2006 suby forester or '99 jeep cherokee

[cinnepa]

Current 2007 jeep patriot having cvt problems and other issues. Trading it in for one of the above. Leaning towards the low mileage manual subaru lezwagon. 99 cherokee with 110k original also at the dealer and very clean. Isn't this jeep considered a classic in many good ways....aside from some mpg low numbers. Thought most subys after 2003 were improved in the head gasket area too. Just looking for some past owners of each feedback. Thanks

[Cruiser]

All things being equal I'd suggest the suby unless you need the low range 4wd/clearance on the jeep. It's newer, lower mileage, and theoretically should be cheaper to own and maintain.

[uglymoney]

Subaru didn't really get the head gasket issue on the 2.5 under control until 2010 when they went to multi layered steel head gaskets. Pre 2010 turbo models also have mls gaskets. All the rest of them have single layer steel gaskets that will eventually fail - though my last set went 150k +. Your mileage may vary. Given the choice here I'd buy the Subaru or split the difference and get a 2003+ 4 Runner.

[KQ]

Subaru didn't really get the head gasket issue on the 2.5 under control until 2010 when they went to multi layered steel head gaskets. Pre 2010 turbo models also have mls gaskets. All the rest of them have single layer steel gaskets that will eventually fail - though my last set went 150k +. Your mileage may vary.

*knock wood*

On my fourth subie (outbacks) without any problems. Current 2009 Turbo has 77K (bought my first one when they came out in 1994)

Did you find these two articles when researching:

Subaru Head Gasket Problems Explained.

Subaru Head Gaskets Problems Explained Part II


Edit: Should mention the reason I've had four in 20 years is because two of them got smashed due to no fault of my own. One was a police chase on I405 in Kirkland - idiot could have had any lane he wanted as it was late and the highway was empty but he re-ended me at 80mph (I was doing 60 or so). Second accident happened when a woman parked in an elevated parking lot hit the gas in drive not reverse, jumped the rockery and pancaked onto my subie parked on the street below.

[cinnepa]

Yeah. Leaning suby.....he gave me a great trade where im considering one of the warrenty plans....which would include head gasket work. Plans range from $500 to $1500(3year 40k plan). On the fence with this extended warranty....but not much offered if i dont buy something. 66k miles on the subaru fwiw.

[Tuckerman]

Can't help I have never owned a Jeep. I have also never not owned a Subaru. I would think you can turn a Subaru into a Jeep with one of those lift kits but you can't turn a Jeep into a Subaru.

Has the timing belt on the Subaru been changed?

[uglymoney]

*knock wood*

On my fourth subie (outbacks) without any problems. Current 2009 Turbo has 77K (bought my first one when they came out in 1994)

Turbo has mls gaskets which are better. My 2002 Subaru has been a good car but it lost head gaskets at 17k and 170k.

[uglymoney]

*knock wood*

On my fourth subie (outbacks) without any problems. Current 2009 Turbo has 77K (bought my first one when they came out in 1994)

Did you find these two articles when researching:

Subaru Head Gasket Problems Explained.

Subaru Head Gaskets Problems Explained Part II

Replying to those articles which are a bit confusing and I think misleading as to the cause of inevitable head gasket failures on these engines.

The original 2.5 DOHC (96-99) motor did in fact receive an updated headgasket to replace the original gaskets that were prone to catastrophic failure- thicker and multi layer steel and a big improvement for motors that lived through the gasket issue.

There was never actually an update offered to 2000-2009 SOHC 2.5 years for the headgasket though that false rumor has long persisted. The only thing ever offered was the Subaru stop leak conditioner - which I dutifully used and I believe extended the life of my second set to 150k+. Turbo 2.5's of the same era on the other hand received MLS gaskets which can be installed in non turbo motors by yourself or an independent mechanic and are said to be better http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1. Most dealerships will not install them though. Aftermarket MLS gaskets are also available http://allwheeldriveauto.com/six-sta...d-gasket-kits/

[WestCoastPDR]

split the difference and get a 2003+ 4 Runner.

Split the difference? How about double down and pay up... a 03 and newer 4 Runner is much more than either of his options....

