JohnSoPA Posted July 9, 2004 Share Posted July 9, 2004 Wow, I am impressed. I don't think I've ever driven a Subaru before. An ad popped up cars.com while I was searching for 330i's and 540i's, so I thought I'd check it out. 5.8-5.9 secs 0-60? OK, worth a drive. Drove one yesterday and I was grinning ear to ear. Here's what I currently drive: '99 MB C43 (AMG model of the C-class) '04 Honda Pilot (wife's car) SCCA Spec Racer Ford (when I can) My recent cars include a Carrera S (993 vintage) and an E36 M3 four-door. In spirit, I think this Legacy GT is close to my old M3. Handling wasn't quite the same, but my test drive produced almost the same amount of grins. OK, so, here are my questions. Forgive a Subaru newbie. 1. Is the panoramic sunroof in the wagon noisy? I've always like hot wagons (Audi RS6, etc.). But I'm a bit concerned about excess wind noise and possible boominess in the car (even when sunroof is closed). I couldn't get a ride in a GT wagon. 2. Would there be a way to raise up the front of the driver's seat bottom in a manual seat model (non-limited) about 1 inch? 3. Can the cruise control switch be modded to stay on all the time? 4. I know this is the first model year here in the US, but has this car been on sale in Japan in this new form for two years? Thanks all! John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racerdave Posted July 9, 2004 Share Posted July 9, 2004 I'll answer what I can... 1. Moonroof seemed quiet, though better when the shade was slid shut. I am getting a GT non-Ltd FWIW. 2. Yes, you can adjust height on the seat bottom on the non-Ltd GT's. It's a simple lever, kind of like on VWs. PS - I was also shopping E46 BMWs. Once I drove the GT and saw the real world prices, the BMWs didn't stand a chance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnSoPA Posted July 9, 2004 Author Share Posted July 9, 2004 Hi Dave. Thanks for the reply. Regarding the driver's seat bottom... I know you can raise/lower the whole thing using the lever, but I need to be able to raise just the front part (leading edge) of the seat cushion to support the back of my legs. I was thinking about either: 1. Taking the seat off the rail mechanism and putting 1/2" = 1" of spacers in the front part 2. Or just putting some extra foam underneath the seat cushion/fabric. Any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racerdave Posted July 9, 2004 Share Posted July 9, 2004 Actually, when I was monkeying with the lever, it seemed like it actually did not move straight up and down, but sort of tipped the leading edge up a bit too. But I wasn't in it for very long. Can anyone with a base GT comment on the height lever and what its effect on the seat is? Kevin? Franz? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnSoPA Posted July 9, 2004 Author Share Posted July 9, 2004 Dave, funny, my impression of the lever was the opposite. I thought the lever moved the rear of the cushion up and down with the pivot point being somewhere near the front. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken S Posted July 9, 2004 Share Posted July 9, 2004 John, That's high praise coming from someone who's driven the kind of cars you have. To answer question #4, the new Legacy was introduced last year in Japan and other parts of the world. It has just entered it's second year of production in Japan. While the US Legacy's final assembly point is in the US, many of the subcomponents come directly from Japan (drivetrain, engine). Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SUBE555 Posted July 9, 2004 Share Posted July 9, 2004 Welcome, nice to see another coming from the German camp. :) #3, I'm not sure, but it's so easy to touch, just tap the end of the toggle and set the cruise, no buttons on the dash like previous models, pretty straight-forward if you ask me. Their reason for not keeping it on maybe that if you're driving in the city and came off the highway, accidentally hit the cruise, it would take off like a rubber band. *shrug* It's really not that bad IMO and even easier than the old toggle which I've grown much accustomed to and love. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PPower Posted July 9, 2004 Share Posted July 9, 2004 I noticed the seat to pivot at the front as well. The Limited would have 8 way seats though and therefore raise the front and rear of the seat base. That is a good selling point for me though I haven't actually sat in a Limited yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Zevil Posted July 9, 2004 Share Posted July 9, 2004 Subaru would love to hear about the german car transplants. Means that they did an excellent job with this car. I am finding it harder and harder to be patient about taking delivery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crapy Posted July 9, 2004 Share Posted July 9, 2004 The hot wagon RS6 is smoked by the JDM Legacy B4 on track (2 liter turbo engine, 280HP). The RS6 is too heavy, has the wrong suspension set up, the tires are too wide, the handling is weird (not stable at high speed). So, i think a GT LTD wagon should be hot enough for u :P if not, since its a 2.5 STi engine, do some modifying should help :!: 350HP shouldnt be a problem. and yes, Subaru Legacy B4 is car of the year in japan! P.S. not sure if u can accept the interior though...cus all of ur cars are German ones... so... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QToo Posted July 9, 2004 Share Posted July 9, 2004 A quick Fyi. Over on a G35 site (g35driver.com), I came across a discussion on the G35 versus the GT. Some good feedback on the Leg against a slightly more expensive Japanese car. The G35'ites seem to have admitted that the GT is a pretty credible sports sedan but they are holding onto the fact that the Leg will never be as high class as the Infiniti. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scubie02 Posted July 9, 2004 Share Posted July 9, 2004 [quote name='QToo']A quick Fyi. Over on a G35 site (g35driver.com), I came across a discussion on the G35 versus the GT. Some good feedback on the Leg against a slightly more expensive Japanese car. The G35'ites seem to have admitted that the GT is a pretty credible sports sedan but they are holding onto the fact that the Leg will never be as high class as the Infiniti.[/quote] That Borgen guy over there is a riot. I especially liked this quote "And, yes, I've done some basic mods to my '04.5 Infiniti G35 Sedan to increase power and improve the sound, but I certainly didn't do it to race a Subaru!" these "basic mods" would be the K&N filter in his sig? hahahahaha... What a maroon. I have to post this over at my site... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crapy Posted July 9, 2004 Share Posted July 9, 2004 actually i have gone through that website too. the G35 memebers have good feedbacks and knowledge on B4 too, but the Borgen is really the worst member over there (sorry to say that). i still think its not that fair to compare G35 with B4. B4, best in 20~30K range. G35, Best in 30~40K range. (in terms of overall package and performance) people are comparing G35 and B4 just because they have many common characteristics etc; morevoer, they are perfromance type more than luxury (such as TL). both of them declare impacts to the mid-range sedan. however, their perfromance maybe really close or the B4 is even better (on track, stock). It is clear that Subaru is going to the upper market segment. i still think Subaru's B4 has to spend some more time on the interior, built quality, marketing, customer service, image, design, and TIME to the 30~40K segment. (well, maybe B4 is only for the 30K segement) anyway, both are great cars! At least, the G35 might be the best challenger of BMW 3. P.S. any G35 owners here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Zevil Posted July 9, 2004 Share Posted July 9, 2004 Ask Paul Hansen to compare the two.. he doesn't have very many things nice ot say about the G35.. Of couse, what does he know? ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scubie02 Posted July 9, 2004 Share Posted July 9, 2004 Well, his position seems to be that Infiniti is simply a more "prestigious" label and thus it is superior. Now I like the G35 just fine, but honestly I don't consider Infiniti as a label to be particularly prestigious. I don't see the G35 as being in a different stratosphere than the new legacy. They are both two midsized performance oriented japanese sedans aiming at the entry level luxo segment to me. I guess it might be a regional thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IwannaSportSedan Posted July 10, 2004 Share Posted July 10, 2004 [quote name='scubie02']Well, his position seems to be that Infiniti is simply a more "prestigious" label and thus it is superior. Now I like the G35 just fine, but honestly I don't consider Infiniti as a label to be particularly prestigious. I don't see the G35 as being in a different stratosphere than the new legacy. They are both two midsized performance oriented japanese sedans aiming at the entry level luxo segment to me. I guess it might be a regional thing.[/quote] I wonder how much profitability the infiniti G35 coupe and sedan have over the 350Z. The G35s are both called skyline, and marketed as nissans in the JDM, and are just now being considered for ROW. I would say there is a higher margin on the G35s for their infiniti nameplate, which is only in this country, because the cost of building and extra rear seats, and the doors for the sedan can't add that many thousands of dollars more than the base 350Z. BTW, the replacement for the "Skyline" sports car will be the VQ-based "GT-R" or something, which is forthcoming, perhaps even to USDM. All I can say, is good for Subaru for offering 90-95% of the car for ~80% of the cash, compared to the up-market alternatives, in an attractive sedan or wagon package. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken S Posted July 10, 2004 Share Posted July 10, 2004 I had to laugh when that bsgoren character keeps saying "it's just a Subaru". What in the world does he think an Infiniti is? It's just a Nissan with a markup to make people think they're getting a near-luxury car. Take a look under the G35's hood -- Nissan stamped everywhere. Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jk Posted July 10, 2004 Share Posted July 10, 2004 g35 - no awd with a stick. end of story for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg_STL Posted July 10, 2004 Share Posted July 10, 2004 Having a G35 coupe (wife's) and having just picked up a GT Ltd sedan I have to say both are great. I seriously gave thought to getting a G35 sedan to go with the coupe but also nixed the idea because you couldn't get awd and a stick. My wife's G35 coupe is the 6MT, 18" wheels, brembos, etc and it is a beautiful car. I always feel like a shark swimming among minnows when driving the car. But the beauty of the coupe just doesn't translate as well over to the G35 sedan and Infiniti doesn't option the sedan as well for performance inclined drivers. I guess I feel Infiniti wins the coupe war and Subaru wins the sedan - at least thats how we voted with our wallets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SUBE555 Posted July 10, 2004 Share Posted July 10, 2004 Welcome Greg. That is one reason I think Subaru has a viable platform in the Leggy if they want to build a coupe from it. There have been several coupe photoshops done of sedans (and even a few wagons) to have a coupe look. Some are pretty impressive. I think it could garner quite a few sales with modest platform changes. It's already a good platform, it's a very competitive car as is already shown with people looking at the car from all walks of life. Adding a coupe model is a smart business move to the Legacy line IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed328Ci Posted July 10, 2004 Share Posted July 10, 2004 Racerdave posted my review of the Legacy GT here ( [url]http://www.legacysti.com/viewtopic.php?t=1231[/url] ), which I wrote on Bimmerfest.com. I own a modified BMW 328Ci and a Forester. Prior to these cars, I owned a bunch of Preludes. I have driven several MB, Lexus, and even an E46 M3. I have to say that the Legacy GT handles and accelerates better than any non-"s" or "rs" Audi, and handles as well as the IS300. The light steering feel and the limitations of AWD makes the Legacy's handling somewhat inferior to the 3 Series with Sport Package, but not by a huge amount. The Subie's interior is BETTER than the IS300, the G35, and the Caddie CTS. I read the comparison thread on G35driver, and I really can't believe the attitude of some of the Infiniti guys. If I have to buy a replacement for my E46 today, I would probably take a Legacy GT over a G35, and use the money I save on new set of Toyo T1-S, new bulbs for the headlight, and a “mild” aero kit. Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IwannaSportSedan Posted July 10, 2004 Share Posted July 10, 2004 [quote name='SUBE555']That is one reason I think Subaru has a viable platform in the Leggy if they want to build a coupe from it. Adding a coupe model is a smart business move to the Legacy line IMO.[/quote] Now that suby doesn't have a niche coupe like the SVX, and no longer sell the impreza in a coupe format, a legacy coupe makes good sense. The one big drawback to the Volvo C70 coupe was that it wasn't all-wheel-drive like its platform mates in the sedan and wagon. I just don't like the torque steer of a wrong-wheel-drive car with more than 170hp, and I want more power in a sporty car than that. I always liked the SVX, but it was just a tad too spacey to be good looking over time. the SVX already looks dated, even if its a cool car. A Legacy coupe would be more classic looking. a really attractive alternative to a G35 coupe, and way better than an accord coupe or solara. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racerdave Posted July 10, 2004 Share Posted July 10, 2004 Hey Ed! Good to see you over here! :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed328Ci Posted July 10, 2004 Share Posted July 10, 2004 I wonder if my wife would notice, if I stick a turbo into her Forester. :) Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SUBE555 Posted July 10, 2004 Share Posted July 10, 2004 [quote name='IwannaSportSedan']...A really attractive alternative to a G35 coupe, and way better than an accord coupe or solara.[/quote] I see that as the intended market, perhaps even some looking at the new 4-series would look at it also. Considering how the sedan and wagon compare to these other models, I have no reason to believe a coupe model would do poorly. That market isn't saturated like the roadster market. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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