Sporty Wagons

In reply to GTwannaB:

The Mazda6 hatch sucks. It's shorter than the sedan with the same roofline which means not very much storage.

Craigloveswagons wrote: I wanted; a used, fun-to-drive, reasonably priced, reliable, roomy, comfy, wagon with great visibility and a compromise between sporty handling and good ride quality.

raises hand OOH! OOH!

Craigloveswagons wrote: I didn't want; expensive repairs & maintenance, electric leather seats, a sunroof, climate control

Aww, nuts! puts hand back down

-Josh

Happy (so far) V70R owner

Lol Josh I sometimes see a V70R around my work and I want so badly.... how long have you had it? I read this whilst drooling over my keyboard:

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2012/04/my-last-brick-for-now/

That truly is the ultimate wagon 300hp, AWD, 6 speed, boxy for ultimate space, one of the best interiors I have seen. Does it have air suspension? How many miles?

Mazda 5 you say? Keeping stuff inside the car does sound pretty nice.... One of my friend's has a Mazda MPV but those are only auto I think.

Mazda 6 hatch, that might be an idea seeing as though it comes with a I4 and manual. The dimensions seem very similar to wagon (< 1" in length, same wheelbase) but obviously not as much trunk space but possibly worth a look. Thanks for the idea! I do like me a good Japanese car.

Gen 1 V70 T5 manual in beige. Trust me.

Craigloveswagons wrote: Legacy GT Wagon manual is the ticket, finding one is tricky but it hits just about everything on my list, well done CLNSC3. They have the same risks as WRX's, being abused but other than that, not too much if it has had an easy life. Ironically, I just read this article and wondered how typical this is: http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2012/04/piston-slap-a-sticky-subie-situation/

No prob man. Where are you located? The number of available subarus REALLY varies by region. When I was in TX I saw MAYBE one subaru a month. Up here in Oregon I see more subarus than just about anything else. I have tons of friends that are subaru nuts, and one particularly large well-known tuner was a good client of my business. Within an hour of my house there are several well know subie shops, COBB Tuning-Surgeline, Primitive, Perrin is based in my hometown.

It will be easier to find a legacy wagon that hasn't been abused then a wrx/sti. Also most 5-speed wagon owners are very proud of their cars and take impeccable care of them!

My point is, it would be well worth the trip to buy one up here. If you find a good one have the owner take it for a PPI at Cobb and I'll talk to my buddies who work there and make sure they give me a copy of what they find too.

As far as the problems go, they are rare. That guy in the link you posted has a uniquely bad experience in my opinion. Everyone of my buddies subarus, and the own I owned has been dead reliable. Even with some of them running 500+whp. It will be easier to find a legacy wagon that hasn't been abused then a wrx/sti. Also most 5-speed wagon owners are very proud of their cars and take impeccable car of them!

Good news if there IS a problem...subarus are like legos. Under all the metal these cars are pretty much the same, and there is no shortage of parts. They also have a huge following.

A few from NASIOC:

Right around 15, and Aspen White..mmmm http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2338674&highlight=legacy+wagon

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2332335&highlight=legacy+wagon

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2244563&highlight=legacy+wagon

Anway, nasioc.com is the best resource for all things subaru. Browse the legacy forum and ask some questions, lots of knowledgeable people on there. Buy one so I can live vicariously through you!

I happen to have a 2005 Saab 92x Aero 5 speed. I have generally enjoyed owning it. It has been a great multipurpose vehicle for me. It has been my daily driver now for 3+ years and overall been reliable. I have used it to transport people and things all over Northeast Ohio, even occasionally using it to pull a utility trailer. I have also auto-x it a handful of times. With snow tires it is nearly un-stoppable as long as the snow is lower than the bumper. My wife and I took it on a road trip to the Carolinas and through the Smokey mountains on the Tail of the Dragon.

For a car this useful it is a blast to drive. For some it may ride a little harsh. For me it has been fine.

It has some basic modifications: Exhaust: Prodrive Cat back exhaust, Cobb downpipe, APS up-pipe Tune: Cobb Accessport Stage 2 tune. Suspension wise: -Installed WRX STI OEM struts from my buddies STI (low mileage when he took them off 10K miles) - Cobb rear sway bar. -Prodrive P1 wheels 18" with Bridgestone RE11 summer tires -Stock wheels 16" with Blizzaks

I have kept it meticulously maintained and wash and clean it regularly.

The not so good was I took it to a open track day at Nelsons Ledges road course with some friends from work. And spun a rod bearing on lap 10. The motor did have 90K on it then and rod bearings are a weak point when even new Subaru engines are raced. I rebuilt the motor completely using all OEM parts except for adding Cosworth bearings. Also installed a new clutch and resurfaced flywheel. All in all nearly $4500 in new parts in the car.

