Legacy And Outback. Contrast and Compare.

[IwannaSportSedan]

Ok.

 

The Legacy went in to the dealership today for some missing clips, etc... and a check on the wheel bearings, fuel injectors, and driver's side door weather stripping, and a TSB about the Dash mounting/rattling. The order was placed before 36k miles, which the car just turned over a couple days ago, while waiting for the parts to arrive. Evidently, they have to order EVERYTHING, and keep NOTHING in stock.

 

They also are re-flashing my car with a new stock map to "fix some hesitation issues." I think I am going to have to break out the AP, and re-flash it back to stage 2 again.

 

So, for the day, I asked about a loaner car, and got one. I was figuring on an older clap-trap.

 

On the contrary, I got an 08 Outback LL Bean, in Blue/silver.

 

So, to compare my ride, an 05 Stage II 5MT Legacy, to this 08 Outback H6 5EAT...

 

First off, the sunroof is FREAKIN GINORMOUS!

 

Great new things:

Aux In. I need to get this, even by Jazzy's Mod. The sound system does sound a bit better. the console looks a bit finer, although functionally not much different. I know the wagon has had them, but the fold down seats are nice, too.

 

new steering wheel leather. Mine is getting fairly worn, and doesn't seem as nice to begin with. New leather is softer. The "wood" thing at the top of the steering wheel feels great, until it gets scalding hot in the sun.

 

Lit steering wheel controls. Very cool.

 

Like the clear rear turn signals, although still suprized that the rear end didn't get 07-JDM style treatment.

 

 

Interesting wagon bits, or 08 changes:

Doesn't drive like a bigger car, although Outback seems very much a taller car. less precise, but not truck-like.

 

Lot of space in the back. More than I thought there would be. The latch on the floor hatch is MUCH nicer than the broken one on my car ever was. a little chrome pull ring, with a hook and string on the bottom side, to hold the hatch up. I might have to rig something like that up for my car.

 

Different compass/auto-dim mirror. More square sided.

 

Signals on side mirrors are smaller, and appear to only have one or two LEDs, right at the outer edge, the mirror face is a different, bigger but more barn-door shape. I think I like mine better.

 

New Dash is a mixed bag.

Like the new font and the new hash markings. Like the new chrome/red rings. Like the digital display (interesting that it lights white while showing running info, but lights yellow, when the engine is off, and a door is open.)

 

I HATE the MPG gauge. It is distracting as hell! I glance at the guages to check them, and I see this one sweeping all over the place as the throttle comes on, or gets lifted, and it distracts me from the other guages, and the road, and gives me NO useful information that I would otherwise need. completely worthless.

 

I wish that all four guages had red rings, like my 05, in the new chrome-line style.

 

Pans:

Interior lights cut out WAY TOO FAST. I opened the door, and was gathering some things, and the overhead light cut out, while the door was still open, and I was then in the complete dark. The puddle light in the door was still on, though.

 

New outback front end. Not diggin' the new front grille, headlights are ok, and even look, dare I say, cool with the dim high-beam DRLs, and parking lights on together, without the low beams.

 

Still don't like DRLs, but at least they are too dim to be of any use as it gets dark. Still don't like that with DRLs and Parking Lights, the only thing that says you don't have your headlights on is the fact that the road is dimly lit instead of brightly lit. The dash looks like everything is fine and dandy.

 

I wouldn't dare do the Foglight/parking light mod on a car like this, you'd have the possibility of driving around without low beams on when they should be on, just driving by the light of the fogs, and wondering where the high beams went to.

 

All or nothing. Automatic headlights, or leave well enough alone, and let me handle the switch, especially with a constant-lit dash.

 

I still like the 05 Black headlights better, looks-wise, as well.

 

No cargo light in the back, under the cargo cover. There is an overhead light, but if the cargo cover is in place, which I would use almost all the time, (so that people don't see stuff in the car) and you lift the hatch in the dark, the overhead light does no good, you have to retract the cover.

A light on the side of the cargo area, under that cover line, would be helpful.

 

easier way to get the center rear seat-belt out of the rear-view mirror when nobody is sitting in the rear center seat.

