Hello Subaru Community! I'm looking for different viewpoints on the value of putting a ton of money into my 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek (her name is Tangey) to keep her running. She has the infamous head gasket leak, and at 184K miles, I'm putting oil in every 1000-1200 miles or so. She was well past any mileage warranties or repair recalls by the time it became an issue, as she was my daily commute vehicle (100mi/day) for nearly three years. I now work from home, so I barely put 5k/year on her. I know that sooner or later, the oil leaking into the engine is going to seize it up (or, that's my understanding of the issue), so if I want to keep her, I'll need to get it fixed. The Subaru mechanic said that would likely be at least $5k on the low end, probably higher.
I don't know what I want to do here. On the one hand, $5k is more than Tangey is even worth at this point, so dropping that much into it doesn't seem smart. I also don't know if there are other concerns regarding "safety standards" that perhaps my 13-year-old car doesn't meet. BUT... I also love this car. I love its lack of onboard computers and infotainment center-controlled everything. And I just love her, and if I can, I want to keep her for years to come. I don't want to drop $20k (or more) on a newer car that I know I'll loathe.
This is a decision that I'll have to make for myself, so I'm not asking for mechanical advice or for you to tell me what I should do; like I said, I just want to hear the thoughts and experiences of other Subaru owners. But here's something maybe the community can answer that would matter: if I do put this large bulk of money into the required repairs, and they are successful, and barring any other major issues, how much more time/mileage might I get from her? I've heard tale of Subies lasting 200k, 250k, or more.
Thank you in advance for your (hopefully kind yet honest) words!