1993 Subaru Loyale review from North America

Right front wheel bearing went at 163,000.

Left front CV started clicking at 164,000.

Pros:

Terribly reliable and unbreakable.

Cheap parts.

Easy to work on.

Lots of features for a cheap car.

4WD = unstoppable.

Built like a tank.

Tons of room in such a small vehicle.

Cons:

It's certainly not pretty.

90 HP and 101 TQ means you can't be in a hurry to go anywhere.

Thin sheetmetal, so it dents easily.

The seats kinda hurt my back.

Keep on top of the radiator - these things like to get hot if the radiator gets plugged, and the heads will warp or the headgasket will go if its overheated.

Noisy interior! The lack of sound deadening and bracing on the roof make it sound like a tin can inside.

Gas mileage seems to get worse with age. Mine's down to the low twenties, but mine's not stock either.

Lack of the dual-range transmissions that came on earlier models is no good.

Notes:

My Loyale is not a stock vehicle, and I push it a lot harder than it was supposed to go. I run oversize wheels and tires and I seriously tax the electrical system with the amount of lighting I run. Luckily, the alternator hasn't given up the ghost yet. But I've beat the crap out of this thing and it keeps coming back for more. I've also owned a '92 which was equally tough, until it was stolen.

All in all, these old Subarus are tough as nails and will run forever if they're taken care of. They're certainly neither pretty nor fast, and you're not going to get a whole lot of attention from the opposite sex with one, but if you're looking for reliable, cheap transportation that you can beat the hell out of, the EA82 Subaru (that's the '85-'84 DL, GL, GL-10, and Loyale) is a great choice.