2003 Subaru Outback Wagon with 70K mileage. Should I buy it?

Highway miles are much less damaging to a car than city miles. Take the car in for a used car check. Check the blue book value then try to dicker the price down a bit (standard suggestion for any used car sale).

I wouldnt buy it. 70,000 miles is a long way for a year or so.

At that age and milage there is only one thing I would be really concerned about with the test drive.

Take it out and floor it going up a hill and listen for knocking/pinging. Those Subaru's have a habit of stretching their timing belts and if it's stretched you'll hear knocking or pinging when you floor it (Subaru recommends the belt be replaced at 60,000 miles).

I wouldn't consider knocking/pinging to be a disqualifier if the rest of the car is in good shape but if you hear it expect to pay out another $400 soon to have that timing belt replaced. Maybe you can use that in negotiating a final selling price.

I had a Subaru once ... little sucker was still runnin' fine when the front strut mounts rusted through the towers. That was somewhere arounf 399,000 miles, as I recall. If the puppy seems tight and responsive, doesn't make unpleasant noises, and seems otherwise fine, as long as you're buyin' it for the long term, I see no reason to shay away from it. I might try to hammer the price a bit.

Sounds pretty cheap for that car. Just have it checked by a mechanic before you buy.

Hm, the Subaru was driven approx. 200 miles per day and at 70 K you probably won't have any warranties left. I would
not buy it, there might be too much wear and tear.

Bluebook value is around $ 13,000.

Thank you
Thank you guys for replying me. I will surely consider your inputs.

Actually, the real retail value is $17050, according to NADA, which is the guide that insurance companies use when compensating you if you total the car or it's stolen. Trade-in is $14K. This is considering a base-model outback wagon w/70K miles.

However, these guides, NADA, Blue Book and Edmunds usually mean jack-sh!t in the real world. They're not usually an accurate representation of the true market value. Best way to check that is see how much comparable cars are selling for in ads. But, at least you know you'd make money if the car was a loss to the insurance company!

A used car with 70K definitely obviously won't have any factory warranties left. But you can always buy an extended warranty from the dealer or online.

It's high miles, but only for the year. If the car was ten years old, it would be considered low miles. And being high miles doesn't necessarily equal abused. Obviously it's a lot cheaper than a low mileage '03 Outback. And Subarus are reliable cars.