3.0R Legacy Information

[msuperbauer]

Finally getting myself a Subaru! We've had an 05 Outback and just traded her in for a 08 Outback (2.5i limited).. AND with the awesomeness of that car, I've decided my next car will be the legacy.. I'm not really old (31) but I won't be modding the car as it will be my daily driver.. I'm also in sales and will be putting ALOT of miles on the car.. I would like to hear information on high mileage 3.0 motors ( I know they were only on the outback until 08) But someones gotta have one they've put some serious miles on! So basically... sell me on the 3.0R! Thanks in advance:)

[Golf4283]

Sadly not many legacy owners will want to "sell" you the 3.0 as most GT owners scorn at it's inability to be modded etc. I will say from my experience though in owning an '08 3.0R for the last 10 months I have put 20,000 miles on it and the engine is still running great. I haven't had my car to the dealer once since I purchased it and do all maintenance myself. Oil changes every 6,000 miles on full synthetic Mobil 1 and premium Gasoline from BP keeps my engine running great.

 

Don't let the Turbo guys tell you otherwise, this car has a ton of power and if you don't plan on modding like me then you'll love the flat torque curve of this car.

[theflystyle]

if you want a smooth power curve youll like the 3.0,

[legacy3R]

I have had my 3.0 since May and don't have one negative thing to say about it. All of my friends can't believe that my car is a Subaru because of how nice the car is inside and out, some thought it was an Lexus and others thought the interior looked German. I got mine brand new for 27,000 so I feel like I got a hell of a deal. I love the way it drives and accelerates. I also switched to full synthetic oil and change it every 6k. I would definitely recommend getting the 3.0.

[05GT Guru]

First off i would like to say that there are many many modded daily driven legacys. There are even 350whp daily driven legacys, mine is stage 2 running 17psi and it has never been anything but a daily driver. Starts great, runs great, idles great, drives great. But if i didnt love the feel of the turbo i would have def gotten a 3.0r. Nice cars, very smooth, reliable, and it still has some power. 3.0r people always argue that it has the same power as the 2.5turbo but its just smoothier and blah blah, yes it has the same hp but the trq of the turbo is what won me over when i was test driving. I love trq far more than hp. trq + AWD= neck snapping good times

[edekba]

... and not to mention our 5EAT kills our dyno numbers like nobody's business.

 

so yes, you will not catch up to LGT on the open road, (esp stage 1 or 2, as most socal LGT are around here) but for what it is i love my car.

[05GT Guru]

The 5eat on a stock car takes away about 10-15whp on dyno.

[edekba]

Well 3.0R are rated ~245hp ... but we dyno out anywhere between 160 to 190whp.

[05GT Guru]

Yeah my stock 5eat gt made 191whp stock. And 247 stage 2 and i only paid 200 bucks for my stage 2 as i just gutted the cats and did an open source tune.

[Mr. Sinister]

If I didn't want a six speed, I would've gotten the 3.0R over the SpecB. I love turbo'd engines, but not for a daily driver. They're just higher maintenance overall. The longer oil change interval alone makes it better in that sense.

[05GT Guru]

Yeah but i never let my cars go over 3k without an oil change, no matter what car it is. Hell i would change my Trans Ams oil and supras oil every 1-2k miles just because its fun and i ran both those cars pretty damn hard.

[Mr. Sinister]

Yeah but i never let my cars go over 3k without an oil change, no matter what car it is. Hell i would change my Trans Ams oil and supras oil every 1-2k miles just because its fun and i ran both those cars pretty damn hard.

 

I used to think that way too until the very last two oil changes for my previous Legacy. Mobil 1 10W-30 synthetic every 3K (recommended interval was 7500). I then decided that many other things would break before the engine and that I would trade the car in at that point, so it really wasn't worth the the shorter OCI. Went down from 4 a year to 2 (only did this the last year I owned the car), then I traded it in. Now with the recommended OCI at 3750, I'll go back to my 3K interval. Kind of sucks since my new job is further away than the old one and I'll be doing a change every two months now.

[05GT Guru]

Yeah, i put on 18kmiles so far and i have only owned my legacy for 10 months

[ehsnils]

If I didn't want a six speed, I would've gotten the 3.0R over the SpecB. I love turbo'd engines, but not for a daily driver. They're just higher maintenance overall. The longer oil change interval alone makes it better in that sense.

