Hello,
Just to let everyone know I'm Canadian so that will affect pricing but shouldn't change model years etc.
Long story short I need to buy a used car because I happened to write off my last 2 Kia Souls within a 6 month period (after driving for 25+ years without one). While I do like what you get for the price I'm wanting something more capable off road and to be able to "camp" in it.
For the important info I'm looking to spend $10000 (max hopefully) and trying to find out which model years on a Forester, Outback, and possibly an Impreza hatch. I've even seen the odd Crosstrek close to my budget which I'd really like but I'm not counting on that.
Should I make sure that the timing belt and head gasket has been changed if the car has over 100000km or more
Due to my health and spine issues I don't do much driving. I'll go out occasionally to take photo's or just to listen to music. Most of my driving is having to go from Timmins to Toronto to see my doctor's every month or two. If you aren't familiar with Timmins it's extremely cold, lots of snow and is about an 8hr drive to Toronto. Since I also want to use it as a camper and given my limited budget I've settled on buying a Subaru. The biggest issue is which years are more reliable in general (I realize there are also a lot of other factors involved like maintenance etc) but I hope you get what I'm asking for.
I plan on buying one on my next trip which will be Jan 20th. Some mandatory equipment include heated seats (and mirrors would really help), automatic, cruise control, Bluetooth, and possibly the upgraded Harmon stereo if it's decent enough. Otherwise it's going to be $2k to get one installed which will affect my budget a bit. I know it may sound silly but music is that important to me in general let alone driving 16hrs round trip frequently. It would also be a bonus if there were 2 sets of tires as well so I don't have to buy a new set right away.
I do have a mechanic in Toronto that I trust but I'm not sure how familiar he is with Subaru's so I'd prefer to buy from a dealership so if anyone has any recommendations for Subaru dealerships as well that would be greatly appreciated.
There is a chance I may only have the car for 2 or 3 years so potentially an even older model than 2010 could suit my needs if it's a great deal or it's one of the more reliable models.
I have done a lot of reading and I'm aware of the head gasket and oil issues amongst a few others but feel free to bring up any concerns. I won't be doing any serious off roading but the 8"+ clearance will be very useful
If you need more info please ask. So my question to you given what I want and what the car will be used for....what would you buy if you had $10k and had to buy a Subaru Hatchback?
I really appreciate everyone's input. With my luck I definitely need the best information possible...which is why I signed up to this forum
My sincere thanks,
David.
Just to let everyone know I'm Canadian so that will affect pricing but shouldn't change model years etc.
Long story short I need to buy a used car because I happened to write off my last 2 Kia Souls within a 6 month period (after driving for 25+ years without one). While I do like what you get for the price I'm wanting something more capable off road and to be able to "camp" in it.
For the important info I'm looking to spend $10000 (max hopefully) and trying to find out which model years on a Forester, Outback, and possibly an Impreza hatch. I've even seen the odd Crosstrek close to my budget which I'd really like but I'm not counting on that.
Should I make sure that the timing belt and head gasket has been changed if the car has over 100000km or more
Due to my health and spine issues I don't do much driving. I'll go out occasionally to take photo's or just to listen to music. Most of my driving is having to go from Timmins to Toronto to see my doctor's every month or two. If you aren't familiar with Timmins it's extremely cold, lots of snow and is about an 8hr drive to Toronto. Since I also want to use it as a camper and given my limited budget I've settled on buying a Subaru. The biggest issue is which years are more reliable in general (I realize there are also a lot of other factors involved like maintenance etc) but I hope you get what I'm asking for.
I plan on buying one on my next trip which will be Jan 20th. Some mandatory equipment include heated seats (and mirrors would really help), automatic, cruise control, Bluetooth, and possibly the upgraded Harmon stereo if it's decent enough. Otherwise it's going to be $2k to get one installed which will affect my budget a bit. I know it may sound silly but music is that important to me in general let alone driving 16hrs round trip frequently. It would also be a bonus if there were 2 sets of tires as well so I don't have to buy a new set right away.
I do have a mechanic in Toronto that I trust but I'm not sure how familiar he is with Subaru's so I'd prefer to buy from a dealership so if anyone has any recommendations for Subaru dealerships as well that would be greatly appreciated.
There is a chance I may only have the car for 2 or 3 years so potentially an even older model than 2010 could suit my needs if it's a great deal or it's one of the more reliable models.
I have done a lot of reading and I'm aware of the head gasket and oil issues amongst a few others but feel free to bring up any concerns. I won't be doing any serious off roading but the 8"+ clearance will be very useful
If you need more info please ask. So my question to you given what I want and what the car will be used for....what would you buy if you had $10k and had to buy a Subaru Hatchback?
I really appreciate everyone's input. With my luck I definitely need the best information possible...which is why I signed up to this forum
My sincere thanks,
David.