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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 891 of 1084

#8900 of 10833 Re: Adios Passat, Hello Outback! [cptplt] by saedave

Apr 23, 2006 (2:26 pm)

Replying to: cptplt (Apr 23, 2006 6:15 am)
I would like to second the comment on better Subaru reliability than anything from VAG. I have owned 12 VW or Audi cars over many years and every one was very nice to drive but nasty to own even in warranty. Too much time in VW/Audi service departments is not compensated for by the free coffee!
 
I'm on my second Subaru (2005 Outback 3.0R VDC wagon)and I have had minimal service requirements outside of oil changes and tire rotation. I did have the rear hatch strut problem like some of the Tribecas which was cheerfully remediated by my dealer. Incidentally the Outback oil change costs $100 LESS than for my 2002 W8 Passat.

#8901 of 10833 2005-6 Outback Suspension Floaty-Bouncy ? by maybesaab

Apr 24, 2006 (6:44 am)

I am driving a Saab 92x - which is a Subie Impreza wagon with Saab tuning on the springs and extra soundproofing. I like the car alot...very tight suspension and steering but little on the light side. I went to a Subie dealer and bought a used 2005 base Outback after a short test. LOVED everything about the car but on first drive on road to work...a road with some slight dips....I felt the suspension on the car kind of getting a little floaty and me getting a little nauseated....the ride became perfect again on flat roads but i started noticing that any roads that are rolling or undulating make the suspension float for a bit....(I swapped the car with the wife and she loves the Subie).
 
The floaty or bouncy-bouncy feeling is NOT during cornering...It is when the car is running in a straight line and simply goes over slight dips or undulating road....I see lots of people adding coils and springs and such but I dont want to lose the great comfortable ride.
  
I have checked out many cars and the Outback is the closest to perfect for me due to the quietness, smooth ride, quality, awd....but the float is a problem. I have checked out the Legacy GT but too much sport for me as a daily driver and my compromise MIGHT be a base Legacy but it's not even close to an Outback. The Outback is sooooooo close to perfect. My wife is telling me to get a BMW and was thinking a used 315ci or something but the expense scares me.
  
Can tires alone address this floaty-ness ?
 
Someone else had posted: "After putting 15k miles on the stock tires, I recently replaced them with Falkens... the cheapest decent tire Discount Tires stocks, and the difference is huge. No more bouncy-bouncy." Any comments/info will be much appreciated

#8902 of 10833 Floatiness by ateixeira

Apr 24, 2006 (10:00 am)

I don't think tires alone will change the ride all that much. You can try a higher air pressure on the current tires to see if you notice a difference. Try 33psi, maybe.
 
cyberfire12: congrats, first off.
 
What model? Color? trans? Tell us more about it...
 
-juice

#8903 of 10833 Re: 2005-6 Outback Suspension Floaty-Bouncy ? [maybesaab] by kens

Apr 24, 2006 (10:59 am)

Replying to: maybesaab (Apr 24, 2006 6:44 am)
Unfortunately, I don't think tires will change the suspension characteristics. The Outback has a long travel suspension designed with light off-roading in mind. The float is a tradeoff.
 
Would you explain more about how the Outback is close to being the ideal car for you? Do you need the extra suspension travel and ground clearance? If no, and the float bothers you, I would think the base Legacy would be a close contender. Aside from the suspension, the two are very similar vehicles under the slightly different body cladding. Also the base Legacy is a tad lighter than the Outback so it would also give you better acceleration as well.
 
Ken

#8904 of 10833 Re: 2005-6 Outback Suspension Floaty-Bouncy ? [kens] by bgsntth

Apr 24, 2006 (11:23 am)

Replying to: kens (Apr 24, 2006 10:59 am)
You are not alone in your categorization of the Outback's suspension, and there are many threads on this topic both here and at legacygt.com.
 
I upgraded to Advan ST tires (36f/34r), a 20mm RSB (OE JPM), and as much negative front camber as I could dial-in (-.4degrees). This reduced the mid-turn pogoing, understeer, and straight ahead float to a large degree; but the suspension still needs stiffer dampening IMO. So far the aftermarket is ignoring us. There are coil-over options, but most of us with coil-over experience would not even consider them for a street car (NVH, inevitable issues).
 
