Thinking about trading...
- Thread starter hakunamatata
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JEL
New member
Before buying my '00 4runner I was looking at Outbacks of that generation, just be careful of the chronic head gaskets (they make pink milkshakes look like a white whale in terms of occurance rates) and make ABSOLUTELY sure all 4 tires have had the exact same tread depth the entire life of the car or it can be very expensive to repair those sensitive AWD parts. They do great on snowy surface roads though.
Stick Figure
New member
I learned a long time ago that when I sell one toy to get something different I end up missing the other sooner or later. So lesson learned ... now I just add to the collection!
hakunamatata
New member
This has had me heart broke for the past 3 days but i sold my 94 civic friday. and being a college student with a little girl i cant afford the insurance right now. The only thing i keep telling myself is that if i sell it now one day il have a sas 4 runner like the one in my dreams... Im hoping that if i have to sell the runner i want an 05 wrx. I dont need an sti, just something that good on mpg and snowy terrain. Like a wrx 
Gotta run premium in the wrx. And when I had mine, my foot was so heavy listening to the turbo that I only got about 24 mpg average. Not to good for also having to run premium. And insurance, my wrx was $180 a year more than my 4runner, same exact coverage. Just something for you to chew on.
Hepar
New member
Have you researched insurance costs? I would almost expect it to be higher. Most insurance companies are wising up on the added HP that some of the Subi's have and have adjust their costs accordingly. Not to mention that it's going to be newer. Like the others have stated too, the mpg's aren't going to be significantly bigger and it adds the potential for more maintenance costs down the road.
*I couldn't ignore it anymore*
*I couldn't ignore it anymore*
hakunamatata
New member
The civic was sold b.c it dosnt have air bags and i dont like caring my bby grl around in a pos w.o a/c or air bags. if the 4runner goes i know i will miss it! for sure but sometimes you gotta do what u gotta do.
hakunamatata
New member
Not yet, but i am a full time college student, and i know just driving to school and my part time job is killin my wallet in gas in the runner. I would honestly rather pay a lil more on insurance, get good mpg (Iv had my fair share of fast cars) so the turbo factor doesn't matter to me. lol The runner just turned 193k and needs new vc gaskets and other small stuff i cant afford right now. And i have thought about parking it but that would just run it into the ground faster. Im still in the air guys, i really dont want to sell this thing, it is like my other child!! But iv gotta start thinking logically, how many college student do u know that have 2 cars? lol Plus i have enough bills now so i really dont want a car payment! FML!!!!!! :AK47:
Hepar
New member
What about making the 4Runner more fuel efficient for a bit? Get some smaller, lighter wheels and tires, remove the rack, etc etc.
I'm not going to hate you if you decide to get rid of it. You are thinking outside of your own needs, which is good. I just don't know if a newer Subi is the right option. Maybe an early 2000 Civic? Not the sexiest choice, but good on gas, has room for the kiddo and if you throw a good set of winter tires on the front, it would perform well in the snow.
hakunamatata
New member
Thanks everyone, Hepar iv always had a honda. lol thats another reason for selling the last one. even if i try to make the runner more fuel efficient i drive 2 hrs. every other weekend to see my girl back home. Idk im still up in the air about it but everyone's opinion here has defiantly made me think a lil more. Thanks everyone for the input.
4runnin83- I have anways heard subarus are pretty easy to maintain and reliable also. I know, turbo car, but i have always been a believer that if u treat ur rig good it will return the favor.
4runnin83- I have anways heard subarus are pretty easy to maintain and reliable also. I know, turbo car, but i have always been a believer that if u treat ur rig good it will return the favor.
Agreed. A wrx makes no sense to save money. As I already stated, you will run premium fuel since it is forced induction and your insurance will be higher. I'm not sure what your financial situation is but it will not be an even trade from one vehicle to the other. My wrx had so many little irritating issues, leaking fuel line under intake manifold, leaking valve covers, stability sensors...you get the picture.
I fully support the wrx and evo nation, but to try and save money? This sounds more like a "want" to me. I think if you actually get all your numbers down on paper you will see that it makes no sense.
If your valve cover gaskets are the issue, its a Saturday of garage time. Just really think hard before jumping ship.
Nunyabiz
New member
The civic was sold b.c it dosnt have air bags and i dont like caring my bby grl around in a pos w.o a/c or air bags. if the 4runner goes i know i will miss it! for sure but sometimes you gotta do what u gotta do.
Ahhh gotcha, that makes sense forgot 94's didn't have airbags.
Dunno where you are located but if AWD/4WD is not needed then you might just be better off with a Prius or any number of cars that get over 40mpg now.
Cheaper insurance and WAY cheaper on gas.
hakunamatata
New member
There is a snowballs chance in hell of me ever being behind the wheel of a prius...
And i like in the mtns. so 4wd/ awd is a must. thats the main reason, i need awd and something that gets better than 16 mpg. If i can get a car with awd/ a.c/ p.s/ and air bags for the little one idc to pay a lil more in gas and insurance for safety. I cant put small tires on the runner, i lifted as much as i did to fit the tires i have. lol just seems redundant to buy more wheels and tires when a set of tires for tht thing arent as cost efficient as smaller ones ( like car tires)
JEL
New member
I know it doesn't have the HP of the WRX, but the H6 Outbacks don't seem to be plauged with the chronic head gasket issues that haunt the 4-cyl Subarus. I was looking at an '03 LL Bean and I was impressed with how it performed for what it was (great freeway passing power), decent mileage and great snow performance to boot. I must admit, I did love that wood steering wheel and leather interior, but I ultimately went with the 4runner because it was calling my name, extra ground clearance, and my big labrador loves it.
