few prebuy jitter questions :)

[Seth1784]

Hello all, I am finally able to get rid of my acura to move over to the car i have been lusting after since i first got a ride in one. But i have a few questions that i would like some answers and opionions to... I used to drive an auto rsx and it was slow as all get out and the transmission was poorly designed in terms of power handling... the first thing i would like a little reassurance on is that i have been told as well as i have read the legacy's auto is pretty well beef'd up so to speak, that it is able to handle power mods pretty well. so if down the line i want an access port, some exhaust, and MAYBE a little bigger turbo for some more power then will i kill the transmission or seriously put too much strain on it? Coming from a honda world if i were to push the auto rsx over 250 crank horse then it was going to snap... just kind of why i would like some input there

 

Next thing is i am stuck between two colors... i have owned two silver cars and a blue in my life time... the last two were both satin silver which is a really light silver almost like the briliant silver on your legacy. the other color i love is the black pearl, but as it sits right now i live on a dirt road in the country. This will most likely change in a few months time, but it's something to take into effect. So obviously the car will get dirty fast... and i will need to clean a LOT more then i do now. What i would like some input on is color preferances and why? Does one color seem to hold it's value a little better then others?

 

Then the final thing that i can think of right now is a pretty simple question and i have been picking things up here and their from other subaru owners that i am friends with, but where do you all shop for parts? I know of a few sites that offer an alright selection of parts for this car, but are there any that specialize in it by chance? Also what brands are recommended for this car?

 

Thanks for all the time and comments from all of you that answer! Seth hopfully a proud new owner of an 06 legacy next month.

[Underdog]

Hi, welcome,

 

Talk to Wukindada about the 5EAT, all he ever seems to do is complain how slow it is!

 

GRP (garnet red pearl) is being discontinued for the 2007 model year, so IMO it will retain its value better than any other color (except titanium metallic on the spec. B)... Plus, I think a GRP car with some mud on its flanks could still look pretty hot. Maybe go with the Outback if you need extra ground clearance. It's pretty much the same car and I like fender flares (check out Red Beasts GRP OB)...

 

At any rate, the Obsidian Black will be a PITA to keep looking clean!

 

-Rick

[Tommyh]

First off welcome to the site.

 

I used to drive an auto rsx and it was slow as all get out and the transmission was poorly designed in terms of power handling... if i were to push the auto rsx over 250 crank horse then it was going to snap...

 

Talk to people like Iamboon and Wukindada or others on the boards who both have autotragic cars and are putting out some pretty damned good HP/TQ numbers.

 

Next thing is i am stuck between two colors... What i would like some input on is color preferances and why? Does one color seem to hold it's value a little better then others?

 

silver is the most popular car color in the US, and most likely has the best resale value probably because it is such a very neutral color.

 

Then the final thing that i can think of right now is a pretty simple question and i have been picking things up here and their from other subaru owners that i am friends with, but where do you all shop for parts? I know of a few sites that offer an alright selection of parts for this car, but are there any that specialize in it by chance? Also what brands are recommended for this car?

 

.....I'm guessing you haven't found the "Vendor's forum" section of the boards or clicked on the link at the top of the page that says "Vendors" yet. Do that there are a bunch of vendors here that sell a lot of parts for our cars. So far I've bought from TDC tuning, Mach V motorsports, and PLTek. All three have been good to buy from and work with. Both TDC and Mach V are good with follow up and support stuff (install, e-tune, test fitting, and backorder stuff), and my order from PLTek shipped very fast and required no follow up. I've also heard very good things about Maryland Turbo Solutions and JSC Speed. I don't think you can really go wrong with any of the vendors that are active on this forum.

[Effin Ponderous]

I left a G35 auto for my 5EAT a month or two ago. The LGT far exceeds the G35 as far as crisper shifting and response time. I have already Done the Accessport and am even happier now. Put the auto in to sport mode and it holds the revs longer and shifts feel even tighter (Not sure if they really are, but it feels that way). I've seen a ton of posts on high hp with the stock auto, so I would assume (dangerous word) they are built solidly. We are also waiting for word from a tranny chip manufacturer on a new chip to tighten things up even more.

 

Go for the auto...you won't be disapointed with the LGT if an auto tranny is what you want.

