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Subaru Legacy/Outback 2005+

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Comments

  • larrycrowelllarrycrowell Member Posts: 33
    I appreciate all of the feedback I am receiving on this question. The Falken and Yokohama tires look good, but they are directional. Two other candidates are:

    Kumho Ecsta ASX W-rated, 420-aa-a, asymmetric, $80
    Sumitomo HTR H4 H-rated, 400-a-a, asymmetric, $77

    Does anyone have any feedback on these?
  • woodshop28woodshop28 Member Posts: 74
    I have the Kumho Ecsta ASX on my 05 2.5i wagon. I like them a lot. They are good in crummy weather, and have a quiet ride, too.
    I would buy them again.
    I have also owned that model, or a similar model of the Sumitomos, which were on my old car. I liked them, too. They are quite comparable to the Ecsta ASX in many ways. I think the Ecsta's may be a little quieter, but that is hard to say, given they were on different vehicles.

    Both were MUCH better than the OEM tires.
  • mbermber Member Posts: 2
    How does the Kumho cornering performance compare to the OEM tires? How many miles do you have so far? I'm looking for a repalcement tire right now.
  • mbermber Member Posts: 2
    Do you corner aggressively? That is, do you enjoy s turns in your Miata? If so, how is the cornering stability of the Falken tire? What sort of mileage have yuo gotten from the tread since you have 2 sets so far?
  • woodshop28woodshop28 Member Posts: 74
    I'd say they corner better. Keep in mind that these are 205-55-16, so on a mid-sized car, that is not a lot of tire. There is a bit of sidewall to contend with, so you won't get that sharp, 40-series tire response from any tire in this size , from my experience. The Kumhos are respectable though. If you want more snappy response, you'd have to upsize to 215/45/17, like the GTs have (I think the 2006 non-turbos have 17" rims, so you may not have the same size I do).
    We have something like 17,000 miles on our Legacy. These tires were put on at 1,000 miles, so they have about 16,000 miles on them. We had a big gouge in one of the OEM tires, and since they stink, we replaced all of them. We don't regret the decision.
    The ASXs seem to wear well, and have maintained a quiet ride.
    If you want a tire that does well in bad weather, rides smoothly and quietly, handles spririted driving reasonably well, has respectable tread life, this is not a bad option at all.
    Good luck to you and all.
  • krzysskrzyss Member Posts: 849
    has the same wheels like GT but tires are 205/50R17.

    Krzys
  • scottmcpheescottmcphee Member Posts: 10
    I was not happy that my brand new 06 Legacy wagon did not have what is now a very common feature "retaining accessory power" that keeps things alive for a while after removing the key. Later I found this very fact had been noted (on Edmunds!).. as a "minus" for the car.

    Long story short: I made a black box module that wires in under the dash to give the car retained accessory power after removing the key for a selectable time (2 to 16 minutes.) Does the job nicely.. It has options for killing accessory power, since I don't like it when opening the door kills power instantly - because often I'm out of the car then realize I need to jump back in and use a power accessory... I made it that when you LOCK the car cuts power. And along these lines, I made it that pressing UNLOCK breathes life into accessory power - the radio comes on and is playing when you hop in which is kind of novel.. but also lets me use other accessories without ever having to put a key in the ignition! .. it powers off after a time, or locking the car again.

    I also found a one-wire way to get power windows to work when Accessory power is on (instead of requiring ignition power to be on).. Also applies to sunroof on wagons.. so now I can use windows during retained power time.

    I've posted the brainpower on doing this elsewhere on another forum, legacygt.com I also offer install kits on a website if you don't want to make your own but buy a complete and tested kit ready to install, with Legacy instructions.

    Cheers
    Scott McPhee
  • larrycrowelllarrycrowell Member Posts: 33
    Hello Scott: Very useful information and I want to pursue it. I looked at legacygt.com, a nice site, but I couldn't find your posting. Where should I look?

    Thanks.
  • scottmcpheescottmcphee Member Posts: 10
  • lxjzhanglxjzhang Member Posts: 2
    I picked up my 06 Outback LLBean last monday and this is my first new car. It drives and looks great so far except yesterday when I looked the underbody I saw quite a lot rust spots on the exhaust system. The mufflers looks pretty good but most pipes/connections have some rust-like spots all around. I understand the car may have stayed in the dealer parking lot for a long time and even had a Minnesota winter already if it came in 2005, but it bothers me now. Does anyone know if this is normal for a "new" but "last year" model car? Should I ask and have the dealer do something to prevent it from further rusting? And what is the life time for the exhaust system anyway? Thanks a lot.
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    Yes, it's normal to have surface rust on the exhaust tubing, especially at the weld points. The tubes use a grade of stainless steel that rusts very slowly, but the welds and joints are regular steel and rust more agressively (however, those points are thicker). The whole system should last the life of the car. So don't worry about it -- no big deal! There are other parts of the undercarriage that will rust too (springs, arms, etc) but you can ignore that also.

    Enjoy your new car!

    Craig
  • larrycrowelllarrycrowell Member Posts: 33
    After studying the Falken, Yokohama, Sumitomo, and Kumho tires, I decided to give the Kumho ECSTA ASX tires a try. These are W-rated, 420-AA-A, all-season, asymmetic, nondirectional. For 4, TireRack's price is $320, shipping is $41, no tax, and a $40 rebate. After mount & bal (lifetime) at my local WallyWorld, my total will be $365 (which is less than I had speced). Not bad for an "ultra-high performance" W tire. The Kumho rebate is in effect until 2006-12-31. The OEM Bridgestones were 260 rated and I got just about 26K out of them, so we'll see if these Kumhos will go to 42K. Thanks to all of you who offered your experiences and opinions.
  • jae2jae2 Member Posts: 7
    Any word on when the 2007 outbacks will hit the lots in Canada? Local dealers appear to have no idea - is this just a play to clear out the 2006s?

    Thanks,
  • mpansare1mpansare1 Member Posts: 29
    Hi...anyone have any experience with tire wear and performance on the OEM Legacy tires (Yokohama Advanta)? I got these with the car (2006 Legacy Special Edition wagon), and the UTQG rating is only 160-AA-A. How do they wear? How do they handle in winter and on wet pavement? Please post your experiences. Thanks!!
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    Scott,

    Two questions--

    Have you drained your battery dead yet? :) And *what* are the power accessories that you are using in your car, then getting out, then getting back in to use again?

    I have a lot of gear in my car, but it's all permanently wired in, and I find the accessory ignition option to be all I need.

    ~Colin
  • lxjzhanglxjzhang Member Posts: 2
    Thanks a lot, Craig. I'm not worried now.
  • scottmcpheescottmcphee Member Posts: 10
    Dead battery? Nope.
    FYI the timer is set on mine to 8 minutes.
    It can be jumper adjusted in steps between 2 and 16 minutes.

    I actually use retained power for rolling up forgotten window/s, or to adjust windows down a bit on hot day. (You also need to do the one-wire window mod for these features).

    Sunroof people will enjoy the twiddling song and dance for closing the sunroof, without having the car running.

    I also enjoy listening to the radio/CD as it continues to play uninterrupted as I gather my stuff to leave.

    Vanity mirrors are also good for a last-glance before the hot date.

    I think these are the most common stock features most people would use retained power to do.

    Maybe the most funky thing about it is the RESUME feature I optioned on the module. By UNLOCKING the car accessories come alive. This is very handy, here's one scenario: car is sitting there all quiet, all closed up, but unlocked on my garage pad, baking in the sun.. I want tunes and to open windows while working around the car. No key in my pocket.. it's in the house. I open the door, reach in and hit the UNLOCK switch. Car was already unlocked but now I just woke up accessories too (for 8 minutes), enough time to do what I need to do. No key needed!

    Here's a power sucker: heated seats work on ACC power! This can work for you, or against you so keep it in mind. Maybe in the morning you want to preheat seats for a couple minutes. So you leave the switch/es on, and use the resume feature hitting unlock while you're still in the house before going to the garage. I don't know about your car, the range on my remote is fantastic.. I can hit the car 100 feet away easy.

