Jump to content
LegacyGT.com

2011 wrx limited vs 2005 legacy gt limited


Recommended Posts

i traded in my legacy last month and wanted to give everyone a brief comparison on when i first bought my legacy gt limited vs the new wrx limited.

 

2011 wrx limited edition

pros: very fast car, higher powerband width, comfortable seats that have nice stitching all around, better dunlop stock tires than legacy, more room than i expected (about the size of the 4th gen), bluetooth, usb and ipod control, nice dash and gauges, turns are sharper the legacy, hid's are sweet, shifting and clutch are smoother, engine sound, the wipers are better, sport pedals, 2011 wide body looks very nice, the rims look so nice i don't want to change, folding seats, decent ride

 

cons: gas mileage is less than the legacy, little rattles here and there (my leg didnt have any rattles), the drone of the exhaust can get annoying at certain rpms, turbo kicks in later (4-4.5k), no power seats, stereo sound not as good, interior is good, but there's a lot of plastic

 

2005 legacy gt limited

 

pros: loved the stock ride, while my interior scratched over the years, it looked more refined without any rattles, comfortable seats (more lux than wrx), loved the powerband of the legacy (stage 1 was even better). i knew the sweet spots on the legacy that helped even tracking on the autox stock, trunk space, combination of sport and entry luxury (back in 05), torque felt stronger at lower rpm, stereo was above avg, looks were great during the time and always got compliments, dual climate, 05 rims still the best rims on any stock legacy imho, quieter cabin

 

cons: stock tires, interior scratched up easy, turns could be better, back seats kinda tilted when you put car seats for kids (not as flat), no mp3 player input, ac auto mode useless

 

i'm lucky to have owned both cars. the legacy in its time was a break through car for subaru. for people like me that didn't want to spend 25k on a boyish looking wrx back in 2002, the legacy was a grown up car that had the turbo roots of the wrx. legacy was also a refined vehicle with a balance of both sport and entry luxury.

 

when it was time to trade in my legacy after 7 years, i looked in the 5th gen and 11 wrx. sti just didnt seem practical and i can't get over the vibe of the 5th gen. what was really interesting was the new wrx had a lot of room about the same size of the 4th gen. plus, features like leather, moonroof, standard hid's, bluetooth, and usb port sealed the deal for me. i finally could fold down my seats too. the new wrx styling is also amazing. different than the legacy, but i have gotten a lot more looks and comments.

 

for those looking to make switch, this brief comparison should give a little more info.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice comparison. Just curious what you got for your trade in? How hard was it to find a wrx with the shortages in Japan manufacturing? Price of your 2011 wrx? I am thinking about trading in my 06 legacy limited and getting an 11 wrx but have been having issues finding one or even a new gt.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

the new wrx is very hard to find. i got the last one in texas before more shipments (i don't think more has come out yet). i got around 9k for trade in but my bearing was going out. msrp was about 31k and dealed about 30k. the fact that the new wrx was blue and was the last around texas, plus my legacy was getting up there made it a no brainer. i test drove the legacy gt 2011 too and don't know what the heck happened.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I went from a 2005 LGT LTD 5MT wagon to a 2010 STI SE, and I agree with nearly everything you wrote. :stupid: I should really do a comparison writeup between the cars now that I've had the STI for a while.

 

You are spot on that the Leggy's combo of sportiness, semi-lux, and AWD were totally unmatched near its price-point in 2005. It was a great car, but I got the itch for something with more edge to it, without sacrificing much practicality. The STI hatchback fit the bill to a T.

 

I have to disagree on one thing though: The Leggy's seats were tolerable but not very comfortable. The perforated leather looked and felt nice, and the seat heaters were nice, but the shape of the seats didn't fit my body well, and thanks to the leather I slid everywhere in turns.

 

I find the STI more comfortable, because the seats fit me much better and the armrests are padded leather, whereas the Leggy had vinyl armrests (despite having upholstered door cards - I always found that weird).

 

Other than the seats, armrests, and steering wheel, the Leggy's interior was far nicer than the POS rattlebucket that is the Impreza/STI interior :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

hey matt, i can see your point on the seats. i came from a 04corolla s then went to 05 legacy gt so any seats with leather was going to be heaven for me.

 

the wrx/sti seats fit just right for me too. they're more suited for fitment on the body than the legacy.

 

if there is something on the wrx i would like to do is to dynomax the doors and just make it quieter from the inside. its a great car but man i miss hearing my sterio lol. but thats me and some people like the rattles and exhaust.

 

when the new 05 legacy gt came out, they fit a void. they created a car that was able to match the 3 series, a4, and volvos but their base models competed against accord and camry all with awd, nice interior, great looks, and a fast turbo. things have changed....had to get the wrx.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How much worse is the gas mileage?

 

I'm typically 17 city, 25-27 hwy in the LGT as it is right now and I think it's pretty bad.

