So, I want to upgrade the girlfriends car. She needs something thats awd and reliable. Something nicer than her current altima would be nice too. Been looking at subarus around the 2006 ish years and my mom may be selling her 02 xi so thats a possibility. Ive driven the e46 in the snow and feel like it does good in the snow and would do better with a decent set of tires. Ive driven an outback but I was 16 and dont recall much about it. Im looking for opinions on both cars. Pros, cons, experiences with them, cost of ownership, etc. So any e46 owners or outback owners? Any help is much appreciated.
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As a e46 owner the cost of maintenance will be higher but the better car without a doubt will be the e46. Subaru wouldn't be a bad choice either but it all depends on how much $$ do you want to spend on maintenance and parts.
Since the e46 is a family car i'm pretty sure you know a lot about the history so I would go with it if it's been taken care of... Here's a great resource: http://www.bimmerfest.com/wiki/index.php?title=BMW_E46
Your main worry about the e46 should be the coolant system inspect and see what needs to be replaced make sure to replace the waterpump/thermostat/and hoses, also change the disa valve if its making any noise but do it anyways to be safe, pcv system should also be inspected its a common failure on the e46 i could go on but the link should give you a good idea on what to watch for.Last edited by Freakshow; 02-02-2014, 10:59 PM. -
The outback is pretty damn heavy. the AWD is meh. the fuel economy isn't good. but, they're generally very reliable.
the E46 isn't a featherweight but it's not bad in comparison. the AWD is also meh, but the fuel economy should be better. I think the reliability is generally decent but probably still more expensive to maintain than the Subaru.
the Subaru will also have more room inside, the E46 is more similar in size to the smaller Impreza platform. and especially with the wagon, it will have tons of space. the E46 wagon won't compare.Comment
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If both cars have meh awd then is there another car you recommend?
Thanks for the posts guys!Comment
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they are both better in the winter than rwd of fwd. the next gen bmw is better but may be out of your price range.
both chris and i are big fans of the earlier viscus coupling style awd platforms.sigpic
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I mean, it works OK - it's much harder to get stuck. the handling is just not that great. I was really disappointed in how the Subaru handled in the snow. it's just too big, and far too heavy. also, 99% of them are automatics, which have like a 90/10 split (front/rear). Ours is a manual but the E30 would still drive circles around it.Originally posted by MF DOOM View Post
it's a lot better than my wife's previous car ('01 sentra), but that's not saying much. that car was a deathtrap.Comment
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My mom has had 6 subaru's (all new) since I was born (1985). Can tell you their cars are reliable, relatively cheap to fix, and pretty solid in the snow. Never once has any of the cars my mom owns left her stranded. They are by no means a performance vehicle and the year your looking at is painfully slow off the line. The auto trans has NO idea you want to move quickly and takes its sweet time to kick down in another gear.
Have driven an e46 ixT and that was a bit better power wise but weighs almost the same as my e39iT.
Nando is spot on with the comment about room. Far more room in the subaru. I believe the e46 will be lower purchase price but potentially higher initial maintenance.
Can someone school the thread on the difference between their AWD systems?Comment
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doom given our PM convo a few weeks ago and knowing a little more about your particular situation, I would shy away from the e46, while my BIL 330xi seems to do well for him in the snow S. MI gets its been a bit of a maintenance hog. Hes got a friend that is a dealer tech for BMW that does his shit on the side and its cost him a lot in maintenance in the last 3 years and its only got 125k miles on it.
The scooby might be a little better on maintenance costs and its not that they bad cars but the 4 door non wagons are harder to find in the newer body styles (unless she wants a wagon) and there for command a bit of a premium price.
Both are decent platforms AWD systems though.
Have you given any thought to something with a little more clearance Like a similar year or even a little newer than what your looking at in a Ford Escape in awd, which IIRC when it kicks in is a true 4wd set up with a 50/50 torque split between front and rear, with a default to FWD when on dry roads. Or is she dead set on a car ???? Parts and service are likely to be a little more price friendly being its a domestic Vs import and for what they are they seem to be decent on fuel (low 20's on the high way for the v6's) and a have an ok ride given their size. Friend of mine bought one for his wife New in 07 and she loves the dam thing coming down from an expedition, and she got another new one last year I think.... Hell if you can stand to look at them and get a decent one a Jeep Liberty might not be a bad thing to look into as well though a bit more costly.
Given your guys location and situation I would feel better about my wife in a little SUV than a car especially in the winter time. I have a similar situation and everything we own is a Full size 4wd truck or SUV. Even if her dd was a car this time of year she would be driving my truck all the time anyway.
edit: One other thing, out of all the smaller SUV's I have gotten as rentals in the past few years, the escape has been my favorite over the nissan's, rav4's, some kia thing, and the jeep liberty I had in the last 3-4 years. A friend of mine did have a liberty that didnt give him any troubles but I in this instance I would rather have the ford.Last edited by mrsleeve; 02-03-2014, 07:45 AM.The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's money. -Alexis de TocquevilleOriginally posted by Fusion
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Based on what you need it would be an Outback hands down IMO. Subaru has the best awd system and are very reliable and safe cars as you see tons of older models on the road with plenty of miles on them. My wife works at a hospital so she needs to get to work regardless of the weather so we will likely be getting a 2015 outback for her when they are released. I had an STi for 9 years and it had no problems and with snow tires was a beast in the winter.Last edited by E30beemer; 02-03-2014, 04:38 PM.Comment
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why not a WRX or a saab 92-x
same thing really just a bit more sporty. Both avail in wagonOBD1 M54/M52TU swap as a M50b25
Z4 non powered steering rack fits e30
Euro e46 2005/6 320d 6mt gearbox into E30 with M20 hardy and beck 1985 327s engine
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90/10 seems like it might as well just be fwd.. I would get her an e30, im actually going to sell my e39t for an e30 ix, but she would prefer something newer with the fancy features and auto as well.Originally posted by nando View Post
Ill look into small SUV's but since we'll be traveling a lot decent gas mileage is a must. I would however feel a lot better having her in a bigger vehicle so it may happen regardless of mpg's. Ill look into the escapes and other SUV's. We most likely wont be purchasing it until the summer anyway so theres plenty of time for research. and for her to change her mind..Originally posted by mrsleeve View Post
Thanks for the comments guys!Comment
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xc90 after 07
xc60Comment
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