    The timer is always in effect, the DOOR opening to kill, LOCK to kill, and UNLOCK to resume are all optional wires. You hook up ones you want, and set the timer how long you want.

    Cheers
    Scott
  • mrk610mrk610 Member Posts: 378
    Im looking at a 06 outback . The deals are really to good to pass up on . Im looking at a 2.5I and im only finding the cars with the taupe interior . Any one with this color how does it stand up to wear . Does it show alot of dirt, and if it does it it easy to clean .
    I 'm getting one 100 under invoice minus 2000 cash back and 1000 dealer cash so out the door 22318.00 .
    The window sticker is 26797. Im now dealing on my trade 02 outback with 69 k miles on it .

    Thanks in advance
    mike
  • saedavesaedave Member Posts: 694
    I have an 05 taupe leather interior VDC wagon. The leather seats are no problem, but the floor covering is. I keep mats on top, but the door sill area does get dirty. I would have preferred black for the VDC, but they came only in taupe.
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    I specifically sought out the black interior for my 05, as I saw too many taupe cars on the lot that were already dirty with scuffs, smudges, etc. I think it's a couple shades too light to be practical. The black shows dust, but otherwise is great.

    Craig
  • jeffmcjeffmc Member Posts: 1,742
    Easy to clean if it's been ScotchGuarded, but definitely shows the dirt easily. My salesperson recommended getting an extra set of the dark carpeted floormats, which I intend to do soon. With the 2-tone interior, they still go nicely. There's also the all-weather rubber mats - great for hiking, trips to the beach, etc.
  • tdiidmantdiidman Member Posts: 35
    Does anyone know if aftermarket LED taillights are available for a 2006 or 2007 Outback?
  • mrk610mrk610 Member Posts: 378
    Thanks for all your help . I just got a 06 2.5i outback .
    Got the silver with dark grey black interior .
    See my write up in the buying section . I think I got a good deal .
    Love the car what a difference from the 02 .

    Will post pics soon .

    Mike K in South jersey .
  • mrk610mrk610 Member Posts: 378
    I noticed on my window sticker that the engine origin is Japan .Has this been for since the 05 came out . My 02 engine was assembled in Indiana and it had bad slap before and after the piston replacement. The car is assembled in Indiana. I noticed on these boards that there have been alot less problems with the 05 06 07 engines .

    Mike k
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    No head gasket issues, though that stopped some time during MY02. At least in any significant quantities.

    -juice
  • mrk610mrk610 Member Posts: 378
    My biggest concern is the dreaded piston slap . I have not heard of any problems since the redesign . I cross my fingers every time i start my new outback .
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    Honestly that was by far the most rare of the classical Subaru problems. I'd be far more concerned about head gaskets and wheel bearings, statistically speaking.

    ~Colin
  • zman3zman3 Member Posts: 857
    Colin:

    What do you base that statement on? Do you have real numbers or is that your opinion based on dicussions here on the forum? I am just curious since I had the pleasure of experiencing all three on my 98 OB.

    Karl
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Ken Suzuki has piston slap on his Forester, and we've only observed a couple of other cases of that happening.

    Gaskets were far more widespread, though thankfully the rate has slowed to a point where now it's no longer frequent.

    -juice
  • aaykayaaykay Member Posts: 539
    The color choices offered on the 07 Legacy GT is pretty pathetic.

    The only way in which you can get a car with a Beige interior is by opting for White (which I despise) or a dull blue color called Newport Blue. Black or Navy (Regal Blue) is no longer offered as an option, with the beige interior. For whatever reason, I think Newport Blue would look pretty good with the black interior and Black would look good with a Beige interior, both of which color combos are not available. Black with a black interior (a combo that is offered), would look like entering a dark cave and to me, has a funereal/forbidding look.

    I like the car but sadly will have to pass it on, since we cannot opt for a combo that we like, even if we special order it.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    You don't like the Newport Blue? I like it.

    The gray interior will wear better, FWIW. Even though I have to agree that the beige looks better (when new).

