Definitive Legacy 2.5 (2005) Twelve Month Review

If you are anything like me, before buying a new car you want to read anything you can in order to understand what it is like, good and bad, before signing on the dotted line.

 

The purpose of this review is to document my experience of owning a 2005 Subaru Legacy 2.5 from picking it up to the twelve month mark. Living with a car for twelve months allows you to fully appreciate its strengths and weaknesses and allows you make an assessment of whether or not it was a good buy and does all that you wanted it to.

 

Clutch and Gearbox

 

For the last 15 years prior to owning the Legacy I have mainly driven automatic cars. In the Legacy I had to come to terms with a manual transmission all over again and the Legacy has a manual transmission which is slightly harder to master than most.

 

Note: It is worth the trouble as a manual Legacy is a much better drive than its automatic transmission alternative – faster and more responsive.

 

The clutch take up point is consistent but it is very “off and on” in its action and due to AWD a poor take off on the clutch is magnified as there is no ability for the car to wheel spin. All the shock of a bad take off goes through the clutch and results in an anything but smooth lurch from the lights.

 

Similarly when changing between gears the amount of engine torque results in some transmission lurch when you release the clutch. Over time I found that this could be mitigated by rev matching between gears. Now it is second nature and I don’t notice it all that much anymore.

 

A handful of times I have excessively revved the engine right on the bite point of the clutch and found that this results in clutch slippage which voices itself as a loud horrible sounding screech. A few Impreza owners I know said their cars did the same thing and it was something to do with the clutch plate slipping to protect the gears.

 

The five speed Subaru clutch doesn’t seem to be the smoothest gearbox on the market and my car has a slight mechanical roughness when changing from first to second gear. After running the car in at the 11,000 km mark I changed over the transmission oil to fully synthetic oil (Castrol Syntrax 75w-90). This has helped to get rid of some of this roughness but there is still a hint of it on some upshifts. It is getting better over time and from what I have read a second change of synthetic oil should help it improve further.

 

The gearbox is relatively slow on take off but increases in effectiveness when changing from third gear and up. The gear ratios seem to be quite good with the only exception being that the gulf between fourth and fifth is slightly too great i.e. the engine at times sounds busy in fourth yet not entirely comfortable when changed into fifth due to the road speed not being high enough.

 

Summary

 

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars.

 

Takes time to master, is effective (particularly in higher gears) but could do with some refinement. Is made better with continued use and replacement of standard transmission oil with fully synthetic.

 

Engine

 

The 2.5 litre flat four boxer engine is one of the strong points of the Subaru Legacy. It has lots of torque and is willing to rev smoothly up to its redline. The engine makes a distinctive noise that I have not heard from other engine types and initially you notice that it pervades the car interior. Early on I found the engine noise to be a bit intrusive but I suspect that a large part of this was the engine going through its run in period.

 

As with the gearbox after the run in period I changed to Mobil 1 10W-30 fully synthetic oil and this had a very positive effect on engine smoothness and noise levels.

 

As with other Legacy owners I noticed that my engine used a significant amount of oil during the first six thousand kilometres (close to two and a half litres). Given that the engine only holds four litres failing to check the oil levels in this engine when running it in is a recipe for disaster . After the first oil change the oil consumption has dropped significantly and it now uses only a litre between oil changes.

 

The engine has a tendency to stall in cold weather when first starting up but once you are aware of this all you need to do is rev the engine slightly more than usual until you have driven for a couple of minutes and then this goes away. This may not be a common issue with Libertys and may be specific to my car – where I live in Australia we have hot summers and quite cold winters.

 

When idling the engine is very quiet and feels very smooth. The more you rev the engine the more it opens up with a very distinctive growl from 5000 rpm and up. There is relatively linear power delivery until just over 4000 rpm after which the engine opens up more and surges on its way up to the red line.

 

Performance is good and once up and running the car moves spiritedly. As noted above the engine is most effective when in third gear up where power and torque levels seem to be more evenly matched. At lower speeds torque seems to be disproportionate to the available power level.