 

It is possible to get the 3.0 as a Spec B with 6MT gearbox.

At least over here...

 

But the fuel consumption sucks. Otherwise I may have considered one.

[Garandman]

Finally getting myself a Subaru! We've had an 05 Outback and just traded her in for a 08 Outback (2.5i limited).. AND with the awesomeness of that car, I've decided my next car will be the legacy.. I'm not really old (31) but I won't be modding the car as it will be my daily driver.. I'm also in sales and will be putting ALOT of miles on the car.. I would like to hear information on high mileage 3.0 motors ( I know they were only on the outback until 08) But someones gotta have one they've put some serious miles on! So basically... sell me on the 3.0R! Thanks in advance:)

I have only 60,000 miles on my 2006 Outback 3.0R so it's not really high mileage. I bought it instead of the 2.5T because of slightly better mileage, higher towing capacity, ability to run on regular, and better resale value.

 

A co-worker has an 05 LGT 5EAT and we've driven them a number of times back-to-back. The difference in acceleration is small at any legal speed. Most of the LGT owners have never driven an H6 and/or compare the manual LGT to the 5EAT H6. The Spec.B 3.0R is not sold in the US.

 

The H6 itself has been around since 2001 and has proven relatively bullet-proof. The first year had some minor problems but it seems to be living up to Subaru's reputation of the 2.2L engines of being a 200K engine.

[WagonBoss]

I recently purchased a new '09 Outback SE as a good utility vehicle for a replacement for my pickup. I was pleaseantly surprised at how good it was on a recent interstate trip. I really liked the size, maneuverability, space and mileage. Since the wife has now declared it her car I'm out looking again. I'm thinking a Legacy 3.0R would fulfill my want for a little more power than the 2.5 and the Limited trim would be a bit more comfy. Is this thinking right?

 

How does the Legacy stack up as a freeway flyer? It's either a 3.0R or a Taurus! Help!

[tdoggydog]

I recently purchased a new '09 Outback SE as a good utility vehicle for a replacement for my pickup. I was pleaseantly surprised at how good it was on a recent interstate trip. I really liked the size, maneuverability, space and mileage. Since the wife has now declared it her car I'm out looking again. I'm thinking a Legacy 3.0R would fulfill my want for a little more power than the 2.5 and the Limited trim would be a bit more comfy. Is this thinking right?

 

How does the Legacy stack up as a freeway flyer? It's either a 3.0R or a Taurus! Help!

Those of us who are not modders but like more power than the NA 4-cyl have found the 3.0R to be a great ride. Now that gas is cheap I've been leaving mine in S-mode and it reminds me of what a beast this vehicle is.

[Garandman]

I recently purchased a new '09 Outback SE as a good utility vehicle for a replacement for my pickup. I was pleaseantly surprised at how good it was on a recent interstate trip. I really liked the size, maneuverability, space and mileage. Since the wife has now declared it her car I'm out looking again. I'm thinking a Legacy 3.0R would fulfill my want for a little more power than the 2.5 and the Limited trim would be a bit more comfy. Is this thinking right?

 

How does the Legacy stack up as a freeway flyer? It's either a 3.0R or a Taurus! Help!

Don't know anything about where you live or how you'd use it, so can't help.

[katalyst]

I recently purchased a new '09 Outback SE as a good utility vehicle for a replacement for my pickup. I was pleaseantly surprised at how good it was on a recent interstate trip. I really liked the size, maneuverability, space and mileage. Since the wife has now declared it her car I'm out looking again. I'm thinking a Legacy 3.0R would fulfill my want for a little more power than the 2.5 and the Limited trim would be a bit more comfy. Is this thinking right?

 

How does the Legacy stack up as a freeway flyer? It's either a 3.0R or a Taurus! Help!

 

the 2.5GT might be sufficient for that extra bit of power, altough the torque curve of the 3.0R is deliciously smooth

 

in any case the legacy is a winner over the taurus. definitely test drive the 3.0R and tell us what you think.

 

congrats on the outback though, glad you like it

[WagonBoss]

Thanks. Yep, a test drive is the only sure way to determine, but it really is difficult to determine the quality of long distance driving until you've done so. Our second trip in the OBW was just as good as the first. The ride, handling, and tracking of the Subaru Legacy chassis is spot on for me. I'd really like a bit more seat cushioning and wiggle space for my aging body. Even though using mostly cruise control about 90 minutes is as long as I'd care to drive without a nice stretch break. I noticed my right hip and thigh more stiff than with my previous cars after an hour behind the wheel. Could be me or could be I haven't found the right position yet or could be a more confining seat area. I'd also think the 3.0 would hold speed on an interstate grade without downshifting better than the 2.5.