[Seth1784]

underdog... thanks for the welcome! its much appreciated! i will have to shoot him a pm and ask him what he has as far as the red pearl goes, you know i looked at the thread on who has what color and stuff and i did see there were not many reds. the only thing that some what sucks for me is that i have never seen the red in person so i cant totally tell if i like it or not i have seen every other color in person though lol! i wish the black was easy to keep clean lol cause it looks so darn purty when its clean :laughing:

 

tommy... thanks for the welcome! i will have to hit this person up because underdog mentioned his name too, so im thinking its a good lead . i will aggree that silver is very neutral and stuff i just cant decide if i want another silver car, its more like not wanting to be repetitive but wanting to not always be like ah no my car is dirty AGAIN kind of thing.

 

i did actually see the vendor things, which im not used to... we dont have those on clubrsx... we have sponcers that are in certain sections to help so i wasnt sure how that worked. it looked like they mentioned when certain things come out and stuff... but i haven't heard of many of them which makes things a little difficult. coming from reading on honda's left and right and who makes what that's good then going to a subaru makes a wooooorld of difference! so many vendors only cator to the wrx and sti, and leave out the other cars so i dont know who makes good quality parts. thats more or less what i was trying to get a feel for... i do like your recommendations though! really helpful, i also like how you can put your faith in the people that help out here... that sounds wonderful.

 

heightsgtltd... actually ride height shouldnt be a problem i have a 1.3" lowering spring on my rsx coupled with some kyb adjustable shocks and i havent had many problems. its mostly people's drive ways i end up scraping my hks exhaust a wee bit lol. i was kind of getting the same feel on this site that most people favored the 5 speed manual a little more then the auto's lol! but that seems to trail all over (expecially on the rsx site) i am liking though that it seems the transmission can take mods well, as well as hold up in strength. i am leaning to an auto mainly for the fact i will be on call 24 hours a day soon and when im sleepy im not going to want to shift lol.

 

Thanks to everyone for the fast responces! it's nice to see the ammount of help the people on this site give. the rsx community is some what different where more people will give you a hard time rather then try to help, which can often be a horrible pain. i am thinking i will be a bit more happy here

[Tommyh]

IF you can get past the 5eat hate on here, you will find many members who are quite happy with them. Definitely not slow

 

Hey, I got no issue with people who buy the autotragic cars. It's all personal prefferance, it's just not mine.

[Seth1784]

I left a G35 auto for my 5EAT a month or two ago. The LGT far exceeds the G35 as far as crisper shifting and response time. I have already Done the Accessport and am even happier now. Put the auto in to sport mode and it holds the revs longer and shifts feel even tighter (Not sure if they really are, but it feels that way). I've seen a ton of posts on high hp with the stock auto, so I would assume (dangerous word) they are built solidly. We are also waiting for word from a tranny chip manufacturer on a new chip to tighten things up even more.

 

Go for the auto...you won't be disapointed with the LGT if an auto tranny is what you want.

 

awesome! i looked at the g35 myself and wasnt too impressed, it just felt like a 350z with more weight to throw around . i do like your comments however on the crispness... i have yet to take out an auto... the dealer here has one 07 gt limited auto, but they will NOT let it leave the show floor, the only other gt limited they have is a 5 speed that i took out. i was impressed with the car totally but there were some transmission feelings that i didnt care for. 1st was aweful damn notchy and it just really bugged me.

 

i want to try out the auto sooooo badly its unreal. i want to make sure its what i want! a dealer i talked to said they would do 200 over invoice on one, go get it from out of state and drive it back with someone trustworthy that wont take it over certain rpms and things (which they actually check for me). and then i would get the cash back deal as well as the nice apr's and what not... so im terribly excited.

 

im glad there is another totally satisfied auto owner too! makes me feel confident in my choice here.

[Seth1784]

also since Effin brought it up... how exactally does accessport work, i know its a programable ecu that plugs to your OBD port (if i recall correctly), but how does that play into with the whole warranty stuff? are you able to flash back to stock maps? and if so can the dealership tell that it has been tampered with?

 

OOOOOH and this is a biggie i totally forgot! how well is warranty work with Subaru?! i have had a few things go wrong on my acura that have been a ROYAL pain to get taken care of. it has been a biiiiig pain in the rear section to even get any work done on my car, which is one reason im wanting rid of it.

 

Thanks again everyone!

