Three Pedals and Long Roofs: 1985 Subaru GL vs 1995 Toyota Corolla

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Welcome back! Today, we’re looking at a pair of small stickshift wagons. One of them has some cool toys but hasn’t been well cared for, and the other is ol’ reliable, but about as exciting as plain oatmeal. We’ll get to those shortly, but first, let’s see which car you preferred in our 100th Showdown Extravaganza yesterday:

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Yeah, that’s where I’m at too. I like them both, obviously, but I get the feeling I’d get a chance at a better Fiero, or a lesser one for cheaper. The Barracuda feels more like a “now or never” opportunity. I can’t afford either one right now, but if I could, I’d go Plymouth.

Now, today we have a couple of cars that aren’t on anybody’s wish list, but they’re such a useful body style that maybe they should be. Small wagons are just practical as hell, and it’s kind of a shame that they’ve been phased out by stumpy blobby crossovers that promise the same utility, but aren’t packaged nearly as well. I’ve selected two wagons that are both 5 speed manuals, just to take that out of the equation, so there’s no dismissing one or the other out of hand based solely on transmission type. But there are enough other differences between them to compare and contrast to keep things interesting. Let’s take a look.

1985 Subaru GL 4×4 Wagon – $2,200

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Engine/drivetrain: 1.8 liter flat 4, 5 speed manual, part-time 4WD

Location: Silverdale, WA

Odometer reading: 119,000 miles

Runs/drives? Yes, but needs a few things

You know those Outbacks and Foresters and whatnot you see absolutely everywhere today? They have this car to thank for their success. Subaru in the ’80s was known for boxy, underpowered cars that were tough as nails and had a lot of weird but cool features available. They didn’t even have model names for most of the lineup in America; instead, you chose a body style (sedan, wagon, or fastback) and a trim level (DL, GL, or GL-10) and mixed and matched as you saw fit.

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This GL wagon would have been in the middle of the range, with a carbureted version of Subaru’s EA-82 flat-four. 4WD was optional in Subarus when this car was built; this car not only has 4WD, but the fancy 4WD system with a low-range transfer case and a lockable center differential. It’s a far cry from the viscous couplings and electronically-controlled limited-slip diffs in today’s AWD systems, but it works a treat in snow or mud.

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Sadly, this Subaru needs some help before it’s really roadworthy. It runs and drives, but has 3 studded tires and a spare on it (really?), the turn signals don’t work and the seller has just been using hand signals instead of replacing what I’m sure is a burned-out relay (c’mon, man), and it has an exhaust leak that the seller hasn’t fixed because he thinks it sounds cool (oh good grief). Basically, it sounds like what this car needs more than anything is an owner who knows what the hell they’re doing, and cares.

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The engine is fed through a Weber carb (presumably some sort of DGV downdraft 2 barrel) in place of the stock Hitachi carb. I don’t know what this change is supposed to gain (performance? reliability? ease of maintenance?), but the seller says it runs well. Shame about all the silly blue paint under the hood, though.

 

1995 Toyota Corolla DX Wagon – $2,000

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Engine/drivetrain: 1.8 liter inline 4, 5 speed manual, FWD

Location: Oakland, CA

Odometer reading: 162,000 miles

Runs/drives? Yep

Now, this car I know well. This is the wagon version of the car I’ve been driving daily for the past two and a half years. As such, I can tell you a few things about it right off the top: it has good strong air conditioning and heat that will freeze or cook you right out of the car as required, it’s highly tolerant of neglect and borderline abuse, and it has a good 100,000 miles left in it at the very least.

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I can also tell you that the driving experience is a lot like the appetizer combo platter at Applebee’s: it’s fine, there’s nothing wrong with it, but you won’t find any unexpected delights or lasting satisfaction. But you will get the exact same reaction from every control, every time, day in and year out, with no surprises. The twin-cam 7A-FE engine in this one is actually 200 CCs bigger than the 4A-FE in my Corolla, yet puts out the same 105 horsepower. It isn’t fast, but it never feels underpowered either. It’s… just fine. Like the rest of the car. And this is before Toyota started softening the ride of their small cars for comfort, so it still handles pretty well. It’s uninspired, but it doesn’t wallow around like the springs are made of jelly.

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Inside, this one is quite a lot nicer and in better shape than my not-even-a-DX base model. I bet it even has such opulent features as a tachometer and intermittent wipers! It’s squeaky-clean inside too, which says something. I can’t stand it when sellers don’t at least empty the trash and vacuum a car before putting it up for sale. Outside, things aren’t as fresh: the clearcoat has a nasty case of eczema (as does mine) and two hubcaps are missing (which is two more than I have). I don’t see any serious dings or wrinkles, but it looks like the left front fender may have been replaced; it’s a slightly different shade of blue from the rest of the car.

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This would be a smart used car purchase if you need something small and economical that still has some decent cargo room. It is not an exciting car. But as I have said in the past, boring cars driven to interesting places to do interesting things are way cooler than exciting cars that only travel the same routes over and over.

