Subaru Legacy/Outback 2005+

kat95

Has anyone experienced the following? I have an 05 Legacy 2.5 i automatic/sportshift. I noticed that if I have to accerlate fast, ex: passing, entering
highway the rpm's will go up but the car doesn't respond it hesitates. I'm used to pressing the gas pedal or "flooring it" if need be and the car responds. I really have to plan my moves in advance. My Impreza never did this. I guess it's not a big problem just a concern.

c_hunter

Yeah, that's the transmission trying to decide if it wants to waste gas or not! For a quicker response, slide the shift lever to the left (but don't invoke +/- manual mode). This puts the transmission in sport mode and makes it respond like you'd expect.

In normal mode the transmission is very miserly with upshifts and downshifts. In sport mode, it responds very quickly to your right foot. I leave my OB XT in sport mode all the time.

On older models, a "spontaneous" temporary sport mode would be invoked if you moved the accelerator pedal quickly. Not sure if that still exists.

Craig

snowbird

I have an 05 Outback H6 and experienced the same problem, but when I shift the gear to sportsmatic, the problem goes away.

kat95

I've never used sport mode before,do I apply the brakes before I shift into sport?
If you leave it in sport mode all the time does it hurt the transmission or gas mileage? Thanks for your input

kat95

I've lived in Maine and VT which has a fairly good amout of snow however, I've never used snow tires. I lived on a steep hill and not once did I have trouble getting up or down. All seasons have worked just fine on my Subaru. I'd like some feedback from other owners who have do deal with this type of weather as to what they do regarding tires.

Thank you

samiam_68

You can shift to and from the sport mode, anytime, even while driving at any speed

rsorganize

Live in WMass, near Vt border. Lots of back road travel in snow. Live on a rather steep dirt road that is quite an adventure in the winter. During my first winter with my '05 3.0R VDC, used Dunlop Wintersports. They were great. In fact, the overall ride on dry surfaces - handling, noise, etc. - was better than the OEM Potenzas. BTW: just switched from the Potenzas to Turanza LS-V. Much better.

45,000 mi on the VDC and the only problem has been the 3X replacement of headlights...oh, and the overhead interior light. Nothing else. Wish gas mileage were better...but, it;s my fault: the car is too quick/fast and I cannot keep below 80 on the Mass Pike.

xwesx

Live in Fairbanks, Alaska and have a '96 OBW. This will be the 6th winter I have driven it here (6+ months of constant snow/ice) and I have never had anything but all-seasons on it. First set was some type of OEM Ford tire.... American General or something like that (bought it from a Ford dealership). After two years, I replaced them with a set of Goodyear Allegras. I have about 75K on those tires and they have done very well every year. I should replace them at some point this winter, and I am considering GY Tripletread as a replacement, though I may just get another set of Allegras (price is right!). Tire selection is not exceptional here, though the prices certainly are (exceptionally high, that is...).

Undoubtedly, winter tires would perform better and would up the overall performance of the car. I have, however, driven the car through some rather exceptional conditions, and the only times I have had a serious problem is on unstable snowpack when I've fallen through and the car has become high-centered. Better tires wouldn't help too much there, but they'd make a difference in heavy slush (8+ inches of mixed slush/ice)... the other condition in which navigation has become tricky for mine.

glenford

I live in upstate NY, on a (low) mountain, and have a quite steep access road (1.5 miles) and long driveway. Before I moved here (from nearby, but flatter) drove for many years with FWD and all-seasons, and never really had a problem. Now driving AWD Legacy and RX300 and I switch to winter tires every season. It's a matter of degree, of course. Winter tires definitely grip better, but do I need it? Tire Rack and Car and Driver have done articles about the differences between all seasons and winter tires. For me the biggest difference is stopping - they stop much better in slippery conditions. So I store a mounted set of winter tires, and swap them on and off every year. If you don't have the space for storage, could be an issue, but otherwise, I will continue to do it.

