1987 Subaru 1800 GL 1.8 from Iceland

Summary:

Best Car ever

Faults:

The radiator broke, and it's started to rust

General Comments:

It's the best car I have ever had, I have two of them and I have never had a serious problem with it!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 14th March, 2004

1987 Subaru 1800 RX Turbo 1.8 turbo from Germany

Summary:

Most overrated and most disappointing car I ever experienced

Faults:

The gearbox broke 6 times in only 1 year!

The front right shock absorber broke on smooth road, taking drive shaft and steering link with it.

The cam-belt broke.

The clutch went.

The brakes faded regularly and brake disks never lasted long.

The power steering went.

The radiator and oil cooler needed replacing.

Fuses for indicators and power windows went regularly.

A seal on the turbo went twice and to replace it needed removing of many parts.

All that happened in little over one year! The customer service did the rest (warranties etc.). I would never ever buy a car of that make again.

General Comments:

The engine was the sweet bit. In relation to the BHP it was supposed to have the torque seemed amazing.

However the 4x4 was disappointing. Traction was good, but the grip in the curves was no better than on many FWD cars, if not even worse.

When you got near the limit, you never knew what the car was about to do.

The car had a few nice and unique gadgets, but generally a good engine was wasted in a package that was disappointing alround.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 16th December, 2003

6th Dec 2008, 21:36

Mate I agree with the other 2 comments. I reckon even a Rolls Royce wouldn't last you very long. I have a 1985 Subaru RX turbo sedan and it's awesome. And anything that has ever broken on it has been because of neglect, not cause it's not a good car. What the hell, I love it that much I don't mind working on it. All part of owning a car.

25th Apr 2009, 08:37

I agree with all the rest that have responded. I own a 1987 RX Turbo Coupe... she handles like a dream both on and off the tarmac. Really sounds that your driving skills are terrible, there are some things that even a driving instructor cannot instill in you. Good luck, and pick up some driving tips!

2nd Dec 2010, 02:21

I STRONGLY agree with the rest. I own a 1987 Subaru RX Turbo Coupe, and I've been mud bogging in it, dunning, and mobbing in the snow. The worst I have done was overheated it, and it was my shear stupidity. This is a great car, but tell ya, block sealer really works; I'm 10,000 miles on it after cracking the head. The Subaru RX is a stout car, if maintained properly and driven smartly.

24th Feb 2013, 21:48

Are you being gentle? Racing cars break because it is hard to drive gently at maximum speed and permanent full throttle. Non-racing cars can last a very long time if the driver is gentle, even when driven fast. And my Subaru seems pretty hard to break, even after years of wheel spinning up rocks and bouncing over bumps.