 

Fuel consumption has been good, averaging 9.8 litres per hundred km in mostly city driving. This level of consumption drops when driving on the highway to high 8s. As the engine is single cam it runs on low octane 91 RON fuel and does not feel noticeably more responsive when running on premium 95 RON fuel.

 

Summary

 

Rating 4 out of 5 stars.

 

The engine is smooth and effective and has a distinctive growl when pushed. Torque levels are high for an engine of its capacity. Watch oil consumption when running the engine in and once run in is over consider changing to fully synthetic oil to improve refinement.

 

Brakes

 

There isn’t really all that much to say about the brakes other than they are effective and don’t seem to have any particular quirks. I have had to make one emergency stop where the ABS kicked in and the car was very easy to keep in a straight line and stopped very quickly. In normal driving I am yet to experience any brake fade and haven’t noticed any brake noise or anything else that draws attention to the brakes operation. They do what they were intended to do and do it well.

 

Summary

 

Rating 4 out of 5 stars.

 

Very effective, no particular quirks.

 

Suspension and Handling

 

Subaru appear to be experts when it comes to suspension set up. The Legacy has what is best described as disciplined handling. If you are looking for a soft ride you won’t find it with the Subaru but at the same time this is no teeth rattler. For me the Legacy finds the happy medium between a highly effective suspension setup which in day to day driving does not intrude upon the driver. After owning cars with too soft suspension and a car with aftermarket sports suspension, that at times made your head look like a bladder on a stick when going over rough roads, it is a pleasant experience to drive a car that adopts a compromise position.

 

The handling of the Legacy is without a doubt its best feature. The combination of its suspension set up and AWD makes for a surprisingly different driving experience. Until you have tried it, it is a bit difficult to understand just what a difference this level of handling prowess makes to every day driving.

 

The best example I can provide of how the Legacy handles is to recount how it takes corners. In all previous cars I have had to slow down coming up to corners and choose a careful line. In the Subaru you simply point it at the corner, firmly push the accelerator, and hold on as the car gets hauled by the AWD around the corner. If a more powerful car is sitting on your tail a corner is all you need to open up a sizeable gap between you and them using this technique as a conventional rear or front drive set up doesn’t seem to offer this level of roadholding.

 

This ability is even more pronounced in the wet where the AWD makes the Subaru extremely sure footed in all but the most extreme of conditions. If you really try to find the car’s handling limits in the wet, at worst when going around a corner and accelerating you get four wheel slide which can be corrected by easing off the accelerator and correcting the steering.

 

I have some experience of driving the Legacy on dirt roads and here there is an element of the car moving about a bit on the road, if pushed, but again as with the four wheel slide in the wet this is easy to correct and is very predictable.

 

The only handling shortfall I have found is if you call upon the Subaru to change direction quickly where there is a side to side weight transfer through the chassis i.e. when accelerating through a roundabout with an off centre camber, then in this situation the rear end of the car feels excessively light but even so this has never resulted in a loss of traction.

 

Summary

 

Rating 4.5 out of 5 stars.

 

Firm yet compliant ride with unbelievable (and grin inducing) levels of grip. Once you drive one you may never be able to go back to a non AWD car.

 

Tyres

 

As with the brakes there really isn’t all that much to say. The tyres provide high levels of grip and do so quietly with no discernable quirks. After twelve months they seem to be wearing well and are as effective as when I first picked up the car. I know from speaking to others that care needs to be taken when selecting replacement tyres as the high cornering forces produced by the Legacy need to be matched to a tyre that has good lateral stability.

 

Note: Standard tyres in Australia are Bridgestone Potenza Re050s.

 

Summary

 

Rating 4 out of 5 stars.

 

Effective and quiet. Characteristics of the stock tyre match the handling strengths of the vehicle.

 

Interior

 

The Legacy is sensibly designed and everything works just the way you want it to. The interior layout and controls took about a minute to understand and start using comfortably.

 

The seats are very supportive and offer a low down and slightly reclined seating position. This adds to the sporty feeling of the car and is a necessity to counteract the cornering potential of the car that with conventional seats would be likely to result in you sliding into your passenger’s lap.

