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Subaru Legacy/Outback 2005+

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Comments

  • fkozilfkozil Member Posts: 65
    I've only had mine for 21 days and not even 1000 miles but my trip computer shows an average fuel economy of 23.4 mpg.

    Most of my driving is rural/back roads with varying speeds. After 1000 miles, the engine will be "broken in" and mileage should get better.

    After break-in, I'll put some highway miles on too.
  • tasdisrtasdisr Member Posts: 25
    I know this has probably been asked before. I am probably going to trade my 03 Acura TL- type S in on an 05 Legacy GT ltd sedan sometime soon.
    I had considered a new TL, but price and tranny problems have put me off.
    How do Subaru's stack up quality and reliability wise? Is it as comfortable
    as the Acura on long drives?
    Will I regret making the switch? I am not a fast driver but like the idea of having AWD and knowing that I have the power on tap if needed. I have test driven the GT and it seems to ride as good as my Acura.
    Thanks for any feedback!
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    You'll love it, buy one and we'll welcome you to the Subaru Crew!

    Note that with kids, the mess is usually on their safety seat or booster seat. If you want, just put a towel or liner under the seat to catch spills.

    My back seats still look great, with 5 years worth of kids back there. The safety seats, OTOH...

    -juice
  • tsytsy Member Posts: 1,551
    The new TL is a nice car, and except for the lack of AWD (a big downer) would be a great car too.

    However, I bought my GT LTD because of the AWD- FWD doesn't even come close in terms of handling, especially when the weather gets bad. The other reason is I was very impressed with the design of the car. Almost everything was very well thought out, the interior is nicely appointed (especially for a Subaru, maybe not as nice as the new TL though) and the car is solid. I have been extremely happy with my car, more than any car has made me happy in a long time (and I have had quite a few)

    Reliability wise, it's early to tell. I'm sure it will have no problem getting you to 100K miles (even domestics get you there these days) but Acura's are usually quite reliable too.

    It is comfortable on long drives to me, but seats are very size dependent- I find some seats comfortable that my friends don't, and vice versa. It is quite adjustable, and I haven't heard any complaints except the parking brake can ride against your right leg if you're tall.

    One caveat, if you're not a fast driver, this car may accidentally turn you into one. There's such a rush when the turbo kicks in you just want to experience it- unfortunately by the time the rush is over you're going 90mph! Just be careful of your speed.

    I don't know what else you're considering, but this is a great car, fun to drive, comfortable, quiet, and with AWD will get you where you need to go short of a blizzard. If you regularly drive in blizzards, get an OB.;-).

    If you're nervous about the reliability- lease one. You'll even get 3 yrs free maintenance with a lease. Uh, I'm starting to sound like a saleperson. Sorry.

    hope this helps ;-)

    tom
  • tsytsy Member Posts: 1,551
    Ken

    I'm sure some of the tolerances and the attention to fine detail is better on the JDM cars. Although I too am impressed by the overall fit and finish of my car. There are some very coarse roads around my house which is rough on a car, but my Subie is almost noise free (not totally though). I rode around in my friend's v6 XLE camry, also new and noticed a lot of noise coming out of the dashboard. And that's a very quiet and well built car.

    I have not had my kids put the perforated leather seats to the full test yet (thankfully) but I'm sure it will be easier to clean than cloth. Probably not as easy as non-perf leather though.

    Just clean up spills quickly and you'll be fine.

    Or you could get sheepskin seat covers from down under. ;-)

    tom
  • avizivaviziv Member Posts: 29
    What is the point of having perforated leather anyway? Is it an aesthetic thing or is it supposed to keep you cooler? If it was really better than solid leather, then wouldn't they have put it also in the H6 cars?

    Avi
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    Perforated leather keeps you cooler. I also like the way it looks.

    Ken
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    It breathes better.

    I have solid leather on my Miata, and on a hot day, it's gets sticky/wet.

    Even with 2 kids I'd prefer perforated leather.

    -juice
  • samiam_68samiam_68 Member Posts: 775
    A question for all who have had their '05 models past the break-in period: What are your actual MPG numbers? Specifically interested in the OBXT 5EAT. Thanks.
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    I'm at around 1500 miles, which is still break-in if you ask me. Last few tanks have been 20.5-22 mpg average (at the end of the tankful). I have a 70 mile round trip highway commute each day, with a lot of suburban driving on each end. Weekends is almost all suburban driving. Also note that I am still having a lot of fun with the 5EAT in sport mode! Once I settle into geezer mode, I am sure the mileage will get 1-2mpg better. I used to alternate between fun mode and geezer mode in my previous Outback, and it does indeed have an effect on gas mileage.

