LoveMySpecB Posted March 13, 2006 Share Posted March 13, 2006 I bought a SpecB in November last year for a few hundred over invoice. I have really enjoyed the car and hopefully will start some mods this summer. In the meantime, the pros and cons . . . Pros: Engine (acceleration)Safety (I love the fact IIHS gave it a "gold medal" 2 weeks after I bought it.)Color (I like the brick-red interior)Navi (this was a "must-have" feature for me) Cons:Interior fit and finish is quite poor. (Plastic trim piece next to center panel is misaligned, rubber trim around moonroof opening is loose, etc.)Radio controls. (The steering wheel controls can't skip between preset buttons.)Paint job. (The color is nice but there are a few, very faint scratches already in the finish.) Suggested improvements (are you reading this, SOA?):6-speed manualBetter tuned enginePay attention to fit and finish detailsFix the radio controls.Have the seat-belt stop chiming after the first few beeps....and there you have it. BTW, I have a friend who bought a new Impreza Outback a month ago. It was assembled in Japan, unlike the Spec B which is assembled in Indiana. The fit and finish in her car is impeccable, both inside and out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fwellers Posted March 13, 2006 Share Posted March 13, 2006 >>It was assembled in Japan, unlike the Spec B which is assembled in Indiana. The fit and finish in her car is impeccable, both inside and out.<< Such a GD Shame. What is wrong with American Autoworkers ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slickvic Posted March 13, 2006 Share Posted March 13, 2006 Have the seat-belt stop chiming after the first few beeps. You can fix the seat belt chime yourself in about 20 seconds. (search) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoobydrew Posted March 13, 2006 Share Posted March 13, 2006 BTW, I have a friend who bought a new Impreza Outback a month ago. It was assembled in Japan, unlike the Spec B which is assembled in Indiana. The fit and finish in her car is impeccable, both inside and out. I agree entirely. I own a spec. B and have never been more disappointed with the assembly of a car. The moonroof is crooked, the driver's side doors are terribly misaligned, and I have a few areas of defective paint. When comparing the Japanese assembled cars to the Legacys at the dealership, the difference was obvious. I searched for imperfections and couldn't find any on the Japanese models (I think it was the Foresters), I noticed all the same issues on the Legacys. Plus, to really top it off, I was told by the dealership where I brought it for service that: "Cars aren't perfect", and, to make a long story short, SOA told me that what I was seeing in the driver's side doors was an optical illusion. That was passed on to them by a Subaru rep., "Sharky", who had never even seen my car, the great guys at the dealership told him that. The rest of my car is great but SOA sucks and so do the idiots in Indiana. ProTUNED by RaminiSports Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scans007 Posted March 13, 2006 Share Posted March 13, 2006 Def get ride of the seltbelt chime (check the walkthrough sections) I've had MyB for 2 weeks now, love the nav, love the brick red int......Def needs a lil suspension help, sway or springs.....both coming soon....(not to mention the 18G/supporting mods and tune go'n in...so that should take care of the power) The radio controls are ok, I can deal with them......I can't deal with the MP3 text though, that was poorly designed...and that's strange, nothing in mine is "mis-aligned" Pics? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoveMySpecB Posted March 13, 2006 Author Share Posted March 13, 2006 Oh, and by the way, when I got it, the CD player wouldn't load CDs. THe dealership was very nice, though, and swapped it out fairly quickly. Pics, you said? I have to find my dig. cam. The plastic piece on the left side of the stereo-a/c center panel is crooked. The upper edge of it tilts to the left and the gap is uneven. The little "separators" between the nav. buttons are misaligned and stick out farther on the right than the left. There's a little piece of extraneous trim sticking out near the moonroof edging and the rubber edge surrounding the moonroof cutout can be peeled off. Wow... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Opie Posted March 13, 2006 Share Posted March 13, 2006 I agree entirely. I own a spec. B and have never been more disappointed with the assembly of a car. The moonroof is crooked, the driver's side doors are terribly misaligned, and I have a few areas of defective paint. This quote along with your pic of jumping your Spec-B down a dirt road kinda weakens the validity of all your complaints..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PGT Posted March 13, 2006 Share Posted March 13, 2006 not to mention weakening the car itself Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rony Posted March 13, 2006 Share Posted March 13, 2006 This quote along with your pic of jumping your Spec-B down a dirt road kinda weakens the validity of all your complaints..... +10 My Car vBGarage Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TYNY Posted March 13, 2006 Share Posted March 13, 2006 i think that specB pic was taken ffrom an auto mag, trying to remember - car and dirver? