I’m going to look at a 2003 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport with about 45k miles on it. Seller wants around the Blue Book price for excellent rating, as it has been owned by the same person and obviously not driven much in the past 10 years. Still looks very clean. My '99 Outback finally wore out after six years and it was pretty reliable…my only concern is it’s age…should I be worried?
It is age and also the miles. Usually, low mileage older cars are driven locally in stop and go traffic which puts more wear and tear on the components. You then have to pay a higher price for the “low” mileage. I would check the car out, have it looked at and then haggle on the price, or look for something newer.
@Db4690
Makes a good point. The age of a car wears a body as fast as the number of miles. If It has been used in winter travel and allowed to sit, even with low miles, rust and deterioration still takes it’s toll. You need to crawl under neath and check integrity of the inner fenders, rocker panels and bottoms of doors especially. Tell tale bubbling and rust in any of these areas means the car has aged like any ten year old. Don’t be taken in by “surface rust” comments.
The low mileage premium according to Edmunds is $800. Other than that, it’s worth the same as any other 2003 Outback in clean condition. BTW, excellent condition means that it needs absolutely nothing, has new tires, fresh fluids and new filters. If it isn’t perfect but still is in good condition, it is considered clean. A dealer might do all the other stuff, but a private seller typically won’t.