The 2008 Legacy GT - Impressions / Test Drive / Pictures (56k no-no)

I figured this is better for the general forum.

Talked to Wentworth Subaru here in Portland Oregon for the past couple of weeks and wanted to find out when the '08 GT's were landing on the lot.

Well, today I had the distinct prviledge of driving a GT with 3 miles on the odometer.

It still had the white tape and plastic on the seat cushions as well.

The salesmen "Karl" didn't really know much about the '08 Platform. Needless to say I gave him a crash course on what to tell people.

So..... that said, here is the pictures..... I'll have more at the bottom. Let the pictures speak for themselves. This trounces the '05-'07 platform (IMO) on every level. But enough of me talking, just look:

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j225/PDX-LegacyGT/IMG_8398.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j225/PDX-LegacyGT/IMG_8401.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j225/PDX-LegacyGT/IMG_8400.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j225/PDX-LegacyGT/IMG_8399.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j225/PDX-LegacyGT/IMG_8414.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j225/PDX-LegacyGT/IMG_8413.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j225/PDX-LegacyGT/IMG_8412.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j225/PDX-LegacyGT/IMG_8410.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j225/PDX-LegacyGT/IMG_8409.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j225/PDX-LegacyGT/IMG_8408.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j225/PDX-LegacyGT/IMG_8407.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j225/PDX-LegacyGT/IMG_8406.jpg

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http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j225/PDX-LegacyGT/IMG_8403.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j225/PDX-LegacyGT/IMG_8405.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j225/PDX-LegacyGT/IMG_8419.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j225/PDX-LegacyGT/IMG_8421.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j225/PDX-LegacyGT/IMG_8420.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j225/PDX-LegacyGT/IMG_8421.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j225/PDX-LegacyGT/IMG_8422.jpg

Impressed yet?

So... the white on taupe still sucks ass and I'm sorry to you SWP GT owners that own it, but I for one think it's ugly as sin.

So I test drove a 2008 Legacy GT 5EAT w/ all options except Navi.* (*NOTE* Car I took pictures in the show room had Navi, couldn't test drive that one due to it being "stuck" in the showroom)

Impressions:

Well after seeing those pictures above I bet your looking for impressions right? Of course it wouldn't be approriate without some :-O faces.

Awesome car. Upon first seeing it, the changes to the platform are pretty moddest. The grille is what I'm in love with. The fact that it accents the larger front bumper just makes me want to hump the car.

Also, the wheels with the new platform look great I think! Subaru has stepped in the right direction as the 5 spokes on the '05/'06 wouldn't look right.

Also the back bumper even though the reflectors may seem "odd" at first, it really pulls the car together. The other thing that I was happy about was if you look at the back bumper of the molding area, it's not dark plastic.... it's actually painted! Gives the car a better looking stance.

Also the headlights and the fogs give a more aggressive stance in the front. Also the inclusion of actually USEFUL Daytime Running Lights (DRL's) is quite cool. If you look closely you'll see that they're using the high beam bulb at a lower voltage and it looks pretty badass going down the road.

The car is BEGGING for HIDs though of which may be the first mod I do.

Upon getting inside, you'll notice that the leather and the seat are a LOT more comfortable. You get a lot more cushion on your ass and while the seat can still hug you in the right spots, it still felt like I had just got in after about 45 mins of drive time. I did notice the leather is softer and more "supple" as one member was curious about.

The LED turn signals on the mirrors have been changed. Look more like Mercedes I think. Not bad.

Test Drive:

Like I said earlier, the car still had white tape and plastic on just about everything. We took it out for a spin and I immediately noticed it was slower than my GT (hmm, wonder why!?) but the ride on the car was beautiful! The suspension maybe the same or different not exactly sure but the ride felt a LOT smoother than my GT which surprised me but in a good way. The gauges look different and of course you have the SI-Drive Knob at your disposal. Traffic was a little heavy so I put it into #Intelligent mode to save gas. Really was perfect for the put-put driving as there was hardly ANY boost. Seemed like to me #Sport and #Sport-Sharp were pretty similar while #Sport-Sharp did have the edge on pickup and power.

We finally got some room to stretch our legs and I blipped it up to 70 in no time. Oh yeah... the paddle shifters? F*CK AWESOME! Pretty sure they're stainless steel so they're not plastic. Feel great and they remain STATIONARY when you're driving. This was actually a little cumbersome at first because when turning the wheel and you'd be reving above 5-6k RPMS you'd want to shift to 2nd but you'd be in the middle of turning the wheel. Not perfect for those types of situtations but I think it's more suited for the quick blips on the freeway when changing lanes.

