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2009 Subaru Legacy

132 messages,  Last post on Oct 30, 2010 at 9:17 AM

You are in the Subaru Legacy & Outback Forum.

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

Messages Page 6 of 14

#51 of 132 Re: Car Care [ahq] by googonabike

Aug 30, 2008 (11:57 am)

Replying to: ahq (Aug 29, 2008 4:07 pm)
I see you already got the answer to your question. I just add that in last three years i bought three Subaru vehicles. In 2006 Willow Green O.B. 2.5i, for myself. In 2007 Gray Forester for my son, and few days ago, i leased 2009 Obsidian Black Legacy 2.5i SE for my wife, and every time i had $1000 in Subaru bucks. Until last statement from Chase i was quite happy with them. They refused to give me $100 credit, claiming i already maxed out, which is total BS, because this year i got only four $100 coupons. I already stopped using my Chase Subaru M.C. and switched to United Millage Plus. They don't impose any limits.

#52 of 132 Re: Car Care [googonabike] by ahq

Aug 30, 2008 (5:17 pm)

Replying to: googonabike (Aug 30, 2008 11:57 am)
Interesting... so do these Subaru bucks expire after a specified period of time?

#53 of 132 Re: Car Care [ahq] by pilot1226

Aug 30, 2008 (5:44 pm)

Replying to: ahq (Aug 30, 2008 5:17 pm)
If you're seriously interested in some type of rewards-based credit card, I'd suggest you look into something like an American Express Blue or a Citibank MasterCard Dividend Select card. There's also Chase Freedom Visa. I have all three.
 
The AmEx gives you 1.25% on everything and 2.5% on gas, groceries, and pharmacy purchases until a preset amount, which I think is $5,000, then it doubles for the remainder of your year (5% on gas, groceries, and pharmacy, 2.5% on all else). The snag here is that you can't get a "reward" in the mail - it gets applied to the 13th month's bill.
 
The Citibank MC gives you 3% on gas, groceries, and pharmacy and 1% else. The only reason I have this card is in the unlikely event where the merchant will only take a MasterCard. This rate used to be higher - 5% for ggp and 2.5% for everything else - but a few years ago they slowly started reducing the rewards. To redeem: After accumulating $50 in "dividend", electronically request a check through the website, you receive check in about a week.
 
The Chase Visa is my "everything else" card. This card actually gives you 3% on the top three categories of spending; they give you 3% on your top five if you hold a Chase Checking account. No expiration, no limit. Sample accounts are: "Dining and Entertainment" for a restaurant, "Services and Merchandise" for the Post Office, "Vehicle Expenses" for Coast Honda... etc. Fuel is included in Vehicle Expenses. There's a lot of things listed in the "Other" category and I'm not sure if they're all chunked into one "thing" for the rewards. You can redeem anytime after $50 is accumulated, or if you wait until there's $200 accumulated, you instantly jump to $250.
 
We prefer using our AmEx because of the higher reward (and we hit our preset limit within a few months of the card's calendar year) but we like our Chase just as much now that they've recently extended their categories.
 
Assuming it costs 50 bucks to fill up your tank:
Chase: $1.50 in rewards/tank
AmEx: $2.50 rewards/tank
 
If you fill your tank once a week, that's a difference of $52 by the end of the year in rewards, and if you pay in cash or use a debit card or non-rewards credit card, you're missing out on a free $130 in rewards (AmEx) or $78 (Chase). It depends on where and how often you go for gas, I guess to make it worth it since initially the Chase card is better... but if you're like me and go to Costco Wholesale for gas, you can only pay with American Express.
 
Hope that helps give you some food for thought - I like having my money in cash form so it's not tied into one specific company or brand (IE the Subaru Card)
 
I'm kind of a nut when it comes to free money... I pay for everything with my cards and then pay them off in full at the end of the month. If you carry a balance with ANY rewards-based credit card, the interest/financing charge is SIGNIFICANTLY higher than regular cards - we're talking 12% APR and beyond... and that's with Tier 1 Credit.
 
But, if you pay your bill off in full at the end of the month, you're the one winning out because you:
1) Get an interest-free "loan" from the credit card companies `till your statement is due.
2) Keep your money in the bank until the last possible statement where the above statement is due, which accumulates interest in a savings account. (ING Direct for the win!)
3) Get free money (rewards) from the card companies just for using their card instead of using cash. (It's nice to take about 15-20 cents off a gallon of gas and know in the end you're only really paying 3.15/gallon rather than 3.33 because of rewards!)
 
I also just don't like cash, because I have an "if I have it in my pocket, I feel compelled to spend it" attitude towards little things like vending machines, soda machines, etc, etc. With plastic, can't charge a Snickers bar, move along!

#54 of 132 Re: 2009 now on Edmund's... [outback08] by un4so

Aug 30, 2008 (8:13 pm)

Replying to: outback08 (Aug 06, 2008 6:15 pm)
I've had both of those types of rattles.
The 'cargo' rattle probably comes from the plastic covers, next to the rear lights, just under the tail gate. You can paste some weather proofing strip (spongy/rubbery), or just stuff some clothing first between the gate and those plastics, to prove they are causing the rattles.
For the 'sunroof' rattle, there is actually a repair kit issued by Subaru. I've had my 2007 Outback fixed one week ago. The invoice says "...installed sunroof repair kit..."; part might be 43SUZZM1 - ask your dealer about this.

#55 of 132 Re: Car Care [ahq] by googonabike

Aug 31, 2008 (4:17 pm)

Replying to: ahq (Aug 30, 2008 5:17 pm)
Yes, each $100 coupon is good for four (4) years on a date it was issued.

