by Muzzy66 » Tue Sep 15, 2015 11:24 am
I'm have an 01 B4 sedan, and honestly I love it to bits. Mine is a manual though.
I've had mine for just under 2 years and so far it's been great. The only thing I have really had to spend money on is that the pin-code immobiliser failed and had to be replaced. Otherwise it's pretty much cost me nothing outside of regular maintenance.
As far as driving experience, there is really only one complaint I have about the car, and that the performance is inconsistent. I'm not sure if it's purely a result of heat-soak (as I've read this is an issue on the B4) but some days the thing goes like a bat out of hell, and other days the turbo hit seems almost completely lacking - almost like i'm driving an N/A car. I have noticed that the performance tends to be worst after being stuck in slow moving traffic for extended periods of time, and it seems to be more likely to pull hard after I've been on the freeway for at least 15 minutes or so, which leads me to think it's probably an issue with heat-soak. I've also noticed that when it is going well, it gives me 2-4 hard pulls and then starts to die out after that. This leaves me even further convinced it's probably heat-soak.
Other than this I absolutely love the car, and it's pretty hard to beat as a 'jack of all trades' cruiser IMHO. The interior is extremely well built on this generation of Liberty and wears very well - I've seen many (my own included) that still look near new inside, while many competitors cars look horribly worn by this age. The seats are incredibly comfortable on long drives, while still being decently supportive, and the leather adds a touch of luxury and wears very well. There is plenty of space up front too, and even a big guy like me (I'm about 6'0" and 130kg) never feels cramped or squashed. The car is well insulated and is very smooth / quiet / stable at freeway speeds. On idle there is that nice boxer rumble, and at revs there is a very satisfying growl. There is certainly no shortage of character!
The ride/handling compromise is also very nice. The ride is relatively firm but isn't harsh, and bodyroll (while present) isn't excessive. The factory Bilsteins probably help to achieve that nice compromise. With a good set of tyres the car has tons of grip, and actually handles quite neutral. I had shoddy tyres on might when i bought it, and I found the car had quite noticeable under-steer at the limit, which held it back a bit. I've since upgraded to some good perofrmance tyres (Yoko Advan Sport V105) and this, combined with proper air pressure, has completely transformed the car. It is really well balanced now, turn in is infinitely better, the car feels extremely planted. It's amazing through sweeping bends, but when you are going through very fast chicanes (with sharp left -> right -> left, slalom-like movements) you do get a tad held back by the weight and the bodyroll. That's pushing pretty hard though, and I'd probably expect that with just about any 1500kg car in stock form. I think a set of front and rear swaybars would neutralise that nicely and would turn it in to a real weapon in the corners. To be fair though, I really only noticed this after the tyre change. Before that, the tyres reached their limits before the car did.
Another thing I love about the car is the gear shift. I owned an NA6 MX-5 about 7 years back and that's a car famous for having one of the nicest gear shifts around - short throw, very mechanical, and just great to use. The B4 gear shift is the best I've used since the MX-5, and reminds me a lot of the Mazda one to be honest. The Mazda does have a shorter shift (with less distance between gears positions) and feels a tad more mechanical, but then the B4 shifter is slightly smoother and more refined feeling. To this day, the Liberty shift / clutch combination is honestly one of the nicest I've used. I guess that's not relevant to you if you are buying an auto, but through I'd share anyway!
In terms of safety and practicality I've transported adults in the back seats with no complaints, there's plenty of room in the boot, the interior wears very well, the car is extremely safe in the wet, and the squarish shape (with good visibility all around) makes it easy to park. Insurance (I think i paid about $950 - $1,000) and fuel economy (i get 10.5/100km driven modest, 12.5L/100 driven hard, in about 70% city driving) are both better than I expected for a car of this type. It actually uses less than my last two cars (Alfa 147 Twin Spark and Lexus IS200) despite the fact that both of those were lighter and far, far less powerful. I've had no real complaints about the whole VOD argument. The car has plenty of torque down low for running about in traffic, and when you give it some stick the second turbo (if it's in the mood for working lol) kicks in and pulls like a mule.
If I had to pick out the things I like least about the car they would be:
1) The inconsistent boosting from the turbo
2) The steering isn't the quickest and is very light with not a lot of feel - it's not bad or inaccurate, I just feel it could be a tad quicker with a touch more feedback
3) The turning circle is huge. You'll quickly get used to replacing u-turns with three-point turns in all but the widest roads, and tight car parks can be a challenge
Other than the first thing, they are really all very nit-picky and are not deal breakers for me by any means.
If I had to pick the things I like most about the car:
1) The way it pulls when the turbos are running as they are supposed to
2) The grip and handling balance
3) The overall comfort and practicality, especially on long drives
4) The great gearshift
5) The exhaust note, and the engine's willingness to rev
Hope all of this helps you!!! Honestly, I think you'd be hard pressed to find a better 'all round' cruiser for your budget - I know because I was looking in that same budget, and it's really hard to find something. I considered the bug-eye WRX (I think these look great in wagon form) but it's hard to find a clean one that has been taken care of and that hasn't been covered in try-hard mods. The B4 is tends to appeal to a more 'mature' audience, so it's easier to find clean and original ones around.
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2001 Subaru Liberty B4
Sound System - Currently in Planning Phase
Source: Pioneer DEH-P80RS
Tweeter: SB Acoustics SB29RDCN 'dimple dome'
Midwoofer: Peerless 831882 HDS Exclusive
Front Stage Amplifier: Rockford Fosgate 4.6x (4 x 30w @ 4 ohm / 14.4V)
Subwoofer: TBA
Subwoofer Amplifier: Helix H1000 Esprit (1 x 350w @ 4ohm / 13.8V)