 

 

not that much. but over a period of time it adds up. i was getting 22-24 mpg on the gt and the wrx i'm getting around 19-21. my wrx still has around 1k miles so it could get better.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree with turbo spool, when I first got it, it felt like it kicked in a bit late (compared to a stg 2 LGT), the car itself also didn't feel too fast, but when I looked down at the speedo I realized just how fast it was. My legacy got a really fast "feel" when I lowered it, so I'm guessing when I drop my WRX it will be the same. But imo the 11 wrx > stg 2 lgt in just about every aspect with a few here and there. Sound quality is mainly because the head unit sucks. Currently my 11 wrx is stage 2 and it's ridiculous. Suprises the hell out of me everyday.

 

As for gas mileage I feel my WRX is better, but I baby it more. I get 20 or so city and as high as 25 highway. I average 22-23, so that's better than my LGT that averaged 18-19.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree with turbo spool, when I first got it, it felt like it kicked in a bit late (compared to a stg 2 LGT), the car itself also didn't feel too fast, but when I looked down at the speedo I realized just how fast it was. My legacy got a really fast "feel" when I lowered it, so I'm guessing when I drop my WRX it will be the same. But imo the 11 wrx > stg 2 lgt in just about every aspect with a few here and there. Sound quality is mainly because the head unit sucks. Currently my 11 wrx is stage 2 and it's ridiculous. Suprises the hell out of me everyday.

 

As for gas mileage I feel my WRX is better, but I baby it more. I get 20 or so city and as high as 25 highway. I average 22-23, so that's better than my LGT that averaged 18-19.

 

yes, it's funny how you think the rex is going kinda slow until you look at the mph. what mods u do on your rex for stage 2. i'm thinking of just going with the dp and pro tune and call it a day. i don't want to mod too much. i'm already happy with the power of the wrx.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had a dp and pro tune and it was disguisting. I just added a mangaflow cbe and it gained some much needed power down low, but nothing earth shattering. As for other mods, I also picked up some rota g forces wrapped in star specs, f/r rallitek sway bars and endlinks, kartboy short shifter and front and rear bushings, and a few visual mods here and there. In terms of power I am very satisfied right now, handling is amazing and shifting feel overall is improved. I want to do a few more visual mods like a lip, and some coilovers to give it a nice low look and improve handling further. Otherwise, the car is perfect right now.

 

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/253512_2029420890374_1089649355_2376425_5673395_n.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

not that much. but over a period of time it adds up. i was getting 22-24 mpg on the gt and the wrx i'm getting around 19-21. my wrx still has around 1k miles so it could get better.

That's strange, because the EPA ratings on the 2011 WRX are actually about 2 mpg better than the EPA ratings on 2005 LGT, when you convert the 2007 and earlier ratings to the more stringent 2008 and later EPA ratings. The 2011 WRX is rated at 19 city/25 highway. The 2005 LGT was rated at 19 city/25 highway under the old EPA system, but that is equivalent to only 17 city/23 highway under the new EPA system, according to the EPA fuel economy website. :confused: I think you've just been boosting your new WRX. :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's strange, because the EPA ratings on the 2011 WRX are actually about 2 mpg better than the EPA ratings on 2005 LGT, when you convert the 2007 and earlier ratings to the more stringent 2008 and later EPA ratings. The 2011 WRX is rated at 19 city/25 highway. The 2005 LGT was rated at 19 city/25 highway under the old EPA system, but that is equivalent to only 17 city/23 highway under the new EPA system, according to the EPA fuel economy website. :confused: I think you've just been boosting your new WRX. :lol:

 

i have never gotten in the teens with the legacy gt. matter of fact, i had my valves adjusted on the legacy near 100k and was getting 24-27mpg for a whole month until it came down to avout 23-25mpg.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had a dp and pro tune and it was disguisting. I just added a mangaflow cbe and it gained some much needed power down low, but nothing earth shattering. As for other mods, I also picked up some rota g forces wrapped in star specs, f/r rallitek sway bars and endlinks, kartboy short shifter and front and rear bushings, and a few visual mods here and there. In terms of power I am very satisfied right now, handling is amazing and shifting feel overall is improved. I want to do a few more visual mods like a lip, and some coilovers to give it a nice low look and improve handling further. Otherwise, the car is perfect right now.

 

 

sweet lookin rex. why was it disgusting?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i have never gotten in the teens with the legacy gt. matter of fact, i had my valves adjusted on the legacy near 100k and was getting 24-27mpg for a whole month until it came down to avout 23-25mpg.

 

The hell? I think I averaged 16.7 mpg over the life of my old 2005 Legacy GT.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well the lag down low (at least with the automatic) is pretty lame for street driving (Cobb Stage 2). At least for casual acceleration from a light.

 

If you don't mind me asking, what's insurance compared to the LGT?

 

there's about a $30 difference per month for me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh wow, that's not bad at all.

One of my main reasons for not picking up a 03 WRX (vs a 05 LGT) back in 2008 was that insurance was $55 a month more for the two year older, less powerful WRX ($85 vs $140).

 

I may have to look into a newer WRX when the time comes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ha ha....just makn sure bra. do u feel a big difference between the stock and mod cbe?

Hmm, how do I put it. I do feel a difference. Earth shattering? No. But is it there? I think so. For someone who enjoys the sound I say go for it, for someone who wants a stock sounding car with a little extra rumble, I'd say forget the exhaust because you're not missing too much.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.



×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Terms of Use