This has to be the weirdest car we have owned over here at hecklerspray. Like a child with two heads it was useful, just nobody ever knew what for.
Ejector Seat:
A big red button on the gearstick… any ideas? You climb inside the Subaru Justy – old enough to hold its own bank account, print all rubbed away from the switches – what else could you assume from a hatchback with 4WD scrawled on the side.
What seriously, it goes off-road?
Press that button and it actually did. Just so long as you had a full tank of petrol on stand-by first.
The Subaru Justy was released to a comatose-with-laughter UK public in 1986. It was the world’s first vehicle to feature ECVT. No, not a new glove puppet alien for Saturday morning TV, a revolutionary type of transmission configuration offering limitless gear ratios. It was an unbelievably hard sell for dealers.
People are not stupid. If this EVCT thing is so special why bung it on the Justy? It is much like sending the TA or National Guard in first during a war, Subaru were merely testing the water. Moreover the EVCT transmission system was dropped for the Justy’s last stab at the market in the mid-nineties. It seems Subaru were sick of throwing good ideas after bad.
Jeep:
The Justy was marketed as a variable four or two front-wheel drive supermini. A concept so ridiculous it makes the new Range Rover Sport‘s non-split tailgate seem like the Da Vinci Code. Nip to the shops and drive home through a field, was that really what Subaru had in mind? The boxy frame was as ugly as sin too.
If you wanted to look as though your car was made of cardboard, you brought a Subaru Justy. If you liked appalling side graphics with the cool factor of a side parting, you brought a Subaru Justy. Naturally then, we brought a Subaru Justy.
It was a ride that our companions found not only funny, but also slightly perplexing. “It’s a joke, right?” one of them commented. Pointing to the red button normally made a bit of difference – until you told them what it was for.
Eventually you learn to love the Justy for the same reason that everyone else hates it: personality. When other small cars were saying ‘cheap and economical’ the Justy was saying ‘Eh? We’ve got no idea either’.
Safety:
Referencing the reliability of an old hound is normally a pointless exercise. For every person who agrees it was dependable and true, another two say they had to replace everything from the headlining to the ashtray.
The old Citroen AX is a classic example. Most people would claim it let you down more often than a retractable walking stick, but we found it saved our life, literally, when we decided to go diving off a ravine in a freak snowstorm. Similarly the Justy’s safety and reliability report is generally good. For us ‘good’ meant shock absorbers popping up through the rear wheel arches, clutch cable snapping at the world’s busiest junction and more rust than a late-sixties Mini.
However, that 4WD feature really wasn’t a joke. Snap the button, listen for the clunk and you were away. The Justy became a sturdy little monster under the steam of four wheels, and suddenly it was not so funny anymore. Things became even more impressive when you realised you could engage 4WD at speeds of up 20 mph or so. Though that did put you in about fourth gear for a straining 1.2 litre. All guts and no gusto, we’re afraid.
Plenty:
The used market is never short of a Subaru Justy or two. Most of these are advertised via newsagent windows or quiet whisperings in the pub. Whether or not this is down to the sheer embarrassment of having owned the thing is debatable.
We have managed to locate a good, clean example of a Subaru Justy on eBay. It won’t break the bank, but is not too cheap so as to arouse suspicion. Have a look and a bid; that’s how the game works.
The Subaru Justy is one of those curiosity cars. As a marketing concept we cannot believe the idea ever made it past the first meeting. It may well have been an experiment; Subaru went on to create an excellent permanent 4WD system for use in the Legacy. After that milestone the still underrated and overused Impreza took up the bulk of the company’s time, and still does. In 1994 the little Justy was lost to the midst of time, some wondering if it ever really existed at all.
