bsix Posted July 14, 2004 Share Posted July 14, 2004 I've been looking to replace my E36 BMW M3 and I was very excited when I found out that the Legacy GT was getting the 2.5 Turbo, along with a set of upgraded brakes. But after going out for a test drive I am not sure that the Legacy GT is living up to the hype. Now I do have to point out the Legacy wagon I drove had 60 miles and the dealer was insisting that I keep the revs below 4K. I probably will have to go back and retest when the engine has been broken in. My comments: The car felt much heavier than the listed weight. I felt the unsprung weight was very heavy and the car felt a little ponderous. Turbo lag was better than I thought it would be, but the engine was raspy and did not have the kick that I thought it should have when the boost came on. I detest understeer and this car still does have an understeer problem. Maybe not as bad as a TL, but nowhere near a good RWD car such as a 3 series or the G35. Finally I felt the suspension was too soft, coupled with an overdamped suspension left the car feeling mushy in my opinion. Now I feel this car is a fantastic bargain, I am an IMBA member and I just got the free service coupon in the mail. I am a ski coach and my familly has had 6 subaru's since 1991. So I really wanted to like this car. I also feel I am much more of a "Subaru type" than BMW or other luxury car "snob". The other car I have been eyeballing is the g35. With no options other than the 6mt it is not that bad a deal. Since my company is a supplier to nissan, I can also get the infiniti near invoice- or about 28K. I really like the engine, and the the 6speed is very nice. The things I don't like are the non fold down rear seats and the extremely fragile bumpers. So I am still debating, but I just wanted to point out that the Subaru in my opinion is not nearly the driver's car that some have made it out to be. But I still will probably purchase it because it is such a good bargain and the wagon is very practical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yacoub Posted July 14, 2004 Share Posted July 14, 2004 If you go with a G35 sedan, wait for the '05s to come out in October because they are getting a little hp/tq bump, slight trim changes, and a slightly nicer interior design. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SUBE555 Posted July 14, 2004 Share Posted July 14, 2004 I know there are a few members on here in NY and the surrounding area. I would suggest you try and get a ride in one in the near future, one that has upgraded tires to something a bit more. Many of us feel this is by far the biggest area plaguing this vehicle in the areas of ride, handling, braking. I am not even taking delivery with the stock tires, I refused to. It will still have some understeer, but that can be corrected with little work, power does come on quick after 2500rpm once you get into it, but don't put the pedal all the way in, Subaru's love the partial throttle response, not WOT like some people like to do. The car has plenty to offer and plenty of potential. If you can find a somewhat local member that has better tires on and is broken in, I think your opinion will be swayed at least a bit. It's no M3, but it has the combination and value few if any can match for it's makeup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bsix Posted July 14, 2004 Author Share Posted July 14, 2004 Thanks for the info. I had heard that the 6mt G35 will not be out until December. Since previous 6mt sedans dynoed nearly equal to the coupe, I am hoping that the 2005 G35 6mt will be underrated and have similiar horspower as the 2005 G35 6MT coupe (295 Hp). Honestly though this is much less important to me than 1) brakes that don't wear out at 20K miles 2) bumpers that don't have nearly $2000 of damage for a 5mph fender bender and 3) folding rear seats so I can carry bulky items such as a snowboard / wakeboard and 2-3 pairs of skis (I also hate ski racks because I drive too fast). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SUBE555 Posted July 14, 2004 Share Posted July 14, 2004 Are you willing to get a Wagon as I am? My older GT Sedan had folding rear seats but the new ones don't. The wagons are so versatile anyhow and you can carry quite a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtguy Posted July 14, 2004 Share Posted July 14, 2004 Then find something you really like, bsix. There's no shame in admitting that the Legacy isn't it, and driving impressions are one person's assessment of a car's performance. Doesn't sound like the GT is your cuppa, which is cool. Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agctr Posted July 14, 2004 Share Posted July 14, 2004 I have to agree that the GT in what ever form is still no M3 although it doesnt pretend to be either. The GT for the level of comfort, performance and safety not to mention style, is right on the money. I have to admit a new person coming onto a chat site and talking about his issues with the G35 and GT and going from the M3 is very refreshing I have to say. I have to also agree with Kevin, I think at the end of the day u have to choose and pick what u think is right for u and your family. With you already knowing that u can get the Nissan at list price before you had a look at the GT, something must have turned u off shelling out USD28K for something that wasnt totally right. I like you went and test drove a GT the first week they were released in Oz and the wagon I drove was very green. If u have time on yr side, wait a few weeks and try again. Im sure u will be more than impressed if not surprised. Good Luck and Happy Hunting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7stars Posted July 14, 2004 Share Posted July 14, 2004 If you have to force yourself to like a car, that's a bad sign. The no fold down rear seats in the sedan was quite a let down for me. The car feels heavy because it actually is quite heavy for a car of that size, due to AWD. My Accord coupe is bigger and weighs less. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scubie02 Posted July 14, 2004 Share Posted July 14, 2004 [quote name='7stars']The car feels heavy because it actually is quite heavy for a car of that size, due to AWD. My Accord coupe is bigger and weighs less.[/quote] Hmm, and yet it is lighter than the G35, which DOESN'T have awd as an excuse... It also doesn't hurt to drive more than one specimen, as I have done this with a number of different brands/models and founf this to be the case. When I test drove my fiirst Jetta, the first one I drove was pretty disappointing. Then I drove a different one at another dealer and it was like night and day. A friend of mine who also bought a Jetta at about the same time complained about how it was nice but it was such a dog. I said "really, mine's not that bad, though the first one I drove was" (coincidentally perhaps, the one she had she got from the dealer where I had tried the first one) and when she tried mine she was upset. Same thing w/ the wrx's--I found that some seemed to be quite a bit faster than others stock. Nowadays this can sometimes be because of the "learning" ECU's I think. But of course there were always differences from vehicle to vehicle, even back in the day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gurpman Posted July 14, 2004 Share Posted July 14, 2004 [quote name='bsix']Honestly though this is much less important to me than... 2) bumpers that don't have nearly $2000 of damage for a 5mph fender bender[/quote] Hahaha! Finally someone who will appreciate the USDM bumbers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agctr Posted July 14, 2004 Share Posted July 14, 2004 Those USDM front and back bars are HUGE to say the least, the JDM's a nice and sleek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salty Posted July 14, 2004 Share Posted July 14, 2004 I have an E36 M3/4 and just picked up my GT wagon. I drove the car 1 day before I realised that the tires were the big limiting factor in braking and cornering. The dealer offered to upgrade to Bridgestone S03's (the same rubber I have on the M3) for $35/corner plus installation. This makes a big difference in the car's at the limit behaviour, as well as general feel. For leisurely driving, the Re92's feel better. The S03's have a heavier feel. Tracking is still good, but steering motions are now more direct and the ride is more solid. The S03's are a decent tire in terms of ride comfort as far as high performance rubber goes. When pushed very hard in a corner, the rubber in the legacy suspension makes itself known. While you don't break traction, you do feel the suspension is not as happy as an M3 would be when pushed this hard. Naturally aspirated cars will always be more pleasurable when modulating the throttle coming out of corners. What dissapoints me most about our new wagon is that I should have stuck with a manual tranny like in our old Legacy. The automatic has very little low end throttle response, and you have to willingly get on the boost to make it move out. Crossing busy intersections is easier in the M3. The M3 is a different type of car in terms of how everything feels. The Sube is slicker. I think the Sube AWD system is the best going. I also feel the car is very nimble and does not feel heavy to me. It is a precise piece of gear. (Still keeping it under 4000 rpm) Bob. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Zevil Posted July 14, 2004 Share Posted July 14, 2004 I have just a few things to add. Not many of us here have the luxury of having owned an M3 and in truth if our climate was right or I could afford a winter car, I would definelty have one. The GT is not an M3. I really wish it was but it isn't. I am not flaming you because I am almost honored that someone who has had the priviledge of driving an M3 for any length of time would even consider the new GT. Very cool! There are always going to be a few things that BMW does with it's cars that Subaru doesn't. One is production model tires, Subaru uses crap tires. This will change your opinion about the car immediately. Unfortunately you can't go test drive a car with different tires on it. I think that you know what you are looking for, but haven't foind it yet.. it also might be that you are a bit spoiled by driving that M3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7stars Posted July 14, 2004 Share Posted July 14, 2004 The G35 is light because it has little sound insulation. I'm not sure why the Legacy feels sluggish off the line. I don't remember the 2.5RS having this problem. I think it may be due to emissions. My Accord 5spd was kind of a dog when I bought it, but two weeks later it's fine. It could be a combination of the type of gas and ECU. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Throttlejockey Posted July 14, 2004 Share Posted July 14, 2004 Actually the G35 weighs more than a Legacy GT. 3336 for the G35 (base model) vs 3300 for the GT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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