Lifted Subaru

[87TT]

No. If you need a lift, get something else or don't go.

 

[Okhotnik]

Thanks for the advice everyone. All good things to consider. I have one last question. For those of you who have owned Subarus, do you see any need for a lift? I have an 01 Escape that is stock and it is high enough but there are times I wish it was either higher or had a skid plate underneath. It would be nice to be able to get by with a stock Subie that would be better on gas and more reliable.

no need for a lift . Skid plate is good. Get a good jack, some chains and throw some boards in the back and a come along.

 

[Mike7]

I may have had a Subaru previously. Clearance was not a problem, but no low range was a problem, as were the bad departure angles.

It was great on snowy highways and gravel roads, and not good on mountain 4wd/dirt roads. It was not designed for that. Without a low range I would have to hammer it on hills on 4wd roads to get anywher slightly tough, which would beat the crap out of it.

A used honda civic for commuting and a suzuki sidekick/samari for going to the woods will probably cost you less initially and for maintenance, and get you far more places.

 

[Mike7]

Back in the 80s there was a much lower 4x4 subaru wagon with high and low range (a real mountain car) and a smaller engine, that I have no doubt could go places that today's yuppy subarus can't.

 

[hodgeman]

Thanks for the advice everyone. All good things to consider. I have one last question. For those of you who have owned Subarus, do you see any need for a lift?

No need at all. It gives the car a different look and may keep the body a bit higher. That said, I've taken stock Subies places I fear to contemplate.

My advice would be to steer clear of a modded out one and go find a bone stock version for less money. If you live in snow country, Subies seems to carry a premium and are easy to sell if you don't like it.

 

[Gobbler36]

just saying but id go get a toyota 4 runner 10-12 year old or newer under 200k and youve got yourself a reliable capable hunting rig

 

[elkduds]

No lift needed. You can get an inch of lift w higher profile tires on stock rims. Skids front and rear (diff). Drive carefully, use a spotter, Put a hitch on it, tow an ATV if you have to go gnarly. Or boots. 1st gear on a manual trans is lower than 1st gear of auto. I had a '99 Legacy sedan w 5 speed, '01 Outback w auto, '02 Forester w auto. Of those the best offroad was Forester, wish it had the clutch. I took it on several roads rated for 4wd high clearance on USFS maps, crossed creeks over the top of the tires. Deep mud and snow were not its best media, but ...traction mats or chains. Shovel, hi lift jack, tow strap. And you have a full size spare. The Colorado rumor is that used Subies are a third cheaper in TX and AZ where the awd is not so necessary. Shop the sun belt.

 

[kevlar88]

If you're not stuck on the idea of a Subaru I'd suggest taking a look at Toyota and Honda. In 2009 I looked at Toyota and Subaru, Toyota won hands down. 2015 I looked at Honda and Subaru, same story Subaru was lacking in just about every aspect. 2019 looked at Subaru again and the wife ended up with a Volvo. We wanted to like the Subaru but as said earlier in this post it's a decade behind everything else. My 97 XJ (Jeep Grand Cherokee) had better tech then the 2015 Subarus. I really don't see the appeal. Just some food for thought if you haven't already considered something like a Rav4 or CRV. That being said, an 18 year old car is going to have it's issues no matter the manufacturer.

 

[woody6899]

I had an old 82 Subaru. I loved that thing. I got a lot of looks hunting in the redneck Wyoming mountains in the 90s. It took me every place I wanted to go until mud season. My sub mechanic in red lodge had a cure for the mud to, tractor tires.. lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[applepie_eli]

I would love to get a 4runner but they are extremely expensive around here. And it's very hard to find one with less than 150,000 miles on it. Plus the Subaru has better mileage which is a big deal for me. However I am open to other ideas such as Rav4 and so on. I'm not solely set on Subaru. I have thought about the two car method but insurance would just cost too much. But I figured I'd try to find a car with a good resell value because the purpose of this car is to hold me over while I can try to save up enough cash for a newer vehicle within the next few years.

 

[Selway]

That's a cool setup, and would make a fun hunting rig. I have a suspicion with those tires and lift though, that it may not get any better mileage than something like an older Xterra or Blazer.

Subarus aren't fuel efficient to begin with, and with turning that much weight on the axles, it could be a gas hog.

 

[Gobbler36]

I would love to get a 4runner but they are extremely expensive around here. And it's very hard to find one with less than 150,000 miles on it. Plus the Subaru has better mileage which is a big deal for me. However I am open to other ideas such as Rav4 and so on. I'm not solely set on Subaru. I have thought about the two car method but insurance would just cost too much. But I figured I'd try to find a car with a good resell value because the purpose of this car is to hold me over while I can try to save up enough cash for a newer vehicle within the next few years.

I saw a 4 runner here 2000 limited super clean 4x4 cooper tires 187k guy was askin $5100
Boise is a place where Toyota’s are typically higher than a cats back so if I can find a descent deal here I bet you can find one with some searching
Get on car gurus and look for something similar

 

[Antarctica]

I would love to get a 4runner but they are extremely expensive around here. And it's very hard to find one with less than 150,000 miles on it. Plus the Subaru has better mileage which is a big deal for me. However I am open to other ideas such as Rav4 and so on. I'm not solely set on Subaru. I have thought about the two car method but insurance would just cost too much. But I figured I'd try to find a car with a good resell value because the purpose of this car is to hold me over while I can try to save up enough cash for a newer vehicle within the next few years.

When my wife (in about 2012/3 I think) totaled the aforementioned 03 Forrester, the insurance company gave me $3500. I took that and picked up a 3rd gen 4runner for $4200. Huge step up - both in capability and reliability.

You should be able to find a 3rd Gen for under $4k that still has 150k miles in it. Easily. And I'm on the east coast too.