So there they are, a couple of Japanese stickshift wagons. One needs some love and attention, and the other is ready to be used hard and ignored. Which one will it be?

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(Image credits: Craigslist sellers)

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89 thoughts on “Three Pedals and Long Roofs: 1985 Subaru GL vs 1995 Toyota Corolla

  1. If it was just for my use, the Toyota. However, like Washington and Vermont, Subaru wagons are de rigueur in Colorado, and ’80s Subarus impart a bit of street cred at the ski slope or trailhead parking lot. So I’ll take the Subaru, put in a bit of money fixing up the minor issues, then sell it for $4k to a transplant looking to “Colorado” their Instagram feed.

  2. The Subi has some character, but I fear there’s more going on than the seller admits. The Corolla may be boring and look like it’s been baking in the California sun for too many years, but it’s stout and a quick Earl Scheib will eliminate those boogers.

    1. Based on some of what has been done to the car and some of the choices made, I’m not sure the seller knows much beyond what the ad says. Everyone has to start learning somewhere but I don’t think this individual is hiding anything, he just doesn’t know.

  3. An ’84 GL Sedan was my first car. Underpowered and prone to CV joint failure (like most 80’s front-drive cars), but in retrospect I miss it. It was unique and looked pretty cool. Not a fan of the ’85 redesign – Subaru had an identity crisis and tried to become Volvo for a bit. I voted for the Subaru anyway – not because I like this one – it’s being neglected, but because it either need rescuing or at least a proper burial. That rust is probably terminal.

  4. Normally the Subaru would win but it is nearly rusted out hulk with too many problems.

    For less money I will take the dull but works option.

  5. A manual Toyota station wagon actually IS on my wish list. I don’t care if it’s a Corolla, a Camry, or even an imported JDM Crown.

    That Subie was a slightly better choice when they were new. Today, that Subaru is hot garbage and at most, one more high school owner away from the crusher. It’ll do to get back and forth to class and a part time job until graduation. Maybe.

    On the other hand, the Toyota looks to be a great car for the money, ready to serve for a very long time.
    Too bad all the Toyota wagons around here are lost to salted roads, and it’s not worth a trip to Cali just to go get a cheap bang-around like this one.

  6. Corrolla for sure. I do respect the locking low range t case, but the thing is a big money pit. The Toyota is definitely a clean daily or even jus t winter beater.

  7. Those Weber kits were a cheap way to fix an ailing emissions carb. Back in the early ’80s, I had a ’78 Dodge Challenger that the original owner had put a weber kit on. It was a simple (non-emissions) carb and served me well for over 100k km. It did have an annoying flat spot at 4k rpm, though.

    The kit came with an adapter plate, a linkage adapter and that hokey air cleaner (which I replaced with a larger paper filter).

    1. I had an old AMC Rambler with the inline 6 and the factory carb with manual choke. I did a bunch of research and ended up swapping the intake for some Jeep unit and it allowed for a Weber DGEV 2 barrel carb. I mainly did it for the electric choke. It was so much easier to start after the swap. Performance was probably better too.

  8. The Corolla will make it to the top of the mountain pass and nobody will think it’s a big deal.

    The Subaru will be driven by someone who slides it sideways, goes off the edge, and the white paint makes it blend in with the snow. It’ll be found in the spring when the snow melts. The driver will be identified by their backwards cap and the empty cans of White Claw scattered around the interior.

  9. Subaru for me. I like that boxy style. The Toyota looks like someone left their plastic car in the oven while mommy was preheating it for the frozen pizza.

  10. Tip of the Day: never buy a used 4×4 vehicle with mismatched tires. It is both a statement to the hidden condition of the vehicle and the car it received under its current ownership. Which sucks, because I was willing to overlook the tinworm on this particular example.

    On the other hand, that Corolla will run as long as you care to drive it. You might be able to bring the paint around with a buff, but it’s pretty damn clean over all. Plus, can you feel it? Can you HEAR it? Yes, I can feel and hear the sound of me sliding in on that lovely, lovely upholstery that only Toyota could bring.

    1. Meh, mismatched tires are at times unavoidable. My truck currently has one that’s different because a road hazard decided I would be taking what was available. As the other three hadn’t hit their first rotation, buying three more new tires for aesthetic reasons was not going to happen.

      1. Problem is, in these part-time 4WD applications, any use of the 4WD with mismatched tires (and he’s using the spare…yikes) will cause windup in the drivetrain and wear things out quickly.

        That, along with all of the other “it’s simple to fix, I just didn’t bother” things in the listing scream RUN AWAY, RUN AWAY, RUN AWAY!!!

      2. I had the same thing happen recently with my TSX. They still made my tire, but were on a long back-order (like darn-near everything else these days). I was THIS close to getting 2 new tires, so at least they matched, but it would have been incredibly wasteful as the tread on the rest was nearly all there. Still irritates me…oh well.