Car felt nice and smooth and I got a chance to test the "Rev matching" of the 5EAT and it felt really good! Gone are the super jerky shifts when downshifting or upshifting. The car knows when to shift and actually shifts more quickly than my '05 does. The tweaks that they've done to that system just make the car a joy to drive. Paired with the SI-Drive system of which I'll say with the '08 5EAT doesn't seem so "gimmicky" anymore. I know, I know..... I was one of the ones saying that SI-Drive in the '07's was a "gimmick" and I still think it is.

SI-Drive really seems to have hit it's stride with the '08's and the updates to the 5EAT tranny and shift points.

Cruising around town or merging in and out of traffic on the freeway, the car just felt solid. Not as solid as my GT with the AVO RSB (*evil grins*) however that would be making the transition to the new car.

Brakes felt good, they "bite" hard so you don't have to press them much. Not sure if anything has changed dimension wise on those.

Stereo of course has MP3/Satalite and iPOD/Zune/whatever style MP3 player you have connection. Tried it out and it was quite good! Fidelity was pretty much spot on. I forgot to take note of it displaying artist/track name as I was busy driving and playing with the new gadgets on the car though but it wouldn't surprise me if it did. Still comes with the standard 6 disc changer and the interface seems more polished.

Dual-Climate controls worked quite well as usual.

The heated seats have been moved from near the SI-Drive Knob to back near the start of the E-Brake. Still the standard 4 stage heated seats and they were quite nice.

Closing thoughts:

I walked away from this impressed. Impressed because I got to experience the car before most people out there and also that there are only 7 2008 Legacy GT's on the West Coast right now. Pickings are slim and the price is pretty steep for the car.

That said below I'll be posting the options, cost and out the door cost. The one I looked at that most likely I would be ordering in a Silver/Black leather would be right around $33k with all the options I want. I'll probably pay around $26k or lower depending on where I get it from. That being the case though, allotments are slow to come in as they are pretty new.

Overall this is a welcome edition to the Legacy lineup and those thinking about trading up like I am, this car is going to be a blast!

Aaron

holding spot for more pictures.

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j225/PDX-LegacyGT/IMG_8415.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j225/PDX-LegacyGT/IMG_8416.jpg

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j225/PDX-LegacyGT/IMG_8417.jpg

Nice. I assume you tested the 2.5 GT. I wonder how the 3.0 R's are like compared to 2.5 GT's.

I'm surprised that they still don't offer HID's at least as an option here...

I don't like the new grill any more than the old grill, but both the front bumper and rear bumper I kinda like.

That SI-Drive, i think, is more useful in AUTO cars than in Manual cars. I hate Intelligent mode in traffic in my 5MT, but that is just me.

Nice write up so far, and semi-nice pics.

AND the pictures of the rear end... does the tail-pipe look off-center/crooked to anyone else??

Nice. I assume you tested the 2.5 GT. I wonder how the 3.0 R's are like compared to 2.5 GT's.

I'm surprised that they still don't offer HID's at least as an option here...

I don't like the new grill any more than the old grill, but both the front bumper and rear bumper I kinda like.

That SI-Drive, i think, is more useful in AUTO cars than in Manual cars. I hate Intelligent mode in traffic in my 5MT, but that is just me.

Nice write up so far, and semi-nice pics.

yeah update should be finished, just putting finishing touches on the pics.

Ugly, imo.

Glad you didn't test drive my car before I bought it;)

lol at the dealer mark-up... What is that exactly?

Oh, and the seat heater switch was moved there From 07...

And did you happen to feel any stuttering under modderate acceleration?? Especially around 3500 to 4000 rpm?

OH and one more thing, is the dual climate still seperate? Like, is the passenger side still independent from the driver's side?

Too bad you don't have an 07 like I do.

the wheels are the exact same, interior (save steering wheel) looks the exact same with same features.

never driven the 05 or 06 i cannot comment on the shift quality. i know my 07 seems pretty good.

I been telling you all. the si drive is not gimmicky. it fits perfect with the 5eat.

Yes! The leather is supple! hahahah. Thanks for your thoughts.

Thanks for the pics and write-up!

I thought I got over white since I want a spec.B, but it looks soo good.. Still don't like taupe, but it looks bearable.

lol at the dealer mark-up... What is that exactly?

