What to look for in a 2nd gen Legacy

I am looking for an older AWD car that's good on gas (mid-20's or better). We used to own a '94 Legacy wagon that was still running great when we got rid of it at 109K miles. After hearing about all of the 2.5 liter headgasket issues (and not being enough of a DIY mechanic to do the heads over myself) I am opting to find a late 90's Legacy with the 2.2 liter & automatic transmission. I basically want a good commuter car that I can get a few more years out of and something that my son can drive in bad weather (when I drive my 4X4 truck). I was curious from other Legacy owners about what I should look for in a car with the 2.2 liter engine. One I am thinking of checking out is at the link below:

http://www.econo-auto.com/1998_Subaru_Subaru_CHANTILLY_VA_187372408.veh

Subaru didn't have a 2.5 in their vehicles until late 96, chances are you got rid of your car that had a bulletproof motor, oh well you live and you learn right? But after late 97 Subaru made some good changes to the 2.2 motor to make it 10% better on fuel efficiency and hp. Subaru is known to go 500,000 miles if properly cared for.

 

That car in the link looks like a pretty good candidate, low mileage looks clean, buying a car is a judgement call either way you look at it, if you don't know much about them you can hire a lemon buster to check it out mechanically and they will give you an opinion on whether or not its worth buying...and there is a lot of help on this site to help you with the unseen.

I own a 99 wagon that has the 2.2 phase II, SOHC, solid lifters, and I believe its 9.3:1 comp ratio.

 

This engine has been good to me, would never wan anything else.

 

Would you be disinclined to have a manual trans?

Thank you! Do you know if the '98 & later 2.2 liter engines had the same type of headgasket issues as the 2.5 or other issues to watch for (where the earlier ones didn't?). As for fuel economy I remember our '94 getting around 23 MPG around town, so I'm hoping for a little better (I currently commute in a Crolla getting 33 MPG in mostly highway driving- down't want to come too far down for that)

 

I figure if it's only got 89K miles now, it should be good for a couple hundred thousand more (assuming proper maintence was done)

If there is lifter tick and its a 2.2 phase II, a simple valve lash adjustment would help it. The valve lash makes these motors wake up night and day.

 

Just watch for the timing belts, tensioner/ etc has been done if you aren't a DIY guy.

 

Structurally just make sure the rear quarters haven't rusted up into the strut tower as these are unibody and once that goes, the chassis is kinda junk.

89k is still an adolescent.

Factory maintenance @ 100k is timing belts, valve lash adjustment.

That legacy you are scoping out seems very fair for the price, especially being a southern baby

Check closely for underlying rust (particularly around rear wheel well). Timing belt / water pump due at 100k. Engine oil leaks & seapages are normal but make sure they aren't to the point of leaving drops on the ground. Obviously test drive to make sure everything feels right. Take some low speed very tight turns (like pulling in/out of a parking space) and check for chatter. Other than that its the same as checking any other car (collision repair, tires, brakes ect.).

 

The infamous head gasket problem is a non-issue for the 2.2. They are about as likely/unlikely to blow as any other car.

Thanks all! I don't think rust would be an issue on this car (they use road salt around here but not the extent of up north). I'm wondering what kind of mileage to expect with mostly highway out of that engine. EPA rates it at 23/ 30 (I normally get pretty close to the EPA highway number with my other cars, so if could get 27- 28 with this one I'd be happy)

Once you acquire your legacy there are plenty of easy DIY maintenance items that are usually overlooked that can really help your MPG.

There is a fuel efficiency thread on the first page where everyone is talking about their mileages and how we have made the efficiency better or worse :0, but 23-30 is about average for most of us who have our motors clean and running right.

 

Rust unfortunately is a big issue with these cars especially if they have already had a taste of it, inspect the inner wheel wells behind the plastic finishers and if its a wagon look in the cargo space close to the strut towers...don't let anyone scare you all this info is just to insure that your not buying something that will fail you in short time.

Get a Carfax.

Carfax is a nice idea but it only shows work done at dealerships/shops that report to national history and collision damage repaired through insurance claim ect. A perfectly maintained car may show no history on carfax but conversely a total turd could have a clean report.

unequal size cupholders.

UEL Cupholders... lol

Carfax is a nice idea but it only shows work done at dealerships/shops that report to national history and collision damage repaired through insurance claim ect. A perfectly maintained car may show no history on carfax but conversely a total turd could have a clean report.

