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2008 Subaru Legacy

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  • desertrat5desertrat5 Posts: 85
    You are correct. We are shopping across class lines because we are looking for an AWD sedan. In our price range the selection is not large - hence we have wandered over into the smaller SUVs. We have driven the Taurus now in both the SEL and Limited models and it is definitely in the running. My wife likes the larger car while I prefer the smaller Subaru. So the selection process continues.

    I was in your fine country in June. Quick business trip spent mostly in meetings and on airplanes. Did enjoy what time I had to wander around (which wasn't much)
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  • ateixeiraateixeira Posts: 72,587
    Did you eat feijoada? Or at least a churrasco? :shades:
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  • desertrat5desertrat5 Posts: 85
    I did indeed eat feijoada and loved it. Did not get a chance to do churrasco. Also had a bottle of your local wine one night that was very good.
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  • famof3kidsfamof3kids Posts: 160
    Ok, I'm a long time driver/owner of Subaru products, and I've been anxiously awaiting the R Limited after seeing pictures on the Japanese Subaru site for a few years.

    So, I took my 2003 Legacy in for its first brake job, rear pads at 53k miles, and the dealer had a black one on the lot. That is a great looking car. So, as I continued to stare at it while waiting on my car, I had to drive it. At $32k, it competes with a lot of different makes, including entry luxury market. But, I've been reading of Subaru wanting to head in the entry luxury direction, so, are they ready...

    Well, I'll have to say that the car is beautiful. The dash, leather, and door sill trim all looked luxurious. The paint is great and the body panel fit seems perfect. The wood trim matched nicely. The blue gauges are nice. The stereo was great. The NAV and info center was cool. The 12volt adapter and aux stereo input was in armrest and nicely hidden. It seems to have all the bells and whistles. On looks alone, I'd buy it.

    But, then the drive. It started in typical Subaru fashion, sounded the same, etc. But, first thing I noticed was the harsh ride. It rides rougher than my 2003. Then as my speed increased, in came the road noise. Also louder than my 2003. Then I noticed a weird whining noise from the engine area. Then, only at exactly a steady 50mph, I felt a surge. Hum.... I was so disappointed. :cry:

    I spoke with service manager about the surge, he said the transmission does that for first 1,000 miles as it 'learns' and he hears that complaint a lot in the begining. Hum, ok.

    It is not the luxury Subaru I thought it might be. And for $32k, it was unacceptable. A firm ride might be OK, but, road noise and a whining engine don't cut it.

    I remember the great Subaru SVX and drove a few of these. They had the H6 engine as well. That car, however, was almost silent. I remember the dealer saying that was one of the trademarks of the car was its silence. Everything from the engine, transmissions, exhaust, all was very quite. So, I know that Subaru can do it. However, that car, in 1990, was $30k. So, today it would cost much more.

    Maybe 2010 model.... :confuse:

    Mark
    2003 Subaru Legacy Wagon L+ (current)
    1998 Subaru Legacy Outback
    1995 Subaru Legacy LS Sedan
    1991 Subaru Legacy L+ Sedan
    1987 Subaru Loyale Sedan
    1986 Subaru Wagon
    1984 Subaru Wagon
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  • mogul2mogul2 Posts: 14
    But, I've been reading of Subaru wanting to head in the entry luxury direction, so, are they ready...

    Actually Subaru gave up the hopes of becoming a premium brand last year. It is all about selling to the masses now. Have seen the latest Impreza? It is as vanilla as you can get with design language. Unless you are Honda or Toyota looks does matter when selling to masses. VW is selling well in spite of terrible reliability because of exterior and interior. Subaru cars are engineered very well. Now if only they can get their act together in exterior/interior design and marketing...
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  • ateixeiraateixeira Posts: 72,587
    I bet the air pressure in the tires was sky-high, my Subie was delivered with a shopping 40psi. They felt like rocks.

    The Premium strategy was dropped, in fact here is an Automotive News headline from this morning:

    Subaru cools premium pricing, sales goals
    With new CEOs at the helm in Japan and the United States, Subaru still is setting prices above its Japanese competition but is less eager to jump into the same league as European premium brands.

