Anyone have buyer's remorse?

[RJS5689]

a friend from work has been warming up to my car as of late. he drives a 08 GTI ands swears his car is nicer/faster (he has a tune, intake, coilovers). as of my recent upgrades he has finally gave it some credit and i let him take it for a spin the other niht. first of all, he was impressed with the fit and finish of the car, secondly the the handling and power actually took him off gaurd. he finally admitted my car is probably faster than his GTI and definitely more comfy. he then preceded to consider trading in hs VDub in for a subaru because the AWD system impressed him. i honestly like euro cars and almost bought a benz C300 but the subie felt like a better deal.

 

my mods are:

exterior: diy front lip, tinted windows and tails, yellow fogs, 18" chrome/black wheels

power: cobb ots stage 2, perrin tmic, hks bov, invidia DP & CBE

handling: perrin 22mm sways, yokohama s-drive tires

interior: boost & wideband guages

That was my mistake. He'll start to miss the Dub despite the advantages to the Roo.

 

Do you like your S.Drives? I had mine on for about 4K miles and had to take them off, they were a huge, huge disappointment.

[GULLABLE0NE]

i only use them from april to september and have been very impressed, the car feels almost invincible in the twisties. they are a litle noisy but the grip is amazing. i've alwayshad falken summer tires because they always grabbed the pavement but they also always wore too fast so i did a little HW and gave the s-drives a try.

[Number7]

I loooove my 2.5i even if it's not Turbo. I just wish I'd been able to find it in black or silver instead of atlantic blue...

[HDTurbo]

no. sorry i'm late to the love/hate fest.

[DiscoPete]

I loooove my 2.5i even if it's not Turbo. I just wish I'd been able to find it in black or silver instead of atlantic blue...

 

I wish that I could have had mine in Atlantic Blue instead of silver.

 

It's always somethin, eh?

[Fisch]

I owned an 07 civic before I bought my legacy, and before I started looking for another car I came to a frightening realization. I needed an AWD car and I wanted it to be fast. My girlfriend (who owns an impreza 2.5i) told me to look at subarus. I didn't want to get a WRX because I see them everywhere, and STI's are out of my price range..But then I found my LGT, and I couldn't be more happy with it. Its quick, and luxurious all at the same time. Honestly Im going to keep it forever, after its paid off and I buy another car Im going to turn it into an off road machine.

[Number7]

I wish that I could have had mine in Atlantic Blue instead of silver.

 

It's always somethin, eh?

 

 

I think the color stands out too much because people keep wanting to race me. "Sorry, no scoop"

[Bruins1982]

I loooove my 2.5i even if it's not Turbo. I just wish I'd been able to find it in black or silver instead of atlantic blue...

 

I like Atlantic blue. I've always owned black cars. Nothing looks better than black when it's clean. Problem is, black is impossible to keep clean. Every little imperfection shows up. Silver or blue when I get mine.

[BruceBruce]

Nothing looks better than black when it's clean. Problem is, black is impossible to keep clean. Every little imperfection shows up. Silver or blue when I get mine.

 

seriously. try not having a garage and a hose in the front of your apartment and then keep it clean. stupid black. I want a white one dangit! Gimme about 2yrs. ill get a white 09 spec.b

[Bruins1982]

seriously. try not having a garage and a hose in the front of your apartment and then keep it clean. stupid black. I want a white one dangit! Gimme about 2yrs. ill get a white 09 spec.b

 

I know ALL about it! I feel your pain man.

[EyeFlyIsTheEye]

96,000 miles in August 2013, took delivery brand-new in November 2004 with 16 miles on the clock. I've earned the right to my opinion and I'll be blunt.

 

At this point, I regret buying the Legacy and would have done things differently if I could have done it all over.

 

My problems with the car:

 

1. Very cheaply built. Lousy paint quality, every Legacy/Outback from 2005-2009 I see has door dings and the interior which looks nice when new is not durable (I have a cracked dash, ripped seats, faded plastic on the door handle and console, had to replace the ashtray surround due to discoloration twice, and I take good care of my car).

 

2. Poor ergonomics. A seat that only goes up and down and forces anyone over 5'10 to put the seat back all the way.

 

3. Horrid stereo, have to spend $300 just to upgrade it.

 

4. Terrible service from SoA when I had a problem with the car under warranty, had to take out the stupid banjo bolt myself to fix Subaru's poor engineering.

 

5. Bad sound insulation, stock speakers would make the car vibrate, and even my friend's Corolla doesn't have that problem.

 

6. Wheel bearings are a wear item.

 

7. The stupid clock broke. Really. Nobody had the idea that people will push the "DISP" button multiple times during the car's lifetime.

 

8. It's a two-trick pony that can go fast and turn at 60 mph. Aside from that, I don't find it a fun or hospitable car.

 

Quite frankly, I expected Honda/Toyota levels of quality from the Legacy. To be fair, the transmission/engine are generally reliable and it was a fast car for its time. But I've had enough, and after nine years of mediocre ownership, I'm going to trade it in when I get the chance.