    2. In these cars 4×4 is only used when needed; so it isn’t used often and only when there is low traction. I would not be worried one bit. If it was all wheel drive I would be concerned.

  11. “stumpy blobby crossovers that promise the same utility, but aren’t packaged nearly as well”

    Jesus, I don’t even own a crossover or particularly care for them, but the consistent hatred (that I hoped we had left at the other place) makes me want to go out and buy one.

    1. I don’t love the crossover-ication of everything but I agree. Enthusiasts moan and groan about them incessantly but I swear that most of the people complaining haven’t driven any of them…and they don’t realize that a manual rear wheel drive coupe just doesn’t work for most people in the real world.

      A lot of people live in cities with garbage roads and need space for kids, friends, dogs, etc. Crossovers work really well in that application…and there are a lot of performance ones that drive and function just like a hot hatch. I’d know, I bought one…and we’ve found it to be much easier to live with than my GTI was so far.

      1. It’s not even the comparisons to manual RWD coupes that bug me, because that at least is a completely different type of vehicle.

        It’s deceiving oneself that a wagon is any different/better than a crossover that really irks me. Enthusiasts have spent so much time online becoming Forbidden Fruit Wagon Guys and bemoaning the lack of their beloveds, that they’ve made it into a mindset. Therefore they start gatekeeping things like ride height and COG because they can’t accept the fact that more wagons are available for sale now than ever before. They just have names like CR-V and Rav-4.

        1. Then whenever a company comes out with a brown wagon they don’t buy them and the model gets killed….which they then complain about. We really are a fickle bunch sometimes.

            1. At what cargo capacity does a crossover equal a wagon?

              At what *roof height* does a wagon become a crossover?

              On what planet is the styling and design the same?

              1. A “crossover” to my knowledge is not well defined.

                A wagon is a 2 box vehicle with a rear liftgate.

                If you want to add the qualifier “car based” to get rid of Suburbans and the like, fine.

                Is an Outback a wagon or a crossover? If a crossover, when did it become one and why? It certainly used to be a wagon. If it’s still a wagon, why are other “crossovers” with less ground clearance/lower height not wagons?

                  1. I reject any classification that leads to absurdities such as this from the EIA:

                    “When implementing fuel economy standards, however, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) categorize CUVs as either passenger cars or light trucks depending on their characteristics and features. For instance, one of the best-selling CUV models is the Honda CR-V. The two-wheel drive CR-V qualifies as a passenger car, and the all-wheel drive CR-V qualifies as a light truck.”

                    1. The light truck exemption is really obnoxious. We should either have standards or not.

                      My personal frustration with crossovers is mostly around the weight/economy/performance trade-offs, but it doesn’t reach the level of hate. I’ve owned at various times a GTI, Tiguan, and now Sportwagen all of the same mechanical generation. The Tiguan offered a significant real world economy penalty over the GTI despite being mechanically equivalent. Utility was marginally increased and I know ride height is important to many although didn’t do anything for me personally. The NA5 Sportwagen is a massive utility and economy upgrade from the T4 Tiguan, which is why we sold the Tig when we went down to one car during the pandemic. The wife and I miss the manual but it’s otherwise cheaper to run and more useful.

                      Better a CUV than a sedan, in my view

    2. I don’t “hate” crossovers, I loathe the way they murdered the station wagon. This makes me vent my anger at them, whether they are fine cars or not.

      I didn’t say it had to make sense.

        1. True, but still. I’m shopping for a vehicle right now, and I truly do not give a damn what I buy as long as:

          – It’s NOT WHITE. Through sheer circumstance, my last three vehicles have been white, and six of the last ten – and the ones that weren’t white were all some boring neutral like charcoal or pale gold. I want literally anything in a color that isn’t white or fifty shades of gray.

          – It’s a CAR. You know… a car. A sedan. A hatchback. A wagon. An automobile. Not a truck, not a van, not an SUV, not a CUV – a damn CAR.

          It’s terribly difficult to fulfill these wants at the moment.

    3. Most crossovers are actually packaged surprisingly badly. I say this not as someone who is doing a knee-jerk rejection of the category, but as someone who’s ex was actually seriously considering one and has driven a bunch as a result. Knee room is always at a premium – I was really surprised by how universal this is, actually, though I might be built like a freak I can never actually find enough knee room in the popular ones, a problem I’ve never had in most cars and trucks – cargo areas are usually oddly small for the size of the vehicle, and in general I have driven maybe one where I thought the size of the vehicle was actually reflected in the room inside – Honda CR-V, for the record.

      Now, any segment of car can be poorly packaged – hell the last of the GM U-body minivans had some of the worst packaging I’ve ever seen – but it’s actually surprising how poorly most crossovers are set up, even the popular ones.

  12. I’ll take the Subie today, blends in with the rest of the Subaru’s up here in the mountains. And it won’t be the only 80s Subaru out there running on the streets. There are a couple of Brats and trucks doing a lot of grunt work during the winter.

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