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted March 13, 2006 Share Posted March 13, 2006 >>It was assembled in Japan, unlike the Spec B which is assembled in Indiana. The fit and finish in her car is impeccable, both inside and out.<< Such a GD Shame. What is wrong with American Autoworkers ? In general Labor Unions are the problem with American autoworkers. Problem is I don't think the Subaru/Toyota plant is a union shop. I guess they are just f'ing lazy or incompotent, my car is a rattly sonuvabitch too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LIZARD Posted March 13, 2006 Share Posted March 13, 2006 In general Labor Unions are the problem with American autoworkers. Problem is I don't think the Subaru/Toyota plant is a union shop. I guess they are just f'ing lazy or incompotent, my car is a rattly sonuvabitch too. Remember, America its self is a Union, while I agree to a great extent that Unions are a problem, I don't think that this is the problem in this case, the REAL problem I think is that the cars are made in Indiana!! J/K! Sorry 'bout the thread-Jack!! Stage2.5376, TDC ProTune,blah blah blahhhh and....Alky/H20 injection Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoobydrew Posted March 13, 2006 Share Posted March 13, 2006 i think that specB pic was taken ffrom an auto mag, trying to remember - car and dirver? I knew there were intelligent people on this forum!!! The avatar is what I dream about, If I had two spec. B's, I might drive one like that. Trust me, American assembled Subies are FLAWED. I don't know about '05's, but on '06 Legacys, look at where the front and back doors meet at the bottom of the windows. On the passenger side, when the doors are closed, that area is flush up against the shiny moulding, the windows are nicely recessed into the weatherstrip. Now look at the driver's side, BIG GAP. My windows are just barely protected from the wind. I have heard complaints of windows flapping in and out at high speeds. I definitely hear more wind on the driver's side than the passenger side, go figure. ProTUNED by RaminiSports Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rony Posted March 13, 2006 Share Posted March 13, 2006 Thank god... You honestly had me worried.. My Car vBGarage Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix96 Posted March 14, 2006 Share Posted March 14, 2006 I knew there were intelligent people on this forum!!! The avatar is what I dream about, If I had two spec. B's, I might drive one like that. Trust me, American assembled Subies are FLAWED. I don't know about '05's, but on '06 Legacys, look at where the front and back doors meet at the bottom of the windows. On the passenger side, when the doors are closed, that area is flush up against the shiny moulding, the windows are nicely recessed into the weatherstrip. Now look at the driver's side, BIG GAP. My windows are just barely protected from the wind. I have heard complaints of windows flapping in and out at high speeds. I definitely hear more wind on the driver's side than the passenger side, go figure. I've got nothing of the sort on my 2006. In fact, the fit and finish is noticeably better than that of friends' Japanese-built Imprezas. Maybe you got a car from a bad batch. phoenix96 2006 Legacy GT Ltd · 2011 Outback 3.6R Ltd · 1992 SVX 2006 Outback 3.0R VDC · 2009 Forester 2.5X 2002 Outback VDC · 1996 Outback 2.5L · 1986 GL-10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The B4 Posted March 14, 2006 Share Posted March 14, 2006 Imprezas and Foresters shake rattle and roll... And i've been in atleast 30 different imprezas and Foresters and i'd have to say the Legacy and outback are better built. [sIGPIC][/sIGPIC] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MangoGT Posted March 14, 2006 Share Posted March 14, 2006 I agree entirely. I own a spec. B and have never been more disappointed with the assembly of a car. The moonroof is crooked, the driver's side doors are terribly misaligned, and I have a few areas of defective paint. When comparing the Japanese assembled cars to the Legacys at the dealership, the difference was obvious. I searched for imperfections and couldn't find any on the Japanese models (I think it was the Foresters), I noticed all the same issues on the Legacys. Plus, to really top it off, I was told by the dealership where I brought it for service that: "Cars aren't perfect", and, to make a long story short, SOA told me that what I was seeing in the driver's side doors was an optical illusion. That was passed on to them by a Subaru rep., "Sharky", who had never even seen my car, the great guys at the dealership told him that. The rest of my car is great but SOA sucks and so do the idiots in Indiana. That's how Subaru of America works--if you call them with a complaint, they call the dealership and ask about it. Unfortunately, most of the time you probably just finished asking the dealership about the problem, so the answer that the dealership