 

The seats have very pronounced side bolsters that hold you in place but which are also easy to scuff with your backside when entering the car. By moving the seat further back I have managed to minimise this occurring but with the cloth interior I could see this resulting in the material becoming threadbare over time.

 

For someone of average height the Legacy is a comfortable cabin to be in with good levels of space. If you exceed six foot I suspect that you are going to start to notice the snug design of the cabin and headroom may start to become a bit of a problem.

 

I can’t comment on the back seats from personal experience, as I haven’t ridden in them, but friends tell me it is very comfortable with two people in the back (again of medium height). I think you would be pushing it to comfortably try and fit three people in the back although kids would be fine.

 

The steering wheel is leather and has a good solid feel. While I am not a 100% on this the seat position appears to be slightly offset as against the steering wheel. After a few months of driving you start to overlook this and the position feels more normal. The horn is in the middle of the wheel (where it should be) and you won’t miss it when you need to use it. Cruise control is stalk mounted and is intuitive to use.

 

The gear lever is leather and is a slightly elongated tear drop shape. Early on in the piece I replaced it with an aftermarket Momo leather and aluminium rounded gear knob and feel that it is much more precise and comfortable to use (excepting the fact that in the height of summer you run the risk of the aluminium part burning an imprint into your hand when you first get into the car).

 

The pedals are comfortable but the brake pedal is a little high and the brake and accelerator are slightly too far apart for my right foot to be able to heel and toe (braking while pressing the accelerator so as to match engine revs while downshifting).

 

The air-conditioning copes well with the Australian summer and doesn’t seem to rob the engine of any power. There is a multifunction trip meter which allows you to look at outside temperature, average fuel usage, instantaneous fuel usage and trip time.

 

The instrument layout is easy to read and is backlit. At night you get a distinctive red light outline behind all of the instruments and the air conditioning and sound system controls. After a while you don’t notice it but people who are riding in your car for the first time tend to comment on it.

 

The sound system is reasonable without being outstanding. Once again it is easy to use and has large well placed buttons and dials. The head unit is hidden behind the centre console and cannot be easily replaced through a new system swap out. This seems to be part of a trend recently to have customised sound systems in cars that aren’t modular. There are speakers in the front and rear doors and tweeters in the upper part of the door. Volume and clarity of the system is average to good.

 

Fabric and plastics used in the car are of good quality and in my car, which has a black and silver interior, looks classy without being over the top. Some may find the interior a bit dark but it has a coherent look that is understated.

 

The one negative with the interior is the number of rattles I have had in the car over the first twelve months.

 

The first rattles appeared simultaneously in the passenger door trim and also in the drivers grab handle which is positioned right next to the driver’s ear. Luckily the car was subject to a recall to check the rear door locks clearance (both okay) so at the time I asked the dealer to check the front door trims and to fix the rattle.

 

On picking up the car it rattled all the way home and so I took matters into my own hands and removed both front door trims and applied some window foam to the outer edge of both trims. On driving the car to work the next day the rattle had gone.

 

Nothing has been done to the grab handle rattle but over time it has disappeared.

 

The second rattle started from in the centre console and seemed to be affected by the gear I was driving in (second and fourth being most pronounced). Once again I disassembled the centre console, used Armourall on the gear lever rubber cover and also padded all plastic on plastic contacts. This seems to have done the trick.

 

The most recent rattle started at the outer edge of the dashboard where it meets the front a-pillar. To fix this I removed both a-pillars and padded the point at which they meet the dashboard along with putting some rubber stoppers at the leading edge of the dashboard where it meets the bottom the windscreen. This seems to have worked and at this point in time the interior is rattle free.

 

Interior rattles, particularly in the dashboard, seem to be a recurrent theme in the Legacy and while easy to fix, I would ideally prefer that they didn’t occur at all. My second car, which is a Nissan Maxima, is six years old and has never had a single rattle.

 

The Legacy’s boot is relatively large but is shallow and is encumbered by recessed hinges. If you play golf you may want to check out the dimensions of the boot as against your golf clubs bag but for all other purposes the boot is sufficiently large. However note that the rear seats in the Legacy do not fold down and you can’t load long items through the back seats. I assume that this has been done for structural integrity but it doesn’t help when the first time you find this out is when you are at the hardware store buying long lengths of lattice that won’t fit into your car.

