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Subaru Legacy/Outback 2005+

10833 messages,  Last post on Feb 26, 2013 at 5:40 AM

You are in the Subaru Legacy & Outback Forum.

What is this discussion about? Subaru, Subaru Legacy, Subaru Outback, Sedan, Wagon




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Messages Page 13 of 1085

#112 of 10833 options... by cracovian

Aug 27, 2003 (2:33 pm)

The only REAL and badly needed option that I hope will be standard on all new Legacies are the side airbags... I like everything on the current Legacy (though I would not buy the GT trim or Outback - too much fluff and too expensive) but Subaru lost me as a very serious buyer a month ago when I found out that my family would be riding in the car with no side airbags for the next ten years (that's how long I'd like to keep it). It's bad enough that our 2002 Trooper doesn't have any either... We might have to go with Accord EX any minute now

#113 of 10833 cracovian by jchan2

Aug 27, 2003 (2:34 pm)

can't you just wait up for maybe another 6 months? yes, the Accord is a good choice but if you live in the snowbelt region or like good handling, you should go with the Subaru Legacy, which has standard AWD and should be here any minute too.

#114 of 10833 waiting by cracovian

Aug 27, 2003 (2:57 pm)

I live in the South, so AWD doesn't do much for me... but I like wagons and I like Subaru's look and handling; I also like the price of the SE model ($19K!!!) but I'm not willing to pay $3K just to get those side airbags. That's a very uncool sales trick, I don't like it and I suspect a lot of other people are not buying into this either...
 
Yes, the new Subaru might get here in just a few months but it will be another year or two before they're back to sub-invoice prices...

#115 of 10833 28-30K by robr2

Aug 27, 2003 (3:00 pm)

as a starting point for a Subaru and I think they'll rot on the lots. Accord tops out at about 28K with V6, Leather, NAV and the Camry is in that ballpark as well. But those units are the exception - not the rule.
 
I think a well equipped Legacy should not cross over the $26K line. IIRC - Inexpensive and Built to Stay That Way.

#117 of 10833 new Subaru price... by cracovian

Aug 27, 2003 (4:00 pm)

I compare the current SE model (auto slightly over $19K) with Accord EX (excellent 4-cylinder, no leather or nav but everything else for $20K). While we COULD argue that the new lower-shelf Legacy will be superior and will offer more than the Accord EX, the majority of consumers won't likely think so. If there's no Legacy w/ side airbags for less than $20K then it's over. I will certainly not buy that Subaru if well-built and supported Hondas are there for that much or less.

#118 of 10833 by sube555lgt

Aug 27, 2003 (5:03 pm)

Remember, we have 3 differentials, not one, extra axles, a more complex drivetrain in short. That amounts for at least $1k in cost. There are other factors too, but they can make them relatively close. To me side airbags aren't a huge selling point, but they're just a nice extra safety feature. I guess others feel a little different about them. Just remember with pricing though, add an extra ~$1k for AWD. If the Accord is 18, the Legacy should be about 19 with a similar set, though not all things are equal. That would be a sedan, wagons are marked more on the Legacy end.

#119 of 10833 Current side airbags by bgabel1260

Aug 27, 2003 (5:42 pm)

I experienced some buyer's remorse for not getting the Limited package with the side airbags but I've realized that I'm not missing out on much. The side airbags on the current Legacy models are of the torso-covering variety and these don't offer maximum protection. What you really want are airbags that protect the head and these need to deploy from the headliner or the top of the seat. I haven't heard what kind of side airbags Subaru plans to use in the 2005 redesign but they would be wise to graduate up from their current design.

#120 of 10833 Legacy pricing by jchan2

Aug 27, 2003 (5:43 pm)

A well Equipped L model with an Automatic and side airbags (to please government regulators and the IIHS) should be no more than $21K at the most. An Accord LX goes for $20,920 for side airbags, so $21-$22K should be fine for the Legacy L, or maybe a base L Special Edition version.

#121 of 10833 air bags not a huge selling point... by cracovian

Aug 27, 2003 (9:39 pm)

...and that's cool - for me and others they are. I don't want to drive the old beat-up Sub without them in 2012. I'll wait and I'm glad the next generation will have them - now if they can sell it for under 20K they'll have themselves a deal.
 
Once again, the current pricing in my area from carsdirect is 19K for the SE wagon with auto and 20K for Accord EX with auto. With today's economy I don't expect things to change, even with the new model - if they do - good luck to Subaru. We're not talking about what goes into the car and its real value. We know that Subaru is more expensive to make, mainly due to Honda's economies of scale and the AWD system. Honda has worked decades to be able to charge premium for their cars and its better reputation is clearly visible in sales figures and residuals. Right now, I'm stuck in between the two and I wonder how many more people went into the dealership (not many to begin with) with cash in their pockets and left as quickly as I did.
 
Quoted from carconnection today:
 
IIHS: Side Airbags Cut Deaths Nearly in Half
 
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s latest study indicates that side-impact airbags can reduce road fatalities by as much as 45 percent in cars so equipped. The insurance industry-funded group reports that side curtain airbags are the more effective type; through data interpretation the IIHS reports that side airbags that do not protect the head, only the chest and abdomen, can still reduce deaths by ten percent. The IIHS says its study is the first of its kind for the new type of airbag, which helped some sport-utes finish well in the group’s last rollover and crash tests as well. "Before head-protecting airbags were available there was virtually nothing to prevent people's heads from being struck by intruding vehicles or rigid objects like trees and poles in serious side-impact crashes. Now we know side airbags can change this and do a good job of protecting heads," said Institute president Brian O'Neill in a release.

Messages Page 13 of 1085

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