Most reliable Subaru - 2008 to 2014
Discussion
I'm sorry if this has been debated to death, however I'd appreciate your collective wisdom.
I'm moving to New Zealand where there is a huge amount of JDM Subarus available. Initially what I want is an automatic (wife doesn't drive manuals which will be reliable - fun driving can wait a year or two. Ideally It'd be an Exiga (as a 7 seater), however a legacy or outback would be ok. I'd rather not have a car older than 2008.
I'm guessing the engine and drivetrain is in essence the same across the models and therefore it boils down to 2.0l or 2.5l? Is there any major differences across the years?
I'm moving to New Zealand where there is a huge amount of JDM Subarus available. Initially what I want is an automatic (wife doesn't drive manuals which will be reliable - fun driving can wait a year or two. Ideally It'd be an Exiga (as a 7 seater), however a legacy or outback would be ok. I'd rather not have a car older than 2008.
I'm guessing the engine and drivetrain is in essence the same across the models and therefore it boils down to 2.0l or 2.5l? Is there any major differences across the years?
The 3.0l 6 cylinder engine is chain driven as opposed the a belt on the 2.0 and 2.5. Apparently they don't suffer from the head gasket issues that can effect the smaller capacity engines either? I have one with the auto box and it's on 137k miles and (touch wood) feels in fine fettle.
TV200 said:
I'm sorry if this has been debated to death, however I'd appreciate your collective wisdom.
I'm moving to New Zealand where there is a huge amount of JDM Subarus available. Initially what I want is an automatic (wife doesn't drive manuals which will be reliable - fun driving can wait a year or two. Ideally It'd be an Exiga (as a 7 seater), however a legacy or outback would be ok. I'd rather not have a car older than 2008.
I'm guessing the engine and drivetrain is in essence the same across the models and therefore it boils down to 2.0l or 2.5l? Is there any major differences across the years?
Has to be 3.0 H6 EZ30 for reliability, they are not so popular here due to unsavory VED apparently but its one heck of an engineI'm moving to New Zealand where there is a huge amount of JDM Subarus available. Initially what I want is an automatic (wife doesn't drive manuals which will be reliable - fun driving can wait a year or two. Ideally It'd be an Exiga (as a 7 seater), however a legacy or outback would be ok. I'd rather not have a car older than 2008.
I'm guessing the engine and drivetrain is in essence the same across the models and therefore it boils down to 2.0l or 2.5l? Is there any major differences across the years?
EZ30 engine was created completely from scratch, and it used aluminum Flat-6 cylinder block with cast-iron sleeves, 2 mm thick, cylinder block deck height is 202 mm. Inside there was crankshaft with a piston stroke 80 mm, connecting rods length is 131.5 mm, pistons diameter is 89.2 mm, piston compression height is 30.3 mm, and compression ratio is 10.7. Due to all this, they received 3 liter capacity.
This cylinder block was covered with aluminum DOHC heads with two camshafts, 4 valves on the cylinder. Specs of EZ30 camshafts are the following: duration is 254/226 deg, lift is 10.0/9.5 mm. These camshafts are put in action by means of two timing chains.
EZ30 applies aluminum variable-length intake manifold. Its switching happens at 3,600 rpm.
This motor showed 220 horsepower at 6,000 rpm, and torque 289 Nm at 4,400 rpm.
In 2003 it was modified and received the name EZ30D which is still known as EZ30R.
The EZ30R engine differs from EZ30 in the modified heads with the improved ports, and also variable valve timing AVCS and variable valve lift system AVLS on the intake side was added (adjustment range is 50°). The valve lift depends on turns and has 3 positions: to 2,000 rpm, 2,000-4,000 rpm, over 4,000 rpm.
Also EZ30R uses electronic throttle body with diameter 76 mm, a plastic intake manifold, MAF sensor is used instead of MAP sensor and the new exhaust manifold is applied.
All these modifications allowed to receive 245 horsepower at 6,600 rpm, and the torque increased up to 297 Nm at 4,200 rpm.
Firing order of EZ30 is 1-6-3-2-5-4.
Production of EZ30 engine continued till 2009, but since 2007 it was gradually substituted with newer EZ36 .
Edited by ericmcn on Monday 16th September 23:17
TV200 said:
I'm sorry if this has been debated to death, however I'd appreciate your collective wisdom.
I'm moving to New Zealand where there is a huge amount of JDM Subarus available. Initially what I want is an automatic (wife doesn't drive manuals which will be reliable - fun driving can wait a year or two. Ideally It'd be an Exiga (as a 7 seater), however a legacy or outback would be ok. I'd rather not have a car older than 2008.
I'm guessing the engine and drivetrain is in essence the same across the models and therefore it boils down to 2.0l or 2.5l? Is there any major differences across the years?
You should be able to pick up Subaru Liberty with the 3.0 lump in NZ easy enough.I'm moving to New Zealand where there is a huge amount of JDM Subarus available. Initially what I want is an automatic (wife doesn't drive manuals which will be reliable - fun driving can wait a year or two. Ideally It'd be an Exiga (as a 7 seater), however a legacy or outback would be ok. I'd rather not have a car older than 2008.
I'm guessing the engine and drivetrain is in essence the same across the models and therefore it boils down to 2.0l or 2.5l? Is there any major differences across the years?
Which part of NZ?
If you're wanting to get into the outdoors lifestyle and explore some more remote areas the extra ground clearance of the Outback is useful.
The 3.0 (or newer 3.6) is likely to be the most reliable of the engines but thirstier, 2.0 is good too, 2.5 has a reputation for doing headgaskets (they might have fixed/improved that by 2008, I'm not sure).
If you're wanting to get into the outdoors lifestyle and explore some more remote areas the extra ground clearance of the Outback is useful.
The 3.0 (or newer 3.6) is likely to be the most reliable of the engines but thirstier, 2.0 is good too, 2.5 has a reputation for doing headgaskets (they might have fixed/improved that by 2008, I'm not sure).
Thanks all ! I'd ideally not have too thirsty a motor at the moment so whilst the 3.6 (looking at trademe.co.nz, I'd guess the 3.0 was replaced by the 3.6 around 2008) may be the one in a couple of years the 2.0 sounds better than the 2.5.
I'll be in Nelson, so looking forward to exploring the Southern Alps. Ground clearance would be good, but so would the ability to carry a couple of passengers (friends booked flights to visit us before we booked our flights to emigrate!) and they seem mutually exclusive without going to a Discovery sized car. 4wd would be ideal so we can go skiing in the winter and off road wise I can limit myself to gravel tracks, so the exiga seems the logical choice.
I'll be in Nelson, so looking forward to exploring the Southern Alps. Ground clearance would be good, but so would the ability to carry a couple of passengers (friends booked flights to visit us before we booked our flights to emigrate!) and they seem mutually exclusive without going to a Discovery sized car. 4wd would be ideal so we can go skiing in the winter and off road wise I can limit myself to gravel tracks, so the exiga seems the logical choice.
Nice part of the country, I'm sure you will enjoy it. Much warmer there than where I am in Southland!
Most back roads don't need much ground clearance so it shouldn't limit your fun too much, If you want to get into off-roading later you can always buy a cheap old 4wd for that, then you won't feel so bad about abusing it.
Gassing Station | Subaru | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff