Wanting to join the family

[Mrjamman]

Hi there,
My names Jamie from Melbourne.
It's finally time upgrade from our last car and I'm really keen to move in to a Suburu.
I have one child and this will be our only car and so looking at a liberty or outback for around 15000
So far I'm deciding between a 2003 luxury h6 outback wagon with 80000 on the clock
Or for a little more 2007 liberty wagon 2.0r with 110000 on the clock and manual and no sunroof leather etc.
most of our driving is city but with trips down to my parents in the bush and more travels planned.
Does anyone have any advice with these models or any other model I should look for in that price range.
Thanks and look forward to driving one soon.

[sjm69]

I think you can do a bit better so keep looking, a guy at my work picked up at post face gen 4 with only 80,000 on the clock for $15000 ,yes, it was only the base model, but it has the gt-b 18 inch wheels , clear tail lights and dark tint,and in great condition
IMO keep looking
Cheers Steve

[rooby]

I think you can do a bit better so keep looking, a guy at my work picked up at post face gen 4 with only 80,000 on the clock for $15000 ,yes, it was only the base model, but it has the gt-b 18 inch wheels , clear tail lights and dark tint,and in great condition
IMO keep looking
Cheers Steve

Sorry to say but how do you know he can do better if he didn't say what price they were and you haven't seen them (now I'm assuming).
If you are basing on kms, 110000 on an 07 is pretty average (and will have had major service - an 07 - 08 with 80000 on it will be due for service based on time) and 80000 on an 03 is low, so if he is getting them for much less than $15000 then they could easily be a better deal than your $15k gen 4.

[sjm69]

I based it on the assumption that as he said he had $15000 to spend so I assumed the two cars he mentioned would be in that price range
I also said IMO which could be wrong as well and one should not assume because well you know !!!

[rooby]

Point taken. Well based on them costing 15k I'd have to agree with you.
I think you could do better for 15k.

To the original poster:
It also depends if you are willing to travel, or limited to Melbourne.
And if you want manual or auto.
And how many kms you are willing to have on the clock.
If you must have a wagon, or will consider a sedan.

Also, a 3.0 and a 2.0 are pretty different in terms of power and running costs, so it depends on your preference there.

For me personally:
I would discount the 2.0 and go for 2.0T, 2.5, 2.5T or 3.0. Especially if you plan to tow anything.
For comfort for children & country roads, not going above 17" rims is a bonus.
I think low to mid 100000kms is fine.
The newer cars generally have more safety features, so I would look at gen 4 (plus IMO they look nicer).
I prefer manual, but city driving with a child might sway me to an auto (one day... maybe)
There are premium pack gen 4's around with decent rego and already

[Mrjamman]

Thanks guys a great help.
In regards to what had been mentioned.
I'm happy with either a manual or auto just as long as the kms are at least low 100000 but defiantly want a wagon and premium pack would be a bonus.
Running costs between the two would be an issuse ( are the 3.0 probe to expensive upkeep)
At this stage the 03 outback h6 price is down to 13500,
And I think I can get the 07 2.0r for around 15000
Obviously the dealers are playing me off against each other re the benefits.
Maybe I just keep looking.

[alessandro132]

A few points on top of Rooby's post - kms aren't so much an issue for the H6 as it is a timing chain driven engine which does not need to be replaced.

I'd be more concerned with regular servicing as H6 or H4, they need their oil changed regularly.

Good luck and hope to see you in a Lib or Outback soon!

Al

[Mrjamman]

Great thanks for the help.
I'm leaning towards to07 2.0r liberty in manual hopefully on road for 15000
Wondering if anyone has experience with the manual in this engine if they work well together.
Also it has a crack in the front grill which I'm trying to get them to replace ( unlikely as not Suburu dealership)
Any idea if they are expensive to fix if I buy as is.
Ill do done googling.

[rooby]

The crack would depend on who does the work. Some places will change a fair bit to fix a crack and respray.

Potentially a few hundred although I'm sure some melbourne people could find you somewhere cheaper.


There is also a GT that has alreaedy had it's big service that might go for 15k although it is an auto.
http://www.carsales.com.au/private/deta ... 3-13164627

[HyRax]

I assume the OP is not looking at GT's because they are considerably more expensive to insure compared to a 2.0R or a 2.5i, and he has cited running costs as a pre-requisite. It's half the reason I've gone down from turbo to N/A myself.

But I digress. A quick squizz at Car Sales suggests that the newer 2007+ Liberty models are generally only available in automatic and/or sedan form up to $15K. In the Outback range, there are a lot more manuals to choose from but the K's are much higher as most of these cars inevitably are highway/holiday cars. In any case, you have a few options to choose from that IMO are better value than a 2.0R.

I would personally stick with Gen4 models (2004 to 2009). The "face-lift" models are from late 2007 to 2009. Apart from a cosmetic overhaul, the major reason you might want to look at 2007+ models is that they have a different ECU that allows for open-source tuning if you intend to look at modding later on, however in your case this may put you outside your $15K range.

However if the car is only going to be a standard daily driver, no mods and will not actually tow anything of significance like a caravan, a 2.0R should be fine, but if you are going to do a lot of mountain driving or any other regular uphill climb or regularly tow stuff, consider looking at a 2.5i model as they do have noticeably more torque for those applications and are really no more expensive than the 2.0R to insure and run.

[alessandro132]

I would personally stick with Gen4 models (2004 to 2009). The "face-lift" models are from late 2007 to 2009. Apart from a cosmetic overhaul, the major reason you might want to look at 2007+ models is that they have a different ECU that allows for open-source tuning if you intend to look at modding later on, however in your case this may put you outside your $15K range.

Only the 2.5i pre-facelift has the untunable ECU (Hitachi), the 2.0GT and 3.0R both have Denso ECUs which are tunable

[Robbks]

if you like the H6 motor, then go for the gen4 H6 and not the Gen3.
you get more power and better AVCS system which gives better economy.
gen3 H6 only comes in Auto.

[HyRax]

Only the 2.5i pre-facelift has the untunable ECU (Hitachi), the 2.0GT and 3.0R both have Denso ECUs which are tunable

The 2.0R has the Hitachi too, but I sit corrected on the rest.