Complete noob - Outback vs Legacy ?
Discussion
teembo said:
Hello all ! Looking to for help to replace my ageing Passat estate with another cheapish dog wagon that will go on forever. Subaru wagons have a good reputation but I’m confused by the different variants. Narrowed down to petrol, the 3 litre sounds best but I’m put off a bit by potential running costs. Are the smaller engines worthwhile, or not ? It doesn’t have to go like a rocket, I have a Caterham for that, but it must be comfortable for the occasional long distance trip.
I have the Legacy SpecB, dont be put off by fuel - around town its pretty ***t as you expect from an AWD car with 3 litres but on long runs its perfectly fine, I have frequently got upwards of 30mpg on extended long runs (and not driving like an angel) and late 20s for mixed driving. The H6 is sweet as a nut and will happily sit at 3k rpm doing 80 or so and the smooth linear delivery of power to the red line is fantastic, with a noise to match.In terms of servicing, it needs good quality oil but as long as they are looked after they should be pretty trouble free.
MDMA . said:
I have a 2.5 Legacy I run as a daily. Really good car. Will be swapping for another when the time comes. Think it will have to be a 3.0 though.
Thats a nice one. I have a newer one. they dont make the 3.0i anymore after your model so you'd have to go again for a detuned 2.5i turbo. Or the new levorg which is 1.6 DIT but with a remap. I've a 1998 Outback, got it a year ago with 120,000 km on it. Judging from several friends' experience, I expect it to run to 200,000+ with routine maintenance.
It's a 2.5 auto, and I feel the auto suits what I use it for :
Cruising to work (1/2 hour for 16 km through light traffic). Doing that I get around 8 km/l (22 mpg).
Country weekend runs, maybe some gravel roads : just shy of 10 km/l (30 mpg).
Towing a 5.2m power boat : don't ask.
The extra ground clearance and taller tyres are good for both light offroading and boat launching. An auto is also helpful for me in both boat retrieval and backing trailers up my steep driveway.
I've another car for fun driving, but the Outback handles pleasantly enough for what it is, and is quick enough to not be embarrassingly slow (unless towing an 800 kg windsock).
It's a 2.5 auto, and I feel the auto suits what I use it for :
Cruising to work (1/2 hour for 16 km through light traffic). Doing that I get around 8 km/l (22 mpg).
Country weekend runs, maybe some gravel roads : just shy of 10 km/l (30 mpg).
Towing a 5.2m power boat : don't ask.
The extra ground clearance and taller tyres are good for both light offroading and boat launching. An auto is also helpful for me in both boat retrieval and backing trailers up my steep driveway.
I've another car for fun driving, but the Outback handles pleasantly enough for what it is, and is quick enough to not be embarrassingly slow (unless towing an 800 kg windsock).
AW111 said:
I've a 1998 Outback, got it a year ago with 120,000 km on it. Judging from several friends' experience, I expect it to run to 200,000+ with routine maintenance.
It's a 2.5 auto, and I feel the auto suits what I use it for :
Cruising to work (1/2 hour for 16 km through light traffic). Doing that I get around 8 km/l (22 mpg).
Country weekend runs, maybe some gravel roads : just shy of 10 km/l (30 mpg).
Towing a 5.2m power boat : don't ask.
The extra ground clearance and taller tyres are good for both light offroading and boat launching. An auto is also helpful for me in both boat retrieval and backing trailers up my steep driveway.
I've another car for fun driving, but the Outback handles pleasantly enough for what it is, and is quick enough to not be embarrassingly slow (unless towing an 800 kg windsock).
The most likely issue with a 2.5 of that age will be leaky headgaskets, and the 90s autoboxes often wear out around 180k km. Everything else is pretty solid AFAIK.It's a 2.5 auto, and I feel the auto suits what I use it for :
Cruising to work (1/2 hour for 16 km through light traffic). Doing that I get around 8 km/l (22 mpg).
Country weekend runs, maybe some gravel roads : just shy of 10 km/l (30 mpg).
Towing a 5.2m power boat : don't ask.
The extra ground clearance and taller tyres are good for both light offroading and boat launching. An auto is also helpful for me in both boat retrieval and backing trailers up my steep driveway.
I've another car for fun driving, but the Outback handles pleasantly enough for what it is, and is quick enough to not be embarrassingly slow (unless towing an 800 kg windsock).
Its always funny driving a mates 2000 Outback after my 2002 Legacy GTB, the Outback handles like a boat in comparison and doesn't inspire much confidence committing to corners. Definitely better off-road though!
Edited by GravelBen on Thursday 10th January 03:12
Konan said:
teembo said:
Thanks, manual vs automatic ? A lot more autos about.
The five speed ones are a lot less dippy than the older 4 speed. Plus they're rear bias.I’ve really enjoyed reading this, so I thought I’d revive the thread in the hope of finish some more Legacy/ Outback love.
I managed to get hold of a 2.5SE Legacy last month.
It’s on LPG and was rebuilt at 77000 miles. Now on 101 and it’s returning 35MPG so more like 70 on the gas and it’s great fun to drive.
Bloody cruise control is limited to about 65 though it’s driving me mad!
If anyone has a tip for sorting that out I’d be most grateful!
I managed to get hold of a 2.5SE Legacy last month.
It’s on LPG and was rebuilt at 77000 miles. Now on 101 and it’s returning 35MPG so more like 70 on the gas and it’s great fun to drive.
Bloody cruise control is limited to about 65 though it’s driving me mad!
If anyone has a tip for sorting that out I’d be most grateful!
Gassing Station | Subaru | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff