JoeFromPA Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Hey all, My wife and I test drove the LGT on saturday one last time before settling back and deciding once and for all on a car. I'll spare you our thoughts on that for now (more later) but thought I'd share some thoughts I or we experienced on the test drive....this is sometimes nice to read for someone else looking at an LGT, because owners rarely share their overall driving impressions First though, we drove a 2008 black LGT 5-speed at rafferty subaru in newtown square pa (horrible place, seriously will never go back there....). I just want to say I am so impressed by my wife's driving of this car. She hopped in, positioned herself, and drove that stick/clutch so smoothly you'd think this car had 50,000 miles on it driven by her. I'm put to shame I was really impressed with several things that I wasn't expecting to be. First - The engine is much smoother than I remember. I feel like I remember more stumbling down low in the rpm range, but this thing was just really smooth at all rpms, never coarse. The engine itself never sounded like much, and the turbo whine was much more pronounced than I remember once you hit 4500+ rpms. Second - On noise, the car is very nice. It's a great balance between enough noise to know you are driving but not enough to ever bother you. Combined with a chassis that removes NVH and suspension jarring, it's a really pleasant ride. Handling was better than I remember (I drove a 07 model last)...so maybe the 08 changes really did tighten it up. Car felt very solid and planted in the twisties. Granted I'd still add sway bars, but it wouldn't be a "Much be done right this minute mod". Shifter was even better than I remember, and this was not an STI unit. It felt decent. Odd, all of the things I was worried about felt better than remembered. But some things I hadn't thought about jumped out at me. The windows are dreadfully slow, and combined with almost no auto-up/down features are a real annoyance. No big deal over the long-run. The passenger seat's thigh support is really compromised over the driver's side. I wouldn't get uncomfortable on 30 minute trips, but 2-3 hours might require some moving around. The grab handles on the door are solid...but not exactly pleasant to grab. Just feels like solid, hard plastic. The car didn't have the shove-you-back-in-your seat feel I remember on the 07s...but to be honest, the car's gas light was on and it probably only had a gallon of 87 octane. It still felt good, just not as good as memory serves. The seat heaters were wonderful. The seats were, overall, above midrange. We brought a car seat to the dealership. It's a giant car seat we borrowed from my wife's sister (we have no kids yet). It didn't fit well in the back seat....I had to be almost uncomfortably pushed forward in the front pass. seat for it to fit. Could be the car seat? Does anyone know of any pictures of a normal car seat installed on an 05+ legacy? Overall, we came away with the impression that the LGT is a fantastic car for ~26.5k or less....not 30k. But, luckily, that's what they sell for nowadays Anyway...just a note....I had to work with Ronnie from Rafferty (english guy). He's a really annoying guy who insulted me several times without seeming to notice, drone on and on, and overall drove us away from rafferty permanently...and almost drove us away from Subaru (that's how annoying he was). Anyone meet the fellow? Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudy Posted January 13, 2008 Share Posted January 13, 2008 Overall, we came away with the impression that the LGT is a fantastic car for ~26.5k or less....not 30k. But, luckily, that's what they sell for nowadays QFT - Above 30k and it'd be Infiniti G35x time for me. G35x w/ 306HP, HIDs, rear-biased AWD, and luxury brand experience + warranty length, MSRP's a hair under $35k these days and I think is the value leader in AWD sedans once the price goes north of 30. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobo69 Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 go to reedman they have sold us 3 roo's now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainCommie Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 QFT - Above 30k and it'd be Infiniti G35x time for me. G35x w/ 306HP, HIDs, rear-biased AWD, and luxury brand experience + warranty length, MSRP's a hair under $35k these days and I think is the value leader in AWD sedans once the price goes north of 30. I drove an 08 G35x recently, and as much as I love how the car looks, I just don't see what the hype is all about. You can only get the AWD with automatic, and so I tried the cheapest one they had that adds a sport package (meaning paddle shifters) and it was $39k MSRP. The downshifts were great but the upshifts took close to a full second by my estimation; they felt very unsatisfying. Also, the car is big. Americans love big, but I like sports sedans to feel nimble, and this one reminded me of the "guiding a boat" feel of a Camcord Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack ffr1846 Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 Did you drive long enough for SI Drive to allow you to switch from I mode to S# mode? (blue light goes out when it's ready) It's a huge difference. I drive my 08 in I mode most of the time and when I need the extra power, hit the S# button and it's like NOS kicking in. jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stanjk3 Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 Rafferty used to be GMC/Pontiac/Buick, so maybe that's why they suck. I didn't have any problems when I test drove an Impreza there. Concordville gave me a better deal, so I got my Impreza there instead. Friends don't let friends drink cheap beer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fonts Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 A few quick comments. I rock a full sized child seat in my LGT. No problems with fit at all. Yes I have to turn the seat to physically get it in the door ... but goes in fine. Granted there is not a ton of room and the front seat needs to be adjusted slightly ... but certainly not a major comfort or spact issue. On power ... don't believe any changes between 07 and 08. It is a requirement for high octane fuel in a LGT. You also made a comment about your wife driving the stick and being smooth. The LGT is difficult to drive smooth at the best of times. This may be because you weren't pushing hard enough for the turbo engine to give you maximum boost. I'm sure if it were pushed harder you would see a huge difference. My $0.02 for you anyways. Try another one at another dealership. Good luck. If you get an LGT I'm sure you'll love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenzo Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 Did you drive long enough for SI Drive to allow you to switch from I mode to S# mode? (blue light goes out when it's ready) It's a huge difference. I drive my 08 in I mode most of the time and when I need the extra power, hit the S# button and it's like NOS kicking in. jack Well, normal performance does feel great when you've been driving in crippled mode for a while. It also feels great after one stops banging their head against a wall. Maybe for the '09 model they can add a RI (Really Intelligent) mode that runs on one cylinder - it will feel like a top fuel dragster after leaving RI mode! Wow! :/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack ffr1846 Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 Well, normal performance does feel great when you've been driving in crippled mode for a while. It also feels great after one stops banging their head against a wall. Maybe for the '09 model they can add a RI (Really Intelligent) mode that runs on one cylinder - it will feel like a top fuel dragster after leaving RI mode! Wow! :/ Hey, I got no problem running in "crippled mode" when I'm on the highway with cruise control set, then doing my calculations at the gas station. So far....27, 30, 27.5mpg. I don't always need to be Johnny Rocket out there. jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeFromPA Posted January 14, 2008 Author Share Posted January 14, 2008 Hey Fonts, "You also made a comment about your wife driving the stick and being smooth. The LGT is difficult to drive smooth at the best of times. This may be because you weren't pushing hard enough for the turbo engine to give you maximum boost. I'm sure if it were pushed harder you would see a huge difference. " This seems like a non-sequiter. Most manual cars I've driven for the first time are hard to drive smoothly...and I've read plenty about the LGT having a finicky clutch. I was saying that I was very impressed by my wife, who drove the car like she had owned it and broken it in already. I think out of probably 75-100 shifts, she only made the car jerk somewhat twice...otherwise, hot knife through butter smooth. Believe me, we were pushing it hard enough. We go easy on the clutch/brakes (so as not to glaze them) but the engine is ready to be revved right away, so we got it up to 5000 a bunch of times and 6000 a few. I think that the car had regular gasoline in an empty tank, and maybe the blue light was on...didn't notice it, or didn't realize what I was seeing. To be fair though, I swithed to S# almost as soon as we pulled out of the parking lot. On the dashboard, the map switched over to S#. Does it not really kick in until the blue light goes out? Because it certainly said it was in Sport Sharp to us Anyway....my little Honda Civic SI has an incredibly lightweight flywheel, revs like a demon, but is tricky to shift smoothly. The LGT was much smoother feeling...maybe that DMF does pay off Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeFromPA Posted January 14, 2008 Author Share Posted January 14, 2008 BTW - Fonts, thanks for the comment on child seat. I swear this child seat we borrowed is weird... In my sister-in-law's 07 Impreza, with the seat properly installed, the passenger has to be so far up that, at 5'10" tall, my knees are touching the dashboard and I am sitting bolt-upright in the seat so that the child seat fits behind me. I'm my seat is SNUG against it. Very, very uncomfortable. In the LGT, it was a little less bolt upright, and my knees were centimeters away from the dash but not touching. That being said, we didn't install it, we just kinda positioned it where we thought it would lie... Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenzo Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 Hey, I got no problem running in "crippled mode" when I'm on the highway with cruise control set, then doing my calculations at the gas station. So far....27, 30, 27.5mpg. I don't always need to be Johnny Rocket out there. jack Me too... just don't want potential buyers thinking that S or S# has some magical increase in performance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