Probably more important than this decision - I find I have to get new tires earlier (in terms of remaining tread depth) if winter is coming. An all-season that would get me through the summer may have to be replaced if it is October.

Good luck. Tim

c_hunter

Yeah, just the flip the lever to the left. It will not hurt the transmission at all (there should be no difference). On my Outback XT, I have not noticed any mpg penalty associated with sport mode, but my commute is 90% highway with the car in 5th. If I did a lot of city driving with many shifts, and I was agressive on the throttle, then sport mode would probably hurt mpg, but it would have to be a real small effect.

In fact, if you drive/accelerate normally, sport mode will still shift gently. It will just offer quicker response when you want it.

Craig

reuben2

I am considering buying a 2006 Outback 2.5i. Can anyone tell me whether this model has either a mini-input jack on the audio system, or an auxiliary input jack in the back?

Thanks!

c_hunter

No and no, unfortunately.

On another web forum, someone developed an aux-in board for radios with 6-CD changer. I think the 2.5i Ltd models have that, right? If so, that's the way to go. It involves tinkering with the radio, but is only $35 and works great. (I'd post a direct link but it would get deleted; the other site is named "legacygt").

As far as I know, the base 2.5i had a single CD and the aux-in does not work with those.

Craig

et26

I have an 05 Outback 2.5i Limited. I noticed the headrests when lowered do not go all the way down to be flush with the seatback. There is about a 1/2 inch gap. Does anyone know if the headrests can be lowered all the way?

andrelaplume

we saw an 05 Outback that was blue with a grey botton and black interior. Well, there are no more 05s and the dealer has no blue/grey on the lot. I did see a solid blue, it had an ivory interior. Anyone know if the blue/grey combo is doscontinued? What about the black interior? (preferab;e to me since we have kids and the beige is almost white!)

BTW, the Subaru website still only shows th 05 Outback...no 06 info yet.

rkru

I find the auto to be leisurely at best, and is always an annoyance when you want to move quickly because of the lag. The sport mode definitely solves the problem, but it up shifts at a higher rpm which affects mpg so I don't use it regularly. I typically drive in auto mode, but flip to sports mode when traffic looks like I might need to react, and then back when its passed.

rkru

This offers some encouragement. Thx

I booked an appointment with the dealer to have them check it out. Current mpg is in SUV territory which I specifically was part of my purchase decision.

xwesx

I agree. Overall, and especially in places where slippery conditions are more frequent during the winter, a mounted set of winter tires is the way to go. They are a cheap investment in the grand scheme of things and, if you are not wearing them out on dry pavement before you ever get to try them in snow, they are very effective. I just do not NEED them, so I have never spent the money on them.

I have 75K on my current set of all-seasons, and admittedly I probably should replace them, but if they can get me through the wet snow of October, they'll do fine for the rest of the winter. Today is "Day 1" of the snow season. As expected, about 30-40 vehicles in ditches and worse. No problems with the Subaru. I didn't get to drive though, and my wife wouldn't take it above 45. She did fine though, and was still driving faster than most others.

I'll probably replace them in February when I may be able to afford it again. This past month used up all my budgeted car maintenance funds. :mad: I will get a set of all-seasons though. I may go to dedicated winters on our next car when I can warrant investing in an extra set of rims.

kat95

Do you put your snow tires on a set of separate rims to make swapping out easier and keep the other set of rims in good condition? If I use snows on my existing rims because of cost (tires+rims) would they get ruined?

glenford

I use separate non-alloy wheels - a second set of alloys is just too expensive (to me). This makes the swap simple, and either I can do it, or it is inexpensive to have the swap done. It also keeps road salt off my alloys, but that may not be significant. If you have the space, the second set might pay for themselves in a couple of years because of how much it costs to have the tires mounted/balanced twice a year. I suppose there is also some risk that the shop beats up the alloy wheel in these changes. You do need to have storage space, and a way to carry them to the shop (I have a wagon) - 4 mounted tires take up a bit of space in the car. (I suppose you could do 2 at a time).

poisson

I picked up an '06 brochure and the '05 blue/grey combo has been dropped for '06. It has been replaced by a monochromatic Atlantic Blue (slightly darker).