    -juice
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    Yeah, I think they have messed up the color combos on the Legacy and Outback -- we had better choices in 05. You can still get silver exterior with a black interior on the 07 Legacy GT, and that's a great combo. Back in 05, they offered atlantic blue exterior with a black interior, and it was great. I got an 05 Outback with gold exterior and black interior, which was a nice pair. No longer available though.

    Unfortunately, I think the beige interior is too light, and it shows wear/dirt easily. So I would like more exterior color choices with the black interior, or make the beige darker and/or have a gray interior available.
  • aaykayaaykay Member Posts: 539
    Gold with a black interior should look stunning. The contrasting colors are what makes it look good. Going by Subaru's record, maybe that is why they dropped it !

    I know that Beige will be more high maintenance but I am upto the task. I clean/condition my leather at least once a month.
  • choekuochoekuo Member Posts: 10
    Hello, new to forum. We're planning to purchase a new Outback XT limited. Although we want a navigation GPS unit, I'm not crazy about the cost of the integrated unit that's available.

    Has anyone used the dash compartment to "hide" a GPS unit, rather than mounting on the window (like most aftermarket GPS units seem to do)? Anyone with photos of what this looks like?

    Thanks in advance from a new member!
  • choekuochoekuo Member Posts: 10
    We're thinking about purchasing a new Outback XT Limited and are weighing between the 2006 vs 2007 models. There's a much better rebated for the 2006 ($2750) vs the 2007 ($750).

    The potentially big difference between the two model years is the availability of stability control option with VDC for the 2007 version. Electronic stability control is an important feature, but I'm looking for advice on whether this is possibly worth the $2000 difference. :confuse:

    Thanks for opinions.
  • garandmangarandman Member Posts: 524
    Colin:

    What do you base that statement on? Do you have real numbers or is that your opinion based on dicussions here on the forum? I am just curious since I had the pleasure of experiencing all three on my 98 OB.

    Karl

    Go to ultimatesubaru.net. There are hundreds of posts on HG and most other maintenance issues. Piston slap is not all that common.
  • garandmangarandman Member Posts: 524
    Where do you live, how much do you drive, and how do you drive?
  • chassolchassol Member Posts: 95
    We just purchased a new 2007 Outback XT Limited w/Nav. The car is utterly fantastic. We also own a 2006 Tribeca 7 Pass w/Nav&DVD. I have been sold on the VDC since Subaru came out with it. The 2007 Outback XT Limited also has SI-Drive (Subaru Intelligent Drive) with the 5 speed automatic (basically three different settings for the ECU, with the "I" supposedly getting up to 10% better mileage. The other two settings are "S" and "S#" - "S" is normal and "S#" is like having no turbo lag anywhere - but remember your gas mileage will go down using it.). So far we have 335 miles on it since last Friday and the one full gas tank I was able to measure accurately came in at 23.2 MPG. I fully expect this to get better after the 1st oil change to my favorite synthetic 5-30 oil and a couple thousand more miles. Most of my miles are 80% Interstate and 20% City.

    If you are going to keep the Subie for several years, I strongly suggest you go with the 2007. The bang for the buck over the 2006 is worth the extra $2,000. ($750 versus $2,750). The new "extra" safety features are worth every penny. The 2007 Outback XT Limited with 5 speed auto has VTD - Variable Torque Distribution, VDC - Vehicle Dynamics Control and TCS - Traction Control System (incorporated in VDC).

    If you can find one at a dealer try driving a 2007 and 2006 I think you will see what I'm talking about. I got the first and only XT Limited my dealer has had. At least try to find one and drive it. I'll bet you will go with the 2007. :)

    If you haven't figured it out I'm a firm believer in Subaru and we own our 6th (Tribeca) and 7th (Outback XT Limited) since 1998.

    BTW the quality of the dealer can make a world of difference - try to find the best one, if you are in an area that has more than one - look at the parts department and the service area as well as the showroom. I'm very lucky to have one of the top dealers in the USA.

    Forgive me for sounding like a commercial, but I really do love Subaru and the wife does too.

    Good Luck and I know you will make the best choice that suits you and yours.
  • choekuochoekuo Member Posts: 10
    In Seattle. Driving includes commuting to and from work, and weekend driving into the mountains for skiing/ hiking. True, Seattle doesn't get terrible snow like some other parts of the country, but it certainly gets a lot of rain and slick weather in the winter.

