Niko0422 Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 I just purchased a 2014 Subaru legacy 2.5i Twilight blue mettalic. I want to make it look more sporty and I wanted to get feedback from people on how to do this. My first step is tinting the windows. Any more ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bloodwingg2 Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 - Coilovers - Axleback - Front & back stabilizer bar - diffuser - Front and side lip - Trunk lip Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilesA Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 Upgrade your suspension with quality pieces. You will have a nice handling car that's a bit underpowered, but still fun to drive. Don't slam the car to the ground for the sake of looks. Lots of people mess their cars up doing that. Think about improving the handling and braking. Don't worry just about looks, FWIW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTEASER Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 get wheels/tires and lower it a little. It really changes the look of the car. GTEASER's 2012 Legacy GT - Sold GTEASER's 2009 XTeaser - Sold GTEASER's 1992 Legacy SS - Sold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Humble Rumble Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 As mentioned, suspension and wheels are the two biggest things you can do to change up the look of a car other than changing the body color completely. As for some other touches that haven't been mentioned, you could look into a mesh front grille like the C-Mod grille, or possibly a small rear window spoiler, that seems to be a popular option for our cars. 2012 Legacy 3.6R Build Thread 5th Gen Legacy BM/BR Body Kit Compendium Thread Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrstacy Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 - Coilovers - Axleback - Front & back stabilizer bar - diffuser - Front and side lip - Trunk lip what diffuser?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTEASER Posted March 3, 2017 Share Posted March 3, 2017 This is the only one that was made specifically for our cars. Some people have made others fit. http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/group-buy-gladman-performance-fabrication-5th-gen-rear-diffuser-217211.html GTEASER's 2012 Legacy GT - Sold GTEASER's 2009 XTeaser - Sold GTEASER's 1992 Legacy SS - Sold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgoodhue Posted March 4, 2017 Share Posted March 4, 2017 It looks like from another thread you have a base 2.5i 6MT. The 2013/2014 springs and struts from what I hear are decent. From my own experience Koni and lowering springs made a big difference without much of sacrifice in ride comfort, but you already have a better suspension than the underdamped soft stock 2010-2012 suspension. The WRX rear sway bar is pretty cheap $100 mod and will reduce the factory understeer the suspension was dialed in with. I have the STI Short throw shifter accessory and that is my 2nd favorite mod behind the suspension. The stock 5th Gen Shifter (long throw shifter) was a weak point. The STI STS shifter tighten up the shift and shorten the shifts to more of regular through shifter. The shifter bushing and short shifter adapters are popular mods that are cheaper than STI STS shifter I have and will improve the lack luster shifter feel. I would replace the transmission fluid with Motul 300, it will be easier to shift on cold winter days and it also improved the shifting feel. I drove another 6MT with the same shifter I have last summer and I notice within the 1st couple hundred feet the difference in feel from the transmission fluid (and I wasn't thinking about the shifter fluid would make any difference in the summer.) The clutch damper delete is inexpensive mods which will make the clutch grab point consistent. The factory grab point floats. Every once in a while I would make the engine stumble. After I didn't notice it too much, but I realize after I did the delete that I was compensation by driving with more throttle and riding the clutch more than I probably should have. The clutch isn't as smooth as before, but I wouldn't hesitate to do that mod again, I actually wish I had done it earlier. You probably have the steel 16" wheels with 205/60 tires. (My stock tires are 205/60 on aluminum rims). A set of low profile tires with better performance tires will change how the car feels. Ideally, I would get a set of 18" wheels with a tire around the sized stock Sport/2.5GT 225/45-18 would work well with a 2.5i. The low profile tire will be more responsive, wider tire will have more grip, plus it gets rid of the crappy stock Bridgestone Potenza A/S tires if your car still has them. You can also try getting the engine tuned to squeeze another 10 hp or so out it. The 6th Gen owners seem to be getting results with FB25 engine in your car, I would do that mods last after the above, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melkor Posted March 4, 2017 Share Posted March 4, 2017 It looks like from another thread you have a base 2.5i 6MT. I have the STI Short throw shifter accessory and that is my 2nd favorite mod behind the suspension. The stock 5th Gen Shifter (long throw shifter) was a weak point. The STI STS shifter tighten up the shift and shorten the shifts to more of regular through shifter. The shifter bushing and short shifter adapters are popular mods that are cheaper than STI STS shifter I have and will improve the lack luster shifter feel. I would replace the transmission fluid with Motul 300, it will be easier to shift on cold winter days and it also improved the shifting feel. I drove another 6MT with the same shifter I have last summer and I notice within the 1st couple hundred feet the difference in feel from the transmission fluid (and I wasn't thinking about the shifter fluid would