There was a time when getting 100,000 miles out of a car was doing really well. I remember plenty of 80,000 mile cars feeling used-up and ready to die. Nowadays, it’s not uncommon at all to get a solid 200,000 out of most cars. But 300,000? You’re still in some rarefied air at that point. Both of today’s cars have odometer readings that start with a 3, making them worthy of respect.
Most of you didn’t have a lot of respect for yesterday’s Chevies, but that’s all right. I appreciate you being good sports about it and voting anyway. The Beretta took an easy win, mostly based on the correct assumption that loafing around Florida is a lot easier on a car than dealing with Alaska. The Corsica’s body damage didn’t do it any favors either; that’s probably the worst spot for a car to get hit like that.
The Beretta would be my choice too. I don’t have a problem with the 3.1 and automatic combo, and its damage is a lot easier to fix. The mismatched wheel is a bummer, but I bet I could find a set of some other factory GM wheels that would fit. Or, alternately, three more steelies and a can of white Rust-Oleum.
The highest-mileage car I’ve ever had was a 1991 Nissan Pathfinder, which served us well until electrical problems finally got the better of it at 365,000 miles. It still ran and drove all right, but man, it felt tired. These two have similar miles on them, and I would imagine they feel about the same. But they’re both still game, if you are. Let’s check them out.
1988 Subaru GL 4WD Wagon – $3,000
Engine/drivetrain: 1.8-liter OHC flat -4, five-speed manual, 4WD
Location: Tukwila, WA
Odometer reading: 364,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
I’ll just come out and say it: Subaru these days is coasting on past glories. But what did those past glories look like? Well, they looked like this. The basics are much the same as they are now: a flat-four engine driving all four wheels, and a roomy station wagon body. But instead of superfluous black plastic cladding and a bunch of electronic bullshit, this one has a dual-range transfer case and tank-like durability.
The flat-four engine in this GL (that’s it; no model name, just a trim level) is a 1.8-liter overhead cam unit, backed by a much simpler and more mechanical 4WD system than a modern Subaru. This one is front-wheel-drive in normal driving, but 4WD is just a lever-pull away. When the going gets really gnarly, you have low-range 4WD at your disposal, just like a Jeep. Try that with your Forester. This car has 364,000 miles on it, but its engine has been rebuilt. The seller drives it regularly, so expect that mileage to keep going up until it sells.
The interior is where most high-mileage cars show their age, but this one doesn’t look too bad. The steering wheel rim and shift knob are worn completely smooth, and the driver’s seat looks a little mashed down, and a couple of buttons are missing from the HVAC controls on the dash. But I’ve seen much worse interiors on cars with far fewer miles.
It looks tired outside too, but well taken care of and not abused. All the black trim is gray, and all the horizontal surfaces are devoid of clearcoat, but there is no rust, and I don’t even see much in the way of door dings. It has aftermarket roof racks, like most Subaru wagons in the Pacific Northwest. Gotta carry that kayak around somehow.
1994 Mazda MX-3 RS – $2,500
Engine/drivetrain: 1.6-liter DOHC inline-4, five-speed manual, FWD
Location: Whitehall, PA
Odometer reading: 360,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
Mazda was on a roll in the late 1980s and early ’90s. Even its “boring” cars were pretty cool. And between the RX-7, the Miata, the MX-6, and this little fella, its sporty car game was second to none. The MX-3 gets a little overshadowed by the Miata, but those who know, know. And after 360,000 miles, I think the owner of this one has a pretty good idea.
The most well-known version of the MX-3 is the GS, which features a tiny 1.8-liter V6 engine. This isn’t one of those. What it is, however, is the updated-for-1994 RS model, with a twin-cam four-cylinder, similar to what the early Miata had. It’s not as cool as the V6, but it has quite a lot more power than the older single-cam engine. This car’s engine was replaced 185,000 miles ago, but the seller doesn’t say why. It doesn’t matter, I suppose; it runs fine now.
