Are You Happy With Your Legacy? (Long Rant Inside)

Here's a long rant from me guys. If you get bored and decide not to read it all, at least read the last paragraph before you flame me, as I already did myself .

 

So today I am driving for work and I had this scraping sound that was speed dependent, as if something was caught in a caliper and dragging. It got really bad, then just stopped and now everything is now fine.

 

This got me thinking, it's just been little things with this car since day one. I've had warped rotors.... THREE times (granted this is a common problem on the LGT it's still a pain in the a$$ and shouldn’t be happening on a new car).

 

I had mysterious squeaking brakes last summer that the dealer tried to blame me for and never fixed or offered me a solution for. This also just went away by itself. I've had dash creeks, seat squeaks, mysterious clunks from under the car and other various noises over the course of ownership that make the car sound old. Little things inside aren’t wearing well for a car that’s only two years old. Scratches on the head unit from turning knobs and hitting buttons. The red "unlocked" decals on the locks are peeling/flaking off and look like crap. But again, I can let those “little” things slide. On the flip side, it’s a two year old vehicle with 61,000 miles that has been through Maine winters and in New York for the summers, so it certainly sees a lot of use. Not to mention I have friends getting in and out all the time which certainly doesn't help to keep things in pristine condition.

 

My clutch blew at 60K, but my car is also modded and I drive hard. My GTI was also modded and driven hard, but that clutch held for over 100K.

 

Subaru of America is a horrid company. I don't know how they have such loyal customers. I've had to file several complaints to SoA regarding their dealers, none of which they really did much about. The Subaru dealer network in North America is also horrendous for the most part. Their dealers are complete morons and the techs working for them are also pretty crappy. Mind you this is true for a lot of companies dealers not just Subaru, I just still haven't found a Subaru one that's truly good to me.

 

The Japanese also can’t touch the Germans in terms of technology and engineering. German cars have a soul, a soul designed to tackle the autobahn. My Japanese car.... well to quote Jeff Dunham all I will say is, “meep meep”. Then again German cars have a reputation for breaking down and having plenty of problems. Both my godfather and sister had BMWs that were lemons. Once replaced they immediately feel back in love with them. To this day my sister misses her BMW more than any other car. What does she drive now? Japanese... Acura. My mother never had a single problem with her BMWs though. Yet a friend of mine has had nothing but problem from day 1 with his e92 M3. My German built GTI was trouble free all throughout ownership and still runs great for the current owner. German cars feel far more solid too. A solid “thud” when you shut the door and firm, crisp and responsive controls make them a joy to drive. My Subaru doesn’t feel as stable or sure-footed at high speeds or during aggressive cornering, despite the toe-in and negative camber it now has. Although it feels much, much better than it did stock. Too bad it took $140 Perrin PSRS LCA bushings and an aftermarket alignment to get it there.

 

I’m complaining and nitpicking right now though. It’s pretty hard to beat a $33,000 turbo AWD vehicle that can hang with cars 10-20K more. Although if I could do things all over again, I have a feeling I’d be in a 335i Coupe or maybe the S4 I looked at. All in all things could be worse. Nothing has gone seriously mechanically wrong with my car. It just lacks the Euro feel I have come to love. Maybe my conclusion should be all automobiles suck, have problems and are like throwing money in black holes. Well I bet this rant was longer than most expected. I guess I'm not sure if I love this car or am too frustrated with it. Things could be a lot worse, many people have had far worse problems with their Legacy than I have and they still love them. Every time I drop a gear and mash the "go pedal" I'm rewarded with a smile. Maybe I need to shut up, stop complaining and like this car some more.

I was driving the car last night, thinking how much I enjoy it. Ive never owned a European automobile, but I agree they have a great, solid finish to them. I didnt have the money to pay for a car with power, AWD and some "moderate" luxury. The LGT fit all those requirements for me, and offered great reliability w/ the boxer engine. I think you would be singing a different tune had you bought the BMW or S4 if the repairs started adding up, but maybe you wouldve gotten lucky and not had any.

 

If you really have an urge to get a German car, then go for it. You could always buy another Legacy down the road if the German car is a lemon. Granted youll be spending a bit going from one loan to another.

Dude, all I hear from you is piss and moan.

 

Please sell the car already to we don't have to hear your tiresome rants

First of all we all know what a Germautofile you are.

 

I've had warped rotors.... THREE times (granted this is a common problem on the LGT it's still a pain in the a$$ and shouldn’t be happening on a new car).

