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Subaru Legacy/Outback 2005+

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Comments

  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    I have heard of this from one other person -- you can get the dealer to replace that piece. It comes off pretty easily.

    Craig
  • taddisontaddison Member Posts: 99
    In a new IIHS study, the 2005 Legacy/Outback gets an "Acceptable" rating for head restraints, which is not the best but is better than most...

    The story:
    http://www.iihs.org/news_releases/2004/pr111404.htm

    Full results:
    http://www.iihs.org/news_releases/2004/pr111404_1.pdf

    Tim
  • jahnu04jahnu04 Member Posts: 58
    Last saturday I test drove the 2.5i 4A AWD Outback wagon. With 3 adults on board, the acceleration was okay. I own a 95 camry (and also 00 Xterra, which my wife drives) and was not very thrilled with the Outback test drive. I am 5'10" and the biggest dissapointment was the legroom behind the driver seat. When I had adjusted the driver seat to a comfortable position, my wife who is 5' tall could not sit comfortably in the back seat.
    The steering wheel tilt is limited and I had to push the seat all the way down for a comfortable position. I drive with the steering wheel tilted all the way down and I can get in and out of my camry easily without having to adjust the tilt. But that's not the case in Outback, with the seat completely down, I could not see the hood and felt seated very low. The dealer was ready to go couple hundred dollars below invoice. I keep cars for atleast 10 years and I did not want to adjust the steering wheel everytime I get in and out. I think subaru could have done a better job with the interior space.
    The seating surface and cargo area look and feel very upscale, I was very impressed with the cargo area. I would definitely recommend the car for short drivers, lot of standard features.
    The doors are very light (which I liked), on a windy day, if you do not hold the door while you open, the door could easily bang the adjacent car.
    During the test drive, I also felt the seats were little firm and steering a little stiff. The stiffness will probably disappear after a while.
    Couple of features I have in my 95 camry LE and not in the Outback are:
    Adjustable head restraints
    Glass up and down after the engine is completely shutdown. I use this feature a lot in summer time, after I remove the key, I can still up the glass within a minute. I miss this feature in my Xterra too.
    The driver comfort and back seat space were the main reasons for not buying the Outback, otherwise it is an excellent automobile. So serious buyers, do check the driver seating position and the space behind the driver.
  • sdufordsduford Member Posts: 577
    I am 5'11" and do not have the same problems you encounter. I am actually able to find the perfect driving position and have no problems with egress/ingress. To each his own I guess.

    I agree with you that the seats are a little too firm, but the head restraints ARE adjustable.

    The lack of residual power after engine shutdown is definitely one of the little details that Subaru needs to take care of, but not a show stopper. I would put the priority on "auto-up" power windows before that though.

    Sly
  • jahnu04jahnu04 Member Posts: 58
    If I had spent more time adjusting the seat, probably I would have found the perfect position. When I tried to get into the vehicle on the showroom floor, I could not get my legs in, ditto test vehicle and that must have made me think otherwise.
    The salesguy told me that the head restraints are height adjustable but not <--> adjustable (sorry, did not get the right word) and so I did not try to push/pull them to see if I can.
  • mfhmfh Member Posts: 37
    As aptosca and Ken and several others have pointed out to my embarrassment (LOL), there are only R1-R3 conditions.

    However, I have heard of at least 2 people getting 300 dollar citations for not carrying chains. One of these people was driving a front wheel drive without chains.

    As others here have suggested, a friend in Tahoe said to buy any old cheap chains and keep them in the car.

    The guy at Kragens said cables would also not work. Could Patty find out for us?

    Ken, I went skiing at Kirkwood. It waas great. A little warm and the snow is melting. But I cant complain for middle of November.

    Michael
  • rob_mrob_m Member Posts: 820
    On Friday, the service rep at my dealer made reference to a new Legacy which will be available in March. Anyone hear anything? Rob M.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Nav is rumored, but that's it. The Legacy is already new.

    -juice
  • rob_mrob_m Member Posts: 820
    juice, the conversation was more in the context of "Rob, you might not want to buy your new GT just yet - you may want to see what is coming out in March". I'm thinking the elusive b-spec???
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    Michael,

    Excellent! I heard that Tahoe was open early due to the recent storms. I long for the child-free days when I could just hop in my car and drive up.

    Don't trust the person at Kragen's. The main concern with traction devices other than fitting your tire size is if it will clear the suspension arm.

    Cable devices are low profile so they typically do not pose a problem for most passengar cars. The best thing to do is find a store that will let you try it out in their parking lot to make sure there are not clearance issues.