This one is holding up remarkably well inside too; it’s nice to see cars this well cared for. I shudder to think how much Armor-All it has taken over the years to keep that dashboard that shiny, but it does look impressive. The seats even look good, though there is a little hole in the driver’s side bolster where the seat belt has rubbed across it who knows how many times.
It looks good outside, too. It’s actually kind of hard to believe this car has this many miles on it. I would be worried about rust, since it’s a Pennsylvania car, but I also know that Pennsylvania has some pretty strict inspections, so if there is any rust underneath, it can’t be too bad.
Some folks might be leery of cars with such high mileage, but if they’ve been well-maintained, I don’t think it matters much. And we probably have the big numbers on the odometers to thank for the lowish prices of these; they’re both cars that are riding the nostalgia wave, and prices are going up. Which one of them do you think wears its miles better?
I took my driving test in a nearly identical Subaru that belonged to my grandmother, as it was easier to parallel park than my dad’s truck that I learned to drive in, so there’s some nostalgia factor at play here. However, I think I’d rather have fun driving the Mazda, so it narrowly gets my vote.
Not a Crunchy Mom, so I am out on a subie wagon. though I suppose if I had to have one, that is not nearly the worst one. I will take the wedge, though I am disappointed it does not have the little 6 as I would have like to tinker with one a bit, still this engine is likely to be far easier to repair as needed and more reliable too.
What, in God’s name, is a “Crunchy Mom”?
My Gen Alpha’s Daughters term for a Granola Girl to me…..Basically a Hippy Mom.
Well that’s a far less disturbing definition than I was expecting.
It’s not granola most Subie moms are munching. Check out their ad campaigns from the mid 90’s.
No need to get graphic, you could just say “flannel”
… or “co-parenting dog moms”
I bought an ’88 GL sedan in ’95 because I HAD to have 4WD. Unfortunately, it was an automatic, which was ungodly buzzy on the highway (still a 3-speed). It burned more oil than gas (130k miles) and stripped the teeth off a new timing belt (thankfully, a non-interference engine). I traded it for an ’84 GLI with electrical problems and considered myself lucky to have gotten rid of that POS.
So, Mazda today.
Ooh, tough call for me today. Small wagons and little coupes are cars that tragically have mostly vanished from America’s roads, so anyone who regularly drives one of these little gems is doing the Lord’s work. The Subaru is more useful but the Mazda is more fun. I’ll go with more fun today, but I don’t think you can go wrong with either of them.
Super hard choice. My dear departed BiL had a Sube of this vintage, and boy were those wonderful, weird ass conveyances.
But the MX3 is in startlingly great shape, and I’ve always loved them, too.
So, both.
I had a silver GL in high school for a while. It was quirky, felt like a bit of a tin can and had a weird engine noise. But it ran and ran and ran.
However that Mazda is a sweet little car. Gotta go with the fun car on this one.
Mazda is located the next town over from my folks in suburban Pittsburgh. Be a fun little toy on our twisty, hilly terrain.
Sad the MX-3 isn’t a GS. the 2.5 swap is apparently bolt in swap and cannot be detected unless the engine is broken down.
BUT voted anyway. BP is king and somebody around me has a Fester for sale…and THAT is the swap I would do.
The Mazda is the better car but I voted Subaru because I always wanted a GL wagon, still want one. I was shopping used ones in the early 90s but they all had serious rust problems and ended up with a 2WD Ranger instead. Indeed those 80s Subies are what gave them a great reputation.
Probably not as good in the snow, but 2WD Rangers of that era were nearly as indestructible as Toyotas back then. My ’90 Toyota Xtracab V6 5M was a huge disappointment. Having to shift down to 3rd to maintain momentum on some of the steeper grades in the western US was a shock. But it didn’t have any problems and managed to maintain its resale value well. I sold it to have enough coin to put a down payment on a home in Seattle in ’94 and it had only lost about $2K (with 60K miles on the clock) from what I had paid when I bought it new. I replaced it with an ’84 Tercel 4×4 wagon, which also needed to be shifted down to 3rd climbing those grades, but that was to be expected.