They do command more of a premium, but I bet you could get a nice, low-mile, 2nd gen LL Bean/H6 for under 7k. Still, there's nothing like the Runner.
They do command more of a premium, but I bet you could get a nice, low-mile, 2nd gen LL Bean/H6 for under 7k. Still, there's nothing like the Runner.
fenrisx
New member
My wife's car is an '02 Impreza Outback Sport. On paper it sounded like a good choice for her. It's good on gas, awd, and enough room for two car seats in the back, and what appeared to be a decently roomy hatch area.
Well, all of that mostly held true after purchasing it. It is good on gas, and the AWD is great for the winters here. The two car seats fit in the back, but you're not safely fitting a small child in the middle of them. Also, the legroom is a bit lacking in the back.. so with a rear facing car seat you're forcing the front seats to be pushed up further than might work for you. When I'm in the passenger seat my knees are touching the dash. The rear hatch holds a double stroller, but doesn't leave much room for groceries. You can fit groceries in the back still, but typically are stuffing them where you can and putting them on top of the stroller. Why not put them in the back floor boards? Well.. that's occupied by diaper bag... purse ... extra blanket..or winter jacket if you're not wearing it in the car.
There are three other gripes I have about that car, but one of them could just plague the hatch models. The first being the smell of fuel being pulled through the ventilation system when temps drop below about 30F. This seems to be a pretty wide spread issue with Subi's. There's a recall for some models, but ours was not a part of the recall. Not something you want to have happening, especially with small children in the car. My second gripe is that the car developed a slight head gasket leak around ~145k on the clock. Due to it having a boxer engine this will not be a cheap fix, and makes me almost want to just trade the car instead of having it fixed. The last, possibly only plaguing the hatch model, is the rear windows fog up pretty bad in the winter, and the HVAC system can never get rid of it. I've tried applying an anti-fog compound last season, but it didn't seem to help much at all.
It's turning out not to be as practical as I thought. YMMV. With that said.. she likes her car a lot other than the foggy window, and fuel smell. I feel cramped in it, and the head gasket makes me weary of how long this thing will last.. or how much $$$ it will cost to make it last. With that said, I WOULD purchase a WRX as a fun replacement that would be decent in the winters, but I would not purchase a WRX as a more economical/family vehicle.
Sorry for the slightly long post there...
(edited now that I was on my laptop instead of phone)
Well, all of that mostly held true after purchasing it. It is good on gas, and the AWD is great for the winters here. The two car seats fit in the back, but you're not safely fitting a small child in the middle of them. Also, the legroom is a bit lacking in the back.. so with a rear facing car seat you're forcing the front seats to be pushed up further than might work for you. When I'm in the passenger seat my knees are touching the dash. The rear hatch holds a double stroller, but doesn't leave much room for groceries. You can fit groceries in the back still, but typically are stuffing them where you can and putting them on top of the stroller. Why not put them in the back floor boards? Well.. that's occupied by diaper bag... purse ... extra blanket..or winter jacket if you're not wearing it in the car.
There are three other gripes I have about that car, but one of them could just plague the hatch models. The first being the smell of fuel being pulled through the ventilation system when temps drop below about 30F. This seems to be a pretty wide spread issue with Subi's. There's a recall for some models, but ours was not a part of the recall. Not something you want to have happening, especially with small children in the car. My second gripe is that the car developed a slight head gasket leak around ~145k on the clock. Due to it having a boxer engine this will not be a cheap fix, and makes me almost want to just trade the car instead of having it fixed. The last, possibly only plaguing the hatch model, is the rear windows fog up pretty bad in the winter, and the HVAC system can never get rid of it. I've tried applying an anti-fog compound last season, but it didn't seem to help much at all.
It's turning out not to be as practical as I thought. YMMV. With that said.. she likes her car a lot other than the foggy window, and fuel smell. I feel cramped in it, and the head gasket makes me weary of how long this thing will last.. or how much $$$ it will cost to make it last. With that said, I WOULD purchase a WRX as a fun replacement that would be decent in the winters, but I would not purchase a WRX as a more economical/family vehicle.
Sorry for the slightly long post there...
(edited now that I was on my laptop instead of phone)
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There is a snowballs chance in hell of me ever being behind the wheel of a prius...
And i like in the mtns. so 4wd/ awd is a must. thats the main reason, i need awd and something that gets better than 16 mpg. If i can get a car with awd/ a.c/ p.s/ and air bags for the little one idc to pay a lil more in gas and insurance for safety. I cant put small tires on the runner, i lifted as much as i did to fit the tires i have. lol just seems redundant to buy more wheels and tires when a set of tires for tht thing arent as cost efficient as smaller ones ( like car tires)
You only get 16mpg? Thats pretty low..I would think a wrx would be nice for you, but i bet you will shortly after miss your rig! Good luck man hope you find something nice