I don't have the brochure in front of me but I do believe the only Atlantic Blue model with a gray interior is the XT base (cloth). Otherwise, it is taupe across the board.
The only two-color combos for '06 are Silver/Grey and Willow Green/Moss Green (which I think is very nice but not available in the XT).

locke2c

Snow tires are not a need in hardly any situation, but they are really nice to have. I use snow tires because in the summer I drive on summer tires-- pricey all-seasons have honestly gotten fairly for all occasions but I still despise them for summer use. They don't grip nor corner near as well as a summer tire.

Also, there are plenty of cheap crappy all-seasons. Get a good one.

~Colin

dbiker

After driving 12,000 miles I have noticed that the OEM tires on my new VDC are wearing very thin on both the rear wheels. The wear is showing most noticably on the sides of the tires (as if they were under-inflated, which they are not), but I notice that the tread is not as thick near the edge of the tire as it is in the middle. I have not rotated the tires front to back.

I thought these were high quality tires, but 12000 miles is not very good. Has anyone else had wear problems with these 17" Bridgestones?

DB

dbiker

A while ago I reported an issue I had with engine braking not working on my 05 VDC. I have an update...

I reported that even while in manual gear 1 the engine would not control my speed on a steep mountain road. I am happy to report that manual gear 1 does indeed work properly, IF THE ENGINE IS FULLY WARMED UP. In my case the car had been sitting at a trailhead for 7 hours and was stone cold. It appeared that engine braking was not working, but what was really happening was the engine was warming itself up.

If you need engine braking when the engine is cold, then you better warm up before descending the road.

DB

c_hunter

Thanks for reporting back -- that makes perfect sense!! Of course the engine idles higher when it's warming up. On top of that, the transmission alters shift points to warm up the transmission fluid faster. So the car would definitely be less predictable, and unable to engine brake effectively, when cold. Makes perfect sense now that you figured it out.

This will be a really important thing to remember when I leave the ski hill at the end of a long cold day!

Craig

c_hunter

Definitely rotate the tires, or they will wear out prematurely. I do it every 7500 as the maintenance schedule calls for. Also, you should probably bump up the pressure +2 to +3 psi all around compared to what the door jamb sticker calls for. You'll get better gas mileage too.

These are actually pretty lousy tires, and the treadwear rating is a lot lower than the tires offered on the 04 Outback models.

The other thing -- if the car happened to be slightly out of alignment, one side or one tire could possibly wear faster than the others.

Craig

kens

DB,

OE tires typically don't have a very long treadlife to begin with. I'm not sure what the treadwear rating is on your stock Bridgestones are, but for my Legacy GT, they are a paltry 160. Even the new Pirellis I recently put on have a 400 treadwear rating.

Although my experience has been that Subarus wear tires relatively evenly, you should rotate on a regular basis. Outside-inside wear is probably a result of a relatively soft sidewall and body roll. You can help minimize this type of wear by increasing tire pressures as suggested by Craig.

Ken

dbiker

Apparently these tires have at TW index of 200, . . kinda pathetic but what does one expect as original equipment. Rotating the tires at 8000 miles might have gotten me a couple of months more wear, but at some risk, especially as the winter approaches. I guess it is best to be done with this schlocky rubber.

This all begs the question...what kind of all weather tires would be good for a car that will be driven to the mts for skiing and which is driven mainly on the highway?

DB

njchen24

Greetings:

Does anyone here treat inside and outside your new Subaru with Simoniz System 5 (simonizusa dot com). If so, does it really work? I realize that I may have been ripped off $350 for this. What a sucker I am.