 

I can't believe we are actually revisiting this but ROTORS CAN'T/DON'T WARP. IT IS AN URBAN MYTH. It should be of note that I was very unhappy with the oem brakes and had similar problems (buildup on calipers causing vibration) till I switched to HAWK HPS pads. No more issues just brake dust.

 

I had mysterious squeaking brakes last summer that the dealer tried to blame me for and never fixed or offered me a solution for. This also just went away by itself.

 

Sounds like the dealer might have been right in this instance, hard to believe but could happen.

 

I've had dash creeks, seat squeaks,

 

Common problem well documented. Me too. Annoying but in my 6 year old 05 it is much more acceptable than your 2 year old 08.

 

Little things inside aren’t wearing well for a car that’s only two years old.

 

Have to admit that I have had old honda and even a neon that the fabric of the seats held up better. The ease of marking (not scratching) the interior is kind of annoying too but easily cleanable.

 

Scratches on the head unit from turning knobs and hitting buttons. The red "unlocked" decals on the locks are peeling/flaking off and look like crap. But again, I can let those “little” things slide.

 

^wow are your fingers made of sandpaper or what?

 

On the flip side, it’s a two year old vehicle with 61,000 miles that has been through Maine winters and in New York for the summers, so it certainly sees a lot of use. Not to mention I have friends getting in and out all the time which certainly doesn't help to keep things in pristine condition.

 

All of a sudden I have NO PITY for you. You have MORE miles on your two year old car than I do on our SIX year old car. We are under 60k in our 2005.

 

My clutch blew at 60K, but my car is also modded and I drive hard. My GTI was also modded and driven hard, but that clutch held for over 100K.

 

GTI was not AWD, was lighter and the oem LGT clutch is not made for more power or hard driving.

 

Subaru of America is a horrid company. ...The Subaru dealer network in North America is also horrendous for the most part.

 

I have had the exact same experience with EVERY auto mfr.

 

The Japanese also can’t touch the Germans in terms of technology and engineering.

 

Of course not, far too busy destroying the germans in reliability, economy, ease of use and simplicity of maintenance/mechanical repair.

 

German cars have a reputation for breaking down and having plenty of problems. Both my godfather and sister had BMWs that were lemons.

 

Nuff said.

 

I’m complaining and nitpicking right now though. It’s pretty hard to beat a $33,000 turbo AWD vehicle that can hang with cars 10-20K more.

 

Got mine brand new for under 25k at 1%apr. Could NOT be beat in 2004 as an 05 model.

 

Although if I could do things all over again, I have a feeling I’d be in a 335i Coupe or maybe the S4 I looked at.

 

My buddy with an S4 cant believe how great the subaru is on the cheap (by comparison)

 

It just lacks the Euro feel I have come to love.

 

YOU BOUGHT A JAPANESE CAR MADE IN AMERICA. Get over it.

 

Maybe my conclusion should be all automobiles suck, have problems and are like throwing money in black holes.

 

DING DING DING DING! We have a winner!

Coming from an E36 M3 (which I loved with all my heart despite a few headaches), I think you've got a few things right.

 

-Fit, finish, engineering and assembly of German cars is pretty damn spectacular (notwithstanding their location of manufacture). Other car manufacturers are 'catching up' but that seems to be pretty perpetual.

 

-German cars, parts, service, warranties, basically ANYTHING to do with them is all fucktardedly expensive.

 

-Cars are way more reliable in most regards than they were 10, 20, 30 years ago despite what 'old timers' will tell you. Cars are also a zillion times more complex now (that complexity brings with it a LOT more power/mpg, more creature comforts, more safety, etc).

 

-Having said that, there is no such thing as a perfectly reliable car. Every Mfr has problems, every driver has different experiences with dealers and mfr's, nothing is 'perfect'

 

-Here in Seattle Subarus are unbelievably ridiculously popular. A lot of people have had fantastic experiences with them and are very loyal.

 

-Bang for the buck, Subarus seem to be a pretty sweet spot.

Obviously you have never owned a 92-95 Honda Civic Hatch. Even my niece who can afford any car, and has owned BMW's and her mom has owned Porsche's and BMW's still say's she misses her 93 Hatch. I drove my 92 for 216,000 miles. I wanted the AWD of a Subaru back in 93, but when I sat in one, the first thing that went through my mind was...this is not a Honda.

 

I did buy a 98 Legacy GT while I still had the 92 Hatch. Then traded the 98 for the 00GT, still kept the Hatch.

 

Even when we turned the 92 into a full race car, it still had a better feel then the Subby's, my son now 23 y/o even compares all cars to the 92 Hatch. My 82 Civic had a nice feel to it too.

