is hard as a rock and there’s no sound deadening. They sound like Oscar the grouches trash can when it rains.

On to the positives with Subarus: the 4spd and 5spd are fine automatics. The CVTs don’t have the same reputation. The one you’re looking at is NOT a CVT so you’re good there. The AWD system on them is quite good, much better than the systems you can get in the competition. They are quite safe as well. The maintenance on Subarus is really easy. The starter, alternator and ac compressor are all right on top of the motor. The timing belt is easy to get at and cheap and easy to replace. (Make sure this has been done already as cheap is relative to other cars.)

 

This is the xt model. Moreso, I was just looking to see if there were common issues to look for. Preliminary searching doesn’t seem to show much so was looking for real world experience. Really appreciate you taking the time to answer so thoroughly. I will certainly focus my search to look for the issues you mentioned.

 

Best AWD around, low cog, high safety, easy to haul some things when they move out. Make sure you take a look at the head gasket for leaks and drive it home for sure. Great vehicles. Reliability is a solid third place to Toyota/Honda similar models/years, however safety and especially AWD are far and above superior. I’d buy it.

 

Also that’s a 2.5X “Premium”

The Premium package is the middle package and it’s the best in my opinion. You get the all weather package with heated cloth seats and heated wipers/mirrors iirc. plus fog lights.


If it had a 5 speed manual I’d be tempted to steal it out from under ya ha.

 

Thanks so much. We have reached out to family and friends - problem is that everybody seems to think their cars are worth more than they are these days. Including family and friends…..

We have had two corollas and they’re great. But they hold their value (for good reason) and the only ones I am able to locate here are multiple owner with no service records or very high mileage. We would prefer to have an suv / crossover type as we feel they are safer, especially in this area and for young drivers. Will definitely keep our eyes peeled.

The other thing is this dealership does everything MVA related; tags and registration. I won’t have to step foot in the MVA which is worth its weight in gold for me….

 

I don't think that model in particular is the XT (although I could be wrong); but I think it's just the 2.5x (which was later changed to the 2.5i) XTs will usually have XT badging on the rear liftgate...

 

http://www.cars101.com/subaru/forester/forester2012.html


If this page can’t answer a question let me know haha I’m a nerd

 

Yes you’re right. My apologies - it is the 2.5x

 

Don’t get me wrong, the model and year Subaru you have in your sights is my solid first or second place vehicle for young drivers on a Budget. Just be aware that you will have to have some money set aside for the timing belt and lower control arms. They also share a platform with the previous generation Outback/legacy and their contemporary Impreza. This includes the Wrx and STI. The nice thing about that is parts availability and anyone can work on them.

Also, if you’re looking for a steal of a car you can get the previous generation (2005-2009) Subaru Outback with more sound deadening and a nicer interior for about half that. You’ll have all the same issues with control arms and valve cover leaks and such. Oh and the leaking power steering pumps. I almost forgot to mention the always leaking power steering pumps. They will go forever with the leaks though.

Stay away from the turbo models (my favorite) unless you like doing repairs yourself.

 

It is not an XT the XT is a turbo model and has a hood scoop.

 

Daaaamn

Yeah, that has a shit ton of info ... I was thinking the non-turbos were all timing chains (not belts) and that confirmed it; plus none of the turbos that year are PZEVs, so I'd say that model is non-turbo

 

And if you can find an 09 era Outback with a 6 cylinder please buy it or let me know

Lower mileage, but great reliability (and fun)!

 

... non-turbos are timing chains not belts, so one less thing for him to worry about on that one!!

 

Alright, time for bed... Happy car hunting, and I'm sure you'll find something awesome for them whether you land w/a subi or corolla!!!!