 

The seat heater switches have gone from center stage to back-stage. I know the SI Drive knob has to be easy to access, in order to use it, but the seat heater switches are now much harder to reach, under the driver's elbow. There isn't a joint between my elbow and my wrist, to be able to easily reach that.

 

 

Inherently, this car is obviously not supposed to be sporty. It does have enough power to get up and out of it's own way. It is also very smooth. I wish that my car was as sure below 2000 RPM... but that initial confidence never grows much beyond that. Smooth, sure. Fast, not especially.

 

The Automatic is Ok, for an automatic. IF you want one, this one is probably just fine for you. Sport shifting program, and the Legacy's paddle shifters (for 08) would be welcome. Shifting the stick up and down is awkward for me, who is much more used to an H pattern.

 

I look at it as being able to see how the other half (or 7/8ths) of the population lives, who aren't enthusiasts. This is the normal-person's subaru, and a very nice one at it. Very smooth, very refined, quiet, and adaptable. SI Drive is a bit of a gimmick, even after having driven it, but with that, and the shiftable 5EAT, it is somewhat customizeable from sedate and calm cruising to being able to get up and go, enough for most.

 

It is a nice car, and I would suggest it to any non enthusiast, or for a non-enthusiast family car role.

 

But I am not getting rid of my Legacy GT turbo 5MT ANYTIME soon. Even with the nicer new features, it still doesn't have it on my car.

 

Red paint, better.

Black interior, better.

turbo, BETTER.

5MT, BETTER.

 

But this has given me new cause to lament that Subaru has discarded the Legacy wagon, and the GT 5MT wagon, specifically.

 

These cars are obviously very capable, adaptable, and nice, in just about every configuration, but the some of the configurations that subaru has cancelled is truly unfortunate.

 

If I couldn't have my car, and had to have something with more space, and it was between this LLB, and just about any CUV, the Outback would get my sale instantly.

[WraithAkaMrak]

I HATE the MPG gauge. It is distracting as hell! I glance at the guages to check them, and I see this one sweeping all over the place as the throttle comes on, or gets lifted, and it distracts me from the other guages, and the road, and gives me NO useful information that I would otherwise need. completely worthless.

Well, you CAN just change it to show average fuel economy or mileage remaining or something, if you find the instant setting distracting.

 

But I think the instant setting can serve as an extra reminder to people that accelerating is bringing your average fuel economy down, and coasting is bringing it up, and might help some people drive a little more efficiently.

[Beanboy]

Errr, you did unmarry the AP first correct?

[Claw]

The lack of a Legacy Wagon and a GT 5MT wagon is only for you folks south of the border.

 

Here in Canada, we still get a Legacy GT 5MT wagon.

[NSFW]

They also are re-flashing my car with a new stock map to "fix some hesitation issues." I think I am going to have to break out the AP, and re-flash it back to stage 2 again.

 

I don't own an AP, so I could be wrong about this, but if I understand correctly, your AP is married to the ECU firmware that the dealer is about to overwrite. So when you reconnect your AP, it won't work with your (newly reflashed) ECU. You need to unmarry it from your current ECU and remarry after the reflash.

[02BlkRex]

Well, you CAN just change it to show average fuel economy or mileage remaining or something, if you find the instant setting distracting.

 

how do you change it?

[WraithAkaMrak]

how do you change it?

Oh, whoops. I was thinking of the trip computer's digital mpg display, not the analog MPG gauge on the XT / 3.0 LL Bean. I guess I could see how that could be a bit more distracting (though still somewhat useful).

[02BlkRex]

Oh, whoops. I was thinking of the trip computer's digital mpg display, not the analog MPG gauge on the XT / 3.0 LL Bean. I guess I could see how that could be a bit more distracting (though still somewhat useful).

 

dammit! i was all excited 'cause it is distracting to me too!

[IwannaSportSedan]

Actually, I did not "unmarry" the AP, because I didn't know that they were going to re-flash the computer. I found out later that they were doing that, and I didn't ask for it. and i think they already did that.

 

Is there a way to re-set the AP to an unmarried state, or do I have to send that back to Cobb to do that? (I'll probably lose the TDC Stage 2 tune that is loaded into it, too. double )

 

I am going to pick up my car this evening, and probably be about 50-60 hp short of when I brougt it in. GREAT.