 

When I bought the 98, a friend bought a 98 A4, she paid more and after a few months with the A4 said, I did get more car for the money, but it doesn't have that German car feel. After learned how much it cost for that German car feel too. The rear springs rotted out at 70,000 miles. She needed a drive shaft U joint, $1500.00 to fix that. Car began to rust out in 4 years. It got totaled in 05 and she bought an Outback.

 

 

I think there are good and bad in every car, it's just luck that you get a better one.

 

Do you remember what cars were like in 70's shake rattle and well...

:lol:LALGT you beat me to the punch:spin:

^Keep in mind I totally dig RJS and he has helped me get buddies VW's tuned and led me in the right direction. He is very knowledgeable and a great guy but is pissy, nit-picky and can't get off the left nut of German auto mfrs.

 

I love that he is a part of this forum and enjoy all his posts but feel that he would have been happier if he stayed vw/bmw/audi.

 

(EDIT: BTW I am full of character defects too - snarky, sarcastic, agressive)

Dude, all I hear from you is piss and moan.

 

Please sell the car already to we don't have to hear your tiresome rants

 

 

+1.

 

 

As soon as I saw the OP's avatar, I thought "hey this is the VW fan who hates his Legacy and posts weekly about how awful it is."

 

 

Sell it to someone else, and get yourself back in to a new GTi.

I haven't been on this forum too long, but it seems like every time i see a post from RJS, all i read is his negativity towards his LGT. I just don't understand why you still have the car.

 

For the past three years every time i passed a LGT, my eyes would be glued to it till i couldn't see it anymore. I have envied every person i ever saw driving one.

 

Finally the opportunity to get one came and i jumped on it. I jumped straight into the drivers seat and haven't looked back. I love my car and it puts a smile on my face every time i see it. I have had plenty of time since buying it (mostly due to this forum) to learn about the "negative" aspects of the car. (squeaky seat/dash, ext.) But i still love this car more and more every day.

 

I guess what i am saying is this: if you are really so concerned and aggravated at the "things" that bother you, and apparently you have an orgasm thinking about German cars.. then what are you waiting for? Why own/drive something that you aren't happy with.

First of all we all know what a Germautofile you are.

 

 

 

I can't believe we are actually revisiting this but ROTORS CAN'T/DON'T WARP. IT IS AN URBAN MYTH. It should be of note that I was very unhappy with the oem brakes and had similar problems (buildup on calipers causing vibration) till I switched to HAWK HPS pads. No more issues just brake dust.

 

 

 

Sounds like the dealer might have been right in this instance, hard to believe but could happen.

 

 

 

Common problem well documented. Me too. Annoying but in my 6 year old 05 it is much more acceptable than your 2 year old 08.

 

 

 

Have to admit that I have had old honda and even a neon that the fabric of the seats held up better. The ease of marking (not scratching) the interior is kind of annoying too but easily cleanable.

 

 

 

^wow are your fingers made of sandpaper or what?

 

 

 

All of a sudden I have NO PITY for you. You have MORE miles on your two year old car than I do on our SIX year old car. We are under 60k in our 2005.

 

 

 

GTI was not AWD, was lighter and the oem LGT clutch is not made for more power or hard driving.

 

 

 

I have had the exact same experience with EVERY auto mfr.

 

 

 

Of course not, far too busy destroying the germans in reliability, economy, ease of use and simplicity of maintenance/mechanical repair.

 

 

 

Nuff said.

 

 

 

Got mine brand new for under 25k at 1%apr. Could NOT be beat in 2004 as an 05 model.

 

 

 

My buddy with an S4 cant believe how great the subaru is on the cheap (by comparison)

 

 

 

YOU BOUGHT A JAPANESE CAR MADE IN AMERICA. Get over it.

 

 

 

DING DING DING DING! We have a winner!

 

 

Ding, ding ding, a winnahhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!! in the whole post!!!!!!!

 

You buy a Asian car, you MARRY a German one. For a K or two you can make a Subie handle and feel like German machine without having to pay for German over engineering.

 

But if you are young, BMW makes the finest RWD sedans/coupes in the world.

When you sell it can I have your stuff?

 

Are there small things that bother me with the car? Sure but I still love it. The little rattle from the glove box, the seat beat on the passenger side. I would not trade it for a GTI or anything around the same price.

 

Guy I work with got a 335XI the same time I got my Spec B. Since then he has had a dealer car at least 4 times. Thats 4 times in a year, non of which was basic maintenance. Had a CEL 1 month in to owning the car. He had a GTI before this car, had it for a year hated it and gave it to his wife as a commuter car to the train station.