gives to you and to the rep at SoA is exactly the same. The "customer service" representatives at Subaru are nothing more than parrots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aldo ixnay Posted March 14, 2006 Share Posted March 14, 2006 I've got nothing of the sort on my 2006. In fact, the fit and finish is noticeably better than that of friends' Japanese-built Imprezas. Maybe you got a car from a bad batch. I feel the same way. As a previous owner of a '02 WRX and passenger in many WRX/STis I can confidently say that the Japanese built cars shouldn't be put on any pedestal and that my Legacy seems more solidly put together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akm3 Posted March 15, 2006 Share Posted March 15, 2006 Remember, America its self is a Union, while I agree to a great extent that Unions are a problem, I don't think that this is the problem in this case, the REAL problem I think is that the cars are made in Indiana!! J/K! Sorry 'bout the thread-Jack!! We are? Shit no one told me!! Where is my free $$ for not working? Wow I just owned myself, welfare duh =D -Allen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mccorry Posted March 15, 2006 Share Posted March 15, 2006 Remember, America its self is a Union, while I agree to a great extent that Unions are a problem, I don't think that this is the problem in this case, the REAL problem I think is that the cars are made in Indiana!! J/K! Sorry 'bout the thread-Jack!! Please...don't be silly..... 1.) SIA is not part of the UAW. 2.) Americal is NOT a Union in the sense of the word. The UNITED States does not imply workers Union. 3.) Indiana is a nice place to live... I used to live there...I have toured the SIA plant and it is beautiful, well laid out, and clean. Generalizing is a big problem on the interweb. Everyone is so quick to judge with little or no facts to back them up. Plus...don't forget that the final assembly process is only part of it. All of the sub-assemblies are made by suppliers and delivered to SIA. The issue might just as well be at the suppliers plant. Personally, my LGT is the most solid and well built car I have ever owned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aldo ixnay Posted March 15, 2006 Share Posted March 15, 2006 ok... so I thought maybe I haven't looked at my car close enough... I did walk around the car and scrutinize the exterior for a couple of minutes and lo and behold the gap between the sides of my trunklid and the rear quarter panels are not even. The trunk is not centered... damn... if it wasn't for this thread I never would have paid attention to it. I still hold to my belief that the car is put together pretty solidly... just maybe not as straight as I thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoobydrew Posted March 15, 2006 Share Posted March 15, 2006 My biggest complaint was with my doors. And if "mccorry" is correct, it is not necessarily Indiana at fault. After exploring my problem I have deducted that the root cause is the threading for the door hinge bolts (on the back door) is misaligned. You can tell that the hole is in the right place but the threads are off center in a way that creates a less than optimal seal when closed. Since it's a "nut" welded to the inside of the door, there is not much I can do. The front door is also screwy. The bottom right corner sticks out. That was the first thing that caught my eye when I brought it home. After the dealer failed to fix it, my misery with SOA began. That's also when I went over the car more closely. I would have never scrutinized a car so much, if it hadn't been for the damn door. Aside from my few issues, I must say that my car is solid and the engine feels good and strong, and, after all the adjusting and bending of the doors, the driver's side looks pretty uniform. ProTUNED by RaminiSports Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sutter2k Posted March 15, 2006 Share Posted March 15, 2006 >>It was assembled in Japan, unlike the Spec B which is assembled in Indiana. The fit and finish in her car is impeccable, both inside and out.<< Such a GD Shame. What is wrong with American Autoworkers ? Yeah I found several bolts that were not finished being tightened. One used to scratch the drivers window on the way down. They need to finish their job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpecB405 Posted March 15, 2006 Share Posted March 15, 2006 For this threads record, my Spec B has none of the misalignment issues previously mentioned. And I am an anal retentive SOB too....one of the reasons I bought this car was because of the solid quality interior....as opposed to the toy-like snap-together model look I have seen in some other cars (the STi not excluded). B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoobydrew Posted March 15, 2006 Share Posted March 15, 2006 I'm not anal, but for 32k, please align my lines, ...please. For this threads record, my Spec B has none of the misalignment issues previously mentioned. B Consider yourself lucky. ProTUNED by RaminiSports Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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