It runs like a top again.. 6K miles of trouble free operation thus far. I have been doing Blackstone oil analysis since the rebuild at oil changes and the results have come back positive.

FYI: It will never see another road course as long as I own it. (I plan on getting a Miata, etc. for track use)

I live near Akron, OH and will likely be interested in selling the car in a year or so, in your price range.

Craigloveswagons wrote: That truly is the ultimate wagon 300hp, AWD, 6 speed, boxy for ultimate space, one of the best interiors I have seen. Does it have air suspension? How many miles? Mazda 5 you say? Keeping stuff inside the car does sound pretty nice....

I've only had the V a little over a month. It has 144k on it, but looks and drives like half that or less. Very well kept car from what I can tell. The suspension is not air, it's an electronically controlled adjustable damping system. Works pretty well - comfort setting is pretty soft while still being reasonably controlled, sport is kinda stock BMW-like and "advanced" is like throwing on a set of coilovers with a button. It's probably not perfect dynamically since it always has relatively soft springs no matter the setting, but it's a fantastic compromise for a daily driver that you still want to hustle through some twisty roads once in a while.

My Mom has a 5. It's a lot more fun to drive than it has any right to be. The steering and brakes are excellent, interior is durable, seats are comfy, it gets quite good all around mileage for its capacity. It's not remotely fast, and I wouldn't want to take it to an autocross or track day, but for an easy to live with utility vehicle for someone who likes driving it's a great choice.

Nice 9-2X Aero! I live right next to you, in Cleveland!

I love the P1's, best rims I have seen on any Subaru, ever. They were my favorite when the Prodrive P1 car came out (that was a while ago) and still are.

Too bad about the spun rod bearing, these engines tend to do that sometimes when pushed. Good idea upgrading to Cosworth, seems like you spent a lot on rebuilding the motor and those upgrades are all top quality. Everything you have put on this car would be my first choice except for the STi's struts, maybe I'm just getting old. Stupid question, how come the APS up-pipe instead of the Cobb?

You have spent so much time and money on this car, how come you are looking to sell? My first guess is you would like a new daily driver /project to play with or you need a larger wagon, how close am I?

Not what you're looking for, but I like this sporty wagon:

Craigloveswagons wrote: Legacy GT Wagon manual is the ticket, finding one is tricky but it hits just about everything on my list, well done CLNSC3. They have the same risks as WRX's, being abused but other than that, not too much if it has had an easy life. Ironically, I just read this article and wondered how typical this is: http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2012/04/piston-slap-a-sticky-subie-situation/

Do lots of research and know what you're getting into before buying one of these. A friend of mine recently bought a 2005 or 2006 Legacy GT wagon (although his was an automatic) and went through hell with it. If you are going to go this route, pay the extra money and make sure you buy an enthusiast owned, well-maintained example. For instance, if the owner has not heard about the oil feed line screen issues, I'd run away. My friend bought his from a shady used car dealer and a few months later he was putting an engine and turbo in his new car.

Also, like any other Turbo Subaru, look for signs of previous modification, like broken bolts, non-stock exhaust systems, etc. Many people go "back to stock" after years of modded abuse. Since the 2002-up have Flash ECU's, it's very easy for someone to have the computer "ignore" a trouble code.

SilverFleet wrote:

Craigloveswagons wrote: Legacy GT Wagon manual is the ticket, finding one is tricky but it hits just about everything on my list, well done CLNSC3. They have the same risks as WRX's, being abused but other than that, not too much if it has had an easy life. Ironically, I just read this article and wondered how typical this is: http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2012/04/piston-slap-a-sticky-subie-situation/

Do lots of research and know what you're getting into before buying one of these. A friend of mine recently bought a 2005 or 2006 Legacy GT wagon (although his was an automatic) and went through hell with it. If you are going to go this route, pay the extra money and make sure you buy an enthusiast owned, well-maintained example. For instance, if the owner has not heard about the oil feed line screen issues, I'd run away. My friend bought his from a shady used car dealer and a few months later he was putting an engine and turbo in his new car. Also, like any other Turbo Subaru, look for signs of previous modification, like broken bolts, non-stock exhaust systems, etc. Many people go "back to stock" after years of modded abuse. Since the 2002-up have Flash ECU's, it's very easy for someone to have the computer "ignore" a trouble code.

Well said! I agree 100%

I like the Saabaru Aero's.

