Good buy?: 2001 LL Bean 6-Cyl 3.0 H-6 145,000 miles for $5600.00? Good Buy?

[shera1231]

Hello, I need advice on purchasing a used Subaru. It is a 2001 LL Bean Edition Subaru Outback wagon. It has a 6-Cyl 3.0 H-6 engine and 145,000 miles clocked. Interior / exterior are in very good condition. Tires not so great. Hatchback handle sticks. 2 owners both within my state. They are asking $5600 so after my trade in it would cost $5000.

Is this a good price?
Is 145k too many miles?
Is 6cyl engine better than 4?
Is it expensive to repair?
Any major issues with engine / exhaust for this model?

Please advise!

[CNY_Dave]

The H6's are pretty nice engines.

The some '01s had a problem with the timing chain tensioners, at a guess if it's made it to 145k its probably not going to happen.

No timing belt to replace.

Serpentine belt tensioners (or just the bearings) should be replaced, but that's pretty cheap.

I'd go by the kelly blue book on the price- not that you should necessarily pay that much, but it'll show if they're close.

Make sure the AWD doesn't bind... especially if the tires don't match in type or wear.


Dave

[driveby]

Originally Posted by shera1231

Is this a good price?
Is 145k too many miles?
Is 6cyl engine better than 4?
Is it expensive to repair?
Any major issues with engine / exhaust for this model?

Price -- Totally depends on this specific car. Like Dave said, you can check kbb.com for the "typical" price in your zip code. If they ask much less than the bluebook price, you have to wonder why.

Miles -- The odometer tells you very little about the condition of a vehicle. More important is how & where the car was driven & parked. 150K of city miles cause more wear & tear than 300K highway miles; carrying heavy loads or towing wear the engine & trans faster; etc.

H6 engine -- Much more power & torque than the H4 (which imho is underpowered for hills, or carrying a load, or playful driving). Very smooth. Very reliable so far...keeping in mind that 2001 was the first year with this engine...so relatively few H6's have hit 150K miles. No major timing belt job (like all H4s) or head gasket replacement (like many H4s from this era). The H6 models usually come with more trimmings...heated everything, leather seats, good stereo, etc. Biggest downsides: lower mpg, high octane gas recommended, and more expensive general maintenance.

Repairs -- If the engine needs a major repair in the future, yes, it will be expensive. Even replacing the spark plugs on this engine is a minor mechanical challenge. The hope is that it was maintained properly for the last 145K and will not require any major repairs for another 50-100K, at which point you will have gotten plenty of car for your money. Afaik these engines do not have any major issues so far.

Suggestions:

1) Ask for all maintenance history/records. You want to see regular oil & filter changes; at least 2 coolant changes; at least 1, ideally 2 spark plug changes; 1 or 2 fuel filter changes.

2) Take it for a long test drive, including high speed, steep hill, curves, bumps, and tight circles in a parking lot. Turn off the radio and open the window. Pay attention to the sound & feel of the engine, transmission, suspension, and brakes.

3) Check underneath for rust, especially from the rear. This year had a recall to rustproof the rear subframe of the car. If the original owner did not respond to the recall, that frame could be rusting out. Replacing it would be expensive.

4) Take it to an independent mechanic for a pre-sale inspection at your expense. Ask them what besides the tires needs replacing...brakes? cv boots? struts? battery? Also ask them to inspect the fluids. If you're lucky, the dealer did not replace the oil & atf, and your mechanic can drain and inspect these fluids to get a better sense of engine & transmission health.

That's all I can think of right now.


-Jeff

[TM875]

I'd say no. Last summer I sold my '01 LLBean w/ 90k miles for $5300. That was the best price and only buyer I could find. This was also in Lancaster PA, so close to your market.

I'd say $4000 would be as high as I'd go for one with that many miles. $4500, tops.

[Shemmy]

Price also depends on area. I'd be lucky to find an 01 LL Bean with 90k miles for that price. ****, I'd be lucky to find any Subaru with under 150k miles for sale around here (DC Metro). My 01 LL Bean (90k miles) was ~$8000 from the dealer, and that was an excellent price for this area.

[bikerboy]

Originally Posted by TM875

I'd say no. Last summer I sold my '01 LLBean w/ 90k miles for $5300. That was the best price and only buyer I could find. This was also in Lancaster PA, so close to your market.

I'd say $4000 would be as high as I'd go for one with that many miles. $4500, tops.

As the post states above, pricing depends totally on location. $5600 for an '01 LLB on the east coast is a very good price, regardless of the fact it has 145k miles. If everything on the car checks out, and even if the dealer won't budge on the price, $5600 is still decent at the end of the day.

Last August we bought the 2002 LLB in my profile with 81k miles and a full service history, new struts/shocks and GYTT tires for $7700. At the time, we were able to get it at about $3000 under it's blue book price.

$4-4500 would be quite a deal for an LLB Outback around here. I could see where there wouldn't be many Outbacks in New Mexico.

[biking4life]

I found a 2001 VDC with 52k for $8100. That's the absolute cheapest I've seen an H6 around here and I bought my 2004 for a lot more, but just under KBB value.

[Bulldog9]

I just bought my 2005 3.0 VDC for $9800, kind of a fluke, it was listed for $13999, and that day the used car sales manager decided to sell it wholesale to 'refresh' his used car lot. I talked th em into selling me the car for the same as wholesale, so I lucked out.... 110K miles, and seems to be pretty solid so far.

[oldgray1]

I have that same car with 144,500 miles. I echo the above statements about maintenance history. Find out all you can from previous owner.. Check to see that the tires match all the way around. The price sounds about right for the east coast-pretty good for a northern car. Check that Kelly Blue Book value for you zip code. Listen for any creaking or squeaking from the front suspension. Check the CV boots for tears. The only repairs I've had on mine, other than a set of tires, were the two front O2 sensors. I replaced the serpentine belt and tensioner as a cautionary measure about ten thousand miles ago. I had another 2001 LL Bean model a few years ago that got a seized up pulley and threw the serpentine belt. Luckily I was close to home. Seems like you tend to ignore the serpentine belt because you don't have a timing belt to change and you're not under the hood checking belt tension. The tensioner pulley and idler pulley are the same part number and can be bought at the dealer or sourced separately. If you decide to get the car, and the tensioner and serpentine belt have never been changed, count on having to change them soon. You can replace the pulleys and belt cheaply and easily as a preventive measure. If it needs spark plugs, there is a write-up somewhere on this forum.