My daughter wont keep her shoes on anyway :)
Anyone know what the nicer trimmed Foresters are like inside? Like the XT's that had leather?
I think my current list toppers would be the XT Forester, Volvo 850 (if reliability isn't an issue), and e39 530i
How does a Saab 9-5 aero wagon compare to say, an 04-07 V70 R, 05-09 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT wagon, and an e46 BMW 325iT?
I've been looking at all of these including the older 850R/850 T-5R, and i feel the Legacy GT wagon might be the best choice between reliability, cost of ownership, ease of maintenance, purchase price, and mileage (looking for a lower mile car). One of the biggest things is I don't want to have to go to the dealer or independent mechanic for anything if I can help it. I'm used to older, simpler cars and cars like the V70R kinda intimidate me.
I am a bit concerned with the Saab in regards to the above since I have no idea what their track record is. I don't see any of them on the road around here.
Jaynen wrote: My daughter wont keep her shoes on anyway :) Anyone know what the nicer trimmed Foresters are like inside? Like the XT's that had leather? I think my current list toppers would be the XT Forester, Volvo 850 (if reliability isn't an issue), and e39 530i
why not the Outback XT? I was considering the legacy, outback, and forester, until I read a few reviews comparing them. The Legacy and Outback were very similar, except for the obvious softness of the suspension in the Outback. However, most stated the Forester felt much cheaper and louder than the Legacy/Outback. If you wanted something quiet and comfortable that had very little compromise in 'offroad' from the Forester, go with the Outback.
I marked the Forester off the list because I want a comfortable, fairly quiet daily driver. I don't want an SUV (I was going to lower the Forester anyway).
The last-gen Forrester wasn't very comfortable in terms of ride. I test-drove one, and was shocked at how rough the ride was compared to our '06 RAV4.
My Wife's got a 04 Forester XT. The ride is not great but it handles decently for what it is. Soft but still manages to ride kinda harsh and is not quite. Stock 90k miles suspension minus a STI rear sway. Keep in mind it is based on the Impreza/WRX platform.
If you are looking more for Subaru "luxury" I would go with the above mentioned Legacy or Outback.
That being said I like the 5 Series. I think either could be a money pit. The BMW's will have the cooling, suspension and whatever interior/electrical issues pop up around 100K.
Our Forester at 90k has needed a radiator ($150), clutch ($800 parts and install) and is due for a rear wheel bearing ($300 with parts and install). I also tore CV boot at a rallycross but a rebuilt is $55 from Rock Auto.
The ride isn't as important to me for the luxury feeling but I would like leather again and some creature comforts like cruise/power windows etc I want it to feel like a little nicer place to spend time.
I would likely go slightly more aggressive on suspension anyway since I would probably want to get to an ST level of prep on the car to take it to an HPDE or auto-x (unless I went rallyX instead with the forester)
The age of these cars at this point it is likely I am dealing with 100,000 mile car. Which does not really bother me but it does make big ticket repairs an issue. I don't mind the things you can look out for like timing belts. Right now I am still leaning towards the 04 manual forester XT or the 03 530i. I guess I like that the forester shares so much with the impreza platform. The outback and legacy cars are a bit less sporty
Got buy off from the wife last night (without prompting even!) her current vote is for the e39 since I have talked about loving the way they look etc before. I am somewhat concerned that anyone I find is going to require the full cooling system rebuild as I have yet to find one with decent maintenance records.
Still looking at other options. What about the reliability of the Saab's I have heard some horror stories? Seems like there are not many around at least within 500 miles of me either.
Don't sweat the cooling system rebuild on an I6 E39; it's about $600 worth of parts and maybe 4 hours of straightforward work if you take your time.
Good to know, what about timing belts do these engines need those as well? Reading the DIY guide on the cooling system rebuild it does seem fairly easy for someone to do themselves
E39 engines use timing chains, so they're not a regular maintenance item. When I was last in your boat, we cross-shopped over a dozen models and settled on our E39. Having had the car for 7 years now I'd still have made the same decision, but maybe would have held out for an E39 wagon.
What about the window regulators on the e39s? I hear they tend to fail and be a real pain in the ass. I really like the e39 looks more than any of the other sport wagons, but I am really concerned about the cost of maintenance and reliability compared to the Subaru, Volvo and Saab. Although those last 2 may be just as bad. The 525iT is also the slowest of the bunch.
It's actually easier to find 540 wagons around here but I didn't want the v8 (well I want it but I don't think its right for my situation)
This one looks nice http://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/cto/3019480330.html
Yeah, the I6 wagons are rare birds, especially with manual transmissions. Lots more V8 wagons, but all of these sold in NA were autos.
In my experience, window regulators are only good for 5-8 years. When I replaced them the fronts ran me about $150 and the rears were about $250, and each takes about 45 minutes to replace.
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