[Effin Ponderous]

According to all of the posts I have read so far, you can "un-marry" the A/P and it will not leave any tags...but that's only if the tech ever looks. There has been talk that the tech would have to look specifically to see if there was something plugged in to begin with. Apparently they only look for the problems, and not to see if someone has played with the ECU.

And while we're on the A/P topic...

There is a company called TDC tuning in NH. Buy your AP from them. They do custom maps (software) for the AP which enhances the performance even more. It costs $55 more over the price of the AP, but what a huge difference. I put mine in and flashed the Cobb mapp 1st...the performance was much better than stock. Then I added the TDC Stage 1 mapp and WOW! No comparison. The guys at TDC are incredibly knowledgeable and can creat custom mapps...then email them to you.

[Tommyh]

The one warrenty claim that I had, a small screw backed out of it's hole in the drivers door and started scratching the window, was taken care of promptly.

[Seth1784]

effin... sounds promissing as far as being able to some what hide a potential warranty breaker mod from the dealer. thanks for the info on the company as well, sounds very much worth it... a lot cheaper then paying a tuner to sit on the dyno with it.

 

tommy... that's it?! are you kidding me? god i have had soooo many things go wrong on my car its insane...

 

you all have probably sealed the deal on this car lol!

[Effin Ponderous]

If you have anymore questions on the A/P, call TDC or you can IM them on AOL all the time. Ask for Jon or Joe.

check 'em out at TDC Tuning

[wichitalegacy]

alright seth, You know you can call me about modding the lgt anytime. Brandon steven motors is a very mod friendly dealership. I bought my perrin fmic from them. They can get you your access port. They carry all cobb and perrin products.

 

You saw my car and it is filthy and gets cleaned about once a month.

I can show you how to install just about everything power related. I will even help. You should stop by the house. I am finishing up my 20g , fmic , injectors , and fuel pump install.

This will be a major jump from the rsx. Can't wait to welcome you to the subie family. I have an 06fxt 4eat now also that is cobb stage 2 and running low 14's. The wife loves it.

Give me a holler. Later

Trent

[Seth1784]

holly crap trent! i thought you were going to just stay with the stage two stuff! sounds like i need to call you up and meet up with you ahhaha. id be interested in a ride in that car.

 

i did go up today and tested out the 07 auto, finally got to drive an auto (yay) only turbo model they had. the si drive was pretty neat, something a little different. i still liked a lot of things on the 06 model better, the gauges, wheels, trim... etc.

 

anyways trent i will hit you up for sure, and hows the clean sweep treating you? im hoping a lot of my stuff will transfer over. i will prolly sell my amps though, i have a bit of an in with some of the Arc people so i may move to their amps for the subaru. also i think i really picked the car i want for sure. only other one i like is the IS350 from Lexus but i think its a bit out of my range lol.

[Seth1784]

hey i have been talking with some insurance people and i got some surprising info... insurance was higher then on my 2 door "sports" car, kind of surprised me there. i have been told that the rsx is rated with a low end corvette soooo yea lol.

 

im curious to know if you all dont mind right around where you are in insurance payments... then too if your running rate discounts for a home and what not as well, because im looking to get a home of my own in about 6 months. also id like age and basic driving record if you all dont mind.

 

for me i was quoted 119 a month, im 22, and thats under my family with the whole home and multi car thing which is about 20 more then my car is right now. without my family from another company i got a quote of 240 a month... which is a little much in my eyes... but i have yet to hear back from the people i have now.

 

thanks again people! Seth

[Irrational Exuberance]

i have an 05 brilliant silver 5at sedan, and honestly, i love the auto. i do feel myself pressing the dead pedal like its a clutch when im in Sport but its hard to beat the convenience of being able to smack it over to Drive in traffic or to grab a water bottle.

 

the stutter problem seemed a little bit pronounced in my car until i did TDC stage 1 and now its non-existant.

 

the only thing i would say is not to get silver... the paint is sub par and seems to be prone to nicks more. plus black or white white with 15% tint is dam sexy

[Seth1784]

awesome! thanks for the input... the only thing that is going to hold me back now is the insurance. i still hate insurance with a passion... pay so much damn money to just "drive" your car that you pay for.. just unreal. also whats all in a TDC stage one? i was thinkin exhaust and an access port or something would get rid of the stutter thing pretty easy.

