At $6,200, Is This 1994 Subaru Justy 4WD A Justifiable Deal?

With its three-cylinder engine, CVT transmission, and on-demand 4WD, today's Nice Price or No Dice Justy is a triple threat of oddball features. Could that make it worth the seller's asking? We'll have to find out.

In an ultra-rare occurrence, last Sunday night's Academy Awards ceremony had a tie finish in the "Best Live Action Short" category. This was only the seventh time in Oscar history that two winners had topped the voting, and, arguably, it proved to be the most exciting outcome of what was otherwise a fairly mundane and drama-free night.

I thought we might have a similar story in the voting on the 1987 Chevy Corvette Callaway twin-turbo we looked at yesterday. Looking at the results coming in, the early voting was neck and neck, literally 50/50 on the car's $33,000 asking price. Eventually, the yeas pulled ahead of the nays, earning the Callaway a creditable 54% 'Nice Price' win.

While yesterday's Callaway proved lust-worthy for most, today's 1994 Subaru is Just-worthy. Er, I mean, it's a Justy. This was Subaru's one-and-done entry into the then-burgeoning. small car market back in the 1980s and '90s. Offered in three and five-door bodystyles, the Justy was derived from the Rex kei car, enlarged in all directions but sharing doors and side windows with its little progenitor. After this edition, Subaru went the route of rebranding cars from other manufacturers as its compact models. None of those ever came to the U.S. market.

Unlike all the other Subarus sold in the U.S. at the time, the Justy didn't have a pancake engine mounted longitudinally in the nose. Instead, power for the Justy is provided by a transversely-mounted 1189 cc inline triple with a single belt-driven overhead camshaft. A chain-driven balance shaft smooths the move on the 73-horsepower mighty mite.

The Justy's claim to fame, however, is its significance as the first car sold in the U.S. with a continuously variable transmission (CVT). Oh sure, those are as ubiquitous today as a politician with their hand in your pocket, but it all started with the Justy. While five-speed manuals were also available, this car happens to be one of the CVT-havers. That feeds the front wheels all the time, but at the push of a dashboard button, it can send power to all four wheels in traditional Subaru fashion.

Other than the sliding band automatic, this Justy is pretty bare bones, something the seller points out as a benefit, calling the car "pretty simple and old school." They further claim, "These cars are also very simple to work on. Parts are still available for most things, and working on it is about as easy as an old VW Beetle."

That's not to say it's the automotive equivalent of a pet rock, and the seller says there has been a good bit of recent maintenance done to the car. That includes new CV shafts, a timing belt and water pump on the engine, and new Vredestein tires on all four corners. That last one is kind of a big deal considering how hard it is to find decent 13-inch tires these days. Other updates include a replacement oil pump, cam cover gasket, and a fluid service on the CVT. At present, the car has only 54,000 miles on the clock, and the seller claims it works great and is the "Best snow car" they've ever seen.

It looks pretty good, too. Or at least as good as any '80s-designed small car can. These don't offer an ample canvas, but everything on this one appears to be in good condition on the outside. It even still carries its original factory plastic wheel covers, all of which look to be in great shape. The seller does note a small ding in the driver's door below the keyhole, as well as some missing weatherstripping on that same door, where, they say, a squirrel noshed on it when the car was parked under a tree. Sheesh, rodents, am I right?

Craigslist

One nice thing about the four-door Justy from this era is that it still had B-pillar-mounted seat belts, unlike the three-door's mechanical mouse belts. Another plus in this Justy's cabin is just (see what I did there?) how clean it is. These were not expected to be long-term keeper cars, but were sufficiently well built to hold up over the decades, and this one has seemingly not seen excessive use or abuse. There's nothing particularly remarkable in here, save for the fact that it is so tidy and original, right down to the factory radio. A clean title, along with purchase and service paperwork, will come with the car as an added bonus.

As a final selling point, the ad notes that this Justy is capable of getting close to 45 mpg on today's ever-more expensive gasoline. Part of the reason for that is the frugal three under the hood, and the other is that the car is happiest at lower highway speeds. That seems like a fair trade-off, making this both a quirky classic car and a viable commuter. The question, of course, is whether or not the seller's $6,200 asking price makes this Subaru a solid contender.

They say the price is as firm as a green banana and that the car is cash-and-carry.

What's your take on this Justy at that $6,200 asking price? Does that feel fair given the car's capabilities (it's supposedly great in the snow and gets good mileage) and condition? Or does that price feel totally un-Justy-fied?

You decide!

Fort Collins, Colorado, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.

H/T to Don R. for the hookup!

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