My biggest complaint with the suspension right now is for the rear suspension's proclivity to easily compress into the bumpstops, which was even worse before my mild mods. Makes for a jarring commute through the city streets, long-travel suspension be-damned.

#8905 of 10833 Re: 2005-6 Outback Suspension Floaty-Bouncy ? [kens] by maybesaab

Apr 24, 2006 (1:31 pm)

Replying to: kens (Apr 24, 2006 10:59 am)
Thanks for the info...
 
One of the things I didnt mention was that I do want to get a Subaru and if the Ouback "float" is not correctable for me then I thought a base Legacy was the next best hope so it was good to hear you had the same perspective. Though the Legacy is a nice car and people like them I don't think they come close to the quiet and smoothness of the Outback. It feels like it would be such a compromise in those area that it is hard to be excited about it. Plus the ride in the Legacy "feels" like a small car ride to me while the Outback is more substantial and rides "large". But it is good to know realistically what I wold face if I tried to force the Outback decision. It seems to me there is nothing else on the market that compares to Subaru value, reliability, awd, and in the case of the Outback - also quiet and ride quality. Am I missing something in the market ?

#8906 of 10833 Re: 2005-6 Outback Suspension Floaty-Bouncy ? [maybesaab] by kens

Apr 24, 2006 (5:34 pm)

Replying to: maybesaab (Apr 24, 2006 1:31 pm)
That's interesting you say that the Legacy doesn't feel as smooth and quiet as the Outback. Both really are almost identical vehicles with the exception of ground clearance, longer travel suspension and other visual cues. Soundproofing and interior space are all the same.
 
I drive a Legacy GT wagon and I once had an Outback XT loaner while I was getting service. The OBXT did not sound any quieter to my ears, in fact the stock tires are slightly noisier than those on the GTs.
 
Perhaps some of the "rides large" and "smooth" you percieve is from the higher ground clearance and softer suspension? The OBXT I drove did feel "bigger" partly due to the ground clearance, but also because the suspension is not as responsive.
 
I think you might be caught in a Catch-22 here. The same qualities you like about the Outback are also what is the cause of the floatiness you dislike.
 
Perhaps another perspective would help. The Outback is often positioned as an alternative to an SUV. It lets you do all the light-offroading most people don't do anyway with their SUV, but it handles much better. I think part of the complication is that you're comparing an OB to a road-only car.
 
While you could get an OB and make it's suspension firmer, you would in some ways be defeating the original intent of the vehicle.
 
Ken

#8907 of 10833 Re: 2005-6 Outback Suspension Floaty-Bouncy ? [kens] by maybesaab

Apr 25, 2006 (5:38 am)

Replying to: kens (Apr 24, 2006 5:34 pm)
Hi Ken,
 
I think you hit the nail on the head with the "catch 22" - it sure feels that way. I think what I will do is test ride the Legacy and the Outback one after the other and pay particular attention to the ride and noise levels. I think that they are even close to comporable then I have my solution. The fact that you own and drive a Legacy regularly and then had an Outback for a bit sounds like the best comparison scenerio I can think of - definitely better than a couple of 10 minute test drives. Thanks for the info and the perspective - they were both very helpful. Thanks Dave.

#8908 of 10833 Extended Warranty by pf2001

Apr 25, 2006 (12:50 pm)

Hi,
  I was wondering if anyone has brought the extended warranty lately? If you had, did you buy it from the dealer or a non-dealer? Can you shop around for a better price?
 
Thanks.

#8909 of 10833 Re: 2005-6 Outback Suspension Floaty-Bouncy ? [maybesaab] by kens

Apr 25, 2006 (3:13 pm)

Replying to: maybesaab (Apr 25, 2006 5:38 am)
Dave,
 
Do you have a good dealer nearby? I thought Subaru had an extended test drive campaign going on where you could test drive a model for 24 hours or something. Or better yet, some Subaru dealers also run a side rental car business and you can rent an Outback and or Legaacy for not too many dollars a day. It probably would be money well spent.
 
But yes, getting to drive each over a period of days on one's regular commute is probably the best way to see the similarities and differences.
 
Ken

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