Just joined the family w/ 06 LGT Wagon

[morrisok]

Ok, so I have had a number of VW's over the last 20 years (79' Rabbit, 83 GTI, 86 Scirocco and most recently 03' GTI). O3' mods were APR and Eibach-Sportline/Bilstein Sport.

 

Well, I got married 1.5 year ago with an instant family (7 year old boy) and decided that I needed the extra space and still wanted some performance so I picked up a 06' LGT Wagon and all I can say is WOW!!!

 

For the time being I think that the engine is sufficient and I would like to stiffen the suspension up a tad bit without lowering it (fly fish on service roads). I am digging the ride and don’t really want to sacrifice much of it..

 

I would appreciate any suggestions you might have be it sway bars, struts/springs, strut braces?

 

Also, when I chipped my 03' with APR I actually got better gas mileage in stock and 91 octane modes by about 3 mpg. Do any of the chips offered for the the 06' LGT increase mpg and performance or just performance?

 

How is SOA with aftermarket parts/chipping and warranties?

I am in Seattle, any suggestions on shops to check out and shops to avoid?

Your feedback is appreciated. Thanks..

[CMull123]

Welcome! You made the right choice.

 

In response, I don't know jack about suspension, haven't delved into that yet, hopefully soon.

 

As for chipping, we don't do chips, we do the Cobb AccessPort. It's just a programmer that does pretty much the same thing as chipping with absolutely no way for the dealers to detect that you have it. It seems to be the way most ppl around here are goin, myself included. You can get it at c o b b t u n i n g or you can get it from TDC Tuning and get a different map for your car, for only a little more money.

 

As for how is SOA with parts and whatnot. My dealership never detected my AP (AccessPort) and said that my CAI was alright, so past that I don't know, we'll find out when they see my new headlight setup.

 

Once again, welcome to the family, you'll find 1000's of different contradicting opinions. If you ever hear anything from me, it's about goin fast, in a straight line, and then getting arrested.

[DKB_SATX]

Another VW escapee. My last one was an '01 GTI 1.8T. You're not in a hot place, so you may not miss what I miss most, the ability to open all the windows before getting in. The auto up/down windows were a nice VW feature too, and the folding key. Advantage Subaru for everything else, including the number of miles I've gone without seeing the "check-engine" light or experiencing an electrical "quirk."

 

I can't tell you much about mods... I'm trying to hold out as long as I can since everyone seems to find it addictive once they start. Others will weigh in on those topics soon, fear not.

[Th3Franz]

There are some nice upgrades for our cars now. If you search around the forum a little bit I'm sure you'll find some good information. We are also working on a Wiki to make it easier for people to get educated about the strengths and weaknesses of the Legacy and how to make it better.

 

I've been focusing on the suspension of my car this year, so here's my $.02:

 

Sway bars make a big improvement on this car. The rear sway bar is tiny, so an upgrade to a 20 mm bar or larger really helps. Contrary to what some people believe, I think that the front sway bar is a must-have as well due to the Macpherson struts. A stiffer front sway bar really helps keep the wheels camber from going positive under hard cornering.

 

Springs. The car is undersprung. I have STi pink springs and Bilsteins arriving next week to result in a quicker responding car without a "floaty" feeling.

 

Struts. Koni has not come out with struts for this car yet, but there are a fair number of coilovers. Also, people have imported Bilstein struts from the Japanese Spec B Legacy GT.

 

Also, the stock tires have low limits of grip and do not last long anyway. They also have terrible snow traction if they are worn past half-way. So you might want to consider a dedicated summer and snow tire like I do, or a good all-season tire might work for you such at the PZero Nero M+S.

[deadeye]

Welcome: You will enjoy...I have a 05 GT Wagon nearing 5K miles.

Love it.. I stay clear of ALL the Mods. why fix it if it ain't

broke ? !!

 

 

Deadeye

[itsme]

Welcome. I have a '05 LGT Ltd 5mt wagon and it's a great car. I traded in my '04 WRX wagon for it. I would say the best way to tighten the car up is to get F&R sway bars. I got whiteline ADJ. bars(@ $320 for both. You can find other bars on ebay, this sites vender links and in the marketplace) and the car is very flat in curves and does not hurt the ride at all(I have both bars set on soft). I also upgraded my wheel to 19"x7.5" w/ 225/35/19. You have to becareful once you start modding it's hard to stop. Parts and modds are cheap and easy and you can really get caught up. I told myself last month I would stop modding this car and friday I got an cattless up-pipe and ordered upper F&R stut braces:lol: . Good luck.