Too good to be true?? 2006 Legacy GT $2000

Are you implying that the salesman told you what you wanted to hear. Imagine!  The outrage! 

I'm convinced that all cuv drivers have no idea if their vehicles is really awd but they all think they are. 

When my MIL bought her 2013 Escape I convinced her to save the $2k+ and just get the fwd. 

This is a ole lady who never owned a awd and got by just fine. Also a lady who doesn't go out the day before it's supposed to snow...because it might snow.

Sure enough, 5 years later she replaced it but my niece was the influencer.  This one has awd.  I once asked my MIL how she liked the awd.  She generally had no idea. 

/rant off

P3PPY said:

Salesman on that 2011 Lancer said AWD, VIN says that's false. It was the only positive of the list so yeah, Jag is looking like more of an option

To my knowledge, the only AWD lancers were the last generation of ralliarts and  of course all generations of Evos. Both are turbocharged. 

In reply to John Welsh :

Walking through the playground parking lot the other day, I passed an unbroken string of AWD small SUVs. In a few years my quest will be all the easier. Today it's still a bit of a search.

Doc, I've found some sites that suggest SE or SEL came with it optionally, at the least. Given the enthusiast nature of the model, I'm surprised that there's not more info readily available out there. With the success of the NA Impreza RS in competition, it's not even like the low power would seem to keep them oppressed; they started at about 2700 lbs

Well, the guy with the Jag talked me down to $1,200 so I bit. It runs fine, shifts fine, I just don't love it.

He was the best kind of dude to buy from. All his cars were in nice shape, clean. He's a CAT mechanic who has a bunch of other projects on the side but keeps his stuff nice, he got it in Oct 2017. There are a few things to do -- alternator is 1 year old but started pushing 12v on the way home, ABS light says it's for rear speed sensors which will presumably fix the lack of working speedometer, too. I heard a faint whirring which may be a propshaft bearing, according to the Jag x-type buyer's guide. And one headlight is out and when a new one was put in it worked at first, then after installation wouldn't turn on again.

On the hour drive home I realized that I do not like older cars. I like cars that feel modern. Even the 2005 Saab 9-2x that this is replacing feels more modern inside, less like old hotels with yellow lights. Make sense at all?

So I'm probably going to put the car up for sale on GRM. Tomorrow I'll reevaluate it, but that's where I'm at tonight.

I'll throw money at it to get everything fixed, so the price will change as things happen. I'm pretty bummed.

Sorry to sidetrack the conversation but you guys have inspired me to start my first build thread.

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/build-projects-and-project-cars/2005-subaru-legacy-gt/187832/page1/#post3359799

In reply to P3PPY :

Here's some fatherly advice...

You like cars that feel modern, but you can afford a car that is modern. 

Get this Jag a little sorted and see how it fits your needs. Sell the Jag when that more modern opportunity presents itself...if it does. 

In reply to P3PPY :

Sorry to hear you're not "clicking" with the Jaaaag.

If you're serious about flipping it, let me know.  I could probably make room in the driveway for a third one.

Dang, at $1,200 that's a lot of car for the money these days, even if it does need a few things.

It might grow on you. Cheap beaters have a way of doing that sometimes.

John Welsh said:

In reply to P3PPY :

Here's some fatherly advice...

You like cars that feel modern, but you can afford a car that is modern. 

Get this Jag a little sorted and see how it fits your needs. Sell the Jag when that more modern opportunity presents itself...if it does. 

John, I've been thinking about what you said and you have a very valid point.  I do want to avoid trying caviar dreams on ramen budget, you have a good point. What I'm thinking is more along the lines of Contour vs Fusion. Both are kinda ramen, but there's an appreciable difference between the two. Basically, my idea of "modern" is about 20 years old, but the Jag's interior is 22, so it's just a little too off for me. That said, if a certain gentleman from Indy happens to talk his wife into it then I'll be back on the prowl (Get it?) -- and the answer may just be that one Fusion indeed. 

P3PPY said:

John Welsh said:

In reply to P3PPY :

Here's some fatherly advice...

You like cars that feel modern, but you can afford a car that is modern. 