[gimpydingo]

Way to bring it back from the dead! So why keep the car 9 years if you hate it so much?

 

 

I'm the 2nd owner of an 07 LGT. Interior is still holding up great after 80k miles.

 

2 things that I don't like - the stereo/speakers are pretty weak, even with the sub. And the shifting on 5EAT has issues jumping/auto shifting gears. If I could get that resolved I'd be a happy camper.

[rob-2]

The car really needs to be stage 2 for it to come alive. Prior to that I was very disappointed. The car is very slow in the 5EAT version, stock or stage 2. For all that power it's slower then a heavier v6 from Toyota or Honda. TL SH-AWD does better 0-60 with less power (comp to stage 2)

 

While most of my disappoints with the car can be summed up by the car and driver statement 'GT by badge only' I dropped coin to rebuild the motor.

 

Why repair an 8 year old car? It was cheaper then to buy new. Rather put that extra coin into something else.

 

I really wish subi would address the undersized turbos. When driving the car hard, red to red shifting, you're never back into peak power. So while it seems nice to have a lot of 'mid-range' power it's almost always unusable power. When I flog the car to pass on a 2 lane road, no good power. Car jumps into the highest reving gear where the motor runs out of breath.

 

Firewall flex makes for poor brake feel and while it has double piston front brakes it stops horribly long.

 

That all said I'll have the car for another 60-100K cause it's otherwise pretty good. My buyers remorse is this simple 'Never should have bought a car on the then wife's choices'. All future purchases with be Honda or Toyota brands. They're just built better.

 

My first and last Subaru.

[gimpydingo]

Those TL's are running a V6 with either 280 or 305 HP. And they are really not faster than a stock GT. The TL 0 - 60 are in the 6's.

 

Def does run out of breath on the high end, which sucks when passing.

[idiot4hire]

I can add that I bought my lgt used with a vf52 and sti short block. There are very few cars that can perform as well as my car for less then 12 grand. It Does very good in the winters and excellent at the track while still maintaining excellent DD qualities.

 

Having said that my wrx would have been paid off by now which would have been nice and my old 99 legacy would still be running if my bone headed friend would have done a timing belt. I regret selling both of those but my lgt is a much better car.

 

My old lady has a new Honda accord and its incredibly nice, but its the most boring car I've ever driven.

[rob-2]

Those TL's are running a V6 with either 280 or 305 HP. And they are really not faster than a stock GT. The TL 0 - 60 are in the 6's.

 

Def does run out of breath on the high end, which sucks when passing.

 

The TL is an automatic running those times. My stage 2 running the 5EAT has a tough time getting into the 6 seconds 0-60.

[forcefedsuby]

I wish I could've been able to buy a 2007 Spec B. I had an 06 STI for 5 years. I really miss having a 6-Speed. I didn't get the 5MT cause I'm too used to driving my 6-Speed hard and didn't think it would last. Lol

[rtbrjason]

Wow.. Old thread.. I had mentioned that I had minor remorse for not going 335i back in 08 when I got my spec b..

 

Well, 5 years later I still have it. I typically don't keep cars long so I guess I grew into it. Going stage 2 almost right away helped and now with a 16g on E85 I'm loving it again and planning to keep it.

[longislander1]

Wow, I have no buyer's remorse at all. Our '08 Outback and Legacy have more than delivered on what we expected. But those expectations were based more on practicality and utility. I already owned a sports car.

 

I still think the problem is that you don't buy a vehicle designed as a family sedan and then expect a sports car. Today, at least, if you want a sports car, you can buy a BRZ. Now, the LGT has been a nice car, but it's basically the bottom-level Legacy sedan with more horsepower, better brakes, a different transmission and a nicer interior. One of the reasons Subaru has delivered quality and durability while keeping prices down is by standardizing manufacture of the cars and offering as few variations as possible. If, for example, I look at the interior A pillars and headliner on my car with the black interior, I can see it's the same material used for the taupe interior.

 

The second issue is cost. You can only expect so much for the price. When I hear a rattle or two on the inside of my Legacy, I remind myself that it cost me less than $23K, an oil change is still less than 30 bucks and the car has had almost no mechanical issues.

 

Would I buy another Subaru? I'm not so sure. The newer cars drive well and the BRZ is a fantastic handler. But the sedans desperately need a redesign from their grandpa styling. If anyone saw the blue WRX prototype at the NY Auto Show last year, you know that Subaru is capable of better.

 

If I was buying today, I'd be inclined to go for a Ford Fusion hybrid -- a car that drives and handles like something that cost $10K more -- although I'd really miss the great service I get at the Subaru dealer. If I was buying a sports car today, however, I would definitely consider a BRZ. It fits me like a glove and is amazing on the track.