Every dealer I've been to in the portland/vancouver area has had this... just another way to try and confuse you. They will tell you some BS about supply and demand and then you look around and mention something about the dozen others that they have that are exactly the same and they have no response for that

Thanks for the write up, but based on your comments, I dont see how the 08 "trounces the 05-07 platform on every level."

 

I understant you are excited about getting a new car, but trounces on every level?

 

There are so many things that are the same as the 07. It still sounds like the majority of changes are aesthetic.

I agree. I can't see it trouncing the 05/06 on much. For example, the 05/06 wheels are a godsend compared to these, you could get some cloth and not a sunroof for us tall folk, you could drive your car just by yourself (non-vdc), and the 05/06 gauge cluster was gorgeous.

Thanks for the write up, but based on your comments, I dont see how the 08 "trounces the 05-07 platform on every level."

 

I understant you are excited about getting a new car, but trounces on every level?

 

There are so many things that are the same as the 07. It still sounds like the majority of changes are aesthetic.

For starters:

The '08 looks aesthetics are the first step in the right direction. I look at my '05 and look at the '08 and I actually like the design styling of the '08 better. Seats wise the '08 kills the '05-'07. Interior wise the feel is overall more luxerious than previous models. Sure some of the stuff is simply re-tooled '07 features like the SI-Drive and such, and to my friend above who has an '07 5EAT, there is a HUGE difference with the new throttle control system vs. the '05-'07 5EAT.... Just night and day difference.

Also suspension wise as I stated the ride quality is a lot higher than in previous models and for that I think it stomps a few gombas in the head for some bonus points.

Also the placement of readouts or even the adjusted moonroof controls now that I think about it just make more sense.

who knows, it could be because I'm exited about the car and the possibility of getting one but still, as a car enthusiast, it's hard to be more excited about this than the previous models.

Great pics. People have already purchased 08s at or near invoice.

Well if Wentworth wants me as a returning customer, i'll be getting one at below invoice.

Hmm. 10k more than I paid for my '05. At least the LGT holds its value so well!

I really like the way my '05 looks.

No more Subaru for RangerMan after I drive mine into the ground...then get a shovel dig it out of the ground and drive it a little longer.

Not a fan of the grille, but I could deal with it. However, what I can't deal with is the complete shit job they did with the rear end treatment. The tail lights, and the rear bumper look like shit. And I also think the 05-06 rims look better than the 07-08's. Just my .02

EDIT--and what I am shocked about is the fact that the shift paddles are stationary. WTF? That's one of the dumbest things I've seen.

What about the seats make then kill the 05's?

More comfortable.

You get into an '05/'06/'07 the seats just feel... I don't know... stiff? Sure they still have support but on the other hand they just don't have as much cushion as the new seats have.

Who knows, maybe it's new material, new seats or a combo of them both.

For you Heights, you won't be convinced until you got sit in one and test drive. I just know that's the kind of person you are.

Well if Wentworth wants me as a returning customer, i'll be getting one at below invoice.

Glad to hear it

Looks like the 08s will continue the weak resale values of the Legacy line!

Does anyone notice that the tips are way off the center?

I did

Not a fan of the grille, but I could deal with it. However, what I can't deal with is the complete shit job they did with the rear end treatment. The tail lights, and the rear bumper look like shit. And I also think the 05-06 rims look better than the 07-08's. Just my .02

 

EDIT--and what I am shocked about is the fact that the shift paddles are stationary. WTF? That's one of the dumbest things I've seen.

agree with you except the wheels.

i think the new smily face front end just sucks in all aspects of motor vehicles.

the wheels changed the lines on the 07 enough that I think it looks better. the 5 spoke design is oooold as hell man. the bumpers on the 07 don't bother me at all. seats feel fine to me. throttle feels fine too. a bit jumpy in s# if you are used to riding in i all the time. btw...for those of you claiming the 08 has better throttle response, can you directly compare it to the 07 si drive s# mode? based on s and I, yeah, it will be tons different. s# is where it's at.

the only immediate things i want for my 07 is a suspension, maybe a bit more power, and xenons. the other do-dads on the 08 and what ever else...i am cool with. i don't need a telescoping wheel, nor buttons on the steering wheel. nor dvc (would be nice though).

imo, "improvments" went the wrong direction. it does (to me) look like an 07 with more gadgets and new body panels. wonder what the engine differences are though.