    Bummer about the engine whine, though.
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  • danmanmomdanmanmom Posts: 1
    I'm thinking of buying a 2008 Legacy. All the exterior colors I like are paired with the Warm Ivory Leather interior. Does anyone out there have this in their car? I'm afraid it will show dirt like crazy. Has that been your experience? Do you think that color interior is a mistake, and that I should go with the black leather?
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  • xwesxxwesx Fairbanks, AlaskaPosts: 10,625
    I cannot comment on the light interior's visual durability, but I can say that the dark interior will show dirt "like crazy." Dirt, it turns out, is not typically black. It is more commonly reddish/brown, and those colors show up quite markedly on black. Cleaning out the foot well area of my '07 Outback before I sold it squandered quite a bit of my time to render it what could pass for clean.

    I took an '08 wagon (blue w/ black interior) out for a test drive a couple weeks back. My son's feet (sitting in his car seat behind the driver), while mostly clean, left plenty of marks on the plastic seat backing over the duration of the ten minutes we were in the car.
    2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2008 and 2013 Subaru Forester(s), 1969 Chevrolet C20 Pickup, 1969 Ford Econoline 100, 1976 Ford F250 Pickup
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  • cptpltcptplt Posts: 1,075
    well after 3 days and 300 miles I can say the ivory seating is holding up well! so far anyway!!.
    black can indeed show dirt quite a bit, but at least oil and grease shows up less than on ivory!! I would think you may need to clean up the sets a little more than the black to maintain the original color longterm. I had a 92 Legacy with creamy cloth seats which surprisingly did very well with dirt, except when I spilled some driveway sealant on the carpets!
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  • xwesxxwesx Fairbanks, AlaskaPosts: 10,625
    Eech... yeah, that will do it! :D
    2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2008 and 2013 Subaru Forester(s), 1969 Chevrolet C20 Pickup, 1969 Ford Econoline 100, 1976 Ford F250 Pickup
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  • moparbadmoparbad Posts: 3,865
    VW is selling well in spite of terrible reliability because of exterior and interior.

    For the record, VW does not have terrible reliability. #1 Lexus has 1.36 problems per vehicle and VW has 2.9 problems per vehicle in JD Power long term dependability. Subaru 2.3 problems per vehicle.
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  • mogul2mogul2 Posts: 14
    Well, JD Power operates with advertising dollars from car manufacturers. I will trust independent groups like consumer reports than JD Power any day.
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  • cptpltcptplt Posts: 1,075
    even in Europe VW does poorly compared to the Japanese
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  • ateixeiraateixeira Posts: 72,587
    Subaru's numbers should improve with JD Power soon. 2002 was the last year they had head gasket issues. I think the Dependability study looks at 5 year old models, so once they start looking at 2003s I bet you'll see significant improvement there.

    Then again, VW phased out the 1.8T, so the ignition coil failures will eventually disappear from those studies as well.
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  • upstatedocupstatedoc Posts: 710
    Agree, wouldn't trust JD Power. Would go with CR or even Edmunds!
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  • fxoffroadfxoffroad Posts: 67
    this is too funny. you seem to be the expert at lots of things... though I have yet to see your credentials. :lemon:

    Everyone likes to spin JD Powers, Consumer Reports, Edmunds and others. Consumer Reports for example... will rate some new vehicles based on their replacement model w/ some brands and not with others. Consumer Reports doesnt send me a surveys for my new vehicle purchases - JD Powers does. I chose to rely on information that I've actually experienced and know first hand that they ask consumers for data.
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  • cptpltcptplt Posts: 1,075
    CR sends surveys to all their subscribers. which is a pretty large population, whether they (or more importantly those who reply) are truly representative of the general motoring public is another question. I have had 3 JDP surveys in my time and the CR ones for two decades or more, they ask very different things.
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  • newbarunewbaru Posts: 2
    I just bought my first Subaru. It's a 2008 Legacy 2.5i se. So far I love the car from top to bottom. Anyone have advice I should know about?
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  • ateixeiraateixeira Posts: 72,587
    I get both.