 

While it's true that carfax can be missing a few things, it is still the best $40 you can spend while shopping and I would never buy a car without one. In conjunction with a carfax, I think it's worth every penny of $100 to take it to a reputable 3rd party shop to have it inspected, no matter what the carfax and records say.

it is still the best $40

 

i just learned , 25% discount for AAA members.

Thanks again. I actually found a place online that lists they (supposedly) have 4 different 97- 99 Legacy's with the 2.2 engine. It's about an hour out from us in the other direction so I can't check on this until Sunday. I wouldn't think a used car place would have that type of selection. I'll call thme beforehand to see how they really have on the light before we make the trip out there.

 

I may subscribe for the 5 Carfax's for $50 thing. I know it's hit or miss with both maintenace records and accident history, but it might be a good starting point to determine of any of these cars is a clunker or I've seen some cases where you may find out it's had a recent timing belt replacement (without any documentation of that I'll be replacing it right away to be sure, anyway, but it might be nice to forgo the cost if I don't need one). I have a friend who has done a couple of Subaru timing belts who might give me a hand anyway.

Update- I test drove this car last week.

 

http://www.econo-auto.com/1998_Subaru_Subaru_187372408.veh

 

Battery was almost dead but the dealer will replace it. It drove pretty nice. The body and interior look good as in the pics. The brakes felt like I needed to apply a lot of pressure (not sure if the '98 "L" had rear discs or drums). The Carfax shows the brakes replaced at 31K miles for some reason, so likely these brakes have 58K on them if not replaced since then. The engine and transmission performed well and tight turns had now power steering noise or vibration from the transfer case. The A/C blew totally warm, however, and I didn't feel the compressor cycling on and off so I'm not sure if that's a small leak over the years or the failure of a component of the AC system. The guy said he's take $4,500 with a new battery and will get the AC working (likely just charging it up, so it will likely need attention again). It's been a week, so I wonder if he'd take less if he still has it.

that was an impressive double post, ha

Update- I test drove this car last week.

 

http://www.econo-auto.com/1998_Subaru_Subaru_187372408.veh

 

Battery was almost dead but the dealer will replace it. It drove pretty nice. The body and interior look good as in the pics. The brakes felt like I needed to apply a lot of pressure (not sure if the '98 "L" had rear discs or drums). The Carfax shows the brakes replaced at 31K miles for some reason, so likely these brakes have 58K on them if not replaced since then. The engine and transmission performed well and tight turns had now power steering noise or vibration from the transfer case. The A/C blew totally warm, however, and I didn't feel the compressor cycling on and off so I'm not sure if that's a small leak over the years or the failure of a component of the AC system. The guy said he's take $4,500 with a new battery and will get the AC working (likely just charging it up, so it will likely need attention again). It's been a week, so I wonder if he'd take less if he still has it.

 

I'd recommend taking it for a pre-sale inspection at another shop. They would tell you what's wrong with the AC and what your brakes will need to be up to par again. Get a quote on what that will cost to fix and use it to help you bargain with the dealer.

I own a 99 wagon that has the 2.2 phase II, SOHC, solid lifters, and I believe its 9.3:1 comp ratio.

 

10.1 CR.

 

Also, test drive it. VERY important. Turn the wheel from side to side & drive in a circle with the wheel locked on each side. Listen for whining or "feel" for binding. This will tell you if the AWD system isn't good or is worn down.

Actually I did turn the car with the steering all the way locked and didn't hear any noises from the power steering. Also I know exactly what you mean by the binding/ vibration as I drove a '98 Impreza on Monday that had this issue. The guy selling it said "it'll go away- just needs to be driven" but my mechanic (Who used to be a Subie dealer mechanic) said bad clutch plates, and it will onyl get worse- $1,000 repair) so I changed my mind quickly on the Impreza.

 

This '98 Legacy drove very nice but the A/C didn't work (I didn't feel it cycling either- would that indicate something more than low refrigerant?) and the brakes proabably need to be redone. Question- did the Legacy L have rear disks or drums in '98?- I've seen both answers online.

This '98 Legacy drove very nice but the A/C didn't work (I didn't feel it cycling either- would that indicate something more than low refrigerant?) and the brakes proabably need to be redone. Question- did the Legacy L have rear disks or drums in '98?- I've seen both answers online.

 

low pressure switch will keep it from engaging, so you wont know anything more until you can either bypass the switch or put some freon into it to see if it gets up to pressure. i just "fixed" mine on a car that i bought knowing the AC didnt work, and when i fixed a leaky valve and started filling the system, the compressor instantly kicked on and started working. if theres no freon in the system, there is always a leak. always.