What would you ADD/CHANGE on a new Legacy immediately after purchase?

[jMeG]

I would change:

1. Non-factory tires - OEM tires are terrible and only good for fuel economy. They don't handle well on dry pavement and are abysmal in snow. I'd request an $800+ credit from the dealership and get better all seasons from Costco, or a set of summer and winter tires. A friend upgraded his tires and is very happy. He selected the best all-seasons Costco had available at the time.
2. Bigger Battery - OEM is terrible. I'm unsure if they fixed the issue, but after 3 free OEM battery replacements, I installed the largest battery, I think AGM, that would fit in the compartment and never had a problem again. Sitting in the cold overnight was no longer an issue.
3. WeatherTech Floor Mats - add the WeatherTech trunk liner if your dealer didn't force you to take an OEM one
4. Auto Stop/Start Eliminator - $100 to eliminate the annoyance forever

[numerobis]

100% Agree with all 4 changes.

For the battery, after the first year, I will be looking at installing a 24F AGM, but (according to a Subaru bulletin) need to replace 3 parts for proper fit (Tray, one J hook and bracket).

Factory tires will be swapped for Michelins in the spring (dealer did not want to consider replacing them out before delivery).

 

[MoleMan]

12 hours ago, numerobis said:

100% Agree with all 4 changes.

For the battery, after the first year, I will be looking at installing a 24F AGM, but (according to a Subaru bulletin) need to replace 3 parts for proper fit (Tray, one J hook and bracket).

Factory tires will be swapped for Michelins in the spring (dealer did not want to consider replacing them out before delivery).

 

So some service or parts guy told you a 24F battery won't fit without buying all new parts huh?  Bracket is around $80 bucks. Tray around $20 , and the J hook about $10.  Why cannot you reuse everything?  A 24F fits perfect in the existing tray using the OEM bracket and Jhook.   

Don't go and buy some crap Optima RedTop.  Spend some money and buy an Odyssey or any other deep cycle battery. 

 

As far as Michelin. As you wish alot of better options.  If you must do Michelin then don't let some tire guy talk you into Defenders.  They would be the worse option you can get and the ride will be one of the worst you will ever have.  Stick to something with a 500 to 600 treadwear as you will get the best ride and performance without going to Summer tires.  Why the need to spend a grand on new tires?  Just run out the OEM to 4/32 and then get new tires.

If it was me if you asked me what the one thing I would change.  Pick up car. Drive to specialized mechanic.  Change CVT for a 6 speed manual.  

 

We can all wish lol.

[numerobis]

Thanks for the info!

The long story about the tires is that I already have a set of 2 month old Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 on hand, same size, so I will swap them and sell the OEMs.

[MoleMan]

On 11/2/2023 at 6:46 PM, numerobis said:

Thanks for the info!

The long story about the tires is that I already have a set of 2 month old Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 on hand, same size, so I will swap them and sell the OEMs.

Then its free then lol!

I bought a set of those when the first came out.  Took them back within a thousand miles under the Michelin Ride Guarantee.  Michelin tires and me don't mix.

Butter smooth at 80 plus.  However very hard packed rubber.  I think I am just used to DWS's as I have had them for 15 years on every car I own.

It's to the point the tire guys won't sell me anything else then DWS's.

 

Good luck.

[fourD2]

What is the issue with the OEM battery?  Prior to purchasing the '23 Legacy XT I had a BMW sedan.  The battery in that car would go dead if the car was not driven for 2 weeks.  From their forums it was disclosed that most modern cars will lose charge over a relatively short time period if you do not drive them regularly.  In the case of my BMW, in the winter, (I am in Wisconsin), if you did short hauls and ran the seat heater and steering wheel heater, the battery could not keep up.  So I had to keep a trickle charger on the battery in winter or in summer if I did not drive the car regularly.  A short haul was defined as less than 25 miles.

The battery in that car was a high power AGM so the issue was not so much the size or quality of the battery, it was an an inadequate recharging system and excessive drain from running the heating accessories in winter.  

I am wondering if we are discussing the same phenomenon with the Legacy and should a trickle charger be used in winter.

[MarkInAustin]

Agree on tires, which I changed immediately for 4 Conti DWSs.  At the same time I ditched the donut and added a full size spare on a steel wheel.  That required placing two 2'x2'x1" gym mats on top of the new spare to even the surface under the trunk "floor" after the molded inserts were ditched, and the purchase of a tool bag to carry in the trunk.

The mats double as comfort for the knees when actually changing a tire.  

The OEM battery should last two years in Texas, garaged, with the auto stop start turned off or disconnected.  Then I will replace with an AGM.

I am going to replace the OEM speakers with Pioneers and while I have the door panels off I will sound dampen.  The car is quiet, but eliminating unwanted speaker resonance is always a must when replacing door speakers, or the job is only half assed.

