2007 SUBARU LEGACY

The time has come to sell my Subaru Legacy 3.0r Spec. B, after five years and over 70,000 miles of rapid, safe and enjoyable family motoring. It’s done just under 196,000 miles, a big number for some, but not too many for a well-looked after and regularly serviced Subaru with its smooth, powerful and tough flat 6 naturally aspirated chain-cam engine.

I bought the car in 2019 at 123,000 miles and am its fourth owner. It has been serviced regularly and on-time, with oil changes at least every 10,000 miles and/or every year. Servicing was done at Subaru main dealers up to 100,000 miles (with the first two owners). Since them it’s been serviced and maintained at local garages in the Suffolk area. I have changed the oil, oil filter and air filter myself since taking ownership in 2019. I have always used Castrol fully synthetic 5W-30 oil and Subaru black oil filters. It’s had a total of 22 oil changes to date! I think this is the main reason why the engine remains smooth and doesn’t require extra oil between services. I have also carried out regular ATF changes, always using Subaru Automatic Transmission Fluid.

All the expected parts have been replaced as and when required. This has included the usual ones for a Legacy including front and rear brake discs and pads, all four wheel bearings, front and rear ARB links and bushes, front lower control arm bushes and front and rear brake calliper guide pins. The differential fluid, front and rear, has been replaced with Red Line. The replaced exhaust is in good condition, including the ‘Y’ junction, and I took care to source rear silencers with the correct oval tailpipes, unlike most after-market Legacy exhausts. It’s also had the necessary recall work completed, including replacement of the passenger airbag. I’ve kept a full record of all parts purchased and work carried out.

Everything works as it should. The automatic gearbox changes smoothly, blipping the revs as it changes down in manual mode when using the paddles. The ‘SI drive’ functions properly; I usually leave it in ‘Sport’ when in automatic and use ‘Sport#’ when in manual. The climate control and air conditioning is effective. The 6 CD autochanger works as it should. It has bluetooth handsfree connectivity and there is a 6mm jack socket in the armrest storage unit for music streaming. The satnav is fully functional although a few years out-of-date! It uses an updated 2018 map DVD and I still have the 2007 spec original. When I bought the car, it had an OEM black mesh grill fitted. I wasn’t sure about it so changed it for the standard ‘winged’ chrome grill but the car will come with both. There is also a set of Thule roof bars and mounting ‘feet’ included.

I’m a keen skier and drive the Legacy to the Alps so it comes fully equipped for winter driving. It has a separate set of Subaru Legacy OEM 17” wheels with the correct spec. 215/50 R17 winter tyres. These are Apollo Aspire XPs – a well-rated European-made winter tyre. I run these tyres on the car between December and March. It also comes with a set of snow chains – never used as it got us everywhere we needed to go on snow-packed roads. It’s got a Crit’Air sticker too (class 2) – so it’s clear to drive in low-emissions zones in France. It’s ULEZ compliant in the UK too.

For most of the year, the Legacy has its original 18” wheels fitted. I had these refurbished and they remain in excellent condition, although the N/S/R has some ‘kerb rash’. They are fitted with 215/45 R18 Michelin Pilot Sport 5s. All tyres have at least 6mm tread and I have always changed all four tyres at the same time. Changing the wheels twice a year means I have been able to regularly rotate the tyres and have the opportunity to inspect and clean the OEM Bilstein shock absorbers, taking care to check that the drainage ducts in the spring mounts are clear. The shocks are in good condition, with only a little surface rust.

The car has a full year’s MOT. All clear except, annoyingly, it has one advisory: ‘Registration plate deteriorated but not likely to be missed Front’. It looks okay to me but I guess it’ll need replacing at some point – see what you think in the photos.

The car is in great condition for its age and mileage although there is room for improvement: the bonnet has a few stone chips, as does the front bumper. There is a small carpark ‘ding’ in the front passenger door and the paint on top of the rear tailgate spoiler is a little ‘flat’. As mentioned above, one wheel would benefit from a small cosmetic repair and the front numberplate may need replacing at some point.

This has been my third Subaru Legacy (after a Mk2 2.0 classic and a Mk4 2.5 SE) and it’s been the best. These cars get under your skin – they’re just the right size, handle beautifully and have never let me down. The 3 litre flat 6 is lovely and has been well looked after; the car has spent its life away from the coast and the roads in rural Suffolk don’t see too much salt so it remains solid underneath. There’s a lot of life left in this car. Please contact me if you have any queries and thank you for looking.