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2009 Subaru Legacy
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Comments
I have an 05 LGT non-limited and on-track it's very well behaved but I have a lot more body roll than I'd like. I'm currently looking at upgrades for it to make it more track worthy since I just sold my Subaru race car and I'll need something to take to the track. Here is a list of items I'm looking to do to bring it up to spec:
Koni Sport Struts
Whiteline Sway Bars
Downpipe of some sort
Uppipe of some sort
Cobb Accessport
Hawk HP+ Pads
I already have:
SPT Cat-back exhaust
Wider rims with 235-45-17 Tires
Summer Tires Currently Yokohama Advan 048s, may be switching to Pole Position RE01Rs next time around.
Other than that my car should be pretty well setup for doing HPDE, Time Trials and lots of fun on the street. I'm actually going to be entering into a One-Lap of America type competition (just shorter) later this year called the Southern Sprints. We'll see how well the car does at that.
-mike
The problem is that I much prefer the cloth interior to leather - especially living in hot and sunny California, so that's why I was thinking the 3.0 would be preferred to the 3.0 Limited.
If you are experienced, like I am, then even the stuff in the 3.0R/Spec B suspension won't be enough for you to not tinker with it. The only reason to get the Spec B I would say is the 6MT trans, mechanical rear diffy, and the VDC.
So I'd say go for the non-limited (that's what I have) and then you can slowly build up if you feel you need it.
-mike
The Legacy is generally very reliable, far better than average.
-mike
General maintainance for the Tahoe has been less.
I enjoy filling the Outback with gas more than the Tahoe, since I typically get 28mpg with the outback vs.19 with the Tahoe. (highway miles)
--jay
In other news, talking with a dealer now to make a deal w/ pickup for next week sometime for a Limited.
-mike
Good luck with it. If you need tint or clear-bra for it let me know I have a top notch installer that I'm good friends with.
-mike
-mike
The good thing is that I was able to get the rattles sorted out on both Outbacks, but it took many visits to the dealer and more than a little insistence. I basically had to diagnose it for them, but hey, at least the new owners can enjoy their fantastic machines rattle-free!
I will still buy another Subaru, maybe they will even have their fit issues worked out by then....
I think that renting is not a solution, but I do think a long test drive is a good idea. Turn off the radio and drive around for a good bit.
My van had a rattle but it turned out to be a coin holder I have that sits in one of the cup holders. I hate carrying around change, though, so I'll have to make a point of spending that change!
If anyone was interested in a price, the out the door price, including tax, destination, and every single other fee (registration, titling, etc.) was $26,300.
MSRP is $25,860 w/ Destination
Invoice is $24,337 w/ Destination
I didn't have a trade-in, so I had to pay full tax on the amount. Doing quick anti-math, 93% of 26,300 is $24,459 (NJ Tax is 7%), so we're looking pretty good there, including fees.
I saw an itemized sheet for the "invoice" pricing from a few dealers, funny that they give you a full tank of gas on the way out but charge you $9 per gallon for the courtesy and another $15 on top for the labor to put gas in the car. Prices varied slightly from dealer to dealer, but the charge was there on all of them.
My problem is that I have issues with the comfort of the vehicle. I currently have an 03 Altima which is a much wider and roomier vehicle. The Legacy felt tight with my leg rubbing against the emergency brake which was not comfortable. Also felt the steering wheel didn't have enough vertical rise for me to not bump my knees when entering. I've unfortunately gained about 30lb in the last year and now am 6'0" 250.
I'm wondering if there are seat adjustments other things that might enable you to avoid the leg hitting the emrgency brake and the steering wheel. I'd like to get this car but not if i'm going to be poked and prodded all the time.
Also, I asked for a quote on the lease with after market leather and satellite radio. They wanted $50/mo. for the leather and 20/mo for the radio. That's ridiculous on a 2 year lease. They were charging me the full price of these items with no discount despite the fact that close to 70% of the car (residual) remains with the lessor. The saleman kind of shrugged when I rasied the issue but said we could haggle over price (also lowballed trade).
My problem is there is no sense haggling if I'm not comfortable sitting in the car. Any thoughts about this or similar experiences would be appreciated.
I currently drive a 2002 Nissan Sentra GXE with about 76K miles. After this last winter, which really mangled the roads around here, my Sentra's ride became almost downright punishing, even though the shocks and struts are reportedly still in good shape. I wanted to move up to a car with a more solid structure and a more absorbent ride.
I was considering leasing a 2008 Impreza 2.5i sedan, which has been advertised for $199 sign-and-drive 36-month leases around here for months. The Impreza reportedly has one of the best rides in its class. However, after finding out about the $179 lease on the Legacy, I went to the dealership this evening with the intention to evaluate both cars.
The Impreza is a nice small car, but it isn't a major step up from my Sentra like the Legacy is. I was upside down on my Sentra by around $320, so rolling that difference into my 24-month, 12K mile lease gave me monthly payments of $241 plus tax. BTW the Legacy I was looking at is an automatic, not a stick shift.