    Craig
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    The average mpg has on ocassion dipped into the 19mpg range during the tankful, and instantaneous mpg is all over the place. That's why I wait for the end of the tank to mentally record the average.

    I had a long-term rolling average going since the car was new (on trip B) but accidentally reset it last week. It had indicated about 20.5 mpg.

    Craig
  • moutbackmoutback Member Posts: 39
    Same here--around 20-22 mpg after 1500 miles with my OB XT Ltd. I live in DC, and driving around the city lowers it below 20, but it can quickly get back up to 23 on the highway if I keep it under 3000 rpm.

    Mark
  • tasdisrtasdisr Member Posts: 25
    Thanks for the feedback. I agree the new TL's interior is very nice and the car is fairly priced for the content. But some of the features
    I could care less about. I won't use the Bluetooth feature and although the DVD-A audio sounds good, I am not going to rush out and buy
    new discs. Acura has had automatic transmission
    problems the last few years also.

    Also the Acura dealers are not that willing to discount much on the TL, whereas the Subaru dealers are. The Legacy GT ltd with auto trans,
    subwoofer/amp, wheel locks,perimiter alarm and auto dimming mirror is over $3000.00 less than the Acura.
  • safetyfirstsafetyfirst Member Posts: 14
    We have 1200 miles on the car, and our gas milage on a Subaru Legacy i 2005 is...drumroll please... between 14 and 17 MPG. Pretty bad.
    We live in Los Angeles, and the car is driven 25 miles a day over surface streets, with lots of traffic and stop lights every other block.

    Does that sound like reasonable milage considering? It sure isn't the 22 city advertised!
  • samiam_68samiam_68 Member Posts: 775
    That is REALLY bad. My Forester XT driven in heavy stop and go traffic still manages 20 MPG. My old Legacy ('96) never got below 23, no matter how much traffic I sat in. I live in the NYC metro area, so we have no shortage of traffic jams here.
  • aussie outbackaussie outback Member Posts: 26
    Confirming that as per previous posts, our 3.0 Outback gets 14mpg around town, but up to 26mpg on the open road.

    I was pretty surprised by the town figure - I expected it to be about 18mpg.

    Also - Tom - in regards to what we do with our sheep - well...we might be getting a bit off topic here! Anyway, being a New Zealander who now lives in Australia (albeit after 4 years in the UK 2000-04), I know better than to get into discussions about sheep with folks from bigger countries - it only ends in tears (mine)!

    Final word on the topic? Apparently sheepskins work well in summer as well - wool is an extremely good insulator, so for example in summer, you won't get that clammy back feeling from driving with leather seats. Can anybody confirm and boost our lamb exports to the US?!

    - Aussie Outback
  • urmezurmez Member Posts: 20
    We are torn between a XT Limited and a GT Limited. I know we cannot go wrong with either but we would love to hear from people who might have been in the same boat as us. What did you purchase?

    Urmez
  • tsytsy Member Posts: 1,551
    It all depends on if you will actually use the extra off road capability of the OB. Coming from a full sized SUV that never did more than a gravel road, I realized I didn't need the extra clearance and capability for the 99% on road driving I did. (But if I really wanted to, I could- this was the excuse to buy it anyway) So it was a no brainer- the GT LTD handling is much better than the OB on paved roads, is marginally faster (very marginally, though) probably will get better mileage with lighter wheels, and you could get it in more monotone colors (there are only 3 choices with the OB). Now if you drive in deep snow in the winter- the OB will probably do better- but then you could always put snow tires on the GT, but you won't have the clearance. ;-)

    I hope this helps. In the end, you win either way, they're both great cars, the OB handles pavement pretty well and the GT will do some of the easier rough stuff which is more than most people ever get into. Sometimes I think I should've bought the XT, but then I go drive some twisty roads and all thoughts of the OB fade away with a smile.

    Good luck! ;-)

    tom
  • krzysskrzyss Member Posts: 849
    Are you using Imperial or U.S. galons ?

    Krzys
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    I was in the exact same boat, and was leaning towards the GT until the very end. The idea being that I was replacing two cars -- a WRX and an older Outback -- with one, and the GT was the no brainer compromise. Then I thought about all those times I go skiing or kayaking and have appreciated the extra ground clearance of my previous Outbacks. So I got an XT Ltd in the end. I would have been cringing driving a GT through 12" of new snow, but it was a piece of cake for my old Outback and that had less ground clearance than the new ones!