#56 of 132 Re: Car Care [pilot1226] by ateixeira

Sep 02, 2008 (12:20 pm)

Replying to: pilot1226 (Aug 30, 2008 5:44 pm)
The Chase Visa is my "everything else" card. This card actually gives you 3% on the top three categories of spending; they give you 3% on your top five if you hold a Chase Checking account. No expiration, no limit
 
Read the fine print, there are some limits.
 
Consumer Reports reviewed the card recently and I think they cap the 3% rebate at $18 per month, beyond that you only get 1% back.
 
Since you have 3 cards you may not exceed that limit (you would have to put more than $600 on your 3rd card in a single month), but there are limits.
 
My wife puts large business expenses on her card, so that $600 spending cap did not work well for us. I guess annually it would be $18 per month times 12, or just $216 per year in rebates at the 3% rate, the rest at 1%.
 
The Subaru card is with the same bank (Chase) but the cap is $500 annually, 3% for everything. No restrictions on categories for purchases, plus you stop using the card when you get the $500, so you know right away.
 
Of course the "restriction" is that you have to spend it at a Subaru dealer, but at least you can use it for service, parts, accessories, leases, or purchases. Even CPO used Subarus.
 
Our 2nd card is a Citibank Shell card - 5% back on all gas, 1% on all else.
 
So basically we get:
 
* 5% on all gas, no matter what
* 3% on everything else until we hit the $500 cap
* then 1% from that point on using the Shell gas card
 
I could probably get more than 1% for that short period of time but it's usually only a month or two.

#57 of 132 Frameless windows by cd68

Sep 02, 2008 (12:52 pm)

Does anyone know if the re-designed 2010 Legacy will have framed windows, or continue to have the frame-less windows?
 
I'm very interested in buying a new Legacy, but I've never had a car with frameless windows before, and I'm not sure if I would like them or if they would just be really annoying.
 
If anyone has any thoughts I would be most grateful.

#58 of 132 Re: Frameless windows [cd68] by ateixeira

Sep 02, 2008 (1:58 pm)

Replying to: cd68 (Sep 02, 2008 12:52 pm)
That seems likely, given the Tribeca, then Impreza, then Forester all moved to that design. Especially since the Legacy is more upscale, so you think dropping wind noise would be a priority.
 
Cons? More weight, more seals needed, thicker pillars (maybe).

#59 of 132 Re: Frameless windows [ateixeira] by cd68

Sep 02, 2008 (3:41 pm)

Replying to: ateixeira (Sep 02, 2008 1:58 pm)
That was my thought - since the Impreza and Forester in particular moved toward framed windows - it seems logical that the Legacy does so as well.
 
I'm considering buying the 2009 Legacy since it's an established design and all of the potential issues with regard to a brand new design are not applicable. On the other hand, I don't want to buy the 2009, and find out that the 2010 is an absolutely perfect car from a design and function standpoint. (In my opinion they should add framed windows, a bit more storage space for small stuff in the front seat, bluetooth, and improved gas mileage).

#60 of 132 Re: Frameless windows [cd68] by pilot1226

Sep 03, 2008 (5:48 am)

Replying to: cd68 (Sep 02, 2008 3:41 pm)
It's a tough call. I was in the same boat as you about a month ago, then decided to get the 2009 Legacy 2.5i Limited.
 
I considered waiting for 2010 and the remake, but friends and family alike cautioned me on being the first to own a brand new model year. My mother specifically recommended getting the 2009 since it's the last year for this build - so more or less they've got the majority of the kinks out.
 
The things I would have liked to see in 2010 would have been the low-force door handles (the ones that pull out rather than pull up, was kind of disappointed that this wasn't available), and likewise I'd like to have seen a little bit more storage space in the front, whether they add an eyeglass compartment near the sunroof controls or make the center console and cupholder console slightly larger.
 
I could take or leave bluetooth. I prefer to have the phone conversation in my ear rather than broadcasting in the car, because it gets awkward with passengers and quality isn't the same as an in-ear bluetooth regardless of the manufacturer.
 
Mileage I'm comfortable with. Although the sticker on the 2.5i was only 22 city/26 highway, I'm getting higher than 30 - about 30.9 to be exact - on highway with the air conditioner on constantly (Auto Climate Control). I'm not really using the shiftronic or the sport mode of the transmission, but I am driving the car gently... Not really letting the RPM's exceed 3.5k and not doing any abrupt braking unless I have to. I think in City driving, the 22 is probably accurate.
 
If they added a 5-speed Automatic Transmission next year, I'd consider purchasing another Legacy to replace my Nissan Sentra.
 
To me, it's all about Safety, which is why I looked into an AWD vehicle in the first place... I'd rather lose a few highway MPG (losing about 5 MPG compared to my `00 Honda Civic) in order to survive - or more importantly avoid - an accident.
 
That being said, and getting back to the original point, you're the one with the power now. The economy is floundering a bit, and as the `09's get more and more "common" throughout the market, you'll start seeing better and better financing deals and cash back offers. If you can wait until the `10's are released next summer, you'll probably get a killer offer on a 2009 if you can still find them. My wife and I were going to go after a 2008 since they had a super low price compared to the `09 Legacy, but none were around the NJ area in late July - just a week or two after the `09's launched.
 
Fingers crossed when I'm ready to get rid of my Nissan that Subaru will have a "keyless" ignition like many other car makers are doing... Mini, Nissan, etc. all have the push-button start with the intelligent key now (the key doesn't need to be in the ignition to run, just in your pocket). I like the high-tech features like that.

Messages Page 6 of 14

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