 

Edited November 17, 2023 by MarkInAustin

[MoleMan]

1 hour ago, MarkInAustin said:

Agree on tires, which I changed immediately for 4 Conti DWSs.  At the same time I ditched the donut and added a full size spare on a steel wheel.  That required placing two 2'x2'x1" gym mats on top of the new spare to even the surface under the trunk "floor" after the molded inserts were ditched, and the purchase of a tool bag to carry in the trunk.

The mats double as comfort for the knees when actually changing a tire.  

The OEM battery should last two years in Texas, garaged, with the auto stop start turned off or disconnected.  Then I will replace with an AGM.

I am going to replace the OEM speakers with Pioneers and while I have the door panels off I will sound dampen.  The car is quiet, but eliminating unwanted speaker resonance is always a must when replacing door speakers, or the job is only half assed.

 

No real benefit to AGM over a flooded battery.  I switched to a deep cycle and have not have an issue with the car sitting for a month at a time sometimes at -30.  And not talking an Optima Red or Yellow top. Went way beyond that.

To me I could care less about rattles.  Even my Lexus rattles.  I love road noise and feel.  

I know I am weird

[blusubado]

ya I swapped the tires immediately to a set of potenza re-71r and swapped the rims to the lightest set I could find. 

if I had the money I would definitely change out the CVT for the 6 speed off the WRX. 

I'm still searching for a rear sway bar. 

as for the battery I swapped in a zero gravity battery to help drop weight in the front end. I didn't have a problem with the original other than the stop start didn't last long if I had the heated seats on. the new battery improved it a little.

[MoleMan]

15 hours ago, blusubado said:

ya I swapped the tires immediately to a set of potenza re-71r and swapped the rims to the lightest set I could find. 

if I had the money I would definitely change out the CVT for the 6 speed off the WRX. 

I'm still searching for a rear sway bar. 

as for the battery I swapped in a zero gravity battery to help drop weight in the front end. I didn't have a problem with the original other than the stop start didn't last long if I had the heated seats on. the new battery improved it a little.

I have had 2 WRX's and find the manual trans to be good but the clutch to be a little stiff to engage.  Still less pressure needed then my wife's S4 or even my coveted A3 GTI VR6.

Stock battery is basically junk.  When I swapped in the Odyssey in mine the specs had it at 51 lbs.  So fairly heavy.  But when you need to deal with -20 in the winter I would rather have the car start.

And Gen 6s don't have start/stop so not an issue.  Surprisingly never use the heated seats.  I have a car with air con seats and that is nice is 90 or 100 degree weather.

I would do a set of sways and not just the rear.  I always change them to a set.  Call Whiteline and see if they have anything for the Gen 7.  So many aftermarket places are moving away from supporting non Turbo cars because they make no money on the parts.  Exception to this is American muscle cars.  Our cars simply have such a limited market.

 

[blusubado]

oh ive been messaging whiteline, cusco, and every other suspension manufacturer trying to get them to make a sway bar for our car but to no success. 

[silverton]

I don't think whiteline is going to make a front bar for the sixth gen. They barely make one for the fifth gen, same diameter...but two adjustment/set points. big whoop.  I remember measuring the front bar on mine and it was something stupid like 26 or 28.

Me personally, I wish I could ADD start/stop to my 3.6

 

[DrD123]

Just did one of the recommendations - changed out the wheels/tires for a brand new set of STi option rims (the 18x8.5" 15-spoke ones for the WRX sport package from 16-21 - got a brand new, still in the boxes set shipped for less than cost!) with Pirelli PZero all season plus 3 tires (245/45-18) - literally had them put on yesterday, but after doing a few 100 miles trips with the OEM Avid GT tires, I decided they were waaaay to squirmy and loud for me.  And I wasn't a big fan of the grey wheels that came stock on the 24 Sport.

Wish someone made a rear swaybar - Whiteline has one for the Outback - I figured with the new "global platform" things would be more swappable than ever between cars, but evidently not.

Edited March 23 by DrD123

[dohturdima]

Very timely topic - definitely the battery. I take a lot of short trips and today the car wouldn't start after I parked it next to my kids' dentist office (of course, it had to happen on a day it was pouring rain, on a metered parking spot). Strangely, I could not jump start it with a fully charged NOCO GV40. Thankfully, it is walking disctance to my house - SO and kids went home, and I called AAA and took my other car to give it a proper jump start. The tech was already there with their jumper and it started right up - showing a RAB (Reverse Automatic Braking) error - something I haven't seen before. The battery + terminal had a lot of sulfuric gunk all around it - never seen so much of this on any of my other cars, and it is usually an indicator of a failing battery - this was discussed in another thread about a battery TSB  on these cars. I had start-stop disabled over a year ago, so if anything it should have saved the battery. Will take it to the dealer for a look-see, and possibly get my battery swapped. If no other issues other than the battery, even if the dealer claims it is "OK" will change it out for a different brand/better battery. I had luck with Costco's interstate batteries, but am disappointed in Subaru - never had a battery fail in a new car after only two years. 

Edited March 23 by dohturdima

[DrD123]

I think the yellow stuff is what the white dielectric grease they smear all over that turns into with time.  If there's some acid migration/weeping happening, it usually has a wet appearance on the surface of the battery (and often the tiedown is the first part to show signs of corrosion) - one of the reasons I like AGM batteries are they don't do that.

