Subaru Legacy/Outback 2005+

paisan

doubt it. Maybe if they come out with a legacy STi but I highly doubt you'll see the 6mt in there.

-mike

robr2

I was able to go 387 miles on a tank of gas before I ran out on the freeway and had to pull over.

I'd avoid running your tank so low too often. In many vehicles, the fuel pump is located in the fuel tank and the gasoline cools it.

ateixeira

I think the fuel pick-up point is at the front of the tank. Since you were going uphill, the leftover gasoline was probably towards the back of the gas tank, so the pump ran dry.

But I bet there was still a bit of residual gas in there.

If it had been down hill, you would have made it! Of course you could also have coasted in...



-juice

llamatrekker

I just wanted to see if anyone had any fun snow-driving tips for the Legacy GT. We had a blizzard out here in Colorado and I took my one week old Legacy out to a mountain town and basically sped through the switchbacks in almost a foot snow. The AWD just kept the car climbing (pretty steep climbs) and turning like a champ. Amazing car. I just switched from a rear wheel drive V8 car, so it was great to be able to just speed through unpaved trails while other people were getting stuck in snow and being towed out.

ateixeira

Besides practicing a lot to get a feel for how she behaves at and even over the limit (in a safe, empty parking lot), see if you can get the tail to wag.

Get the rear end loose, and instead of laying off the gas, add throttle instead. Feel the AWD shift to the front axle, and pull you out of the skid. It's exhilirating. You seem out of control, but you're not.

-juice

jay_24

Offical response: drive slow, leave plenty of space for the other drivers and your subie will take you just about anywhere

Un-offical response: mash the gas and feel the power shift from the front wheels to the rear. At that point you will have some of the feel of your old rear wheel drive (but not all of it).

Snow is all gone here

--jay

glenford

I do love the way the driven wheels change with conditions. Even better snow performance with snow tires.

Of course, you don't STOP any better with AWD.

njswamplands

ateixeira

You have to stop when other vehicles spin out of control.

-juice

njswamplands

ateixeira

francophile

I just wanted to see if anyone had any fun snow-driving tips for the Legacy GT.

Yes. Enjoy it! But always remember one cardinal rule: AWD and 4WD, by themselves, only help a vehicle *go*. They do not make one tiny bit of difference in how well a car *stops* or *turns*. In other words, don't get carried away thinking that all that go-traction is going to be there when it comes time to stop! Also, as your now-new all-season tires wear your turning and stopping ability in snow and ice will decrease markedly.

Winter tires make a world of difference, even on vehicles with AWD. If you live where there is a significant amount of snow I cannot recommend them highly enough.

Cheers,
-wdb

rob_m

I thought the GT was putting the power 45 front / 55 rear for a more RWD bias. How is the power redistributed when the tires start to slip? Rob M.

dcm61

I thought the GT was putting the power 45 front / 55 rear for a more RWD bias. How is the power redistributed when the tires start to slip?

AT uses VTD (planetary gears and multiplate clutch pack); default is 45F / 55R. Distribution range is +5F / -5R.

MT uses VC with a default of 50F / 50R. Not sure what the disbtribution range is.

DaveM

saedave

That range of torque splits for VTD doesn't sound wide enough to me. The technical paper by Fugi in 2000 was not clear...except the original torque split was specified as 36/64% front/rear. Who has the current information?

ateixeira

This is a PDF about the JDM tuned version of VDC.

There is actually no limit, VDC can send 100% of the power to either axle. That's impressive, even Audi quattro can only send 67% either way.

http://210.101.116.115/fisita/pdf/G347.pdf

Unfortunately this is also why VDC is so expensive and so far limited to models in the $30k+ price range.

-juice

saedave

juice,

I had that PDF, but it is not completely clear. Note that the initial torque split now specified is not the 36/64% in the paper. The torque split range may not be the same for VTD in the GT/Bean and the VDC if the brake application of traction control is taken into consideration by the computer.

Dave

ateixeira

That's the JDM state of tune. We get 45/55, but I'm sure the split capability of the system are no different.

-juice

fj60

My '05 GT wagon was delivered with the STS and therefore I never drove the vehicle with the stock shifter. I recently sat in a GT with a stock shifter and felt a negligible difference between shift feel and distance compared to the STS. I asked the service supervisor to double check whether the STS was actually installed. He drove my wagon and concurred with my opinion that the shifter felt too close to stock. Upon inspection he confirmed that the shifter part number matches the STS code. My question: is it possible that something other than the STS was not installed as it should have been . . . a bushing perhaps.