05GT Guru Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 I think the LGTs stick drive smooth, maybe its cause my stick cars have stage 3 clutchs and solid motor and tranny mounts. But i thought it was pretty smooth compared to my sisters SRT-4 its just slightly less smooth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLegacy99 Posted January 14, 2008 Share Posted January 14, 2008 STAY AWAY FROM RAFFERTY SUBARU! The guy was my neighbor. He's a crook as we found out with our second Subaru from there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fonts Posted January 15, 2008 Share Posted January 15, 2008 OK. Many find the car hard to drive. Just impressed you were able to drive both hard and smooth in a short period. Good luck in the decision. If you go with the LGT I'm sure you will be happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeFromPA Posted January 15, 2008 Author Share Posted January 15, 2008 Hehhe, fonts....that's what I'm trying to say! I'm trying to say I was damn impressed by my wife's ability (I didn't say anything about my own...) to drive this car smoothly, in both low and high throttle applications, on nearly every shift as soon as she got in the car. That's a strong testament to it being "the car for her" (Since we are looking to replace her car). SLegacy - I will stay away from Rafferty. I will either go with one of the following: 1. Concordville 2. TheKingOfParts dealership in Doylestown, who is willing to install Cobb parts for me (which they keep in stock) and warranty them under the new vehicle warranty 3. A.K. Farrish, one of the dealers who posts on this website, who has been extremely gracious to me via e-mail and very responsive...this would be a far drive, but A.K. has written out incredibly competitive pricing in e-mails (Albeit, now in the past). No Rafferty for me....stinks, because I literally live within 5 minutes of Rafferty. Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chenc544 Posted January 15, 2008 Share Posted January 15, 2008 Also checkout fitzmall.com. They are in Maryland but will ship the car to you with very competitive price. They list what that price is on their website. Surprisingly they don't have that many LGT's in their inventory right now. They usually have a bunch of them, I guess check back before you are ready to buy. Carsdirect.com is also a good place to get a competitive price. If nothing else they give you something to bring to the dealer for negotiation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fonts Posted January 15, 2008 Share Posted January 15, 2008 The guys at King of Parts are a huge supporter of the forum and wonderful to deal with. They are just in the process of moving to a standalone Subaru dealership. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RiffRat Posted January 15, 2008 Share Posted January 15, 2008 QFT - Above 30k and it'd be Infiniti G35x time for me. G35x w/ 306HP, HIDs, rear-biased AWD, and luxury brand experience + warranty length, MSRP's a hair under $35k these days and I think is the value leader in AWD sedans once the price goes north of 30. Be forwarned; I also looked at the G35x as my neighbor also has a new one. She paid just upwards of $39k for hers, and the system is part time AWD. It does not switch into AWD until the rear wheels start to slip. Once that's happening, you're already in it up to your neck. Once force is no longer applied to the front wheels, it disengages. Bigger issue is service. My neighbor just told me that she cannot believe how much routine service costs and she had a Caddie STS before this car. It even costs more to service than her husbands Escalade. Also, I don't remember who posted the car seat question, but, I also have a 5 year old in a car seat in my Scooby. I have to move the passenger seat up a couple of inches, but he's also 47" tall. We are moving him up to a booster and that gives him significantly more room (borrowed a friends). Only time it ever seemed tough was with the rear facing mounts. I found out that if it's properly secured (read: jump up and down on it with elephants on your shoulders and pockets full of rocks) the clearance is no problem. If your going to have kids, get leather. You'd be amazed at how easy it is to clean off.....well....you get the picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeFromPA Posted January 15, 2008 Author Share Posted January 15, 2008 On the G35...you can get a wonderfully equipped G35x (it comes really well equipped with no other packaging) for about $33k. It's AWD system is considered "smart" in that it does not use it's AWD capabilities 99% of the time, which has numerous benefits. The time it takes to engage the AWD and provide power is so minimal that it doesn't really make a difference. It's not like a truck that needed to be switched to 4WD...and powering through a turn in the wet will engage it in plenty of time to be of assistance pulling out of the turn. Both Symmetrical and this form of de-coupled AWD have their advantages. Infiniti has high service costs, but they are about inline with the other luxo-brands. If you don't realize it up front, you probably weren't thinking too clearly. My wife and I checked out the G35 pretty extensively...to the point of thinking of buying it....but the really poor 6-speed kinda drove us away (as well as no-folding rear seat). Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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