[Dantvballcoach]

Weathertech is too overpriced. These smart liner protectors are the bomb!

[dohturdima]

I have Weathertech liners in my other car, and  while they are nice and form fitting, one downside is they don't have stiff edges - so the edges fold inward with use and allow dirt to get in on the bottom and the sides. Since my WT mats are over 4 years old, don't know if WT addressed this, since that is what Smartliner is advertising. My Legacy  all-weather mats are OEM, and they are just "ok", the rear mat is all bent out of shape by the drivers seat. 

Edited March 25 by dohturdima
added pic of Weathertech mats folding on sides

[dohturdima]

16 hours ago, DrD123 said:

I think the yellow stuff is what the white dielectric grease they smear all over that turns into with time.  If there's some acid migration/weeping happening, it usually has a wet appearance on the surface of the battery (and often the tiedown is the first part to show signs of corrosion) - one of the reasons I like AGM batteries are they don't do that.

You were right, it was dielectric grease stained with SO4 from the contact.  Cleaned it up, reapplied Permatex dielectric grease, tested the battery with a Schumacher battery tester - tests fine. All the fluids seem OK as well, and after restarting the car a few times - all of the errors disappeared. Very strange... Will try to update the software on the head unit later today, don't know whether I should keep the dealership appointment but this was pretty unsettling. 

[Dantvballcoach]

1 hour ago, dohturdima said:

I have Weathertech liners in my other car, and  while they are nice and form fitting, one downside is they don't have stiff edges - so the edges fold inward with use and allow dirt to get in on the bottom and the sides. Since my WT mats are over 4 years old, don't know if WT addressed this, since that is what Smartliner is advertising. My Legacy  all-weather mats are OEM, and they are just "ok", the rear mat is all bent out of shape by the drivers seat. 

Yep, the OEM are crap, when compared to the options.

[Point37]

22 hours ago, Dantvballcoach said:

Weathertech is too overpriced. These smart liner protectors are the bomb!

we have these in my wife's car...i am impressed for the price

i would also buy & install a fumoto oil drain valve and buy the brass nipple and some vinyl tubing...very clean oil changes

[silverton]

On 3/24/2024 at 1:22 PM, dohturdima said:

You were right, it was dielectric grease stained with SO4 from the contact.  Cleaned it up, reapplied Permatex dielectric grease, tested the battery with a Schumacher battery tester - tests fine. All the fluids seem OK as well, and after restarting the car a few times - all of the errors disappeared. Very strange... Will try to update the software on the head unit later today, don't know whether I should keep the dealership appointment but this was pretty unsettling. 

If your voltage dropped low enough the modules aren't happy so when it was going around checking on the modules the RAB module may have been near last in line and didn't have enough voltage to say 'hey i'm here', so it coded until a couple key cycles with proper voltage.

Often times when these persist you can fix it by doing a 'cap discharge' touching the neg terminal to the pos for a few seconds.

[dohturdima]

13 hours ago, silverton said:

If your voltage dropped low enough the modules aren't happy so when it was going around checking on the modules the RAB module may have been near last in line and didn't have enough voltage to say 'hey i'm here', so it coded until a couple key cycles with proper voltage.

Often times when these persist you can fix it by doing a 'cap discharge' touching the neg terminal to the pos for a few seconds.

Thank you, this makes sense. I thought it may be due to the battery voltage being low due to taking too many short trips and (possibly?) the battery starting to go bad. Dropped it off at the dealer now, for a diagnostic which will include testing the battery (they are aware of the battery TSB - hope but don't expect that it will apply in my case). Will see what they say, but if the battery tests fine will make it a habit to trickle charge it periodically and may possibly look into getting an Odyssey as a replacement down the road. 
 

Update: the battery did test bad, which now explains the above. They are apparently replacing it with the same one, which makes little sense as per TSB. Will speak to the CSR about this. 

Update #2: CSR apologizes - they are installing the upgraded higher capacity battery as per TSB

Did buy a set of Smartliner mats to replace my OEM ones. 

Edited March 26 by dohturdima

[blusubado]

whiteline is showing that they have a rear sway bar now!! but it's saying outback/legacy which has me confused since they had slightly different ones that mounted in different spots 

https://whitelineperformance.com/products/rear-sway-bar-20mm-heavy-duty-blade-adjustable-2020-outback

[dohturdima]

10 hours ago, blusubado said:

whiteline is showing that they have a rear sway bar now!! but it's saying outback/legacy which has me confused since they had slightly different ones that mounted in different spots 

https://whitelineperformance.com/products/rear-sway-bar-20mm-heavy-duty-blade-adjustable-2020-outback

What an awesome piece of news, if true. According to the Whiteline site, it should fit my '22 Touring XT, but yes Outback and Legacy have different sways. Emailed Whiteline for clarification.

[silverton]

I would add the Legacy back to the lineup for the 2026MY.