[Solved] Subaru

Last Post

26/04/2021 1:46 pm

Topic starter

Hi Scotty.

kindly advise should I buy Subaru Forester STI EJ255 2.5L SG5 automatic transmission is it a good car to buy as a first car.?

kenlito

(@kenlito)

Eminent Member

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What year? CVT or regular automatic? Miles? Price?

By Kerem 26/04/2021 2:03 pm

the year 2005, regular automatic, price 3,700.28.

By kenlito Topic starter 26/04/2021 2:08 pm

Have head gaskets been replaced? That year is smack dab in the middle of Subaru's head gasket troubles. If they have not been replaced either run away or have the seller reduce the price to cover the repair which it WILL need sooner rather than later. (Cost will depend on your location and who does it, but a friend of mine had the job done on an Outback of about the same vintage and it cost about $4,000. Engine has to be pulled to do the job and there are two head gaskets.)

By Chuck Tobias 26/04/2021 3:02 pm

2 Answers

26/04/2021 2:18 pm

The Forester XT of that vintage is not a great first car and definitely not a great daily driver. Too skittish. It's also likely gonna need a lot of work; you should think of it more as a project or hobby car. I wasn't aware they mated it with an automatic, but while that would make it more forgiving, it would also be less dependable than a manual.

The Forester XT is becoming something of a cult classic, with JDM style, lots of power, and endless tuning possibilities. But finding one in decent shape will be difficult. Most have been thrashed on or tuned (badly, in most cases). If you do find a good one, expect to pay up, way up, since you will be competing with all the fan-boys and tuner hobbyists. And even though I don't think that particular motor had the notorious Subaru head gasket problems that every one on this forum is going to bring up, the head gasket (and everything else under the hood) is still going to be sketchy just because of age and having been run so hard.

[For some unrequested advice: If you want to dip your toes in the Subaru waters, I'd start with a BRZ/FRS or first-gen crosstrek. Those have non-turbo motors that will be better as a first car. And the manual transmissions on those are actually pretty easy for a newby to drive. Learn the Subaru logic and the quirks of a horizontal engine. Then, you can keep your eyes open for a good-condition, unmolested Forester XT with a manual gearbox... then you'll have something special.]