Advice before buying ???

[knightgambit]

My wife is currently driving a 2007 Audi A4. It's a lease, nearing the end of the term so we are thinking of letting her go. She really likes the AWD and we have been looking at everything EXCEPT subaru, until the Honda dealer actually drove me over to the Subaru dealer. He said I wouldn't be happy with anything less !

 

We set our eyes on the showroom car - 2009 Satin Pearl White 2.5GT Limited, loaded with spoiler except nav. Not sure if it's OK to talk stickers and price offered, but I am looking for advice on this car. I like the body style better than the 2010 - is it basically the same car? It's technically a year old already - do the Subaru's depreciate bad - so am i upside down as soon as I drive this off the lot?

 

Any words of advice on accessories, warranties, or anything else.

 

Thanks in advance. Sorry, only pic I have so far is on my cell phone and I don't have the cable to upload it.

[DJ Studa]

hey subarus probably hold the value better than audi. my mom has an 09 audi a4 as soon as u drive it off the lot it lost like 10k. its all up to you but they are 2 different cars one is a luxury car(audi) one is just a sedan(legacy gt).

[knightgambit]

Had a Mazda 6 before the Audi - that was a fun car but terrible in the Northern winters. This car looks like a great compromise between the two. The A4 is luxury, but I'm not convinced after test driving the Legacy that it is short $15K of luxury... it seems a lot closer than the real pricing suggests.

 

I am going to head over to the pre-purchases question section, now that I found it

[E-Tank]

09 Legacy GT is a beautiful car. Most people here like them better then the 10s. A lot of people talk about prices in here. What are they asking?

Don't listen to that guy ^

The 09 GT Ltd is comparable to the Audi in Luxury, although the materials used are not quite as good. We also don't have those sweet little compartments under the seats (I almost got the Audi just for those).

If you get the Subaru you won't be disappointed. Subaru's symmetrical AWD is superior to Audi's Quattro. You also get about 50 more horsepower than the A4.

Of course you're going to get biased opinions here. I'd like to see what the say about us in the Audi forum.

[CrowNaza86]

I just purchased a ruby red pearl '09 2.5GT. It had about 84 miles on it, sticker was $33,200 and I got it for $26,699 pretty much loaded except nav, dimming mirror w/ compass and spoiler(can always get those cheaper later on). They even threw in five free oil changes and two tanks of gas. I'm loving it, it handles beautifully, accelerates on the spot, looks amazing inside and out, and is everything I hoped it would be and more. How much were they asking for if you don't mind me asking?

[knightgambit]

09 Legacy GT is a beautiful car. Most people here like them better then the 10s. A lot of people talk about prices in here. What are they asking?

Don't listen to that guy ^

The 09 GT Ltd is comparable to the Audi in Luxury, although the materials used are not quite as good. We also don't have those sweet little compartments under the seats (I almost got the Audi just for those).

If you get the Subaru you won't be disappointed. Subaru's symmetrical AWD is superior to Audi's Quattro. You also get about 50 more horsepower than the A4.

Of course you're going to get biased opinions here. I'd like to see what the say about us in the Audi forum.

 

When I first got to the lot, I almost told the salesman I had seen enough. The 10 body style just didn't do it for me. It was cold out, so we walked into the showroom so he could say hi to some buddies - he used to work there. That's when I saw the 09 - it is sweet looking. It didn't take too long to convince them to open the doors and drive it out. My wife and I should realistically be looking at a "practical" car - but I'm convincing us both that this car is both fun and practical

 

The MSRP / Sticker is 31, 570. The deal is inked at 26,400. I couldn't talk him into touch up paint, all weather mats, or mud flaps - but the price appears to be ok?. He is also giving me 500 more for my Audi than VW would, go figure ? The dealer did say that the mud flaps are useless and have some crappy design that clogs with ice. Is that true or he is telling me this so I walk away from the extras easier?

 

Oh, and the only thing I ever put in those little compartments was the owners manual. I won't really miss those. I will miss the bluetooth though - that's a sweet feature for safety IMHO.