make any difference in the summer.) The clutch damper delete is inexpensive mods which will make the clutch grab point consistent. The factory grab point floats. Every once in a while I would make the engine stumble. After I didn't notice it too much, but I realize after I did the delete that I was compensation by driving with more throttle and riding the clutch more than I probably should have. The clutch isn't as smooth as before, but I wouldn't hesitate to do that mod again, I actually wish I had done it earlier. Looks like you took quite a bit of issue with the shifting experience. I have to say, I overwhelmingly agree. I'm 34 years old. In that time, I've driven three manual cars: 2001 VW Jetta Wolfsburg 1.8T 5-Speed 2004 Saab 9-3 2.0T 5-Speed 2014 Legacy 2.5i - 6-Speed While the overall experience of the Subaru beats the pants off the VW and the Saab, I would rank my Subaru last in terms of the shifting experience. I imagine that for many 2.5i drivers that share this sentiment, much of the reason stems from the power associated with each gear. We all know the 2.5i is under-powered slightly, and as a result, there is no, how do I word this, "Go-to" gear for power. They all feel somewhat the same at almost all speeds - and yes, I realize I can squeeze more power out of 2nd, 3rd, or 4th, if I'm at the proper rev point, but really, it's not what this car does best, imho. That's totally fine - if someone was expecting the 2.5i N/A Legacy to be a fast car, well, they bought the wrong car. So right off the bat, the shifting experience gets a healthy does of hum-drum. And then, on top of that, just as dgoodhue points out, the actual actions that are associated with shifting don't feel very good. I appreciate the post, I'm definitely going to be making some changes. I'll do more research surrounding your suggestions. I'm a critical person by nature; this is the best car I've ever driven. The handling, the suspension, the car itself - amazing. This is just the ONE thing that's meh. As far as power - I personally am having Borla Headers installed on the 11th. I'm also having a custom dual exhaust installed (more for the look and sound, tbh). I was told that with this kind of mod, I can expect at max 20-25 horsepower. Something tells me that I should expect 10-15. And that's fine. I'm hopeful that another 10-15 horses will help the car develop some of those, "Go to" gear experiences. Sorry for the ramble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niko0422 Posted March 6, 2017 Author Share Posted March 6, 2017 You probably have the steel 16" wheels with 205/60 tires. (My stock tires are 205/60 on aluminum rims). A set of low profile tires with better performance tires will change how the car feels. Ideally, I would get a set of 18" wheels with a tire around the sized stock Sport/2.5GT 225/45-18 would work well with a 2.5i. The low profile tire will be more responsive, wider tire will have more grip, plus it gets rid of the crappy stock Bridgestone Potenza A/S tires if your car still has them. Will the low profile tires affect my awd during snow days? Should I just go with 17"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rutchard Posted March 6, 2017 Share Posted March 6, 2017 Will the low profile tires affect my awd during snow days? Should I just go with 17"? A general rule with any car is that more sidewall and narrower tires are better in the snow. A narrow tire is more likely to cut through the snow where a wider tire would float on top of it. Taller sidewall because where they're plowing, there's potholes/chunks of ice/etc in the road. Best bet would be to get some bigger/sportier wheels for the summer, then throw some snow tires on the stock wheels for winter. Best of both worlds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgoodhue Posted March 6, 2017 Share Posted March 6, 2017 I use my stock 16" rims with stock size 205/60-16 tires for my snow tires and have a set of 17" WRX wheels for my summer tires. 17" rims look a little small on the Legacy wheel opening. My WRX wheel are graphite color, so I think helps blend them a little bit, but they aren't ideal. Anyways that is why I recommended 18", because they seem to fit the wheel opening. As Rutchard mentioned wider tires will ride on top of the snow. The larger sidewall are more forgiving of potholes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooby Fan Posted March 6, 2017 Share Posted March 6, 2017 Hey Niko....since yours is also Twilight Blue, here is what it could look like with a few bucks spent and little work (mine is a 3.6R but they look the same) http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b375/RM-RS/5_zpsb9baa214.jpg Wheels.... 18x8 OZ Racing Tires.... 245/40/18 Oem rear spoiler, OEM side moldings (For door protection) LED fog lights independently wired....at the other end of the car but they are there and work great. De-batched to clean up the trunk area Custom made 22.5mm rear sway bar...huge improvement.... An OEM 20mm rear STi bar will work great for way less money. STi front strut bar Milk jug delete and funnel intake.....sound very cool Added Magnaflow large exhaust tips since this pic As mentioned above...the stock struts and springs are plenty firm enough as is....lowering is a popular mod but on a 2014 it will give a VERY firm (Buck board) ride..... I didn't lower mine for that reason and I need the stock clearance for the area I drive in regularly Enjoy your ride and look forward to seeing some pics as you move toward your goals. BTW..... I get lots of looks and comments all the time and the car handles awesome while retaining more or less stock ride quality....we also have 2012 Legacy Ltd. (Silver) with most of the same mods but just getting started on the suspension work this spring. Forgot to mention..... OEM 17" wheels with Nokian snow tires for winter.....great