Get this Jag a little sorted and see how it fits your needs. Sell the Jag when that more modern opportunity presents itself...if it does. 

John, I've been thinking about what you said and you have a very valid point.  I do want to avoid trying caviar dreams on ramen budget, you have a good point. What I'm thinking is more along the lines of Contour vs Fusion. Both are kinda ramen, but there's an appreciable difference between the two. Basically, my idea of "modern" is about 20 years old, but the Jag's interior is 22, so it's just a little too off for me. That said, if a certain gentleman from Indy happens to talk his wife into it then I'll be back on the prowl (Get it?) -- and the answer may just be that one Fusion indeed. 

I'm pushing hard to get a yes from her (or at least not a "you sleep on the couch tonight" response)

Oddly enough, what makes the Jaaag great, is a set back for her.  I would probably be the one driving the baby manual transmission one, so she could have the automatic supercharged XJR.  sigh.

So far, my favorite thing about the Jag is the fact that it has automatic windows both up and down for the front and the back. I happen to dislike holding that button, I guess.

The wood grain accents is probably makes the interior feel dated to you.  It's definitely a nod to the classics, not a modern advancement.

It looks like a 2000 Ford interior to me. I guess it looks that way because that's what it is. It is a bit of cognitive dissonance though.

I didn't realize you could get these with a MT. Seems kind of cool to me.

In reply to CyberEric :

To be fair, the 2000s Fords with that interior feel were mostly Ford of Europe imported designs (Focus, Contour)

I take back what I said about the PO keeping up on maintenance. Suspension is a mess. This almost borders on project car:

both outer tie rods

front sways

RF ball joint

RF hub and bearing

front struts and mounts 

left rear toe link

Rear inner bushing

Rear sway bar links

trailing arms, both bushings worn

both rear upper control arms

in addition: exhaust leak somewhere near the engine

replace headliner

Why front light out?

is alternator actually bad?

adjust doors to open without forcing

guys, my wife is going to KILL me. 

Ha, tonight, having not yet heard the laundry list, she totally turned around her thoughts on it, "that's a nice looking car"

Yeah well we'll see how long it looks nice when we lose $1,000 on it!

Just drive it as is.  Then part it out.   sell cats for $500.  There's probably $700 more there  Do you have the space and time to part it out?

No parting possible around this house, sadly :(

Surely someone else would buy it for $1200 before you start putting money in it.

EvanB said:

Surely someone else would buy it for $1200 before you start putting money in it.

This is a viable option too.  A car that currently runs and drives is worth $1200 in today's market. Even with the needs you listed.

In reply to Indy "Nub" Guy :

Agreed. Gonna give that a shot if I can. Have appt at DMV this week, will toss some money at getting the title ASAP, then list it up. Haha guys I am SO bad at doing test drives these days! TBH suspension isn't really something I notice, even on the drive home tonight I just couldn't detect all the crap the dudes at the shop (which I consider an honest shop) were saying. I guess when it was up on a Jack in the guy's driveway I should have tugged on everything, but I'm not sure I would have gotten the gravity of what was moving or clunking. In fact, Im 100% sure that most cars Ive driven have been at least this bad off, I just never took them for diagnosis and only replaced when things LITERALLY fell off. 
 

All that to say, either I will need to have a shop inspect whatever I buy, and/or I need to buy much nicer than the level I'm aiming at OR I need to go back to being okay with chewed up tires and funny driving and the occasional departing wheel

Figure out the electrical issues and drive it until it can't no more. Vinyl wrap the dated wood interior bits and enjoy lol. 

There's not a $1200 car on the planet that doesn't need some repairs. The suspension work seems optional to me unless the shop told you the stuff is about to fall out and cause a wreck. If they let you drive it home it's probably not an emergency. Seems like the kind of stuff you leave until it is urgent. The headlights obviously both need to work though!

In reply to dculberson :

I so agree. Drive it as long as it is "good enough." $1,200 and the ability to drive it away is a very rare thing these days.

The total unicorn was the wagon with the stick. Everyone raved about it. Few actually bought it, however.