C_Alan Posted February 10, 2010 Share Posted February 10, 2010 Well, the weather this winter may have finally convinced me to purchase a Subaru. I live in the Tehachapi Mountains, between Bakersfield and Mojave in central California. I went to my local Subaru dealer last week to check out a used Outback. My older sister got almost 200k miles out of her '98 Outback, so I decided to give one a test drive. The outback had the basic 2.5i engine, and the truth was, I was not terrible impressed with the get up and go of the Outback. While I was on my test drive, my wife spied a Legacy 2.5i on the lot while she was wait for me with the kids. I did not get a chance to drive the Legacy, but I did sit in a 2010 GT, and man I was impressed with just the seat.... As much as I would have loved to drive and take home the GT, my budget is only about $18k, and I to pull this off, I have to find a dealer who will give me at least $9k for my POS 2009 Toyota Corolla. So that leaves me considering either an '09 2.5i special edition (I don't know what it is about SoCal, but there are a bunch of them for sale at dealers around here, with less than 15k miles, and for under $17k), or an '05 GT with around 50k miles. Now, I would love to go for the GT, but I have a couple of concerns: 1) the turbo, and 2) Gas mileage. First on the turbo, after reading this site, the failure rate of between 5 to 10 percent of all the '05's makes me a bit hesitant. This car will be my commuter car, and lots of down time (and $$$) is not something I want in the car. However the base 2.5i engine to me leaves a lot of horses to be desired. One possibility might be an extended warranty. So how much do such warranties run, and what reputable warranty companies are out there? Second is the gas mileage. My commute is about 90 miles a day, through the mountains. In the morning it is down hill, and in the evening, I have to climb back up about 2500 vertical feet to get home. What kind of mileage could I expect the GT to give over that commute. The EPA number of 17 city, 23 highway, and the requirement of Premium fuel have not inspired much confidence in me. So what kind of mielage can I expect from A GT on my commute? BTW, premium out here is 91 octane. Thanks,C. Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeblow Posted February 10, 2010 Share Posted February 10, 2010 A budget of $18k will get you a nice mid mileage 06-07 LGT if you're willing to wait a month or two to find the right one. Check the for sale section here and check places other than the dealership and you can probably find a good deal. The turbo issue is blown out of proportion because no one makes a "My turbo runs great" thread, only "Blown Turbo" threads. Keep in mind that the LGT forums here are only a small portion of LGT owner as well. If you take care of your turbo, you shouldn't have much to worry about. Subarus are not designed for gas mileage though. In the mountains, you can probably expect 18-20 mpg. I drive in a hilly area at 40-45 mph and get 17-18. So highway speeds will probably be a little better for you. But thats just my opinion. Premium gets a little tiresome, but its a sacrifice you have to make to get the most out of your LGT and make it last. I was a little worried about the cost of putting premium in my LGT, but I just started comparing it to gas prices a few years ago when it was $4 a gallon for regular 87 octane, and paying between $2.75-3.00 a gallon for premium now doesn't seem so bad. It's cool; I'm with the band Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carguyco Posted February 10, 2010 Share Posted February 10, 2010 There are tons of the special editions because they are fleet cars going to auction... I just spent 18500 on an 07 LGT with 37k on it...they can be had cheaper w/ more miles..they can also be had more expensive..it took me almost 3 weeks to find the right car... I haven't filled it up yet, still running on dealership fuel...but I'm sure I'll hate the premium. Your biggest problem is going to be trade value on a 2009 corolla..which by the way, there are tons of them out there too! good luck and happy hunting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C_Alan Posted February 11, 2010 Author Share Posted February 11, 2010 Thanks for the feed back. I may end up passing on the GT for the simple reason that the care and feeding of the beast may be more than my budget can handle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan T. Posted February 14, 2010 Share Posted February 14, 2010 91 will cost you at most a couple hundred extra bucks a year, assuming you don't drive some insane amount. That's the only added "expense" over a regular 2.5i. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carguyco Posted February 14, 2010 Share Posted February 14, 2010 Depends on how you want to drive it...I just came out of a 2007 Honda Accord that made me feel like an old man....the 2.5i would have done the same.. I love driving the GT...I get up in the morning excited to just start it and warm it up.... I can't wait to get a tune...and then stage 2....and so on and so on.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeslgt Posted February 14, 2010 Share Posted February 14, 2010 Budget, smudget, you only live once and if you are spending much time commuting in your car the GT makes it So, so enjoyable. The annual fuel cost difference is a few hundred a year. To me, it's well worth it. The regular 2.5 will leave you wishing for more. Believe it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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