    I do like the looks of the GT better overall, but I love the Outback's champagne gold color with the black side/rear skirts and black interior. It was about the only color choice I liked on the Outback. On the GT wagon, I would have been happy with silver or atlantic blue.

    SO for me, it came down to ground clearance in the end. As far as I am concerned, that is the main reason to choose an Outback over a GT. For regluar on-road driving, the GT is probably a better choice and it's cheaper too!

    Craig
  • creekercreeker Member Posts: 4
    I'm about 375 mi into the first tank of gas on an 05 Legacy 2.5i Limited, with the MT. The trip computer has inched up to 27.3 mpg so far.

    My commute is about 15 mi on freeway and 4 mi on streets each way, so I've got no complaints on mileage.
  • aussie outbackaussie outback Member Posts: 26
    Good question but I already convert to US gallons for you guys. 20% reduction. So in imperial it is 16.5mpg around town and up to 28mpg on the open road.

    Anybody know why US has different gallons to the rest of us?!

    - Aussie Outback
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Anybody know why US has different gallons to the rest of the known universe?!

    Probably for the same reason the US refuses to embrace the metric system: Arrogance and stubbornness.

    Bob
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    The OB looks more substantial, and the higher seating position aids in visibility and might even help your passenger get in and out more easily. The clearance makes it more tolerant of speed bumps and rough roads, more versatile.

    The GT is more driver-oriented.

    So if its yours, get the GT, if it's your spouse's car, get the XT.

    LOL

    -juice
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    Milage:

    14-17 mpg on city is pretty bad, but then again LA traffic is about as bad as it gets. A quick check -- are your tires inflated at least to the minimum settings? Are you using regular or high octane? The 2.5 is designed for regular so sometimes running high octane will actuall decrease fuel milage.

    In my case, my Legacy GT 5EAT gets about 23mpg on freeway, but city driving will drop it down to 19mpg.

    XT vs GT:

    In my case, I was coming from a Forester. While I loved thought of light off roading or having to push through deep snow, I rarely had the chance. I spent 99% of my driving on roads and wishing that I would have less body roll and better handling.

    So, this time around I went with the Legacy GT. I do miss the extra ground clearance for going up steep driveways or pulling in to parking spots, but the much flatter cornering and larger brakes were more than enough to offset the difference for me. Like Craig, there were also few OB color combos I liked.

    Ken
  • safetyfirstsafetyfirst Member Posts: 14
    Yes, the tires are properly inflated. It got 28 after a 300 mile highway drive. But back in the city, it gets more like 17, on regular gas.
  • ntk1ntk1 Member Posts: 57
    The US gallon came about by the "light fingered" actions of the British Navy.
    When the US was a British colony it relied on supplies being bought in from the British Isles. It became standard prctice for the supply ships to either filter off or re-distribute the supplies such that the end result was a smaller "official" pint and gallon. The standard was formalized based on the custom and has never been changed to correct the original error
    ps - As a Brit, I am allowed to say bad things about them
    LOL
    Pete
  • hypovhypov Member Posts: 3,068
    In other words, the Navy was skimming supplies off the colony... no wonder they revolted ;-)

    -Dave [former British Subject]
  • goneskiiangoneskiian Member Posts: 381
    I'm up at about 3090 miles and I've been keeping a log of actual (computed using the mileage from trip computer A, which is reset every time I fill up, and gallons from gas station receipts) vs. computed (using the avg. mpg from the GT's computer).

    Anyway, my best tank has been 24.18 and my worst 20.15 (using the first method described above). The 20.15 tank was the last one I used while the 24.18 was about 5 tanks ago.

    I'm getting a descrepancy of 1.09 mpg between what I call "actual" and what the on board computer is telling me. I don't know why and yes I keep my tires inflated to spec.

    Overall averages are 22.3 and 23.4 respectively.