[oog61]

When I first got to the lot, I almost told the salesman I had seen enough. The 10 body style just didn't do it for me. It was cold out, so we walked into the showroom so he could say hi to some buddies - he used to work there. That's when I saw the 09 - it is sweet looking. It didn't take too long to convince them to open the doors and drive it out. My wife and I should realistically be looking at a "practical" car - but I'm convincing us both that this car is both fun and practical

 

The MSRP / Sticker is 31, 570. The deal is inked at 26,400. I couldn't talk him into touch up paint, all weather mats, or mud flaps - but the price appears to be ok?. He is also giving me 500 more for my Audi than VW would, go figure ? The dealer did say that the mud flaps are useless and have some crappy design that clogs with ice. Is that true or he is telling me this so I walk away from the extras easier?

 

Oh, and the only thing I ever put in those little compartments was the owners manual. I won't really miss those. I will miss the bluetooth though - that's a sweet feature for safety IMHO.

 

I know for sure that if I was looking for an LGT now, I'd absolutely take the '09 over the '10. I think you made the right choice.

 

Definitely stay away from the mud flaps if you will be driving it in snow and ice. They will not only clog but will probably break off.

 

IMHO, you will likely be happier in the '09 if you are sold on the Subaru brand, unless you need the extra room the '10 gives you in the back seat. The '09 is still a Subaru, apparently the last of the breed. The '10 is a Subota, or a Toyaru, take your pick.

 

I think the '05-'09 LGT's are going to hold their value extremely well since they are phenomenal cars with a unique personality and great styling. I'm not saying the '10 isn't a good car; it is. But the '05-'09 LGT's were Subarus in every sense. They were more like a bigger WRX or a Japanese BMW. The '10's are more like a Nissan Maxima or a Camry XLE. My guess is that when many '05-'09 LGT owners need a new car and want something as much like their old car as possible, they are going to be more likely to buy a WRX or a BMW or a G37 than a '10 LGT.

 

Subaru proved they can fix their mistakes quickly when the '09 WRX remedied most of the faults of the '08 model. Let's hope they see the light on the Leggy.

 

But I digress.

[knightgambit]

I know for sure that if I was looking for an LGT now, I'd absolutely take the '09 over the '10. I think you made the right choice.

 

Definitely stay away from the mud flaps if you will be driving it in snow and ice. They will not only clog but will probably break off.

 

IMHO, you will likely be happier in the '09 if you are sold on the Subaru brand, unless you need the extra room the '10 gives you in the back seat. The '09 is still a Subaru, apparently the last of the breed. The '10 is a Subota, or a Toyaru, take your pick.

 

I think the '05-'09 LGT's are going to hold their value extremely well since they are phenomenal cars with a unique personality and great styling. I'm not saying the '10 isn't a good car; it is. But the '05-'09 LGT's were Subarus in every sense. They were more like a bigger WRX or a Japanese BMW. The '10's are more like a Nissan Maxima or a Camry XLE. My guess is that when many '05-'09 LGT owners need a new car and want something as much like their old car as possible, they are going to be more likely to buy a WRX or a BMW or a G37 than a '10 LGT.

 

Subaru proved they can fix their mistakes quickly when the '09 WRX remedied most of the faults of the '08 model. Let's hope they see the light on the Leggy.

 

But I digress.

 

oog61 - thanks for the words of encouragement.

 

Strangely enough, the list of vehicles that I set out to test drive were -

G37, A4, Honda TL, and BMW 328i... The Nissan was nixed on looks / size and the Camry just never appealled to me. Your comparison on the line-ups are right in line with what we were looking at. When you start a price comparison, well, there really isn't one to do.

 

Anyway, I never made it passed the Honda dealership cuz he took me to the Subaru dealer We signed the deal this morning so my wife got an unexpected Xmas present since we only started looking 2 days ago and weren't planning to buy till Feb/Mar. Just wanted to do some winter driving to test things out.

 

I'm a little uncertain of the turbo and maintenance, so I will need to do quite a bit of reading up. Glad to be a new member of the family.

[DJ Studa]

hey i a subaru lover prob would take a lgt over an audi dont really like my moms 09 doesnt fit me

[RabidWombat]

Congrats! I bought my 09 LGT a few months ago. With regards to the turbo and maintenance, you pretty much just need to follow the factory service schedule. The LGTs do require frequent oil changes every 3750, and you should follow this.

 

I had a similar dilemma to you, given that the car is technically a year-old, and an out-going style (will look dated sooner). Ultimately, I decided that I was likely to keep the car for 6+ years, and it was impossible to get a better car for $26k.

 

With regards to long-term value, they seem very good. Certified used 2005 LGTs are going for $18k with 50k miles in NorCal, and normal used around $15k. The market for Subaru's is very regional, in the South they depreciate much faster.