Regarding altimate's concern about comfort, I guess it depends on what you're used to. I'm also 6'0" and weigh 250 lbs (what a coincidence, eh?) and I found the Legacy cockpit to be just that... it felt like a cockpit, somewhat snug but I didn't find it to be cramped. I didn't feel the handbrake jabbing into my thigh, but my test drive lasted 15 minutes at best. I can live with it for two years if I had to, however. I should add that the power driver's seat really enhanced comfort by providing me with very good thigh support. The Sentra has accomodated me quite well, but the Legacy is slightly more comfortable for me.
One definitely can't fit four six-footers in a Legacy sedan, especially with a sunroof, which cuts into rear seat headroom. It's not as spacious as an Altima, Accord, or Camry. But if space is not much of an issue (it isn't for me, I rarely have more than one passenger with me), then I'd go for the Legacy... it has so much more flair than the others!
Can't wait to pick up my car tomorrow evening!!
I think I need to give the car a longer drive to really judge whether the comfort issue is minor or a deal breaker. I might ask the dealer if I could get one to drive for a day (or a good part of a day) so that I could deal with the issue.
I think I'll check some other dealers to see how they approach the option issue which obviuosly shouldn't raise the lease price as much as it did.
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Was about a 40 minute drive each way to get it, but man, was it worth the trip. Very smooth car, definitely worth every penny!
Bob
I found the second dealer much more easy going and didn't feel I was being hustled.
When I asked him about what adding leather, Sat.radio and 15000 mi would do to the lease price he gave me a detailed discussion of the cost of these items and the residuals effect on them. Bottom line what the other dealer wanted $100/mo more for, he wanted $50/mo for. I called the other dealer back and he wouldn't budge even though the salesman admitted there might be something to my claim that you can't charge me the full price of an option when the car has an 80% residual (unbelievable that number). I think I'm going with the second dealer especially since he indicated that a free loaner would be given with all service calls.
Will need to wait a bit for the color choice to come in but I'm totally happy with this choice. It's kind of a relief to finally have closure on this as I've been looking for what seems an endless amount of time.
This is a conservatively styled but attractive car with a high quality interior and a ton of options for a price in the low 20's. The idea of spending 10k more for a so-called entry level luxury car is waste of money in my opinion.
I'm 5'10, 300lb, while not as comfy as my Armada my LGT is not bad to drive for 2 or 3 hrs. I wouldn't drive cross country in it, but I can adjust it well enough for me. If you can wait til the spring, the 2010 model will be here and it's supposed to be significantly larger.
-mike
Hopefully by next spring I'll get rid of those 30 extra pounds. Easier said than done, of course. Regardless, I'm set on the 09 Legacy.
-mike
I'm 5'9" and 200 pounds and my doctor is constantly telling me to lose another 30 pounds.
It may not seem important now, but it will when you get to my age—assuming you do get to my age.
Bob
I love those rims. Among the very best on the market, at any price.
I'd prefer that the leather were perforated, but it's still very nice.
Love the dual exhaust, too.
I bet a small GPS could fit under that door at the top of the dash.
Kudos.
I hit 217 # while in Brazil, eating like a pig. I was 185 in high school.
Subaru Crew Diet?
X-Mas—you're on! And afterwards we can pig out like there was no tomorrow! :P
Bob
http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.ee99548/30338
Anyone had any good results with other brands?
Given my time constraints, i.e. two kids that want me to play with them and not focus on car detailing, this was a priority for me, so I tried it out.
The product does exactly what it promises. It's quick and easy to apply and remove, plus the big plus is it does *not* stain the black rubber and plastic trim. That's key for saving time, because with some other stuff I used you had to use blue painter's tape to keep the trim clean.
So far the water beads up well in the rain. I just hope it lasts.
It also passes my "rag test". Toss a rag on the hood, and it should slip right off. It does.
I usually wax my cars right after it starts to turn to fall, so that puts me about mid Octoberish, and then I'll do another wax after we thaw out in the spring.
A funny thing happened within the last 2 weeks I've owned my Sub...
Every time my wife and I drive somewhere and she hops out, I pull out the owners' manual and read away... I recently discovered that you can pop the transmission into "SPORT" mode for better acceleration and engine braking... I had no idea this existed and the dealers didn't mention it. I knew about the manual SPORTShift mode and the regular D automatic, but Sport mode is pretty cool, and I like the way the engine backs down when I take my foot off the gas pedal.
Oh, I wrote a review for Edmunds' and it's the only one up there for the `09 Legacy. The Limited trim is far more superior than I ever expected it to be when we were considering the SE trim... The dual climate is very nice and the AUTO feature is useful... The hardest thing I've had to get used to is the fact that I can't comfortably shut the door(s) by the window frame, well, because there isn't one. In order to minimize fingerprints, my wife and I have agreed to shut the door via the handle.
Can't wait for some inclement weather. About 700/1000 miles into the break-in period, impatiently waiting for the 1001st mile where I can really open it up.