FJ60

ateixeira

If it's an SPT part it'll look different, you can see just by unscrewing the shift knob.

The stock shifter has a rubber insulating layer, while the SPT is metal all the way down. I had them side-by-side when I went from my Forester's stock shifter to the SPT one.

-juice

c_hunter

Hey Juice, do you have any more links to technical papers on Subaru AWD? That was pretty cool. I'd love more detail on the active AWD, for instance. There have been debates about the benefits of active AWD transferring power forward to enhance braking, and it would nice to have more info.

Craig

ateixeira

That's the only really detailed description I've ever seen for any of the systems. The rest are pretty vague.

-juice

lu888168

I'm considering a 2.5i legacy automatic. The estimates of mileage is 22/30 highway. Did anyone get close?

kat95

I've had my 05 2.5i for one month. Mostly city driving 22 -23 so far. I took a long trip 32 was best 28 was the worst. I'm not sure but I did notice that I got better mileage depending on which gas station I used. I've heard some stations water their gas, not sure how true that might be. This is my second Subaru and I'm very
happy with the new one, it's an automatic sedan. I know it doesn't get the best mileage out there compared to other cars, my choice was based on previous experience and that I live where we get alot of snow. Hope this helps.

occking

As I put more mileage on vehicle, and as weather warms, gas mileage is getting better. Have 2.5i outback auto.
For first 8000 miles or so, mostly highway driving was averaging 24.8. However on last two trips got closer to 26 and, yesterday on trip to CT averaged 28. The trip computer is always 1 to 1.5 miles over actual.

ateixeira

Good to hear the high mpg on the base engines.

I wonder if the 173hp AVLS engine in the 2006s will be better or worse?

-juice

kmclean

Greetings, all,

I posted this question on the Problems/Solutions board, but didn't get much info: Anyone have occasion to remove the plood bezel on the driver's armrest that surrounds the collection of switches located there (windows, locks, mirror movement & heaters)? I'm considering swapping out the button for the mirror heaters (the integrated pilot light died) if it's a single switch, but don't want to start the project by cracking/snapping that trim piece. I know most have an initial "pry spot" where the piece is loosened from its clips, and that's what I need to know since it's not in the owner's manual and I don't own the humongous "real" maintenance manual set. A careful exam of the area didn't reveal much. Car is a 2K OB Ltd Wagon.

Thanks in advance!

Ken in Seattle

kadel

hi juice
though I have caught here the info regarding new Outback 173HP I still haven´t seen any link or so.
Please can U let here any link to that message (even considering that Forester originally meant)
thanx
r400
hope that it will be available here in europe as well!!

vetmats

Pry up on the trim piece from the bottom of the piece (where it is flat). Also, to minimize the chances of cracking any plastic pieces, do it when you have relatively warm temperatures outside.

This link give you an idea of what's underneath the trim piece.

http://members.cox.net/craig.hunter/window/

vetmats.

bat1161

How come the Tribeca gets a trailer "package" of hitch, wiring harness, and transmission cooler but the Leg/OB does not? This is the special offering if you pre-order the Tribeca.

Thanks,

Mark (getting a little shaky on that old fence)

rsholland

How come the Tribeca gets a trailer "package" of hitch, wiring harness, and transmission cooler but the Leg/OB does not?

I wonder if that will change for the '06 Outback?

Bob

ateixeira

Good idea. I'd want it, for instance.

kadel: here is what Edmunds reported:

The 2.5-liter boxer engine in the base Forester 2.5 X models gains an Active Valve Lift System (AVLS) variable valve lift technology, which increases output to 173 horsepower (up from 165 in the 2005 models).

Link:

http://www.edmunds.com/news/autoshow/articles/104904/page016.html?tid=edmunds.e.autoshow..- leftnav.17.*

-juice

myamax

Hello - I am in Canada, but wanted to chirp in here to add that I just purchased the 2.5i automatic (still in the breakin phase!) and my first tank of gas I drove just over 700km on 57 litres of gas...I think that works out to around 29mpg, and most of it was highway driving. I am absolutely thrilled with that as I was varying my speed every few kilometers and not using the cruise control at all (I am still of the 'old school' thinking when it comes to breaking an engine in!).
FYI, based on the feedback from this forum I got the extended armrest and use it all the time - If you do end up purchasing, I highly reccomend it.

ateixeira

The Forester gets something similar for 2006.