 

Summary

 

Rating 2.5 out of 5. Should be a 3.5 out of 5 but it is difficult to forgive the many rattles.

 

Highly functional and easy to use interior. Comfortable, modern and good colour scheme. Good work undone by interior rattles and some ergonomic issues with pedal placement.

 

Exterior and Paint

 

The Legacy has a very classy look through the adoption of smooth flowing shapes and few if any hard edges. While sitting in the driver’s seat the car bonnet curves down and away from you and gives you great visibility. The same is true of the frameless windows which aid rear and side vision. As with most modern car designs the boot is high but not so as to unduly obscure visibility.

 

Colour choice is not a Subaru strong point with the Legacy coming in some rather subdued colours. I ended up choosing Regal Blue and am very happy with the way this looks. While this is not Subaru’s fault the dark blue does show up stone chips and even slight scratches of the clear coat. To fix this I have applied a petroleum based clear coat from Meguiars which keeps the car looking shiny and acts as a barrier against swirl marks from dust.

 

The Legacy came with 17” alloy wheels which look good but are quite soft and if you hit the gutter or kerb then expect them to scratch.

 

Fit and finish on the outside is very good with close tolerances on body panels and good paint finish. Rubber and plastic joins are well finished and after twelve months nothing has perished or denatured.

 

Summary

 

Rating 4 out of 5 stars.

 

Fit and finish is good but more exterior colours would be welcomed and tyres with rim protectors would be a useful addition.

 

Safety

 

The safety of the Subaru Legacy is as high as it gets and you certainly feel as though you are driving a car that is well engineered. Apart from the passive safety features (front and side airbags, strong body cell etc) the handling of the Subaru is one of its most important crash avoidance attributes. I am yet to feel out of control in this car and the high safety rating of this vehicle certainly came into the equation when deciding which car to buy.

 

Summary

 

Rating 5 out of 5.

 

The official five star crash test result says it all.

 

Conclusion

 

My overall experience is of a very competent vehicle that is well engineered and fun to drive. The Subaru Legacy has character and some of these traits will either gel with you and add to the driving experience or may grate depending on your particular focus. The only areas needing work are the smoothness of the gearbox and some fit issues with the interior which seem to make the car susceptible to rattles.

 

A particular car magazine I read in Australia has described the Legacy 2.5 as the sensible shoe of the Subaru family but for those of us who don’t want the high insurance premium and boy racer image that is attributed to the turbo side of the Subaru family this is a shoe that fits very comfortably.

 

Based on my experience I would have no problem recommending this car to others although if I was in a position to afford the 3.0 Spec B Legacy I would upgrade in a heartbeat.

Thanks for the assesment. I've only had my LGT since January. So far, a terrific owner experience. Awesome performance, even stock (now TDC stage 1 and headed, hopefully quite soon, for stage 2.)

 

No rattles thus far (crossed fingers).

 

My 5 MT seems perfectly smooth. Have a Kartboy STS, but still the throw out to 5th seems a bit stretched.

 

Sound (upgraded with sub) terrific. I tend to blast Green Day a barely tolerable levels and have no complaints with the sound system's capabiliities with the notable exception of not having mp3 input!!!! Having the sub under the driver's seat is a treat- it can really move ya!

 

Suspension. Bit too much body roll and squat. Hopefully, ION springs with aleviate.

 

No complaints regarding brakes, steering, engine. No stutter. No clutch stench (except when markedly ridden).

 

Overall, lovin' it!

In Australia the Legacy GT is a turbo model of the Legacy with a more upmarket interior etc.

 

The power difference is 121kw for the normal 2.5 Legacy and 190kw for the Legacy GT.

 

If it is the same in the US I am surprised that you are looking for more power but it would explain why the suspension doesn't meet your needs.

 

I am going to hold off modifying mine until the warranty runs out

 

The Legacy GT isn't currently on sale in Australia as they had to stop selling it as its 2 litre turbo didn't meet new emissions controls. Supposedly a new model based on the turbo 2.5 should be available this year.