A wandering ghost car to replace the Vauxhall Nova saloon? Let’s just see if we can’t make that happen…
[story by Chris Laverty]
Kelly Sands says
Fun read, especially as I have a rocking horse doo dah rare MKI Justy Van sitting outside. My father bought it new in 1988 and the thing just keeps going (the van, not dad, he’s a little crusty now). Not one failing has let it down in those 19 years of motoring. The only reason I have it here is to repair the driver’s door frame after some vandals tried to get in by pulling the top of the frame out by some 4 inches. It survived, the tough little monster! Besides, who would really want to steal one anyway?
nick says
the justy is the best car ever made in the history of the planet, period.
Jon says
I’ve owned all kinds of cars, some new, some old as hell. I’m currently driving an ’88 Justy 4WD and I love it! It’ll tackle up to 2 feet of snow and get you around @ 35-40 MPG. Who could ask for more? Cup holders? Nah.
Gerry says
Subary Justy — rollicking good fun to read.
But seriously, the Justy 4WD turned out to be an excellent car for those fortunate few to give it a fair trial. I live in Montreal (Canada), where winter snow and ice make 4WD or AWD eminently useful. I blush to admit that our family has owned 14 or 15 Subarus, among which have been 3 Justys (Justies? Is there a plural?). My wife and daughters barely disguise their contempt for my liking for these little beasts, and indeed they have their flaws. But who can gainsay the Justy’s utility?
I have owned three, all purchased used, and all have run very well. My most recent was purchased this year, from an elderly lady who drove it only in summer; a 1992 model, it had only 37,000 km (verified) on the odometer, and is immaculate aside from a few scratches. Quebec roadsalt required replacement of the gas (petrol) tank on my first two, but rust has not otherwise been a major problem; nevertheless, I have tried rustproofing the most recent one.
Virtues of the Justy: 4 doors, therefore entry and exit is easy even in narrow parking spots. Four seats, at least two of which are comfortable and the rears are habitable. A decent albeit small trunk (boot). Acceptable fuel economy (Subarus are not outstandingly abstermious): 300 to 400 km on 30 to 32 L). Size: easier to park than almost anything current in North America except a Smart. Stability: surprisingly stable in crosswinds and on uneven pavement, and quite surefooted when not pushed (I haven’t pushed them). Maintenance: everything is accessible, and rarely needs access; however, the shifter on my second Justy did wear out, something (like rusted-out fuel tanks) that’s never happened to me before.
Vices: uncommon, target of jeers from unbelieving family members. Safety (?): never tested by me, but my family is certain that a major accident to the Justy will do me in (not yet, in over 10 years of driving them); the Justy of the ’80s and early ’90s does not appear to have a steering column meeting modern safety standards, nor room for airbags. Clutch: I’ve been driving mostly manual transmissions for many years, but have never been comfortable with the clutch in the Justy: smooth clutching from rest and in the lower gears was never a sure thing. The ECVT: I avoided the ECVT because of its reputation; my first two Justys were 5-speeds; my most recent, ex-little-old-lady is my first ECVT and I’m pleasantly surprised at its decent behavior so far, so the ECVT is a vice by reputation but not, to this point, for me. Parking while in 4WD: as with all 4WD (but not with AWD), tight turns — at full lock — elicit protest and difficulty.
So, for me the Justy has been a fine car, perfect for urban driving in nordic climates. Good rust-proofing with annual refreshing is probably mandatory, at least in road-salt country. The owner should be inured to ridicule from those who know not, or who wish to believe that one must have a larger vehicle befitting one’s dignity. No, you shouldn’t expect to see 30 clowns pouring out of a Justy in the center ring of a circus, nor do I wear a red clown’s nose while driving. It’s Just a fine little car, thank you.
Dave says
I had a 1992 Justy 4WD ECVT for 16 years and put 300,000 km on it. It got me through snow-drifts and bush roads. It was great on gas and very low maintenance. I wish I had kept it. Best car I ever had, best car I ever will, best car ever made! R.I.P.
dawid says
Hi I ‘ve got my car 1986 model subaru justy parts shortage, but I’m having turkey shoot I would like you to help me with this Thank you Regards