How much fun, is a 2.5i? What are your complaints?

I want to know before I am stuck with one, if it is going to be excruciatingly slow and ill-versitile.

 

I am coming from this- http://www.cardomain.com/member/tacticalsr5/

 

And I want something with better fuel economy that is more fun to get from a to b in.

 

What are your complaints? What should i be prepared for?

I've had my legacy for a year and a few months, coming from a v6 vehicle to a four cylinder sucks initially (torque wise) until you drive about 500 miles on one tank of gas so that's a plus (gas mileage). It seats four adults pretty good and as long as you shift between 3-4k rpms it actually is a decent vehicle to drive. Back seats fold down to increase cargo capacity and I've actually hauled 2x6s and soil for the garden several times without a problem. Good luck on whatever you decide on.

I loved my 2.5i, bought it new and recently sold it to buy a LGT. No complaints, cheap maintenance, gas and fun. Parts are cheap and it has a fair amount of zip. I feel that my 2.5i had more go under 3500RPM than my LGT when in "I" on the SI drive setting.

 

The seats are comfy, cabin is quiet, the interior material hold up to wear well and it can hold a lot of stuff with the seats folded down.

A bit will depend on what you are currently driving. 90+% of the time there are no issues, for the other times, you need discipline to wait for the traffic to flow by before pulling onto a highway.

What year 2.5i are you getting? the 5th gen is a world of a difference from the 4th gen.

Although I've never driven one I can for certain say that you'll not be worried about any clogged banjo filters, or rack your brain over what size turbo to upgrade to, or is the bell-mouth downpipe better than the divorced one, or should you go with the 4032 forged pistons or 2618 alloyed one.

My Dad has a 2002 V6 Toyota Tacoma and 1999 V6 4Runner. I think your going to notice a lack of low end torque in a 2.5i. The Subaru is going to handle and drive better.

drive one and see.... it more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow.. LOL

 

I drive a 2.5 (two of them ) and a 911 for fun. I love the gas mileage on these AWD Subi cars.

 

You really need to drive one and see what YOU think. The 2.5 is no rocket.

The 2.5i mated with a 5MT is far better than with the EA4T. EA4T has poor throttle responce as well.

 

The 2.5i with CVT in the 5th gen will deliver better "fun" performance than the EA4T and better gas mileage even the 5MT.

I drove a 2.5 na subie for over 6 years and I can tell you they are not in much of a hurry to get anywhere but they are reliable, efficient, and have decent mid range power. I haven't driven the 5th gen in n/a form but I can tell you that the GT is awesome and will not leave you wanting for much...eventually you will probably want a little more power though. I am trying to restrain myself from buying an AP for now...

I had a 4th gen 2.5i, a 4th gen GT and now a 5th gen 2.5i. My favorite will always be the lgt, but they are expensive to run. The 4th gen 2.5i was a limited so it was fun, but it is a noisy car and the 4aet is not a good transmission. The 5th gen with the cvt is great. Totally different car but I enjoy it a lot.

Your question depends on a lot of factors. First and foremost, are you looking at a 4th gen or a 5th gen (2009+) ? Despite what you might hear they are vastly different cars in terms of feel. Drive them. Second, what is fun for you? That might differ since you're coming from a truck.

 

Personally I think you should drive both to see if you like how a turbo 4 feels. Coming from a line of 6 cylinder cars, and the first "great" car I ever drove having a naturally aspirated engine (no turbo) I'm not much of turbo fan for a lot of reasons. The 4th gen 2.5i is not a slow car with a manual gearbox. It's quite torquey and feels fine even with the car full of people. According to someone with a 400 whp GT who drove my car, it feels exactly the same under normal driving. They've got the same suspension too +/- a few millimeters on the sway bars. Someone with a tuned WRX said they like the responsiveness of my car's drivetrain rather than waiting for a turbo to wake up.

 

I'm biased I guess. I just prefer 6 cylinders to a turbo setup. Right now a 2.5i suits my preferences just fine. Yes I autocross it. Drive them!

As a couple people have mentioned already, they have faster, funner cars and they still like their 2.5i's. I'm in that same boat. I have a V6 swapped Toyota MR2 that I love to hoon around in, but my 2.5i is my daily driver and I have no complaints about it.

 

I don't know what the Subaru 4 speed auto feels like, but I really like my 5 speed. Shifter is direct linked and firm (unlike the 5th gen cable, I test drove them). The engine is really smooth, all the way up to redline, maybe because of its inherent design.

 

Lots of aftermarket stuff available for 4th gen 2.5i if you like to go that way. I was given coilovers and some other goodies, and it's pretty competent on the autocross.

i wouldn't recommend getting a 2.5i unless it is 2013 or newer. the first gen CVT sucks. the older 4EAT is far worse in terms of driveability. i frequently rallycross my outback. you're right they are good on gas and move adequately for street cars. if you want something for going fast, either get a motorcycle or a race car for occasional use. personally, i do not enjoy large amounts of my money going to wasted gas or rowing through the gears while im simply going to work.