    Ken
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Could be and if so I think I lose my double-or-nothing bet with Bob. ;-)

    -juice
  • tsytsy Member Posts: 1,551
    I agree the back seat room of the Legacy is not the same as the camry. The camry is a bigger car. But I have had full sized adults sit back there with no problem for several hours. But if you want to cross your legs back there, get a limo. ;-)

    I don't have any problems with position in the drivers seat, but I have power seats so it makes it easier.

    It just depends what you're looking for. I wanted something with AWD, safety, reliability, and quite a bit more excitement than a camry. (I also had a 96 v6 camry- excellent car- just no character) My Legacy GT fit the bill to a T. ;-)

    Good luck in your search. The new camrys are even nicer than the '95- but still boring. ;-)

    tom
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    The Legacy is sized like the Acura TSX and Mazda6, slightly smaller but sportier than Camry or Accord.

    At least Subaru offers a wagon. That gives you lots more rear head room plus a ton more cargo capacity and versatility. Even the door opening is wider so it's easier to load kids and get in and out.

    -juice
  • saedavesaedave Member Posts: 694
    juice,

    Want to bet the March Legacy will be the Liberty H-6 VDC? (in both auto trans lux and performance versions)

    Dave
  • miked20miked20 Member Posts: 3
    I want to thank everyone for your input on the model and color combination that you selected. I'm leaning toward the XT Ltd. with black interior. The wife still likes the LL Bean, Atlantic Blue with Taupe interior. Still have a week or two before I really need to pick something. Guess I'll need to make a few more visits to the local dealer to look at colors again. My wife laughs at me since I spend so much time in this forum. Guess I'm addicted!!
  • rsq798rsq798 Member Posts: 35
    How often do you 2005 owners change your oil? I think the maintenance schedule says every 7500 miles, but some dealers say every 3750 miles.

    In my case, I use Mobil One and I drive almost 1800 miles a month, 95% highway. The thought of changing my oil every two months is not that appealing to me. What do you all think?
  • sdufordsduford Member Posts: 577
    The maintenance schedule up here in Canada calls for an oil change every 6000 Kms, or 3720 miles.

    Sly
  • aaykayaaykay Member Posts: 539
    Hope they come out with the Legacy with the H6...less torquey than the 2.5T but should be more reliable.

    I would prefer Legacy GT LTD with H6 engine + Nav + HID projectors at around 30K. H6 should make the car even more stable, since the entire weight of the engine sits low down in the bay (Flat-6 !), unlike the 2.5T that weighs almost as much an an H6 but has a lot more turbo related hardware sitting above the engine, thus raising the CG.
  • snowbirdsnowbird Member Posts: 120
    Mike:

    Not meaning to stir up trouble at home, but I have the Atlantic Blue with Taupe interior VDC. My agreement with my wife was that I got to pick the car and she the colors. As usual, she has better color sense! Jason
  • stimuluststimulust Member Posts: 8
    Greetings and Thanks to all for your posts. This forum has answered many questions and helped me in deciding to purchase a subaru.

    After extensive research and a couple test drives, I pick up my silver/grey '05 OBXT manual this Friday and I am very excited. This will be my second car and first subaru. I paid $400 under invoice plus the dealer thru in mirror, cargo nets, bumper guard and security upgrade at no charge. I paid 750 for an extended gold plus 5yr/60K with $50 deductible.

    Seeing that I would like to keep this clean and fast, your help in answering some questions would be appreciated:

    this is my first turbo, anything major I need to know? (aside from normal engine stuff)

    is synthetic oil after 15K pretty standard?

    what can I use to keep the weather stripping supple?

    can anyone recommend a good car cover? I drive on the weekend and on errands, but otherwise it sits in my lot during the week.

    is it difficult to add an mp3 player input to the stereo?

    a fork mounted bike rack is only available if I get the round cross bars from what I can see. Does anyone know any different?

    thanks,
    -jer
  • stimuluststimulust Member Posts: 8
    Some more questions:

    What is meant by break in time? How am I suppose to drive and for how long? I got the XT and know that I am going to be tempted to play, but will restrain if it will mean longer life and less problems.

    Coming from my last car with a custom paint job, I am a bit of a snob wrt paint. Has anyone had any luck with rubbing out the orange peel? The dealer said that Subaru paint jobs were on the thin side and was not sure it could be done. Anyone have any idea how many layers of clear they put on? Again I have the silver/grey.

    thanks again,
    -jer
  • jahnu04jahnu04 Member Posts: 58
    Your comment:
    "But I have had full sized adults sit back there with no problem for several hours. But if you want to cross your legs back there, get a limo"

    Well, if my wife were to drive this car, absolutely, tall adults can sit comfortably in the back seat and can even cross legs, don't need a limo.

    I think the back seat space depends mostly on the driver's seating position. Few have their seats way back and few up front.

    Like I have mentioned before, I should have spent more time adjusting the driver seat, I might give it a try once more. I really liked everything else in the car.