 

There is an indicator for the lights on the dash, but it is for the parking lights (two small lights pointed away from each other. Fog light dash indicator is a big light with rays pointing down. at least now they are grouped together at the top, rather than far apart.) There is no indication that you might be running the parking/DRLs, vs running the low beams, other than the dim forward light output.

[Bdubs]

I love that huge sunroof, wish it came like that on the sedans. My friend has a Forester 2.5XS with the biggest sunroof I've ever seen on a vehicle.

[IwannaSportSedan]

Unfortunately, I did not have the TDC map, since Subastyle bought and installed it somewhat before selling me the computer. I will soon try to contact him again, and see if I can procure that map file...

 

As for now, I have to go pickup the car, and see if they have hacked up the ProSport Guages, that they said needed to have the wires clipped for dash removal, and then re-spliced together when re-installed.

[goneskiian]

Hmmm, doesn't it have a little "DRL" light in the gauge cluster somewhere? I just had a Tribeca as loaner and it had this. It would stay lit until you turned the real lights on. Thought that was cool as I drove around in the dark in my car a couple times with just the DRL's. That is before I unplugged them completely.

 

Thanks for the writeup. That was cool of you.

 

Cheers!

-Ian

 

P.S. Love the avatar sebberry! Medical condition my a$$! :lol:

[jazzymt]

Actually, I did not "unmarry" the AP, because I didn't know that they were going to re-flash the computer. I found out later that they were doing that, and I didn't ask for it. and i think they already did that.

 

Is there a way to re-set the AP to an unmarried state, or do I have to send that back to Cobb to do that? (I'll probably lose the TDC Stage 2 tune that is loaded into it, too. double )

You have to send it to Cobb if they flashed your ECU. I had to do that once when the stealership flashed mine w/o asking or telling me when replacing a defunkt O2 sensor. Found out when I got the service notes.

 

You will need a service slip saying they flashed your ECU & Cobb will threaten to charge up to like $395 (they have to discourage the idiot Nasioc folks from sharing somehow), but they only charged me like $10-15 in the end & were pretty cool about the whole thing. I still had my programs when I got mine back too.

 

Re- the Outback vs. Legacy debate, basically it comes down to ground clearance vs. vehicle performance for me. Unfortunately I want both, but the ground clearance wins out living in a mountanous area. Aftermarket swaybars help some.

 

If you're talking the Sedan vs. Wagon debate, well - even I admit the sedans (in both incarnations - Legacy & Outback) look cooler, but I'll never be able to live without the added space & utility of a wagon. If I ever did change vehicles to a Legacy, it would have to be a wagon.

[IwannaSportSedan]

I can completely see why ground clearance would be a big help. Swaybars would probably do nicely.

 

I wish my wife liked wagons. She hates them. If she liked them, I'd love to get her a 2.5i Limited Legacy wagon. or an Outback lowered to Legacy stock height. Actually, she isn't as opposed to the idea of a Subaru Baja... she is a green-thumb, and the little pickup bed could actually help her. Bonus is that they are not highly sought, and thus relatively cheap... But that is something for some other day.

 

But I am not givin' up my sport sedan. , and she loves her miata, so for now, I think we're set.

 

One of these days, I need to get that AP sent to Cobb...

[psucaptainkickass]

^ Can't you grab the TDC Tune off the AP and save it on your computer?

[DukeTrout]

There is no "low beam" lamp in the gauge cluster somewhere? There is on my 05...

 

And yes, one of the reasons I got a wagon and put up with my friends poking fun of it was the sunroof.. and the cargo capacity. I could simply not live with a sedan. Once you go wagon, you never go back

 

I still don't understand why they ditched the wagon. With the new 08 styling, it would look hot. Instead, Americans are now required to lower an ugly car if they want handling.

 

All 07+ Legacies (and OBs, too, I think) have the little "DRL" light in yellow on the dash. The goofy thing is that it's in yellow, like a warning light. Just another reason to disable the DRLs, since if you do it right, it disables the dash light, too.

[subastyle]

The Map should be on the AP , Hows the car??