I'll also toss the Volvo V50 T5 into the mix. Easy to find below $15K. 227HP. Available with manual. Same underpinnings as euro focus / mazda 3 so aftermarket is available. Stout drivetrain.

slantvaliant wrote: Not what you're looking for, but I like this sporty wagon:

Ain't that the truth? 10 years ago, would any of us have thought that all these words would describe a single vehicle: "Cadillac Station Wagon with 556 supercharged horsepower and a 6 speed manual transmission" Unfathomable, isn't it? If I could afford the car and the 15 mpg, I'd have one.

YES!

snap_understeer wrote: YES!

That looks AWESOME!

Am I doing this right?

Good luck in your search. Saying hi from nearby Kent!

LOL Last Summer I went so far as to test drive a pretty clean Buick Roadmaster Wagon, it was an experience. My wife came with me and it seemed like she was sitting in a different state in the passenger seat. The ride was the softest of any vehicle I have ever felt. We went over rail road tracks and if I didn't see them, I wouldn't have noticed! It had great power and torque, not to mention the sound. Perfectly quiet inside and a muted v8 grow when hitting the gas. The guy just replaced the optispark and water pump too.

Unfortunately, my wife said no :( The wood paneling and leather seats were not my favourite either.

Josh - the V70R sounds like fun, adjustable dampening sounds like the best solution. I hope the maintenance doesn't kill you, but they are designed to last forever so it could very well work out.

I looked at the V50's but the reliability on them looks atrocious, the V70 T5 would probably be a good compromise. I may be forced to be a little flexible on the leather seats/sunroof issue. It just doesn't make sense to me, who wants cold seats in Winter and boiling hot ones in Summer? Why not temperate ones year round? Then a sunroof just reduces the rigidity of the frame, adds weight to the absolute worst place and reduces headroom.

CTS-V wagon: forget 10 years ago, I can't believe it NOW! Can you imagine the guy who had to pitch this idea to the board/his higher ups?

He must have had deposits for the first few hundred in the bank already before anyone would stop laughing.

Isn't it insane how you can just walk into the local BMW/Mercedes/Audi/Cadillac/what-have-you dealership and buy a 500+HP vehicle with a warranty? I guess 10 years ago, the upper 0.01% were relatively poor and could only afford 300HP before they stole all the money from the rest of us plebeians :(

This body, Truck 5.3/4L65E with cam and tune. Bilsteins, Eibach springs and good to go.

http://cleveland.craigslist.org/cto/2992579973.html

Oh no, one of these caused some marital difficulties last Summer, why not try it again this Summer?

Craigloveswagons wrote: http://cleveland.craigslist.org/cto/2992579973.html Oh no, one of these caused some marital difficulties last Summer, why not try it again this Summer?

I would rock the crap out of that!

It's not the wagon, but it has the same LT1

Craigloveswagons wrote: http://cleveland.craigslist.org/cto/2992579973.html Oh no, one of these caused some marital difficulties last Summer, why not try it again this Summer?

That car looks to be in really great condition and seems like an excellent price if it's in as good a condition as it seems. Enough so to tempt me out of my 850 turbo that keeps throwing stuff in my face.

Craigloveswagons wrote: I looked at the V50's but the reliability on them looks atrocious, the V70 T5 would probably be a good compromise.

really?

I bought the V50 for the opposite reason. They were built under the Ford / Mazda oversight which I saw as a positive, as opposed to the more oddity prone FWD pure Volvo cars like the V70.

We have an '08 T5 V50. just clicked 100K. Have done nothing but oil/filter changes. Will do a t-belt and some preventatives soon, but it hasn't missed a beat.

As for the B-body wagons. Yes totally different league, but totally lovable for different reasons as you noted. I actually owned a '91 Olds Custom Cruiser wagon about 5 years ago. I absolutely loved it. Had it lowered on Bilsteins. Swallows 4x8 sheets of plywood with the hatch closed. My wife hated it. I no longer own it. boo. I'd love to own one again someday when I have more space/money, but have a hotter LS under the hood with a T56 to row my own and some suspension goodies.

Oh whoops, my mistake on the V50. I looked up 05 and 06 models on edmunds and the consumer reviews were really bad.

http://www.edmunds.com/volvo/v50/2005/consumer-reviews.html?sub=wagon

http://www.edmunds.com/volvo/v50/2006/consumer-reviews.html?sub=wagon

It seemed like they improved immensely on 07 and subsequent models. Great, another option just opened up!

+1 on the Volvo w/ v8 swap. 245 has more performance parts available but a 745 would be more comfortable. I drift mine and put it through hell. It's a basic small block w/ carb, muncie 4 speed, and 8.8 rear end.

Best part is finding parts for the motor at any parts store!