    Like you said, I am too bored of driving camry and not going to buy one more.
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    - turbo care & feeding: do not put off oil changes, and do not shut the engine off immediately after driving hard. let it cool down by idling at least 30 seconds. if you haven't driven hard, though, you can shut it right off no problem.

    - I'd switch to synthetic MUCH sooner than 15k. synthetic oil has tremendous value in turbocharged engines due to their extreme heat. I'd switch at or slightly before 5k.

    - mp3 player: you can get an FM modulator for it, and they vary in quality with the really cheap ones being so-so. buy one and try it. the other practical alternative is to get an aftermarket stereo that plays mp3s natively and burn cds with the music you want. or, you can buy a deck with auxillary input and get a miniDIN (headphone) to RCA converter cable. in my Evo I've done both. ;)

    - break in: read the manual. also note that heavy throttle to 4k rpm and then abruptly lifting is HEAVY load and not in the spirit of the manual's intent. accelerate gently during break-in.

    - subaru paint is thin. it'll chip up front from gravel but it won't orange peel.

    ~Colin
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Dave: I already bet Bob on that, but I might lose that bet!

    -juice
  • accwgnaccwgn Member Posts: 5
    Just some new info this morning. Back on post 4997, I had asked if 15" steel wheels would fit on the new 2005 2.5i. Well, after finding a tire dealer willing to spend a few minutes to try a generic black 15" winter rim, it fits just fine. The car is now rolling home on 195-65-15 winter tires we had leftover from the 2001 Altima that was traded in, and the OEM wheels will be saved from winter abuse. I'll take a picture next time I see the car and post it.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Useful info, thanks for sharing.

    I have one spare 15"x6" steel rim if anyone needs one for something.

    -juice
  • tsytsy Member Posts: 1,551
    Congrats on your new ride Jer

    I agree with Colin- with a turbo I'd switch to synthetic way before 15K. I changed my oil at 2K with a synthetic blend and my next change at 5K will be with mobile 1. Think of oil changes as cheap insurance.

    As for break in, keep it below 4K for 1000 miles. Very difficult with a MT. ;-) It's just too tempting! But after 4-500 miles, a few brief controlled bursts past 4K are probably reasonable every 100 miles (I'd stay below redline though!)

    As for bike racks, I'd get an aftermarket one from Yakima or Thule- much stronger and well made. I saw a car that rolled with a Yakima rack- rack was fine! (car wasn't though.)

    Good luck keeping your revs down!

    tom
  • gearhead4gearhead4 Member Posts: 122
    jer,

    Don't try to buff out the orange peel unless you wan to repaint your Subaru. The orange peel on my silver 2005 Legacy sedan is underneath two coats of clear paint, so you would have to remove a lot of clear coat to start cutting into the orange peeled color coat. Don't do it!

    I use a silicone oil preservative on my door seals(Armor All has a clear protectant with silicone). The oil disolves tars and leaves a very slick coating. Don't use it on your engine intake system because is will ruin your oxygen sensors.
    I also am wary of using it on the interior surfaces,because I have found a black film on the inside of the windows that I believe comes from evaporating silicone. All this said, I still prefer silicone over the water based protectants.

    Jim
  • sdufordsduford Member Posts: 577
    Does anyone know what kind of lightbulb goes in the ceiling mounted interior lights behind the moonroof in the Outback?
  • ejjejj Member Posts: 36
    Are these two cars quite similar to each-other, minus the "outback-ness" of the XT?
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    They share the same engine. The GT, because it's lower will out-handle the XT. It also has bigger brakes and quicker steering. The XT, on the other hand, is a better bad/no road vehicle, and may be a bit more versitle due to the added standard equipment.

    Bob
  • kikokiko Member Posts: 3
    Miked20,
    I can relate to what you are going through. I spent many hours reading the Subaru forum while I was in the process of buying. I traded my 1997 Outback on a 2005 LL Bean, champagne gold. I originally was leaning toward a Limited rather than the Bean. I didn't want to be saddled with the lower gas mileage and the need for premium gas. As it turned out, the dealer could not find a Limited in PA or the surrounding states, so I decided to buy the Bean. I am glad I did. It has great power and lots of nice features built in. The Homelink remote in the mirror is something I wouldn't have bought, but it is fun to have. I can not only open the garage door, but also turn on a variety of house lights with the control.
    My first choice in colors was the silver with a black interior...until my wife took a look at the interior and said she couldn't stand the all black interior. That is how we compromised on the champagne gold and tan interior. The car is great. Good luck on finding yours.
    Kiko
  • jmtreetopjmtreetop Member Posts: 130
    I was at my Subaru dealership today and there was a factory representative that I talked to about synthetic oils. He mentioned that Subaru does not recommend synthetic oils in the 2005's because he said they have seen the engines "gum up" in the long run. He said synthetic is better in the short term but is more likely to cause problems later. In addition, he mentioned that he would not put in synthetic prior to 12k miles. I was speaking to him in regards to my XT Limited. Any thoughts?
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    that person is not qualified to speak about synthetic oil would be my first thought.

    my second would be that s/he possibly has chosen the wrong career. ;)

    really though: what crap! completely off base.