Your input and feedback is greatly appreciated.

njchen24

Members:

Does ne1 here have a chance to drive an 2005 Impreza Outback and 2005 Legacy 2.5GT? If so what do you thing about interior noise and road noise particularly in highway between these two? Taking into consideration that all criteria such as speed, road surface etc are the same. Personally I think the Outback is quieter than the Legacy. Could this be the low profile tire on the Legacy that causing a louder interior noise or am I having problem with my ear?

Thanks for any input.

ssminton

I made it through last winter on the OEM Potenza's without any real problems. With 35K mi on my 05 VDC, I decided to replace the OEM tires before winter. I just put Nokian WR's on the wagon. Nokian is knows for quality snow tires. This particular model is the only all-season tire that meets the winter "severe service" performance requirements. So far, I am very pleased with dry and wet pavement performance, better than the Potenza's. I can't wait for the first snow!

ssminton

I experienced constant balance issues with the OEM tires. Finally at 35K mi, I gave in and replaced the tires. The random wear patter that had resulted was not something that I wanted to carry into winter. One of the problems is that the extremely low profile tires on today's cars are tough to get balanced correctly with traditional tire balancing equipment. When I replaced the tires, I thought my problems would be solved. I still felt a balancing wobble. I ended up taking the car to a performance house, who performed a "road-force" balancing on the new tires. Problem now solved and the new tires feel great.

The dealer indicated to me that the Potenza's performed really well on the '04 Outbacks. For some reason the same tire just struggles on the '05 model?

c_hunter

I like the V-rated Bridgestone Turanza myself -- will probably get those when my turn comes.

Craig

c_hunter

They are completely different tires. I actually liked the previous Potenzas used on the Outbacks (which were not the standard RE-92, they were much better). They had a TW rating of 340.

The 05 models use the new RE-92A, and they are not very good tires in my opinion.

Craig

c_hunter

Without a doubt, the Legacy platform is more refined. But the GT has a much more sporting nature than the Outback of any flavor.

If you want a fair comparison, compare the regular Outback to the Impreza Outback -- at least they will have similar suspension and tires.

The Legacy GT is best compared to the regular Impreza and WRX.

Craig

c_hunter

Never heard of it. If you paid for it as an add-on during a new car purchase, it was probably a rip off. But don't fret over it, just move on. Hopefully you got a good deal on the car!

Craig

subearu

Suppose it could have been worse, you could have paid more for that 'coating'. If you wash (regularly) and wax your vehicle even 1x per year with a decent off-the-shelf wax, your paint should be ok. You can always wax more often, use clay, etc.

-Brian

glenford

I have used these Nokians on my RX300 for 2-3 years. Besides the advantage you note, mine are h-rated, thus somewhat stiffer in the sidewall, and slightly firm up the handling (which needed it, IMO). Tim

lilbluewgn02

Craig,
Both our cars received Turanzas when the RE92s gave out. I have LS-Vs and Susan has LS-Hs. They handle nicely in Florida's rains and have a 400 rating to boot...we got them with a $100 rebate for 4 tires from Tires Plus, and balance and rotate every 3500 miles.
Serge

kens

While I haven't driven a 05 Impreza OB yet, I would imagine that any of the Legacy/OB models would have a much quieter ride. The Leg/OB line has far more sound proofing in built into the vehicle so I'm fairly certain they are quieter. Some car tests measure the interior dBA -- perhaps you could verify with those?

Ken

khallock

Does your Outback have the tire pressure monitoring system? If so what do you do about that when you put your snow tires on with the non-alloy rims? My husnad wants to buy a set of rims for my snowtires but we weren't sure how this would affect the tire pressure monitoring system (which BTW is a PITA!). Thanks!

bat1161

Just how is the tire system a pain? I'm asking because I am looking into a LL Bean which has it. Is it always signaling low pressure, or what?