Regarding the automatic transmission's Sport program mode, the salesperson did demonstrate this feature to me upon delivery two weeks ago. I usually switch the lever to the Sport mode when I'm on the freeway, for more responsive downshifts when passing.
My mom's 1990 Nissan Stanza XE (she's the second owner and has been driving the car since 1994!) has a similar toggle switch. It has three modes: Comfort, Sport, and Automatic. Historically I'd leave the switch in Automatic mode while driving her car around town, but I'll flip it to Sport mode when driving on the freeway. I was happy to find a similar feature on my Legacy. Having said that, I haven't really used the "manual" shift mode more than once thus far.
As far as disappointments and regrets are concerned, I have two thus far. My previous car, a 2002 Sentra GXE, had much better storage space for small items, including a nicely sized compartment (with a pop-up lid) to the right of the instrument panel. The door pockets were more generously sized as well.
I know I might damage my rep for admitting this, but I've found that I don't care for the cupholders... their location behind the shifter, that is. My old Sentra's cupholders were in front of the shifter, so beverages were much easier to place and reach.
Last but not least, there were three Legacy 2.5i SE automatics at the dealership, and I chose the one in Seacrest Green. I like the exterior color, and I find the ivory interior (with contrasting black upper dashboard) to be pleasing, but I'm concerned about the light-colored fabric appearing dingy after a while. I'm not too worried about it since I leased the car for two years and I don't have kids, but I would've gone for the Ruby Red car with black interior if I had to turn back the clock.
I'm still waiting for availability of an SE here in Michigan. Looks like September at the earliest. I hope the lease deal doesn't suffer too much between now and then.
Looking at Quartz Silver as my color of choice. Never been fond of black interrior but I'm going with after market leather and the Legacy has a very upscale look in the black. If a beige trim became available I'd want white or bronze exterior. Right now I'm just antsy from waiting. Getting calls from competitive dealers trying to get me to look at other vehicles. I might do so if something doesn't happen pretty soon regarding availability. Still, after an eternity of research I'm seeing the Legacy SE as the best overall combination of value and upscale features.
"As far as disappointments and regrets are concerned, I have two thus far. My previous car, a 2002 Sentra GXE, had much better storage space for small items, including a nicely sized compartment (with a pop-up lid) to the right of the instrument panel. The door pockets were more generously sized as well."
That's funny! Our other car is a 2001 Sentra SE - which I believe is the same model more or less (I think the SE has a 2.0 I4 rather than the 1.8) I do in fact miss the sunglasses holder near the top moonroof switch, but I have to disagree with the storage space... While the popup thing was cool above the radio, I find the cupholder caddy (you can remove this btw - my wife and I have a rule - no drinks in the car, so out the cupholders came, read owner's manual on how to safely remove, takes 2 seconds to twist the piece out.) and the center console a lot of space, and the glove box is huge compared to the Sentra. I personally don't keep anything in the door pockets from fear that I'll put garbage in there and forget about it!
One of the local dealers around here had a bronze 2.5i SE (with the ivory interior) but it had the manual transmission, whereas I was looking for an automatic. VERY nice color, though. I certainly would've picked it, if one with an automatic was in stock.
I'm surprised that you're having a hard time locating a 2.5i SE, although I should note that one of the local dealers here didn't have any 2.5i SE automatics whatsoever, whereas the other had only two or three in stock. I'm assuming that you're not in the Detroit area, am I correct?
The other thing is that the Legacy's sun visor is too thick for my garage door opener's clip, so I've been storing my garage door opener in one of the cupholders. My in-car parking meter used to reside in the compartment underneath the Sentra's center armrest, but now that my CDs reside there, I have to store the parking meter in the glovebox when it's not being used.
Ah well, it's really nothing more than a matter of getting accustomed to a different routine, that's all. I didn't mean to make a mountain out of a molehill!
That being said there are roughly 6 Subaru dealers in the metro area of which only one has SE models and they only got them in a few days ago. Personally I prefer not to deal with that dealer since they jacked the lease price up unreasonably to add a couple of options that I wanted (leather, XM). Also have kind of a circus atmosphere there. They literally bang a Chinese gong to announce someone taking delivery of a car. Not my kind of place. Dealer I'm dealing with is a family run store with just two salespeople. My person has been very forthcoming about the deal and the car availability with no BS whatsoever. I'm pretty confident I can do a deal with him. Store will also provide a free loaner with service which is a big thing.
Anyway, I expect something to happen in the next week or two and I'll be glad when this deal is complete. Good news is a couple of more weeks will give me a chance to get my diet going. Cabin is a bit snugger than I'm used to so I figure if the car can't change than I can. Seriously, I have gained a great deal of weight in the last year and really need to get it off more for health than esthetic reasons.
-mike
Motorsports and Modifications Host
They sold some 40 of them this week. The program ends tomorrow.
They had couple of bronze and several in quartz silver. Bronze with beige & black colour interior looked really sharp and elegant.
Good luck.
I've accumulated (and used) $2000 Subaru bucks already. Can't beat it.
The only cap is $500/year, basically.
When we hit that cap, we start using a Shell gas card, but that only earns 1%.