[cinnepa]

Can't help I have never owned a Jeep. I have also never not owned a Subaru. I would think you can turn a Subaru into a Jeep with one of those lift kits but you can't turn a Jeep into a Subaru.

Has the timing belt on the Subaru been changed?

no but I'm expecting to do that along with water pump at about 100K....and not covered under extended warranty unless they break - warranty does not cover preventative maint.

[cinnepa]

Split the difference? How about double down and pay up... a 03 and newer 4 Runner is much more than either of his options....

yup, bit of a gas hog too

[uglymoney]

no but I'm expecting to do that along with water pump at about 100K....and not covered under extended warranty unless they break - warranty does not cover preventative maint.

Get this kit and then buy a Subaru water pump. Pretty easy DIY job if you have a weekend and with the gates kit it is cheap.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[whyturn]

Subie all the way. Our 2006 cost 2k for head gasket, timing and water pump. Now we are good to 200k
Don't buy warranty if you have carfax records. Very reliable and good mileage. Great ground clearance

[jmedslc]

i'd go subaru no question.

signed,
250k subaru driver

[digitaldeath]

jeep you pussy

[cinnepa]

^^^^exactly, is a rainbow sticker a requirement for the rear window?

[cinnepa]

aftermarket warranty I was considering is by "ProGuard Warranty Inc.".....still debating it. diff would be $25/month for a 3 year/40K warranty

[uglymoney]

Absolutely forget the aftermarket warranty. They can be very difficult to collect on and always a hassle and almost never worth it anyway. Put the money in a headgasket fund instead. If you really, really, really, want a warranty buy it through Subaru - though you probably can't on a car that old.

[PaSucks]

Edit: Should mention the reason I've had four in 20 years is because two of them got smashed due to no fault of my own. One was a police chase on I405 in Kirkland - idiot could have had any lane he wanted as it was late and the highway was empty but he re-ended me at 80mph (I was doing 60 or so). Second accident happened when a woman parked in an elevated parking lot hit the gas in drive not reverse, jumped the rockery and pancaked onto my subie parked on the street below.

Those are 2 pretty impressive accidents.

[cinnepa]

Absolutely forget the aftermarket warranty. They can be very difficult to collect on and always a hassle and almost never worth it anyway. Put the money in a headgasket fund instead. If you really, really, really, want a warranty buy it through Subaru - though you probably can't on a car that old.

that's what I'm thinking, bought a version of it 3 years ago for my patriot......never used it, and almost impossible to use it when I needed it because of all the restrictions - it was more of a piece of mind thing.

[east or bust]

Cherokees from that time period are pieces of shit. That's coming from someone who likes them to boot. Unless the one you found is in superb condition I wouldn't bother.

[KQ]

Those are 2 pretty impressive accidents.

The first one wasn't so bad as there was speed on both our parts and he hit me dead on. Spun me around and I ended up on the shoulder with what was left of the back of the car stuck in a grassy embankment - he ended up against the jersey barrier. A good Samaritan stopped to check on me (I was fine) and the guy who caused the accident ran across 405, jumped in the good sam's car and took off just as the police caught up to him.

Second one was a freak thing - obviously I was not in the car but it was the day before I was to move to EWA which put a wrench in the works.

Here's a pic from the local paper:

[Cruiser]

Pic makes that mailbox appear to be exceptionally sturdy.

[MontuckyFried]

Having sold my '99 Grand Cherokee last summer, I will suggest you go with the Subaru. No question. Although it smoked and leaked oil, the engine on my Jeep at least cranked up great every time, but I have never seen so many electrical gremlins on a vehicle before. Lots of really odd problems you won't get with most other vehicles. Would have a dead battery about once every couple of weeks from some untraceable power drain. Given, the vehicle was 14 years old and proved many fairly trouble free years so it wasn't a bad vehicle at all back in its prime. I just would absolutely not buy anything Mopar over a decade old. Same reason I won't buy an old Saab, BMW, Mercedes, Audi, etc. Great cars, but you just end up with so many quirks once they hit a certain age. Money pits, the lot of them. That being said, I liked the Jeep enough that I would not hesitate to buy another one if I were to ever buy another SUV, but it would have to be pretty much new.

[ex-powderbroker]

1999 was a long time ago. You'd have to make sure that it's y2k compliant and shit. Deal breaker.