Thanks,
Mark

glenford

Don't have TPMS, so can't say. Sorry. Tim

sweepea

very happy w/ my 2005 outback 2.5 which replaced my '94 jeep cherokee due to mileage/maintenance worries. have now had 13 months w/ 23,000 miles. live on a dirt road about 1400 feet up and drive twisty winding roads to get there. had scary experiences w/ my first two ice/snow falls about 11 months ago when car continued straight ahead when going around curve and also ABS was coming on every time i made a stop on ice/snow on dirt road. had OEM 92 bridgestones, and invested in 4 steel rims and nokian hakkapalita snow tires, which stopped those problems immediately!

c_hunter

Those are some excellent reasons for winter tires! So where do you live with such an exciting drive home?!?

CRaig

bat1161

Looking for your opinion here.

Saturday I found a local dealer that did have a 2005 OB XT LTD 5spd that will sell for invoice, before $2000 rebate. I did not care for his attitude at first, trying to sell for sticker and low balling trade-in value. When I asked about VIP pricing, they reluctantly said no problem. They also then lowered the trade-in value.

Originally I was looking for the 5EAT instead of stick. The problem is it is very hard to find a 05 XT LTD, and since I drive stick now it is no big deal. Am I better off looking at the 06 models, or try to get a better price? Not that I expect to get much below invoice, but should I try?

Thanks,
Mark

c_hunter

Well, you can get an 06 for invoice now (especially with VIP). How much better of a deal can you get on the 05 -- would it be $2K below that?? I would use the Fitzmall website as a price database -- I rarely hear of dealers that go lower than those prices. I doubt Fitzmall has any 05s left though, so it may be hard to find a price point for that.

If you are really looking for 5EAT, then I would wait and get that. I have often found that I regret a purchase later on if I jump the gun and get what's available now, rather than waiting for exactly what I want. Especially with cars (big $$ item you keep a long time) I want to be 100% sure about it and not settle for something else. Unless you save massive amounts of money on the 05, I would get an 06 with 5EAT. If you can't find one in stock locally, head to Fitzmall!

If you do any off-road driving, you will really appreciate the 5EAT. The 05+ models have somewhat of a finicky clutch for off-road driving.

Craig

bat1161

Craig-

The main difference between the 05 and 06 is approx. $1300 ($1000 less rebate on the 06 and some px increases). So the 05 would be $2000 less than invoice due to the rebate. I like driving stick, but it has been getting frustrating driving in NYC stop-n-go traffic. It was funny - when I test drove the stick it took a lot longer for the turbo to kick in as opposed to the 5EAT.

As for off road driving, I haven't done any in a few years, but I like having that option.

Mark

khallock

Mark,

I have the LLBean too and I love it. The thing with the tire system is this - When you get snow tires mounted & unmounted Subaru told me I HAD to have it done my them because they need to reset the tire pressure system. However, I had it done at Tire Kingdom the first time with NO problems. The only other thing is that in the spring & fall when the temps fluctuate alot sometimes the light will come on. Usually it will go away once the temp warms up, but this fall I had to stop and get air in the tires because the pressure was down since the air contracts(?) in the cooler weather.

I guess my biggest beef is that I would like to be able to buy a 2nd set of rims and mount snow tires on those and then change my tires myself, and I dont know if thats possible with the Tire Pressure system.

khallock

I know this is not a cool post. LOL. But I am having a baby soon and I'm trying to install a Graco Snugride in the center of the rear seat using a seatbelt. The Subie manual says to only put the carseat there if you can get the base snug. I am a carseat novice so I am doing a horrible job at it. I plan to take it to get inspected but I am wondering if anyone has a infant seat facing backwards in their 2005 Outback in the center position? Is it possible?

Thanks!

xwesx

Does the center belt have a manual adjustment (length) on it or is it a retractable belt?

On my '96, the center belt is manual. It does not like to tighten once it is latched because of the close quarters, but I tighten it so that it is about 2" short from connecting, then place my knee in the back of the carseat and apply my weight. The cushion squishes, belt latches, and once I take my knee off it is as tight as a drum! Your results may vary.....

I would think that the fancy new '05s would have LATCH in all three rear positions.... that works pretty slick too if the carseat has the LATCH hardware.