    I'll be going on a long highway road trip starting next week. I'll have a lot of catching up to do on the boards when I return, but I'll also come back with some pure highway miles to report (yes, I'll be removing the bike rack for the trip). ;-)

    Cheers!
    -Ian

    p.s. I've got the GT Limited Wagon with 5MT.
  • lmacmillmacmil Member Posts: 1,758
    I don't think the fuel gauge sensor can accurately sense the amount of fuel in the tank. The trip computer in my Highlander is always about 1 mpg more than the actual mileage computed by dividing odo reading by gallons to fill up.
  • expy02expy02 Member Posts: 23
    Well I decided on the GT Limited since we already have a '04 OB Limited. I test drove both and the handling on the GT Ltd sold me. On LI we don't get 12" snow fall very often but when we do I can always fall back to my '02 Expy. Stopped by my dealer today and my car is due in on Monday. Can't wait!
  • cptpltcptplt Member Posts: 1,075
    After some 3 decades of driving in Midwest snows I honestly can't think of a time where I think 2 or so inches more clearance would have made any difference! That includes 6 years of a 92 Legacy LS which had the air suspension which increased your height by about IIRC an inch and a half or even more.
    Off road maybe, on paved roads with snow,it has not been my experience that degree of extra clearance makes a difference when the height is already decent. Unlike an Audi where it starts off way low!!
  • ryanl1ryanl1 Member Posts: 55
    Yes but more importantly the British Navy or American Navy (can't remember which one,but I think U.S. gets credit) landed in Japan and forced gunboat diplomacy to open up opium trade which eventually brought forth SOA ;)

    Cruisin in Asian studies 101
  • secretcervixsecretcervix Member Posts: 2
    "Probably for the same reason the US refuses to embrace the metric system: Arrogance and stubbornness."

    Who controls the British crown? Who keeps the metric system down? We do! We do! Who leaves Atlantis off the maps? Who keeps the Martians under wraps? We do! We do! Who holds back the electric car? Who makes Steve Guttenberg a star? We do! We do! Who robs the cave fish of their sight? Who rigs every Oscar night? We do! WE DO!

    I believe I am going to purchase my 2005 Legacy today. I think I like the white pearl, but it's so hard to choose!
  • cptpltcptplt Member Posts: 1,075
    that was with the Chinese not the Japanese, the British treasury was going bankrupt from the trade imbalance with the Chinese so some bright spark in London came up with the great imperialistic idea to grow opium in India, send it on British and US clippers to China and ram it down the throats of the Chinese. And people in the West wonder why The Chinese weren't keen on foreigners and Mao came to power??? The only good thing to come out of the 2 opium wars was Hong Kong - the fruits of war the British took from China!
    Do you think maybe the US could like send coke to Japan and China today to get rid of the present trade imbalance??? We could make Afghanistan and Colombia a colony and grow whatever nasty crop you would like there and then sell the refined product to unsuspecting foreigners in places we have a trade imbalance with. ?? Saudi, Iraq???
  • outbacker2k2outbacker2k2 Member Posts: 24
    LOL, bonus points for whomever can identify the TV Show and Group that sang the "We Do" song.

    My will power is fading fast, I test drove a Silver GT Sedan (Non-Ltd) with the auto yesterday and it was amazing... hopefully by the new year I'll have on in my driveway.
  • darnacdarnac Member Posts: 31
    That's easy. Song heard on The Simpson's and sung by the Stone Cutters.
  • jim1969jim1969 Member Posts: 62
    Has anyone changed the OEM tires yet to something else yet? If so, what?
  • avizivaviziv Member Posts: 29
    Hi.

    Got a quote today for a Champagne Gold/Taupe Outback XT Ltd 5M ---> $28900 + tax + $95 "doc fees" + plates, title etc.

    For an extended warranty the are offering me a
    Subaru Gold Plus 5yr/100K $0 deductible for $1195

    Do you think it's a reasonable quote?

    Thanks,
    Avi
  • smokeybaersmokeybaer Member Posts: 38
    Sounds pretty good to me. I was quoted an "at invoice price" for a Legacy GT Ltd with 5EAT, Sec System upgrade, Mirror-Compass, & cargo tray for $29,179 plus title/doc fees. Auto trans at inv is about $1094.

    Warren
  • crowbellcrowbell Member Posts: 2
    I know you were asking for the mpg on the OBXT model but I thought others may want to know how the mileage is in the 2.5i as well. I have only filled it up twice since getting the car 2 weeks ago. I got 23 mpg on the first tank and 27 on the second. This is with automatic transmission and driving in typical Los Angeles freeway traffic. Since my last car was a Ford Explorer that was getting 15-16 mpg, I am very pleased so far.

    FYI for those that are looking to buy a new Subaru in the LA and Orange County area, I bought mine at Irvine Subaru from Jeremy and would have no problem recommending them.