[knightgambit]

Congrats! I bought my 09 LGT a few months ago. With regards to the turbo and maintenance, you pretty much just need to follow the factory service schedule. The LGTs do require frequent oil changes every 3750, and you should follow this.

 

I had a similar dilemma to you, given that the car is technically a year-old, and an out-going style (will look dated sooner). Ultimately, I decided that I was likely to keep the car for 6+ years, and it was impossible to get a better car for $26k.

 

With regards to long-term value, they seem very good. Certified used 2005 LGTs are going for $18k with 50k miles in NorCal, and normal used around $15k. The market for Subaru's is very regional, in the South they depreciate much faster.

 

Thanks ! I will be reading the manual and forums over the holidays. I've always believed in low mileage oil changes and used to do 1500 miles with regular oil. I'm at 5000 in my Jeep with synth. I don't think I will run synth though till the warranty is out.

 

I have no doubt that this car will hold value better than the A4 - if this car depreciated to nothing I would probably still be ahead of the Audi line. Nice ride, but way too expensive for my blood.

 

 

Here she is just before rolling out of the dealer. I have a couple good shots on the cell phone from the showroom floor if I can ever figure out how to get them off the cell.

 

http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/zz250/knightgambit/CIMG1818_sm.jpg

[Wang Lung]

You scored. Nice car.

[CrowNaza86]

Congrats on the purchase. I've only put a few hundred miles on mine and I'm loving it. Enjoy the ride!

[knightgambit]

Thanks all ! We are really looking forward to having fun. Today was my wife's first time in the snow and she called from work and said she liked it better than the Audi.

 

This car has a little more weight that the A4, so I'm guessing it very well may do better than in the snow. I test drove on roads of solid ice the day before we bought it and was impressed with the steering correction when sliding around a corner at 20 mph. She steered right out so and was impossible to get to spin around.

 

I'm just little ticked off though that the dealer left the CE light blinking and didn't fill up the washer fluid before we pulled out. We went back and they cleared the light, but we didn't notice the washer fluid till my wife was driving to work. And to boot, there was grease on the leather seats. I mean, I know it's little stuff, but a brand new car shouldn't be delivered like that.

[oog61]

Thanks all ! We are really looking forward to having fun. Today was my wife's first time in the snow and she called from work and said she liked it better than the Audi.

 

This car has a little more weight that the A4, so I'm guessing it very well may do better than in the snow. I test drove on roads of solid ice the day before we bought it and was impressed with the steering correction when sliding around a corner at 20 mph. She steered right out so and was impossible to get to spin around.

 

I'm just little ticked off though that the dealer left the CE light blinking and didn't fill up the washer fluid before we pulled out. We went back and they cleared the light, but we didn't notice the washer fluid till my wife was driving to work. And to boot, there was grease on the leather seats. I mean, I know it's little stuff, but a brand new car shouldn't be delivered like that.

 

That may not have been grease on the seat. Might have been from your thrilled reaction to driving it the first time.

[C1Pendragon]

Thanks all ! We are really looking forward to having fun. Today was my wife's first time in the snow and she called from work and said she liked it better than the Audi.

 

This car has a little more weight that the A4, so I'm guessing it very well may do better than in the snow. I test drove on roads of solid ice the day before we bought it and was impressed with the steering correction when sliding around a corner at 20 mph. She steered right out so and was impossible to get to spin around.

 

I'm just little ticked off though that the dealer left the CE light blinking and didn't fill up the washer fluid before we pulled out. We went back and they cleared the light, but we didn't notice the washer fluid till my wife was driving to work. And to boot, there was grease on the leather seats. I mean, I know it's little stuff, but a brand new car shouldn't be delivered like that.

 

Actually the Audi weighs about 100 more lbs's than the Legacy. Why was the CEL on?

[knightgambit]

Not sure why the CEL was on. They plugged in the OBD (or whichever version this uses, not sure yet) and reset it.

 

But, when the wife got home, I went to put WW fluid in and it only took about a cups worth, so it is obviously full. Dang pump isn't working - so back to the good ol' dealership next week

[OmniEnder]

Lol! I thought mine was broken for the longest time because I'm so used to twist activate washers, the button on the end really threw me for a loop... I actually drained and disconected the resivour to check for damage or clogs before I realized I wasn't actually activating them! Good times

[knightgambit]

Lol! I thought mine was broken for the longest time because I'm so used to twist activate washers, the button on the end really threw me for a loop... I actually drained and disconected the resivour to check for damage or clogs before I realized I wasn't actually activating them! Good times

 

Is it RTFM time ???