 

i just looked at what you had, you really should consider an outback. you will be able to go the same places with decent tires but you will still be able to get good gas mileage. the only advantage a 4runner offers is towing capacity. i hate sedans, i dont know how you will be able to stand losing a hatch.

I would trade/sell my 09 LGT for a 13' or 14' 2.5i 6MT. I saw one with under 7K miles going for $14.5K thats wild and the ease of ownership, thats wild too! Love my turbo but I also love knowing that I dont have to replace the SB around 200K miles.

I love my 07 2.5i.I'm more of a looks guy than proformance.I have put a si drive type controller in to take care of throttle lag.It has helped a lot.I do miss my 99 impreza in the winter as it was a 5spd and my legacy is an auto.Much easier to play around with the standard.Not the fastest cars but still run very well.I have lowered mine have a custom grille and different wheels.

The 2.5i mated with a 5MT is far better than with the EA4T. EA4T has poor throttle responce as well.

 

The 2.5i with CVT in the 5th gen will deliver better "fun" performance than the EA4T and better gas mileage even the 5MT.

 

 

See, I thought the CVT was more blah to drive than the 4eat. Plus the 2010 2.5i seems more soft.

 

I came from an 2.0l WRX with a 6-speed, and the only time the 2.5i power bothers me is when i am trying to hurry up to 80mph for merging with rush hour traffic. It seems to start to die off around 65 which is fine 90% of the time. otherwise it has enough power to be fun and keep up with crazy day to to day traffic. The 4eat in sport mode is a lot more responsive than normal. I'm not sure what years have the sport mode. . The suspension is a bit soft, but if you learn to work with it, it handles fairly decent. I think some springs or sways and tires and it could be a blast to drive.

 

I have 3 issues with the car

1. I find myself constantly disagreeing with the tranny as what gear it should be in. This isn't as bad in sport mode, but a lot of time, I use the manual shift option. I feel this is the biggest issue with the car. I think if they even used the 5eat I would have been happier..

2. MPGs are not that much better than my 250 whp/wtq WRX. I average maybe 2mpg better, but get to use cheap gas.

 

Overall, I think the interior is nice, quiet, H/K stereo is decent though the sub sucks. Also with a good set of snow tires, its easy to get around in snow {or have fun with!}.

 

My biggest regret was wanting a limited model. I should have gotten a premium with a 5-speed.

Would've liked a fifth gear in the auto and a quieter cabin. Pretty loud on the highway.

I’ve had 4 N/A’s and 1 turbo Legacies from different generations with different tranny options. Currently own 05 Outback w/ 4EAT, 09 Legacy w/5MT and 10 Outback w/CVT. Previously owned 01 Outback w/5MT and 05 LGT wagon w/5EAT. Pretty happy with my N/As, as they’ve been reliable and low maintenance. Performance wise, obviously they’re not as fun as their turbo counterparts, but for me, it’s enough. The fuel economy of N/A is a plus. My wife’s 10 Outback is a 4 cylinder and feels heavy and sluggish off the line, but once it gets to cruising speed (60 mph and up), it’s not bad. I also like the framed doors and less cabin noise compared to the earlier models.

Coming off a 4runner, I think you may like a 2010 & up Outback or Legacy with the 3.6L engine. IMO, compared to your 4runner, it would give you a nice balance of power, fuel economy, and comfort.

I went from a Mazda 6, v6, to a 2.5i legacy. Couldn't be more happier. What it lost in power it made up in handling, gas, and being reliable. I have been driving the leggy for almost 2 years now. love it. I will never buy anything other than subaru from now on. I am getting an Avo turbo kit within the next week or two can't wait!

I had a SI with GSR Swap with fully N/A bolts on then turbo, and a Scion tC with some bolts on. When I test drove the 2014 2.5i Premium, for the stock non modded seems more fun and sporty. Seems to be best performance in its mid range like one member stated. Symmetric AWD is awesome, much better handling fun for an AT coming from a MT.

I own the 2.5 2013 limited, bought it new. Love the car and idea of owning a subaru and in my line of work, I need awd...great in the snow.

Since having my car the transmission has started to make a noise ?!?!, working on this now. Also, my driver side brake slide needed replacement shortly after I bought it d/t disturbing noise.. problem identified by me and fixed (warranty) by dealer...The blue tooth is really difficult to navigate and forget about adding your contacts to it. The arm rest don't slide forward and there is no blindspot monitor and turn signals are not inlcuded on the exterior mirrors. These are a few "quirky" items...like I said, I love the car, but there are areas that could use improvements...noise is an issue of which I'm continuing to address...Maybe the 2015 will have better quality control and enhanced electronics.. hope this helps.

the '13-'14s have an updated version of the CVT. they have a little nicer everything than the '10-'12s. the electronic parking brake sucks, thats my biggest complaint. i love my outback but i should've gotten the H6.

I also love knowing that I dont have to replace the SB around 200K miles.

 

The what?

 

 

 

Sent from a box in my pocket.

The what?

 

 

 

Sent from a box in my pocket.

 

Short block, most likely.