I voted Mazda since I’d rather ply the highways and twisties with that. And I’ve read the RS is a noticeably better handler than the V6 GS. But both are strong contenders today.
BOTH! My first car was a 1986 GL wagon (FWD 5MT) so the Subie gets my nostalgia vote today. But I am also a fan of the MX-3.
Hear, Hear! My first car was a 1982 GLF coupe (FWD 5MT as well), and I got to drive a friend’s Loyale wagon for a bit when he tweaked his left ankle. Great car.
The MX-3 also is a sweet car.
My gateway Subaru was a quite rusted fwd GLF also. Found a luggage rack in a junkyard & drove that tired beast until the brakes rusted to the point a pad fell out. Motor was still good, so I saved that & scrapped what was left of the body
The highest mileage car I’ve ever owned was a 250,000 mile E30 325i. It blew its radiator less than four hour’s worth of driving after I bought it.
As it was only £100 and I swapped it for two days worth of track time I was really happy with it. I think they used it as a spares car after that. It’d be a £10k car now. Oh well.
I have Greddy turbo kit for the MX5 1.6 in my loft. I wonder if it would fit that MX3?
Love the Subaru too. Hard choice.
I’ve owned a Subaru wagon, and while it was not as durable as this one it was a perfectly cromulent vehicle.
I have not owned a Mazda Sport Coupe, just a more modern Mazda 3, so I went with the MX-3 today. The interior looks like a much nicer place to spend my time.
My family has has owned more Subaru vehicles than I can easily count and this is some truth being laid down here.
I still voted Subaru because this is indeed a past glory.
I love Subarus a lot. Got my tickets to SubieFest the last two years, and picking them up for this year. I’ll take my ’10 FXT out there to enjoy the festivities. And if I had endless money, the GL would be a no-brainer for me.
I chose the Mazda because it would be nicer to drive away directly from the transaction. But if I had endless money I’d probably get both, refurb what needed to be done, and gift them to young relatives who are getting into classic Japanese cars. Gotta stoke those coals!
I wanted one of those GLs in college, would’ve been a great little rig.
Now however, the sprightly little Mazda coupe wins big time. It’s a better format car for a manual.
5 door AWD thingies are everywhere now. 2 door stickshift compacts are not.
The Mazda is the better choice, but I can’t say “no” to a manual AWD wagon. Sube it up!
Always sport coupe for me. These were a blast to drive, haul way more than you’d think, and likely will never be made again. The condition of this one is impressive, as these were relatively rare even in their time.
Where’s the both button? I picked the Ru, but only because of the 4 wheel drive. In a lot of ways, I’d rather have the Mazda!
This was actually a difficult choice, first time in a while.
I went Subie just for the extra AWD/wagon utility. And no surprise, my vote made it (currently) exactly a 50/50
Subie for me. It’s hard to vote for anything other than a GL from the PNW.
If the Subaru can last two years as a winter beater it would be worth the $3K.
I would take that little Subie if it was up against almost anything. 4wd wagon with a stick? Yes. I’ve always wanted one of them but haven’t scratched that itch yet since they are now pretty rare around here, most all of them dissolved decades ago up here in the Northeast.
I’ll take the Subaru, a 4×4 wagon with low range is too quirky for me to pass up. I do think the Mazda is a better deal overall though given its condition
Why not both? Subie for the winter and Mazda for Radwood
Objectively correct answer.
I’m leaning wagon on this one. Then I’d just follow in MCM’s footsteps with their Brumby, and drop an N/A Forester or Impreza drivetrain into it.
But I don’t think either is a bad choice today.
Dang, if you’re willing to do some big modifications, that GL would be sweet. See: Family Huckster.
I mean, if I won the big lottery, I’d absolutely send it to Vermont Sports Cars.