    ~c
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    I second Colin's comments that the factory rep had no clue about what they were talking about. Synthetics are superior to conventional oils in every way regarding engine protection.

    I own a Legacy GT and I'm going to be permanently switching to synthetic at my next oil change (7.5K miles).

    Ken
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    Yes, the two have more in common than differences. The main difference (aside from the exterior styling) lies in the suspension. The GT gets aluminum control bits, firmer suspension settings, quicker steering ratio and bigger brakes. The XT gets the raised suspension that's quite significant for a wagon.

    The GT gets lower profile tires while the XT gets a slightly wider tire.

    Ken
  • luck11luck11 Member Posts: 425
    On this issue, I once had an Eagle Talon Turbo and began using synthetics after 20 k miles and began experiencing the odd oil leak here and there. I was told by mechanics that the "slickness" of the synthetic makes it more prone to leak. Any truth to this?
  • kmcleankmclean Member Posts: 173
    I believe that all of the bulb types are listed in the owner's manual. Check the index in the back for the exact page.

    Ken in Seattle
  • rwoodsrwoods Member Posts: 129
    I believe in changing the oil every 3,000 miles or six months, whichever comes first. I find the Quick Lube places to be good since you can get in and out in about an hour with no appointment needed. The cost of my last oil change was $32 and included Mobil One Synthetic oil but I supplied the oil filter and gasket which I purchased at my Subaru Dealer.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Sythetics flow more easily, and in theory could find a leak sooner.

    GT vs. XT?

    GT is cheaper and sportier.

    XT is more capable of handling the rough stuff and has some extra equipment like cross bars on the roof rack.

    How do you drive? If you see gravel/dirt roads routinely and get lots of deep snow fall, XT is a no-brainer.

    If you never leave pavement and don't often see deep snow, go with the GT.

    -juice
  • rwoodsrwoods Member Posts: 129
    Regarding stability control, I was disappointed that my '05 XT Wagon did not include it even as an option. Yesterday's NY Times ran a big article praising stability control as must have safety feature which has prevented many rollovers. I would have thought that Subaru would have gotten ahead of the curve and placed stability control in all its vehicles as it did with side airbags and side curtains for head protection.
  • sdufordsduford Member Posts: 577
    Thanks Ken, I already checked that, but for the interior lights, it only says "8 Watts", it doesn't say what format or socket type. I guess I'll have to pull one out to check.

    I'm planning to change it to a PIAA UltraWhite 10watt bulb, should help with the lack of light up front when you get in the car.

    Sly
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    Synthetics are also known to do a better job of removing deposits. If you've run conventional oil for a while, the impurities in the oil actually help to plug up holes in seals. By switching to synthetic later, you dissolve the deposits and uncover leaks.

    I've always heard to make the switch early on in the engine's life to avoid what you saw.

    Ken
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I'd like to see more stability control options as well.

    One obstacle is that VDC is integrated into the VTD AWD. So they could do it easily only for cars equipped with an automatic.

    We have yet to see VTD on any manuals. That's what they need to sort out. Then VDC would be possible.

    -juice
  • beansly1beansly1 Member Posts: 8
    Okay how much more will it cost me to have the tires rotated on my 05 OB Beaner? appearently the sensors in the valve stems must stay in the same positions (left front,right front,etc.)or be reprogrammed. I only have 1500 miles on my beauty, but Im wondering what the deal will be when its time to rotate.
  • nhsubarunhsubaru Member Posts: 4
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    You sure about that? Doesn't sound right to me.

    -juice
  • beansly1beansly1 Member Posts: 8
    www.cars101.com/subaru/tiremonitor.html
    what do you think juice?
  • locke2clocke2c Member Posts: 5,038
    I'd not rotate tires and just ensure that you have good alignment, and plan on replacing them at greater than normal intervals. My BMW M3 officially did not support tire rotation at all.

    The only other option is to dismount the tire and move the tires from one wheel to another, ensuring that the pressure sensor/valvestem gizmo stays at the right corner of the car.

    ~c
  • foffof Member Posts: 2
    Just got the 2.5 GT lim wagon. It goes well , and handles pretty well, BUT, the brakes do not keep up with the rest of the package. Any quick fixes - new pads? braided hoses?. Also while I,m on my soapbox, they should have thrown out the " make $ on accessories " idea and included the short throw shifter. Does the short throw also shorten the Loooooog length of the stick?
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