 

I am pulling the WW lever to spray and wipe - like my Jeep. I can't believe that it would be any different. I think it's been that way in every car I've owned for years. What's this about a button at the end... hmmm. Guess I know what I will be doing tomorrow.

[oog61]

Thanks ! I will be reading the manual and forums over the holidays. I've always believed in low mileage oil changes and used to do 1500 miles with regular oil. I'm at 5000 in my Jeep with synth. I don't think I will run synth though till the warranty is out.

 

I have no doubt that this car will hold value better than the A4 - if this car depreciated to nothing I would probably still be ahead of the Audi line. Nice ride, but way too expensive for my blood.

 

 

Here she is just before rolling out of the dealer. I have a couple good shots on the cell phone from the showroom floor if I can ever figure out how to get them off the cell.

 

http://i832.photobucket.com/albums/zz250/knightgambit/CIMG1818_sm.jpg

 

Beautiful car. I think SWP is the best looking LGT color but I sure wish it was possible to get one with a black leather interior rather than ivory being the only choice.

[knightgambit]

Beautiful car. I think SWP is the best looking LGT color but I sure wish it was possible to get one with a black leather interior rather than ivory being the only choice.

 

I agree on both accounts - the SWP is really sweet and the only thing that saved the deal was the fact that the carpets are black. That ivory shows everything !

 

So, I just checked out the washer fluid (at 20 degrees) and if you push the button it works fine. Pulling the WW lever to get the wipe/mist (as the manual states) doesn't work. I would swear this worked during the test drive. I will call the shop and get them to take a look at it.

 

Only thing we are really missing in this car is the bluetooth for the phone. I'm looking into GPS's and maybe even a Parrot. Only problem with the Parrot solution is that the wife doesn't want anything added to the steering wheel.

 

So far the only GPS that seems to fit the bill for bluetooth phone with Aux out (in stereo) that could be connected to the Aux in of the stereo is the Garmin 765T. I already ordered the GPS plate from ryobi1 - pretty neat option.

[CrowNaza86]

If something doesn't seem right, read the manual to make sure your operating it correctly. No need to spend money at the dealership just to find out that you were using it wrong.

[RabidWombat]

Only thing we are really missing in this car is the bluetooth for the phone. I'm looking into GPS's and maybe even a Parrot. Only problem with the Parrot solution is that the wife doesn't want anything added to the steering wheel.

 

I'm considering getting a Parrot install for my car. I was thinking of getting a MKi9100 and putting the display and controls in the cubby.

There's someone else on here who mounted the controls just below the SI-drive knob.

If you do get a Parrot kit, please post some pictures and a review.

 

I hadn't thought of getting a GPS with a line-out to connect to the stereo. You might want to consider holding out for a newer Garmin model. Garmin is supposedly going to release an OBD-II to bluetooth adapter that will display car info on the GPS screen.

 

http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/06/garmin-ecoroute-esp-module-gets-priced-detailed-further/

[knightgambit]

I'm considering getting a Parrot install for my car. I was thinking of getting a MKi9100 and putting the display and controls in the cubby.

There's someone else on here who mounted the controls just below the SI-drive knob.

If you do get a Parrot kit, please post some pictures and a review.

 

I hadn't thought of getting a GPS with a line-out to connect to the stereo. You might want to consider holding out for a newer Garmin model. Garmin is supposedly going to release an OBD-II to bluetooth adapter that will display car info on the GPS screen.

 

http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/06/garmin-ecoroute-esp-module-gets-priced-detailed-further/

 

Rabid,

 

That's a nice looking idea. Only problem with buying something that new is it will most likely be over $400, like the 765t when it came out. Sure, it does everything I need and then some, but if I'm going to spend that kind of money, I will most likely go Parrot and something like a 265 for the GPS add on.

 

At this point, I either pull the trigger on the 765t or wait a while to save up some money. I guess if I went 765t, then saved up for the Parrot for next Xmas it really wouldn't be a waste.

[scoobydoobie]

Beautiful car. I think SWP is the best looking LGT color but I sure wish it was possible to get one with a black leather interior rather than ivory being the only choice.

 

My friends 05' SWP has black leather interior.