 

Interesting that I noticed at least 5 legacy sedans on this trip. Several GT's and a couple base sedans. I don't remember noticing them before I had an interest. Hmmm, maybe a good omen.

 

I'm a little concerned with such a low profile tire, especially on expansion strips and the large number of potholes. Has anyone had a problem? Frankly, for my use, I'd rather have the same size as my OBW rather than the lower profile.

[tdoggydog]

I'm a little concerned with such a low profile tire, especially on expansion strips and the large number of potholes. Has anyone had a problem? Frankly, for my use, I'd rather have the same size as my OBW rather than the lower profile.

This is the first car I've had with a low pro tire. Yes, I do think it is a little more rough on bad roads than would be a normal size tire. I hit a pothole in the mountains this past winter/spring after the roads were torn up a little from the melting/freezing snow - just about thought I wrecked the rim. Surprisingly, everything was okay and took it in to my alignment shop and they said there was no problem.

 

But the bulk of the roads I drive on are nicely paved or maintained well, and no problems. As a worst case, if you liked the 3.0R, you could always ask the dealer if they could swap out 2.5GT rims and tires - who knows? They may work with you.

[Garandman]

Thanks. Yep, a test drive is the only sure way to determine, but it really is difficult to determine the quality of long distance driving until you've done so. Our second trip in the OBW was just as good as the first. The ride, handling, and tracking of the Subaru Legacy chassis is spot on for me. I'd really like a bit more seat cushioning and wiggle space for my aging body. Even though using mostly cruise control about 90 minutes is as long as I'd care to drive without a nice stretch break. I noticed my right hip and thigh more stiff than with my previous cars after an hour behind the wheel. Could be me or could be I haven't found the right position yet or could be a more confining seat area. I'd also think the 3.0 would hold speed on an interstate grade without downshifting better than the 2.5. //

The H6 has the 5EAT so along with having 75 more hp, when it downshifts it's not as cacophonous.

 

Just bought a WRX with 225/45r17. I though the STi was too stiff for daily high-mileage use, but that footprint seems fine for the short time I've had it.

 

The 3.0R should have power seats, which may provide more adjustability. But the new Taurus has a ton of room and good seats: you have to buy what works for you. It's a dramatically better car with the 3.5l engine.

[Jacks GT]

You speak of us turbo owners as if we are all juvenile, power crazed freaks(not just the OP but all of you 3.0R owners). Well we are not, im 46 and have done no mods to my car whatsoever, this car is great on the highway and in the twisties, im sure the 3.0R is a great car but i just cant see the advantage over the LGT. I have had no problems with mine, im getting close to 50,000 miles now and i drive her hard. You can get similar MPG to the 2.5i if you prevent the turbo from spooling by changing gear earlier, if goten as much as 35 on I10 to new orleans from florida before.

[Garandman]

You speak of us turbo owners as if we are all juvenile, power crazed freaks(not just the OP but all of you 3.0R owners). Well we are not, im 46 and have done no mods to my car whatsoever, this car is great on the highway and in the twisties, im sure the 3.0R is a great car but i just cant see the advantage over the LGT. I have had no problems with mine, im getting close to 50,000 miles now and i drive her hard. You can get similar MPG to the 2.5i if you prevent the turbo from spooling by changing gear earlier, if goten as much as 35 on I10 to new orleans from florida before.

OK, let me fill you in:

 

H6 advantages:

 

• More torque at low rpm.
  
• Quieter, smoother.
  
• Generally, better mileage.
  
• Can burn Regular fuel no problem.
  
• Anvil reliability
  
• Better resale value
  
• No stupid hood scoop
  

 

Advantages of 2.5T

 

• More max hp and torque
  
• Can be purchased with manual or automatic in the US
  
• Many tuner parts available: "dial a horsepower"
  
• Some models have SI drive, not sold on H6 cars in the US
  
• Cool hood scoop
  

35 mpg? Wow. I take it that was the readout on your computer and not the calculated average for a full tank?

[Jacks GT]

Ok fair enough, and yeah it was off the computer....."dial a horsepower" i like that:lol: