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Legacy Reliability in Car and Driver test


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GREAT FEEEDBACK:

Well it is "comforting" to read how good the car has been below 30,000K. I only have the bucks for the "base" 2.5i, and I have done piles of research, and had e-discussions with experts around the world on Subaru. I would say that the best (if "true") feedback were suggestions that:

· the build quality of the Subaru was felt to be superior to Mazda,

· maintenance of the "prior" models was a problem for some re engine block heating problems, and that

· this is one of the best AWD you can buy at any price.

HONDAS ARE GREAT—BUT NOT FOREVER!

Now my 2 Honda Civics both headed to the junkyard with about 200,000 miles on the Odo. While they were trouble free in the 1st 5 year -- the last 5 were expensive -- say about $1000 as brakes, alternators, etc, etc had to be replaced.

NO CAR IS PERFECT

The Subaru is extremely stable thanks to AWD, and fine steering, etc. The 205-16 tires on the base are as firm as I am prepared to drive on a daily basis. So too, the fuel economy of the base 175 HP is as hi as I will entertain. Finally, safety is as good as—but not much better -- than most mid-sized cars (see real world stat available at IIHS)

One final, nagging concern are potentially long stopping distances for this heavier-than –average car on snow-covered surfaces.

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27k miles, only minor problems:

squeaking sunroof

alarm did not beep

key fob wouldn't lock car

All fixed under warrantee, I am very happy with the dealer.

Oh yeah, the fan relay recall, just got the letter. Deal with that at the 30k tune up.

Love the car, my first Subie. Now I am a true believer. Gimme that Kool Aid dammit!

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22k since april 05.

 

Problems :

 

9k - Rock hits a/c condensor and knocks a hole in it. Replaced under warranty

18k - Drivers side matt hook replaced with new reinforced replacment part, has held for a few months so far (vs the oem one lasting 3 weeks)

 

and tomorrow she goes in for the new fan relay, hopefully not a whole new ecu.

If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough. - Mario Andretti
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Iam a subaru technician for 5 years now and I can personally tell you that the legacy is a good car a few minor problems here and there but nothing major now on the older foresters and outbacks headgaskets where a issue lets just hope this doesnt happen on the legacy which i dont see.
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Actually a BMW M Coupe!

Quite different than what I originally planned.

Well, at least it's not a Honda!!!!

 

I really like the M Coupes, wifey is more "meh". We're gonna get a C6 as our weekend getaway car.

Many Shuvs and Zuuls knew what it was to be roasted in the depths of the Slor that day, I can tell you!

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About 30k on my 2005 Legacy no real problems with it. Been stage 2 for a year or so, and stage 1 even longer. Subaru's are pretty reliable, every once in awhile you will have a small little issue, but never anything bad. I mean you might find 1 in 5000 that has some major issues, but every car maker will have that, if not more. You can rest assured though your Subaru will get you through whatever you put it through. I've owned a Subaru for the last 5 years (wrx before the legacy), only problem the wrx had was a wheel bearing, but I blame it on my abuse, many auto-x's and a track day. That car was amazing and I still miss it sometimes.
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You are worried about CR's rating of the Subaru so you bought a German car instead? :lol:

 

I was waiting for someone to point that out.

What can I say...got some wild hair and went for a two-seater instead of a sedan.

My next car will be a sedan so I'll reconsider the Legacy.

 

Actually, it is not CR's rating, but C/D's long-term rating that concerned me.

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The Prizm was as reliable, but I think it was the Toyota Tercel, not the Corolla. Either that or the Toyota Tercel = Geo Metro... because there was a Geo based on the Tercel (which my friend used to have up until recently).

 

The Prizm was a Corolla, not a Tercel and, as you say, was just as reliable as a Corolla. Similarly, the Pontiac Vibe is the same as a Toyota Matrix and gets the same reliability ratings.

 

Consumer Reports' statistical methods are valid. Statistics don't always tell you about a given example of a product but that's how it works.

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  • 1 month later...

I decided to write a blog entry about long-term tests and stumbled on this one-first one I looked at seeking a good example.

 

Bottom line is that these long-term tests have a sample size of one. As people in this thread have pointed out, that's far too small a sample to accurately indicate a model's reliability.