    I recognize that most in this forum would probably say that the all-wheel drive is the most important performance feature related to safety, but I'm trying to get a feel for whether dynamic stability control is worth more than peace of mind... specifically, is this worth the $2000 difference?

    Asked another way, how much have others noticed an improvement with control in dangerous driving conditions with this feature?
  • nickelnickel Member Posts: 147
    I have an 06 Sienna with Stability and Traction and a 06 2.5i without. As some say, the OB has a small tendency to loose the tail on turns, but not so serious to worry about if you know the way you are driving. In this situation, VDC would help, but I can live w/o. My Sienna is FWD, and last weekend, on pouring rain it constantly loose traction when accelerating. At one time, it did it at 40 mph on the highway. Boy, that was frightening, because it put the brakes on slightly, and I was imagining if a Subaru was behind me I'd have real trouble, because the Subie never have that kind of situation. Advantage AWD over VDC.
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    As mentioned before, VDC is worth upgrading to. My 05 XT Ltd is awesome in deep snow, but I have found the car to be a little nervous on slippery packed snow or icy roads. It would be nice to have the extra margin of VDC, and the small MPG improvement of SI drive is good too. Finally, you also get the aux-in on the radio and some minor improvements in the interior. Prices actually dropped on the other 07 Outback models relative to 06, but the XT absorbed that drop with added equipment. Still, I think the 07 is a better deal.
  • pathtomaxpathtomax Member Posts: 215
    What are the chances of Subaru offering the Outback XT Limited with VDC AND a Manual transmission?
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    They might already -- the cars101 site shows VDC as being a feature on any XT Ltd, and doesn't differentiate between manual or auto trans. However, in the past VDC has only been available with the auto trans. Subaru has not released 07 Outback brochures yet (at least not from their website) so I guess we don't know for sure unless someone has another source of info or can actually look at the window sticker of an 07 XT with manual trans.
  • jeffmcjeffmc Member Posts: 1,742
    The Outback has a low center of gravity anyway (compared to SUVs & crossovers), so I don't think VDC would make a big difference in preventing a rollover since it's pretty unlikely anyway. I'd think that VDC's effective usefulness would be not allowing you to lose control from taking a corner (or swerving) too quickly.

    Incidentally, I'd say Subaru's strong body structure is the biggest safety feature, to me. Does very well in the crash tests with insignificant intrusion into the passenger areas. The active safety features add to the overall package, but can't prevent someone else from crashing into you. Combine both the active and passive safety features like Subaru has, and you've got one great car.

    I'm in the Seattle area, too (Everett). If you don't have a dealership you're working with already, check out purchasing online from Carter - no hassles, great customer service, free loaners, extremely convenient service dept open 7 days (and early/late hours during the week). I've purchased three vehicles there over 15 years, and been satisfied every time. Many friends & co-workers I've referred have also been very pleased with the dealership (as well as with the cars, of course!).

    OK - done with my PR work for the day. :) Either way, '06 or '07, you're getting a great car. Happy shopping!
  • edwardsfedwardsf Member Posts: 190
    Thanks for that great post identifying the new substantal changes in the XT. Those are two areas that made me hesitant to make an XT purchase: lack of stability control and poor gas mileage.

    BTW, EPA confirms the increase in mileage (see fueleconomy.gov). The change from 06 to '07 is 19/25 to 20/26. That seems less than 10% but clearly the SI is doing something. Emissions appear the same.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I wonder if that is in Econ mode, or Sport? I recall the 10% economy gains claim.

    -juice
  • choekuochoekuo Member Posts: 10
    Does anyone currently use an aftermarket GPS navigation unit that fits into the dash compartment of the outback (rather than mounted on windshield)?
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I know a dealer did this - they actually put it on new cars.

    Who was it? Spitz? I don't recall.

    I think my c320 is a bit big, but the Garmin Nuvi is tiny. See if that one fits in that compartment. Or the Garmin i3 or i5, those are also miniscule.

    -juice
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    image
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    probably so, but it would be a bit hard to read I'd think.
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