The 2.5 turbo is the standard for LGT in US since MY 05. The 2.5 turbo is rated at 250 hp which is similar to the 190 kw for the 2.0, but the 2.5 has more torque down low. Stage 2 puts the LGT at ~300 hp at the crank which means it's just about as fast as a STI in the straight.

what tire are you running that get 4 of 5 stars. I give the re92s 1 star at best. my snow tires were better than the re92s

The tyres on my Legacy are the standard Bridgestone Potenza RE050As. I rate them 4 out of 5 for their grip in the dry. In Canberra where I live we would be lucky to get two or three wet days per month and we never get snow. As far as I am aware the only problem with them is their ability to last which is no doubt compromised by the fact that they are quite soft.

why would you buy AWD car where you live has no snow and no rain.

AWD offers significant handling benefits in the dry when really the pushing the car through a corner.

 

While Canberra is very dry its gets morning frosts and fog in winter which make the roads slippery and at the same time when it does rain often the build up on the roads makes them very greasy.

 

Weather aside having an AWD car is a good active safety feature for day to day driving and it makes for a more enjoyable drive. It also means that the police aren't going to ever accuse you of doing burn outs or drifting.

 

Even with AWD I am impressed that you guys can drive at all in the snow and sleet. I personally would want an AWD car with studded tyres, still I suppose you get use to driving in your local conditions.

Well Regal Blue -- you are a most generous owner!

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I would be quite tee'd off with rattles, in fact the last time that I was on my hands and knees listening for same was when my Dad arrived home with the family's panking new regal blue 1951 Pontiac.

 

I MAY buy a 2.5i , and I will make that the subject of new post.

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However I have test driven the 4ET car on 5 occasions. ( and... gasp ... I have read all of the reviews in the world, including those in Australia, Ireland, England and Scotland.) You have covered several of this Subie's "quirks"

 

.. the manual shifter ( the TSX has the best that I have encountered -- but I never tried the Subie's).

 

... I especially appreciated your note on oil consumption during break-in. There have been some suggestions that this break-in period should be about 10,000 kms.

 

... I find the suspension kind of interesting. On the one had the tires are EXTREMELY HARD (for a family car).However, when parvement crack mutates to a rolling bump the suspension travel is quite up to the task.

 

... tires -- here in Canada replacement tires cost a fortune. In fact the OEM Yokohama Advan A82A's "list" at $440 a tire.

 

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Great post.

Very, very informative.

I will post my "potential buyer concerns" in afew hours as I am being pushed to forget the Subie in favour of a Jetta TDI or a Civic.

 

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Thanks from the Great White North

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Thanks for your feedback. Between the three cars you listed and recognising that you live in Canada I would strongly recommend the Legacy. No car is perfect but I would be more than willing to put up with the weaknesses of the Subaru in order to gain the benefit of its handling.

 

Honda make very reliable cars and in my case I shortlisted between the Honda Euro Accord and the Subaru Legacy. Living in Australia with mostly dry roads I sometimes think that the Euro Accord may have been the best choice for my circumstances but in a scenario where significant snow or rain came into play I would always select the Subaru given its AWD.

 

The handling of the Subaru is very good and in those parts of the world where snow and inclement weather are the norm I think you would be mad not to look long and hard at the Subaru Legacy before deciding to go with a two wheel drive car.

REGAL BLUE .... I hear you ....

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As you are probably aware, the Acura TSX is a hi-end Euro. I drove a dealer's used TSX and, because the manual clutch was a dog (like pumping a Subie's brakes!), I thought the wife shoud try the car.

 

The next day we found that the had moved indoors for display as a factory demo. As we did not want to sign a "test-and-buy-unless-unhappy" agreement we asked to try a brand new car -- the second for me and the first for the wife.

 

Well, that car's clutch was as soft as butter. It was better than a automatic but cost about $10,000 more than a Subie.

 

HOWIE

 

 

PS: I think that the power of the 2.5i is about right for us at its top end.

It may be a bit lethargic -- just like our older Civic's. That's fine with me, plus, it burns less gas.

 

HOWIE