    Did not fill them out, though. Too time consuming, and noone's paying me!

    CR does have the biggest sample size, IIRC.
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  • guidomerkensguidomerkens Posts: 2
    I need a definitive answer: can I use a 15" wheel for snow tires on an '08 Legacy 2.5i Limited that comes with 17" wheels as standard? I have a nice set of Blizzaks from my old car that I would like to use on my new Legacy.

    TireRack says no due to brake clearance; Discount Tire Direct says yes. The '08 Legacy has an 11.5" vented front disc and a 10.6" solid rear disc. By comparison, the 2004 Legacy L (the last year that came with 15" wheels as standard) had a 10.7" vented front disc and an 11.3" rear disc.

    Anyone have an idea? My thanks in advance.
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  • paisanpaisan Posts: 21,181
    I am sure there are SOME 15" wheels that would clear your brakes, however, I don't think that the generic 15" steelies for subies will clear them due to brake caliper clearance issues.

    -mike
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  • ateixeiraateixeira Posts: 72,587
    I seriously doubt it.

    Maybe 15" gold Impreza RS wheels.

    Ask the dealer if you can test-mount one wheel on the front axle. Tell them it's a pre-requisite for a sale.
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  • paisanpaisan Posts: 21,181
    Now if there was a 15" Gold Impreza RS wheel that would be suprising!

    The Imprezas were 16x7!

    There are aftermarket 15" rally wheels that run about $300-400 a pop that will clear the 4-pot FHI calipers, but even then I'm not sure they'd clear the legacy brakes.

    -mike
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  • guidomerkensguidomerkens Posts: 2
    OK--thanks for the info.
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  • kurtamaxxxguykurtamaxxxguy Posts: 1,798
    I'm considering an '08 outback Xi (?) series (the one with the 4 cyl turbo engine) given that the base 170 HP engine just isn't enough (0 - 60 times longer than a Prius and with less than half the MPG).

    But I do not know if the turbo engine tolerates 89 or 87 octane fuel (Subaru recommends 91). I also don't know, in general, how Subaru turbos hold up (one work associate of mine went to great lengths to put additional oil pumps on his, along with long idle up and idle down times).

    I also don't know how seat comfort holds up over long trips. Any comments from folks around 170 lbs who have had long stints in this car would be welcome.
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  • rshollandrsholland Posts: 19,786
    Regular gas in a Subie turbo? Don't do it. These engines "require" (not recommend) premium gas. Also, new for '08 Subie turbos, is that they now require oil changes every 3750 miles, not 7500 as per earlier turbos. Not sure why the change this year.

    I've got almost 30K on on my '06 WRX 2.5 turbo without any problems.

    Bob
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  • ateixeiraateixeira Posts: 72,587
    Especially with the higher-boost Legacy/Outback engine.

    The lower output tune in the Forester runs less boost and in that case premium fuel is not actually required.

    It is required on the Legacy, though.

    Maybe an H6 for you? You can use regular fuel with those.
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  • xwesxxwesx Fairbanks, AlaskaPosts: 10,625
    I find the seat comfort on the Outback to be outstanding. I just drove one more than 5000 miles over a two week period. I still needed to stretch now and again, but it was leagues beyond any other seat I have experienced. They are firm, but supportive. Note of caution - do not sit for long periods with things (like a wallet) in your back pocket. ;)
    2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2008 and 2013 Subaru Forester(s), 1969 Chevrolet C20 Pickup, 1969 Ford Econoline 100, 1976 Ford F250 Pickup
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  • ateixeiraateixeira Posts: 72,587
    My Miata is so tight that I can't sit with a wallet in my back pocket for my 13 miles commute!

    So I've grown accustomed to doing that all the time.
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  • cptpltcptplt Posts: 1,075
    after having been pickpocketed a few times I never put my wallet in that back pocket and have not lost a wallet in 20+ years now, plus I don't need to worry about sitting on it!
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This discussion has been closed.