 

My moms 323 has had plenty of issues as well. Its a 99 and just turned 100k, so she barely drives it but still problems with brakes, suspension, top not going down. So honestly cars are cars they will all have issues no matter the make or model. Find one your happy with and the little things wont bother you that much.

I bitch, I moan, I nit-pick and I complain, but isn't that what being a car enthusiast and being passionate about anything is all about? Examining every little detail of it and tearing it apart? I'm the kind of person who gets down and dirty with every single detail and little bit of information possible. Maybe that's why I make a good journalist thus far .

 

There are plenty of things about this car that I don't like, but as I said, it comes down to the fact that at the end of the day is the LGT was affordable, I bought it new (the S4 I looked at was used) and the LGT is still rather fun.

 

LALGT, I really appreciate your post. At least you understand a bit of where I'm coming from. I don't run around totally bad mouthing Subaru. In fact I've steered some non-performance minded individuals into non-turbo Subaru vehicles and they are all very happy with their purchases. Oh and you are correct; rotors DO NOT warp. I used that term because it is what most people refer to when they really mean "deposits" on a rotor that cause the wheel to wobble/shimmy under braking. I am also running Hawk HPS pads and love them.

 

My first vehicle was the GTI, and I grew up around Audis and BMWs which I fell in love with from a young age. I can't help if they are my basis for comparison.

 

As to why I still have the Roo, it comes down to this; I'm 21 and have one year of college left and three years left to pay for the car. It doesn't make sense for me to sell it, take a large financial hit, then head back up to college (in Maine) just to beat up another car through a Maine winter. Believe me, once my three more years of payments are done (if I make it that long without selling it) I am turning around any buying something else that is 99.9% not going to be a Subaru. It's just stupid for me to get involved with another car payment as a soon-to-be college grad. As of now I will keep modding my Subaru to keep satisfying myself. It seems with every mod I add to the car I do fall more and more in love with it.

 

So to those of you that are sick of me bitching, stop reading my posts. I will continue to openly express my opinion in this public forum. I will also continue to come here for help and advice, as this community is filled with many knowledgeable, helpful, courteous and downright awesome people.

 

Let me end with this, I DON'T HATE MY LGT. It's just not perfect, no car is. I can't help but compare it to the one and only other vehicle I have personally owned and to cars my parents have owned and notice it has had more little "issues" than any of them. I do like the car, I'm just a nit-picky person. I've fully accepted the fact this may cause me to remain single forever .

I know I responded to your other posts, but I feel the same way and out 08 lgt has only 20k miles. I really want to love the car, as it can be really fun to drive. Turbo, awd and manual trans is a great combo. But the shitty build quality pissed me off. Squeaks and rattles from almost every part of the car. Stereo display scratched a little, clock is unreadable in any amount of sunlight, nice burning smell from under the car when driving in the snow. The car gets blown around more than I like on the highway. The stereo occasionally quits working and all of the dash lights flicker. The heated seat switches are in a retarded spot. The passenger seat is about as comfortable as sitting flat on the floor. You can't carry a full spare but you can't just buy one tire. Clearcoat failed on all four wheels.

 

It is just frustrating, as the quality and design does not feel at all like a $30k car.

We decided to go a different direction with my wife's next car.

 

I really like the new ford fusion sport. Great interior, quality feel, good power and handles nice, fair price as well. We would have bought one instead of the LGT but I won't own an automatic car, and the 3.5l v6 only comes with an automatic. All of my ford trucks have been almost completely trouble free, even over 100k miles. Brakes, oil, filters, and the occasional balljoint due to oversized tires. Ford has really stepped up their game on cars over the last few years, I just wish idiot Americans would buy more manual transmissions so they don't get completely phased out!

 

Our decision was to go back to VW. My wife's last car was an 03 vw jetta gli, 24v vr6 six speed. It was a great car, everything about it! Drove great, good power, quality build and well designed. It was totaled at 50k miles but absolutely trouble free up to that point, and felt more solid than the 08 lgt with 20k miles.

We should be picking up our new 2010 VW Golf TDI this weekend, it's on a truck right now. For $24k, we get a four door turbodiesel, six speed manual trans, sport seats, sport suspension, touch screen six cd changer with sat radio, iPod interface, steering wheel controls, Bluetooth, heated seats and mirrors, etc. Leg room, shoulder and head room is very close to the lgt for front and back, even better in some areas. The interior feels much more solid, the chassis is more solid, but the little details make the car too.