[stuck686]

absolutley love my 05 lgt, sad to see the miles rack up

[rob-2]

Wow, I have no buyer's remorse at all. Our '08 Outback and Legacy have more than delivered on what we expected. But those expectations were based more on practicality and utility. I already owned a sports car.

 

I still think the problem is that you don't buy a vehicle designed as a family sedan and then expect a sports car. Today, at least, if you want a sports car, you can buy a BRZ. Now, the LGT has been a nice car, but it's basically the bottom-level Legacy sedan with more horsepower, better brakes, a different transmission and a nicer interior. One of the reasons Subaru has delivered quality and durability while keeping prices down is by standardizing manufacture of the cars and offering as few variations as possible. If, for example, I look at the interior A pillars and headliner on my car with the black interior, I can see it's the same material used for the taupe interior.

 

The second issue is cost. You can only expect so much for the price. When I hear a rattle or two on the inside of my Legacy, I remind myself that it cost me less than $23K, an oil change is still less than 30 bucks and the car has had almost no mechanical issues.

 

Would I buy another Subaru? I'm not so sure. The newer cars drive well and the BRZ is a fantastic handler. But the sedans desperately need a redesign from their grandpa styling. If anyone saw the blue WRX prototype at the NY Auto Show last year, you know that Subaru is capable of better.

 

If I was buying today, I'd be inclined to go for a Ford Fusion hybrid -- a car that drives and handles like something that cost $10K more -- although I'd really miss the great service I get at the Subaru dealer. If I was buying a sports car today, however, I would definitely consider a BRZ. It fits me like a glove and is amazing on the track.

 

Keep in mind your non-turbo'd motor is more reliable then the turbo'd version. This would change my views a lot on the reliability factor.

[GTPpilot]

After 2.5 years I can finally say I really like my LGT.

I have put a lot of money and time into it, mostly just regular maintenance

except for the turbo and intake gaskets. The turbo definitely was not

financially pleasant to replace. The intake gaskets were cheap thankfully,

but wow that was an annoying problem.

 

I would have sold this car not long after I bought it if not for all the help on this

forum. Fortunately I haven't to pay for labor on any of this stuff.

At 105k miles I think my car is just hitting it's prime. My plan was to keep until 120 or 130, but if things don't go south from here I will probably keep it much longer.

[sphen22]

Bought my 06' Spec B in late 2009 with only 18k miles on her, went stage one with AP the day I bought it and drove it that way up to 70k with zero issues other than regular wear items. Currently at 80k after about 1500 miles at stage three with VF52, Fuel, PW TMIC and it is like I have a whole new car. No remorse here as I still get compliments from people in much newer and more expensive cars. Also something to be said when you get the guy in the SRT8 saying "whoa, that toyota camry just owned me."

[optyks]

I love my LGT. Went from a 2002 Outback Sport to a 2008 Impreza 5 door to this car, bought in 2010? I think. Love it. For the longest time, I wanted a WRX, then my brother bought a 2005 LGT. I loved it. One day, my 2008 Impreza threw a CEL while merging onto the highway, was stuttering and would not accelerate. Ended up being a $20,000 fix...

I test drove my 2006 LGT, just throwing it around because I didn't seriously consider buying it at the time.

Next time I went into the dealership... I bought it. Much happier than if I'd gone with a WRX I think. They're too... common in my area. they have less power, less luxury.

 

Hell, I went to a dealership a year or two ago just to test drive a 2010 STi 5 door, because I really like the form factor. They tried selling it to me hard, but I just can't. Sure, it has a little more power than my car stock, and I do quite like the shape of the car and the quad tip exhaust, but really, it doesn't have seat heaters, doesn't have windshield/mirror heaters, no sunroof, no power seats... I'll stick to my LGT and just put $1000 in to make it as fast or faster than the STi and have all the other features that I like.. yep.

 

I love my car.

[EyeFlyIsTheEye]

Way to bring it back from the dead! So why keep the car 9 years if you hate it so much? I'm the 2nd owner of an 07 LGT. Interior is still holding up great after 80k miles.

 

I deeply apologize that I wasn't able to determine that I don't like the car 72 hours after buying it and trade it in at a steep loss because nobody ever has issues pop-up over extended ownership. I really feel so bad about interrupting the bliss you have owning a similar vehicle.

 

If you're happy with your car, then good for you. As I said about similar vehicles, I don't own your car and you don't own mine. Perhaps our opinions would be reversed if you owned a first-year 2005 and I owned a face-lifted 2007. Perhaps it would be different if you paid full price for a new car expecting a quality ownership experience for a good, long period of time instead of buying a used car and thinking "hmm... this is good for the price."

 

At the bare minimum, my car did what it had to do and provided reasonably reliable transportation back and forth. And as someone who owned the car from day one, I've more than earned the damn right to say that these kind of issues with the Legacy mainly regarding its poor build quality is unacceptable when I've owned Toyotas and Hondas for longer periods of time and even used ones that were treated worse and have held up better.

 

Subaru. Never again.