 

My full piece, which references this thread:

 

http://www.truedelta.com/blog/?p=101

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2 years, 13,000 miles on a 'demo' LGT wagon that had 500 miles on it. Royal Purple oil since first change.

 

Front rotors turned early but no problems at all since then. Except for an annoying and very occasional 'tic' somewhere in the back.

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  • 1 month later...
Well, I just got an '05 LGT, MT. It was a steal at $15K, it does have high miles, 56K. So far it just has the bearing noise and I am taking it in to the dealer to get that fixed and see if there is anything else. I will let you know how it goes.
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2500 miles young with no issues yet. One of the reasons I bought it was that it was rated as the lowest total cost to own in its class. (for the first 5 years) I guess that must be a testament to reliability in some way, shape, or form.
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~4000 miles

 

Bad:

Horrible WOT stutter 3000 - 5000 rpms some days; smooth sailing on others. Dealer is clueless

Passenger side window struggles to close

What I would consider a rough idle (I traded up from a BMW 325is), but I am starting to wonder if the BMW was just abnormally smooth because my girlfriends RX-8 vibrates more than I would expect as well.

Two intermittent rattles.. one in the dash and one on the rear deck

I got a CEL after spinning all 4 wheels in snow.

 

The good:

Speed (on a good day)

Styling

Options/features

AWD

 

Overall:

Not as happy as I had imagined I would be.. but it is still a decent ride.

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~4000 miles

 

Bad:

Horrible WOT stutter 3000 - 5000 rpms some days; smooth sailing on others. Dealer is clueless

 

 

If I remember correctly, that has been known to happen with the i-drive cars driving in the (i)ntelligent mode. I had the same issue on an 06 I test drove. I do not know if there is a fix other then the ECU adjusting to your driving habits... :(

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What I would consider a rough idle (I traded up from a BMW 325is), but I am starting to wonder if the BMW was just abnormally smooth because my girlfriends RX-8 vibrates more than I would expect as well.

 

A four is never going to idle nearly as smoothly as an inline six. Unlike every other popular engine type, an inline six is an inherently balanced engine. A four isn't even close.

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This is the 3rd Legacy I have owned and it is just as if not more solid than my 2001 and 2004. It is my first with a turbo which I was hesitant to get but it has never hesitated, stuttered or had any problems. My wife likes to crank the idrive to the right when we get on the highway and push it to intelligent once we get to 70 mph or so (she is a passenger).

 

Engine, tranny, AWD all running as well as the day I picked it up.

 

Love the idrive, ipod connection, everything. My only minor gripe is that they want $400+ for XM radio.

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A four is never going to idle nearly as smoothly as an inline six. Unlike every other popular engine type, an inline six is an inherently balanced engine. A four isn't even close.

 

And further, a boxer 4 is even "worse" then an inline 4.

Though I for one kinda like it :lol:

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A four is never going to idle nearly as smoothly as an inline six. Unlike every other popular engine type, an inline six is an inherently balanced engine. A four isn't even close.

True about the straight 6. But a boxer 4 should be better balanced than a straight 4, momentumwise, except with kinetic energy.

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The Subaru boxer engine is not bad for a big 2.5 litre 4 without using any balance shafts.

 

It might be a little rough at idle, but I think it pretty decent. Talking about inline 6s, I think the Toyota inline 6s are even smoother than the Bimmers. I test drove a 3 series once, the engine didn't feel as smooth as the Toyota one. Although it was completely harsh free at redline

 

Too bad Toyota stopped making the inline 6s.

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Well, I just got an '05 LGT, MT. It was a steal at $15K, it does have high miles, 56K. So far it just has the bearing noise and I am taking it in to the dealer to get that fixed and see if there is anything else. I will let you know how it goes.

 

Did you get that one from the Mazda dealer? I was looking at it. What was the CEL problem?

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  • 1 month later...
My 2005 Legacy GT Wagon blew its transmission yesterday, 46K miles, unsure yet on warranty coverage. I see this as an isolated incident, probably defective part, but still would recommend my car to anyone. Best bang for the buck car I have seen. BTW the fix is going to take 2-3 weeks, and even though the warranty is 5yr-60Kmi on the power train they are warning me that if they see customer abuse that it will not be covered. You should think about an extended warranty.:cool:
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