Oddly, it flips up and back to serve as cupholders for the back row!

-juice

saintviper

Hi Guys,
I put my Rota SDR wheels on my Legacy today. It's nice and sunny so I took a few pics.

saintviper

This one shows what the car looks like with the badges taken off. The fact that there were so many of them and that the font sizes were all different really bugged me. So, off they come. I kinda like the nice clean look.

c_hunter

Sweet!!!

njswamplands

saintviper

Yes, it's on the list.

xwesx

I think the gold looks hideous, but everything else, including the badging removed, looks great!

The front end of these new Legacys is just stunning. If they would have left the rear lights a little more.... flowing (like the 04).... this design would have been nearly visually flawless.

francophile

I think the gold looks hideous

Heh. I think it looks great. I was also thinking about my friend with the A4 Avant, who said that his next new car was likely to be a Legacy GT wagon. He would be salivating so much over that car...!

Cheers,
-wdb

c_hunter

Yeah, gold wheels are highly objective (I prefer silver and gunmetal myself). But Regal blue is one of those colors that pulls it off brilliantly. I bet it's a killer in person.

Craig

saintviper

I do think they look a little better in person. I got the gold ones because I'm into WRC, and the WRX has gold wheels. I'll try them for a while and see if I like them. Otherwise, have a few WRX owner buddies that are interested in buying them. I can sell them and get something else if it doesn't work.

Here's how they looked on my WRX.


I think they look great there, but with the dark blue and silver trim, silver wheels might look better.

nord123

To my knowledge no one yet makes an iPod dock connector for the Subaru-specific audio harness. Dension, Monster Cable and MP3yourcar, all say that the Subaru harness is coming shortly. Of course they have been saying that for at least 5 months. Has any one heard of any other direct interface solution?? Will these interfaces allow you to control the tune selection from your Ipod? My understanding is the tune selection is controlled thru the tuner display, allowing only playlists. Is this true?

kmclean

Thanks for the info and the handy pics. I always wait until warm weather until I start pulling and prying on plastic-type pieces - and in Seattle that can mean waiting until July - and leaving the car out in the sun until midday.

I installed a Donnelly rear view mirror (auto-dimming, outside temp, compass) in this car the summer after it was new, and that involved pulling the front part of the roof liner and associated parts, the trim strip down the driver's A-pillar, and a bunch of miscellaneous plastic clips and fasteners. All went well and I completed the job before the boss got home and saw her new car in pieces all over the driveway. The mirror - almost four years old now - has operated perfectly and been really handy during cold weather and when driving around in the boonies (lots of that out here), especially on a moonless night.

Thanks again!

Ken in Seattle

grady2

have an 05 outback xt ltd, black, with STS and 500 miles... one agent at the dealer told me its better to push the engine more during break-in (as long as you dont use cruise or keep steady rpms) to gain even better production long term. (explanation was because of more precise machining in modern cars)

any other opinions on this? its too easy (or fun) to go over 4000 rpms with the turbo when merging on the highway, etc...

tsy

Hey, I like those wheels-they're prodrive knockoffs by Rota right?. Are they 18s? What size tire? I want a little wider wheel for my GT, and maybe a little lighter also. I totally agree with the debadging- I debadged my car as soon as I got my new trunklid.

I think gunmetal would look nice too- not as showy, but the gold does look good on Subies.

tom

saintviper

The wheels are Rota SDR's. They do look quite a bit like the Prodrive which I like very much. Not sure about the weight but I think they are reasonably light. Certainly nothing like 20 inch crome spinners.

The rims are 17 inch and the tires are 215-45-17. I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do with them. I hated the OEM WRX wheels, but the OEM wheels on the Legacy are almost exactly what I would choose to put on the car. I may look for a set of take offs and use them year round, and sell the Rotas. Anybody want to trade?

c_hunter

None of these "upcoming" iPod kits will work with the 05 Leg/OB radios. They are probably for the older Subarus that had CD-changer connectors on the back of the radio.

There are plenty of DIY hacks, if you're inclined.

Craig

nord123

Craig
Thanks for the info. How would one go about finding a DIY hack and am I asking for trouble!
Mark