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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




Your Community Leaders are ateixeira and rsholland.

Messages Page 191 of 1084

#1899 of 10833 Favorable Review by 50thstate

Jun 02, 2004 (1:25 am)

"The Car Connection" has posted their review dated May 31, 2004 about the 2005 Legacy (gee, I hope I don't get in trouble for posting this on Edmunds site!):
 
http://www.thecarconnection.com/index.asp?n=181&sid=181&a- - rticle=7169
 
It's quite a favorable review. Still am looking for magazine reviews, too.
 
Right now I have a basic 4 door sedan and would like something that can haul more kids and their stuff. I'm considering the '05 Legacy wagon and am anxiously awaiting its arrival in late June/early July in Hawaii. That website also has a "spy shot" of the upcoming 2006 Subaru 7 passenger car, which looks quite intriguing. Anyone know more about that one?

#1900 of 10833 Bought an '05 GT Limited Wagon by threelegdog5

Jun 02, 2004 (2:01 am)

yesterday, sight unseen, based on all the helpful advice/info on this forum...I am returning to the US from overseas next week and decided I'd just buy rather than deal with car rentals - and the dealer had just want I wanted in stock (right color - silver- too!)....
 
So, this is just a thank you to all the contributors here and Edmunds - really great to have access to this sort of information....
 
Will post a few lines of review after I pick her up and drive a bit...

#1902 of 10833 Ken by zman3

Jun 02, 2004 (7:14 am)

I'm not certain what everyone considers a real review but the C&D issue I received yesterday has about a two page write up on the 05 Outback. I haven't had a chance to read it yet, but it was definitely more than the "Short Takes" that they sometimes have.

#1903 of 10833 Re: Bought an '05 GT Limited Wagon [threelegdog5 #1900] by kens

Jun 02, 2004 (8:27 am)

Replying to: threelegdog5 (Jun 02, 2004 2:01 am)
Excellent! That's the same trim and color I'm waiting on right now. Please post your impressions when you get it. BTW, did you get 5MT or 5EAT?
 
Ken

#1904 of 10833 by ateixeira

Jun 02, 2004 (8:32 am)

Congrats! I'm envious.
 
Glad to hear all the positive comments on the ride. GT better than Accord, OB better than Camry, and people seem generally pleased overall with the ride.
 
I think soft is not always best, Subaru tuned it to be well controlled and I prefer it that way, just not harsh either.
 
Someone said there was no free service? True, but get the Chase Subaru Card and the 3% reward in Subaru Bucks will cover your service easily (if you use your card as much as I do). Voila, free service, life time.
 
Interesting to see someone cross shop a Pilot. The Honda feels like a semi compared to the Outback. Taller, bigger, heavier, ride is harder and handling not even close. The performance just isn't there. For a family vehicle, it's a great value, but I just don't it compares with the dynamics of the Outback.
 
In fact, I think a minivan would compare more closely to a Pilot. If you don't go off road, wouldn't an Odyssey truly serve you better? It's cheaper and more fuel efficient, if you're really shopping for value.
 
Mazda6's rust issue scared us away. I love my Miata but our 626 was a money pit, and parts are hugely expensive. $28 for a gas cap for my Miata. Ouch. But that's nothing compared to the $220 for an O2 sensor for our 626. Don't buy without checking prices for parts first.
 
-juice

#1905 of 10833 More comparisons by ateixeira

Jun 02, 2004 (8:41 am)

XT vs. Bean? Tough one, but I'd pick the XT. The turbo engine is a lot quicker but only slightly less refined. Mileage is the same and price is better, so my pick is the XT.
 
Of course if it were a car in which I'd shuttle around clients or my mother-in-law, the refined H6 might be better.
 
Outback or Legacy? This is a tough one. I prefer to drive the Legacy by far. But how often do you really get to carve those canyons? How many curvy roads are there?
 
The Outback offers real-world ground clearance for speed bumps, snow accumulations, and the occasional trail. Then again how often do you need to go on those trails? Only you can answer that.
 
Get two. A Legacy for me, and Outback for the wife. We'd take the OB to the beach and camping, the Legacy for longer road trips on pavement.
 
Price? Ah. Isn't it ironic? We ask for plusher carpets, more content, more power, more space, bigger moonroofs, bigger rims, and when we get it and realize you get what you pay for, we whine about price. :o)
 
Compare to Passat 4Motions, Audi Quattros, Jaguar X types, and you see value, IMO. Mazda6 and TSX are budget alternatives but both are FWD and neither is nearly as quick.
 
Besides, Subaru has the Forester XT, and I've seen a few dip below $23 grand in price. For 2005 you can get the MT5 with leather and moonroof, probably about $25k, that's their bang-for-the-buck model. Rumor has it they revised the throttle-by-wire for better fuel economy for 2005, too. We'll see.
 
alum: absolutely, go on the SIA tour, I'm sure you'd be very welcome.
 
-juice

#1906 of 10833 Get two, a Legacy and Outback by rob_m

Jun 02, 2004 (8:46 am)

That's what I did!
 
I have my 99 GT LTD for daily commuting to work, and my wife has the 03 Outback for errands, weekends and ski trips. Your idea is not so crazy .... it works for me!

#1907 of 10833 Re: sportshift [radracer #1897] by moutback

Jun 02, 2004 (9:07 am)

Replying to: radracer (Jun 01, 2004 10:13 pm)
"mouth, you didn't explain WHY you found the steering wheel buttons useless. did they not make sense to you? or was it that you just didn't feel there was a purpose to have those buttons on the wheel?"
 
Both. They don't make sense because there's no purpose in having shifter buttons on the wheel of an automatic transmission, whereas they make sense for BMW's SMG (and for F1 cars). Sure, they may be convenient and even useful at times, but that convenience/usefulness is very marginal when compared with the convenience of audio controls on the wheel, which are infinitely more convenient and useful (and safer too). (See BMWs w/SMG--they have paddle shifters AND audio/temp controls.) But the shifter controls now resemble the tacky set on the Pontiac Grand Prix (which BTW has audio controls too)--not good. The most irritating part is the fact that Subaru has the technology, but won't offer it for all models--the same, cheap tactic it employs on new generation cars. This is not the way to reach out to an "upscale" market.

#1908 of 10833 Re: Ken [zman3 #1902] by kens

Jun 02, 2004 (9:37 am)

Replying to: zman3 (Jun 02, 2004 7:14 am)
Usually, I consider anything more extensive than the "Short Takes" to be a full review in C&D. The full reviews will have performance data taken by the C&D staff.
 
That's good to know that the C&D article is a bit more substantial. Based on the NABISCO forums, it appeared it was just a short take. The Automobile article is definetly a much more abbreviated article.
 
Ken

Messages Page 191 of 1084

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