 

That car is a 2.5L naturally aspirated engine, not the turbo. It has a timing chain, not belt, so you are going to be GTG there. It's also the 4-speed transmission (not the newer CVT) so you should have few problems there. Oil changes on those things is the easiest of any car I've ever owned - especially if you put a Fumoto valve in the oil pan. The oil filter is mounted front-and-center in the engine bay up on top...basically mess free to change if you've got a couple of inexpensive ramps and about 20 minutes of spare time.


I wouldn't hesitate the take it to a trusted mechanic and have it gone over/checked. It can be a little tough to see/spot head gasket seeping because of the under-body "skid" that is usually on them, but that's probably the most common thing to watch for. I've not had the experiences Zapp is referring to regarding LCA bushings, wheel bearings, or valve covers, though I know a few other folks that have had valve cover leaks. We have owned three of them (still own two), and as Tripleconpanna stated one of them I attribute to the fact that my daughter is still alive and recovering from a 50MPH head-on collision instead of the alternative. My older daughter has a 2008 that has 240k miles on it - we had the head gasket done at 200k miles (it wasn't actively leaking yet, but it was seeping) and otherwise it's been regular maintenance. Her 2008 does have the timing belt, so those need to be done every 100k miles, but this one you are looking at does not need that.

Good luck!

 

Thanks so much for the information - and I have been following your daughter’s progress. Hope she continues to heal and has no long term effects.

 

https://www.theautopian.com/i-regret-buying-a-new-subaru/

Worth a read.

I’m a Subaru fan. But they do have more issues than a Toyota.

 

So we went and took it for a test drive. Small mechanic shop that also sells limited cars. Spoke to the owner and head mechanic for about an hour. They walked me through all of the issues that this year and beyond have. Tires are less than a year old, brakes are brand new (replaced to pass inspection), engine bay looks very clean. I have it a once over as best as I could - the oil filter is just sitting there staring at you when you open the hood. Thought that there was a coolant issue as the blue coolant light was on when we started it. He said Subaru didn’t have the hot - cold gauge so that’s what they do. Once it warms up it goes off. He said you only have to worry about it if it’s red because that means it is overheating. The interior and exterior was spotless. A few door dings on the rear driver side door but absolutely no rust anywhere. We sat and talked about other cars - he test drove the new Tacoma at an auto show and hated it but is looking forward to the hybrid coming out later. Told me to get my tundra frame cleaned and treated this year…..

As you all have said, this has a timing chain. He said the head gasket issues were from 6/2011 manufacture date and older. He confirmed that was with the fiber gasket - this has the metal gasket.

All in all, he was a very nice man. Offered to allow us to take it to any mechanic for a pre purchase inspection. Said we would be wasting the money. He can do all taxes, tags, etc in house. Maryland inspection has already been performed.

We are going to think about it and possibly go back on Monday. We will continue to look. I feel really good about this guy. I have a buddy who lives in the same town and has only heard good things about the shop and the owner / mechanics. Very fair and honest - supported by the reviews.

So we shall see. Will take the weekend to think about it and keep looking and going to see cars.

 

Sounds like you might be getting close to making a deal. If so, I think you can manage to save at minimum $900 off the asking price by starting in the $1800 off range and negotiating. You can say things like yes, but I think it could use an a/c service, an injection system cleaning, a new drive belt, new hoses, a new thermostat, new plugs, new wiper blades, a new fuel filter, an alignment, fluids, an air and cabin filter, etc. Some or all of which might be true since it's at 100k ish.

 

yeah I planted the seed of we will be in touch. It’s been advertised for about ten days so he said he is typically I willing to negotiate until 2 weeks or more and he has another appointment to show it today. I told him to keep us posted. If it sells, it sells. If not maybe we can get somewhere getting a discount.

He did say all fluids have been drained and filled - brake fluid, coolant, etc. The a/c blew cold - I checked it. I am under no illusions that it won’t need work if we get it. But it does seem that it was well taken care of previously and the ship did right by it before putting it up for sale.

 

If they are driving a truck they may not be able to drive their friends around. Not a bad thing.