set-up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTEASER Posted March 6, 2017 Share Posted March 6, 2017 Those OZ's are Crono HT if I recall correctly. GTEASER's 2012 Legacy GT - Sold GTEASER's 2009 XTeaser - Sold GTEASER's 1992 Legacy SS - Sold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooby Fan Posted March 6, 2017 Share Posted March 6, 2017 Those OZ's are Crono HT if I recall correctly. Yup.....18x8 45 offset.....be hard to find since they are long outta production...had mine since 2005..... been on 4 of my Subarus over the years.... good used rims are pretty easy to find for decent prices if you search around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niko0422 Posted March 7, 2017 Author Share Posted March 7, 2017 Hey Niko....since yours is also Twilight Blue, here is what it could look like with a few bucks spent and little work (mine is a 3.6R but they look the same) http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b375/RM-RS/5_zpsb9baa214.jpg Wheels.... 18x8 OZ Racing Tires.... 245/40/18 Oem rear spoiler, OEM side moldings (For door protection) LED fog lights independently wired....at the other end of the car but they are there and work great. De-batched to clean up the trunk area Custom made 22.5mm rear sway bar...huge improvement.... An OEM 20mm rear STi bar will work great for way less money. STi front strut bar Milk jug delete and funnel intake.....sound very cool Added Magnaflow large exhaust tips since this pic As mentioned above...the stock struts and springs are plenty firm enough as is....lowering is a popular mod but on a 2014 it will give a VERY firm (Buck board) ride..... I didn't lower mine for that reason and I need the stock clearance for the area I drive in regularly Enjoy your ride and look forward to seeing some pics as you move toward your goals. BTW..... I get lots of looks and comments all the time and the car handles awesome while retaining more or less stock ride quality....we also have 2012 Legacy Ltd. (Silver) with most of the same mods but just getting started on the suspension work this spring. Forgot to mention..... OEM 17" wheels with Nokian snow tires for winter.....great set-up! The car looks awesome! I am really torn on whether getting the 17" or the 18" , I would love to get the 18" but I dont like the idea of having to change the tires everytime winter comes around. Would driving the 18" wheels in the winter be such a bad idea? is the grip on the snow really that much different, I bought the car mainly because is manual and the awd, if the 18" wheels wont help in the snow then that defeats the purpose :/ By the way, I really appreciate everyone's feedback, everyone has been very helpful Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgoodhue Posted March 7, 2017 Share Posted March 7, 2017 The car looks awesome! I am really torn on whether getting the 17" or the 18" , I would love to get the 18" but I dont like the idea of having to change the tires everytime winter comes around. Would driving the 18" wheels in the winter be such a bad idea? is the grip on the snow really that much different, I bought the car mainly because is manual and the awd, if the 18" wheels wont help in the snow then that defeats the purpose :/ If you are planning on using all season tires either way, it doesn't make that much of a difference. The bigger difference would be the width of the tire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niko0422 Posted March 7, 2017 Author Share Posted March 7, 2017 Thank you, If i buy new wheels can i use my old TPMS sensors on the new wheels? If so, will town fair tire do this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooby Fan Posted March 7, 2017 Share Posted March 7, 2017 I'll add to this that the "Summer" tires I use are Michelin Pilot Sport A/S3's....incredible all around performance tire.... If you don't get a lot of snow and have a lot of hills in your area, I am sure they would be fine all winter.... I use the OEM rims with Nokians because I have them and it keeps my OZ 18" rims from having to endure salt and sand during our winter. I went many years with various Subaru's using just A/S tires and was fine...BUT ...winter tires are better and safer in snowy climes ........ to each their own ......there is no question that the 18x8 rims and 245 tires really improve the handling combined with the heavier rear sway bar ........Note.... Canadian Subbies do not have TPMS so it makes it a lot simpler. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Picky1 Posted March 8, 2017 Share Posted March 8, 2017 The car looks awesome! I am really torn on whether getting the 17" or the 18" , I would love to get the 18" but I dont like the idea of having to change the tires everytime winter comes around. Would driving the 18" wheels in the winter be such a bad idea? is the grip on the snow really that much different, I bought the car mainly because is manual and the awd, if the 18" wheels wont help in the snow then that defeats the purpose :/ By the way, I really appreciate everyone's feedback, everyone has been very helpful This past fall I went from the OEM 16" wheels to the OEM Legacy GT 18" wheels with new A/S tires and they were fine this winter. To be honest they were a lot better than my crappy 16" Bridgestone even when they were new. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niko0422 Posted April 17, 2017 Author Share Posted April 17, 2017 Thank you all for all the help. Car is coming out nice. Can anyone tell me where i can find the front lip spoiler? and is the installation complicated? Also, should i paint it same color as the car (Twilight Blue Metallic) or leave it black Also, i tried the link for the diffuser posted on this thread, but it doesnt work, any ideas of where i could find it? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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