    Keith
  • saywhatsaywhat Member Posts: 63
    Hi Folks;
     I just bought a 05 Legacy GT Sedan with leather. Is it true that the arm rest is height adjustable? If it is, does anyone know how to adjust it? Many thanks for your anticipated in-put.-----Bob
  • rsq798rsq798 Member Posts: 35
    The stock arm rest is not adjustable, but Subaru is (will be?) offering an extendable armrest accessory. I thought I needed a real armrest as I used it in my old car all the time but I haven't noticed its absence at all. I just leave my hand either on my lap or on the stick ;). On the plus side, you don't have to fight for the armrest with your passenger, because there isn't one!

    What color did you get?
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    We took our first road trip with our Legacy GT wagon this weekend to Yosemite. We haven't been there in a couple of years and the last time we went was on the Forester.

    The ride there and back was clearly more comfortable. I drove the entire way and didn't feel as tired as I would have with the Forester. It's amazing what the difference in NVH over the course of 4.5 hours will make.

    As expected, going up twisty mountain roads was a pleasure. The turbo kept the power even at high altitude and passing slower vehicles was a piece of cake. No longer did I have to plan way ahead or drop the transmission into 3rd to pass on a section with a broken center line.

    For the most part, I drove with the tranny in "Normal" mode. When I hit the twisties, I left it in "Sport" to keep the revs up. On some very twisty or hilly parts, I went to full manual switching between 3rd and 4th as I found the auto modes dropped the revs a bit too much for my tastes.

    The only times when I missed my Forester (or wished I had an OB) was when I needed to go over some badly rutted roads or up a steep driveway to our lodging. Otherwise, the GT suspension did fine on the slightly bumpy roads aroud Yosemite from winter chain driving.

    Gas milage impressed me quite a bit. I averaged 26mpg with steady freeway driving going to Yosemite. This was through some bumper-to-bumper traffice, A/C on all the way (it was 100 degrees in the central valley) and with a medium load. At Yosemite, my average dropped down to about 21mpg due to keeping the revs up for the hills.

    Oh, and while I was there, I saw no other 05 models. Lots of Subies as expected, but no new OB or Legacys.

    Ken
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    Unlike Ken, I did not have an exciting road trip, but rather, took two loads to the town dump this weekend in my 05 OB XT. What's remarkable about the dump trip is the route -- curvy bumpy back roads through the woods. This was a pain in my older 02 Outback due to the way-slow steering, lethargic transmission, and total lack of sportiness in the suspension. It was brutal in my WRX because of the firm ride. In contrast, the 05 Outback XT was perfect for the roads -- quick steering and responsive handling, enough suspension travel to soak up the bumps, and the 5EAT (left in sport mode) had all the right moves! I never had so much fun going to the dump!

    I think I will amend my previous Legacy GT versus Outback XT comparisons to include bumpy back roads being in favor of the Outback....

    Craig
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Craig, you're 100% correct. When juice and I were in Las Vegas, on the Ride & Drive, the very first thing I noticed when driving the Outback VDC on those gravel roads (see Subdriven.com link for great photos) was how well the the OB soaked up those rough roads. Very impressive indeed!

    Bob
  • beanboybeanboy Member Posts: 442
    G35 sedan, CTS and Legacy. Heading out now to test all of them with a manual tranny. Report this evening

    -B
  • saywhatsaywhat Member Posts: 63
    rsq798;
    I got the silver GT Ltd,with the black perforated leather, auto. I checked with my Subaru dealer, and they said the acc. armrest will be in stock by the end of Aug. My last 3 cars over about 18 years have all been Acura Legends, and I really miss the armrests. My wife has a 04 Subaru Turbo, with black leather, silver, sunroof etc. with the acc. armrest, and I think it makes all the difference in the world. What is it with Subaru with these low armrests, no stability in most models, no lighted sunroof switch, no lighted door lock switch, etc. I had 2 or 3 Subarus 20 years or more ago, and they seemed great then. Maybe I've become spoiled with the Acuras and to old to appreciate the many eccentricities of Subarus. On the positive side the car rides, looks and handles great, AND GOES LIKE HELL!----Bob
  • njswamplandsnjswamplands Member Posts: 1,760
    i had a mazda millenia and that car was beautiful at night, plenty of light.

    the honda odyssey seems to be the only car i have seen that seems to understand the importance of interior lighting, as in i need light RIGHT NOW without trying to recall where they hid the interior light switch. the ody has a large lit toggle switch right above the radio. praise to honda odyssey.....
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Good to hear about the long haul comfort.

    Anyone want to loan me theirs for a month just so I can confirm? ;-)

    -juice
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