 

[Billinsd]

A used honda civic for commuting and a suzuki sidekick/samari for going to the woods will probably cost you less initially and for maintenance, and get you far more places.

I got a new 2017 civic for $22,000 out the door for a commuter. And I got a 2002 Tacoma 4x4, rear locker for a hunting, camping rig, and loading big stuff from Costco and Home Depot. I'll always have a truck, but I don't want to use it as a daily driver. The mpg, maint, etc. is much less with the Civic. However, I live in San Diego. If I lived where it snowed, in the mountains, or didn't drive much, I'd probably just drive a truck.

 

[Sccritterkiller]

Oversized tires on a Subaru without a regear...smh...even if the correct lift components were used and a professional install at the end of the day it wont get out of it's own way.

 

[applepie_eli]

When my wife (in about 2012/3 I think) totaled the aforementioned 03 Forrester, the insurance company gave me $3500. I took that and picked up a 3rd gen 4runner for $4200. Huge step up - both in capability and reliability.

You should be able to find a 3rd Gen for under $4k that still has 150k miles in it. Easily. And I'm on the east coast too.

Alright so realistically how long is a 4runner going to last? I am just skeptical of buying anything with over 100,000 miles on it no matter how good it is. And can I expect up to 18 mpg out of it around town (rural area pretty hilly)?

 

[duchntr]

Alright so realistically how long is a 4runner going to last? I am just skeptical of buying anything with over 100,000 miles on it no matter how good it is. And can I expect up to 18 mpg out of it around town (rural area pretty hilly)?

My 4th gen has 180K on it still running strong with regular maint, no major issues yet. I get about 16-17 hwy, its lifted and has slightly oversized tires though. Im with hodgman, id look for a stcok height subaru, they are fairly capable rigs from the factory.

 

[Antarctica]

Alright so realistically how long is a 4runner going to last? I am just skeptical of buying anything with over 100,000 miles on it no matter how good it is. And can I expect up to 18 mpg out of it around town (rural area pretty hilly)?

I get a solid 18-20 mpg, but I don't drive with my foot in it either.

The 3.4 V6, along with several other toyota motors (22RE) are super solid with many many running 300k, and plenty of examples going 500k.

I got the 96 4runner at 172k I think, and it now has 234k. Runs like a top. If you get a 3.4, you need to address the transmission cooler (add a separate one - very easy to do) so that if the radiator fails you don't pump coolant into the tranny. Also you need to make sure that you change the timing belt every $100k - also fairly simple (albeit a bit involved).

I can't guarantee you'll get 300K, but with decent maintenance, there's really no reason you shouldn't in these vehicles. I guess its a mindset. You're the kind of person I like to uy vehilce from (those that think they need a new one at 100k). I've only bought 1 car (BMW) with less than 100k miles. I can do, and do, all of my maintenance. Yes, there's a period of time where I distrust every car, but after a while, after I've worked out a few bugs, I'd trust most any of my vehicles to at least 250k. The current stable:

82 Jeep - about 175k
02 F350 - 185k
96 4runner - 234k
00 BMW - 240k

No payments, cheap insurance. I Plan on driving the BMW and the Toyota to at least 300k. The jeep is pretty much done - I don't drive it but a few times a year now. The jury's out on the ford (I've only put 3k on it)

"YMMV"

 

[IdahoElk]

Alright so realistically how long is a 4runner going to last? I am just skeptical of buying anything with over 100,000 miles on it no matter how good it is. And can I expect up to 18 mpg out of it around town (rural area pretty hilly)?

I just sold a 98 4runner with 275k on it and it still ran great,also have a 2004 with 157k and that runs like a top. 4runners are for the most part bullet proof if taken care of.I've never bought a runner with less than 130k on it and I'm on my 5th one.

A stock 4runner with two speed transfer case is way better than any modded subaru for what you want to do.

 

[applepie_eli]

I get a solid 18-20 mpg, but I don't drive with my foot in it either.

The 3.4 V6, along with several other toyota motors (22RE) are super solid with many many running 300k, and plenty of examples going 500k.

I got the 96 4runner at 172k I think, and it now has 234k. Runs like a top. If you get a 3.4, you need to address the transmission cooler (add a separate one - very easy to do) so that if the radiator fails you don't pump coolant into the tranny. Also you need to make sure that you change the timing belt every $100k - also fairly simple (albeit a bit involved).

I can't guarantee you'll get 300K, but with decent maintenance, there's really no reason you shouldn't in these vehicles. I guess its a mindset. You're the kind of person I like to uy vehilce from (those that think they need a new one at 100k). I've only bought 1 car (BMW) with less than 100k miles. I can do, and do, all of my maintenance. Yes, there's a period of time where I distrust every car, but after a while, after I've worked out a few bugs, I'd trust most any of my vehicles to at least 250k. The current stable:

82 Jeep - about 175k
02 F350 - 185k
96 4runner - 234k
00 BMW - 240k

No payments, cheap insurance. I Plan on driving the BMW and the Toyota to at least 300k. The jeep is pretty much done - I don't drive it but a few times a year now. The jury's out on the ford (I've only put 3k on it)

"YMMV"

Yeah I actually want this to be my last car for a long time so I can save up and some day buy a real nice newer 4runner. I'm not afraid to run one till 300,000 if it lasts me and is reliable. I guess I'm just scared of rust. Whatever they put on my roads in PA absolutely destroys cars. My family hasn't bought a used car that's lasted 200,000 before rusting out yet. I'm looking around down south (online) to see if I can find something rust free. Once I find something without rust I will have it undercoated this time. That being said, are there any particular rust issues with 4runners?

Also That is interesting you mentioned a tranny cooler. My friend just had her Neon do that exact thing and the car is junk now (not that it was a gem before lol).