2000± Subaru?

Say you wanted to buy the most reliable 2000 or newer Subaru you could find for $7500, what would you pick? Preferably an awd Impreza or Legacy but no other real preference. 

Due to personal experience(s), I'm not sure I'd buy another Subaru for reliability alone. My vote would be the newest non-turbo 2.5L car you can get. 2007-8 onward cars just seemed to last longer without major issues to me. 

I DD a 2008 Impreza Wagon, have been for two years now.  It has the non-turbo 2.5 and an automagic trans.

Honestly it has been a very good car.  A couple of goofy electrical things- the fog lights don’t work all the time (haven’t looked into it) and the passenger rear brake light connector tends to work itself loose periodically.

The awd in the snow is a real hoot!

Definitely 2005-up for NA. When the headgaskets go replace them with the MLS ones from a turbo.

Turbo - the EJ205 2.0L from the 2002-05 WRX is more reliable IMHO, BUT these cars are 13-15 years old and most have been modded. They are like DSM's used to be. Finding an unmolested one is rare. Plus all the Suboi's think they are made from pure gold.

My 03 WRX Wagon has been exceedingly reliable with just gas and oil changes.  It sucks gas though.

It looks like a pre 05 wrx would be difficult to find in good shape, especially for under $7500. As far as the normal models 05+ is better then? It looks like an 05+ outback can be found for $5k pretty easy. 

You can have my 03 WRX for $4500.  5 Speed wagon, 150k miles, lifted, other nice mods.  I am second owner.  Not bro-modded, engineer modded.  

93gsxturbo said:

You can have my 03 WRX for $4500.  5 Speed wagon, 150k miles, lifted, other nice mods.  I am second owner.  Not bro-modded, engineer modded.  

What state are you in? Depending on how much I can get for the 2 s class Mercedes I kinda wish I hadn't bought that might be what I'm looking for sometime in April or May. 

My 2012 outback (2.5 6mt) just popped it’s second front main seal since I’ve owned it (first at 59k with both head gaskets and the rear main seal as well, this one at 86k a year later), cracked its second windshield, and has burnt through 6 headlights that get replaced through the fender. If it weren’t so damned good in the snow...

I'd probably get another EJ22 Subaru, my '97 Impreza was a rock and they made that generation all the way to MY01.

I'm on my 3rd right now.  Guess I've been lucky, had an '01 Outback, kept it 2 years, sold it to a good friend & bought an '08.  Had that 2 years, had a chance for a company car and got a '17 Outback.  All have been N/A, 22mpg in town, do everything I want them to, and no issues.  

I don't really know Subaru but I thought the smart choice was anything with the 2.2L. I think the 2.2L does not suffer from the HG issues that the 2.5L has. 

Impreza and low option Legacy offered the 2.2L.

Less power in exchange for increased reliability. 

In reply to Tk8398 :

Confusion;  But the car is in Milwaukee, WI

Foresters and Legacys are less likely to have been bro-modded.

It seems like most of the early to mid 2000s legacys are in pretty rough shape, I'm actually kinda surprised because the one I have  (1996) has been really reliable. It needs a transmission though and I have been having trouble finding one (the original one wore out after 450k miles, and I swapped in another used one but the first gear is bad, and it's hard to find a used one with under 200k now). 

I just sold my 04 Outback Wagon that I put 30k miles on in 2 years. Required maintenance included: 1 wheel bearing, 2 front CV axles ( it was lifted 2.5" which puts more strain on the axles. It was weeping a bit of oil from one head gasket when I bought it bit I put about 25k on it before it started to run warm at which point I did the head gaskets and timing belt.

It was a fun daily and was way better off road than it had any right to be.

FWIW, we bought our '04 Forester XT new.  It now has about 225K miles on it.  Still has the original clutch.  Still has the original wheel bearings.  Still has the original head gaskets.  I DD it to work about 40 miles a day.