 

Like I said, I REALLY want to like the Subaru. Maybe I expected too much from it. They should just stick to cheap awd turbo cars and not try to hit the luxury type market. I didn't want a wrx because I felt like the lgt would be more refined if you will. If I ever buy another Subaru (doubtful) it would be as basic as possible, and I would expect it to be noisy with poor design, but fast and fun to drive. In defense of Subaru, I haven't driven any of their new overweight ugly cars as they don't appeal to us at all. Old subarus seemed to have better quality than the later model stuff, other than blowing through head gaskets before clutches.

Yea, you should sell the car asap. You b*tch and wine like a bmw owner. No offense

I can't complain about squeaks and rattles because I came from an 04 FXT with FSTi pinks. Mechanically it was sound, but it had a lot of rattles and creaks, especially when it was a hot day. Lots of wind and road noise. Coming from the FXT to the Legacy is definitely a step up, and I'm reminded of that everytime I close the door witha solid thud or go over some rough pavement. The FXT had warped front rotors that I had to replace. I only have 1 rattle somewhere in/near the passenger door of the LGTb, but I haven't spent any time searching for it yet.

 

Overall I've been pleased with Subaru. They fixed the moonroof on the FXT, and the squeaky timing belt pulley on the LGT. I've had only good experiences with my local dealer. I'm sorry to hear your interactions haven't gone very well.

I'm very happy with my legacy. 38k miles, no problems, lots of fun.

 

I didn't expect this car to be a luxury car, but a nice, fast, practical sedan.

 

To those that got lemons, sorry for your luck.

Yah we can find fault with just about any car these days.

Like the OP I researched the piss outta cars before buying the LGT, wanted AWD and FI:

 

1. A6 - 2.7L TT was my fav until I read up on maintenance costs and parts replacement. Yanking the motor to swap turbos, 5x higher parts costs, etc, turned me off.

2. LGT - Banjo bolt filters, cracked oil pickup tubes, sketchy dealer/SOA support had me worried. Fit and finish is lower quality than the German stuff but coming from older American muscle vehicles it's a step above past GM attempts.

3. Vdub Jetta, Passat - I4 turbo motor easier to work on but no less expensive for parts like the Audi above.

 

So I bought the LGT, got a great deal, and modded to liking ( front Brembos, Bilsteins, BBS wheels, OSE STG2 ). No regrets so far, she has 95k on the clock, 7k on my turn, runs like a champ.

Had an Audi Allroad...the maintenance costs were off the charts. I will never buy an Audi again unless 100% of the maintenance is covered.

 

Had a Porsche 911...great car but again, maintenance costs were always very high, even for the simple items ($80 oil change). But, I would buy another one after the kids graduate from college because it's an exciting ride.

I think there's a common theme here with Audi/VW. I just dumped my 01 A6 2.7t. I drove it for 9 months and 12-13k miles. I sold it with just under 60k, and I put roughly $4,000 into it. Don't get me wrong, the car was really nice to drive, but only when it was running.

 

I picked up a Spec B about a month ago. Sure, it doesn't have the "fit and finish" of the Audi or even the Volvo 850 T5 I had before, but in the long run as an everyday driver, these things don't matter as much to me when I don't have to constantly deal with going to the dealership or mechanic to try and keep it running.

 

It's fun, cheap to insure, cheap (compared to European) to maintain/fix, and it's actually really good on gas given it's performance specs. We will see if I still hold these views in another six to 12 months, but I'm pretty confident I made the right choice.

Those are all good points, it's true. One of the deciding factors for me was actually the cost of ownership and maintenance. I really should be pretty happy with this car. Especially considering there's not much in the way of newer European vehicles where I'm up at school; which means there's really nobody to trust to work on it. I'm really just nit-picking I guess. Maybe I should have bought that STI I was looking at .

lol @ insurance on STi at age 21. For me, it would have been $100/month more than the LGT... yes that's right per month!

^Thats a motorcycle payment

I surprised no one really brought up the MS6 or the Volvo S60R. I looked at those too, I would think RJS would dig the Volvo more.

 

While the MS6 has its little quiggles too(crappy turbo, weak sauce AWD system, small tires), I honestly think that interior looks much better than what we have in the Legacy. Only thing the Legacy has it beat are the gauges.

lol @ insurance on STi at age 21. For me, it would have been $100/month more than the LGT... yes that's right per month!

 

I can imagine. I was considering a used RSX-S recently, but my insurance company quoted me over $500/6 months, for a middle aged guy with a clean driving record. This is on a car that's essentially a decked-out Civic. For reference, a BMW 3-series was under $300 and the far more powerful Legacy GT and Mazdaspeed3 were a bit over $300.

 

OK, I'm off topic.