 

also if you dont mind (from my last post) any input on the insurance questions from post #16?

 

thanks again!

[Irrational Exuberance]

tdc stage 1 is tdc tuning's propriatary stage1 map for the cobb accessport. its base map over which realtime maps can be run base on your upgrades. its 150 for the map or 50 bucks if you get your ap through them.

[Scooter]

where do you all shop for parts?

 

In addition to the aftermarket shops already referred to, I've been EXTREMELY pleased with SubaruParts.com for the OEM stuff. Their shipped prices are better than my local dealership's OTC prices, they ship very fast, and they even respond quickly to their little email query thing on the website, in case you have a question or don't know what p/n to order.

[Seth1784]

irrational... hmmm sounds nice is the tune/map that good? or can you get it pretty close doing some street tuning on your own? is there a site or two that i can read up on the accessport's functions and read out a little better. i have a general idea how it works and what not but id be interetested in some good reading or a how to manual or something if its lingering.

 

scooter... thanks a bunch i will keep that in mind!

 

also got a nice call from insurance today lol... the legacy isnt much more then my 02 rsx type-s so im still seriously considering it... its a $19.34 difference a month. which since my car is all sorts of falling appart it seems, may not be a bad idea. im surprised the legacy is a little more money but then at the same time its not too bad considering that its 4 years newer then my car.

 

thoughts?

[Irrational Exuberance]

tuning with an accessport is more complicated than that. shops that tune with AP have some fairly pricey software ($500 for one lisence if i recall) that allows them to make maps. app the AP does is marry itself to the stock ecu and allow for the changing of the base map and realtime map through the OBDII adapter. well, it does mroe than that... it CAN read codes and check boost, but thats not its primary design function so it doesnt do either of them very well.

 

also if your taking your car in you have to unmarry otherwise risk voiding your warrantee. more info on the AP can be found at c o b b t u n i n g

[Seth1784]

oh awesome thanks with my little acura things are a little different... which kind of sucks. for us our ultimate ecu managment is from a company called Hondata, which runs a grand, but you can do anything with it on your own if you really want.

anything from advancing/ retarding cam angles, boost by gear (different pressure in different gears), nitrous engagment, a/f's, redline, vtec engagment points, on and on and on... the software comes with to use over a usb port and stuff. the down side of it is once its in there is no turning back the dealer can just look at the records of it and bam no warranty.

the accessport sounds like a nice deal... just wish from what you said it was easier to tune.

[Elec]

For insurance, you'll get a huge variety of answers, from people who claim to pay barely anything to those who get bent over. It depends a lot on your age, driving record, credit, other things on your policy, where you live, etc. etc.

 

The LGT seems to be better than some, since it's a 4 door sedan, not high theft, and probably hasn't been wrapped around telephone poles at the same rate as say, the WRX was. But it still has a turbo, which has the potential to make it costlier, especially since you're young.

 

At 26, single, and only one claim 6 years ago out of the 10ish I've been driving, no tickets, I pay $80 a month for full coverage with a $500 deductible. No multi-car or homeowner's discounts. My last car was a '99 Mazda 626 with like 115hp and I paid $40 a month for the same limits but no collision coverage.

[Seth1784]

yea im kind of thinking the same thing i was relaly hoping this was going to be cheaper then the car im in now vs. a tiny bit more lol. i think some has to do with it being new and all too...

 

i havent had anything on my record in a while though really... 5 years ago i got a speeding ticket, then 4 years ago i got in a fender bender but it wasnt too bad. but go figure two weeks ago my car got a nice hit and run that will cost 1300 to fix. my rates will not go up though which makes me happy.

 

but i just wish insurance wasnt so damn expensive! i cant wait till i turn 25 lol so i can get a rate decrease! ahhahah!

 

also Elec thanks for the input, its much appreciated. wanna trade insurance payments? lol!

[Irrational Exuberance]

yah the under 25 insurance bracket is pretty steep. i was in one at fault accident (minor fender bender) with no tickets and i pay about 2100 a year for the legacy and my truck combined. i also keep very high policy limits because of the potential for bodily harm in an accident. when i was in my rollover the med bills totalled almost 35k, and i was only in the ER for 5 hours... more serious injuries + a few more people... thats allota greenbacks.