new leggy or camry

My parents are looking for a car for themselves. Would a LGT sedan be too... how should I put this... sporty?

 

They're looking at a price range of 20k around the So Cal region... If there is a good deal imma spring the ad/listing on them and they might just take it. They want power and comfort. BUT I want a good opinion from a family man point of view that is no way an enthusiast, you know the typical asian folks who loves camrys for some reason.

 

Did anyone understand me? lol... hope so... I'm 18 and young. I would love a legacy GT, but ever since I lost my project turbo civic due to theft... I'm left kind of... unsatisfied... so until I get another Civic and mod it to my full desires, I won't be touching a LGT anytime soon.

Get an Accord.

 

If your parents don't care for "character" in their car and just want simple no-brainer transportation, just go with Honda (okay, Toyota works too). LGT means they've gotta go to Subaru dealers for oil changes (nobody else would carry the right filters, right?), can't have mismatched tires, gotta RTFM to set the climate control, etc.

 

I truly hate to say that, but unless you need the AWD or really like cars, that's the way it is.

Camry, they'll be happy and worry free.

 

Legacy GT for you when you are old enough and have the funds.

 

X

I surprised folks with your answers. You speak like some damned elitists. Sure, LGT can be a fun car, but does not mean it's a specialy enthusisat only car. I think you like to think about yourself as "special drivers".

 

You don't need to be ethusistant to appreciate LGT, which is a very refined, very reliable car and very comfortable car (check the rear leg room!) - no less than Camry or Accord. Sure more sporty, but does not mean they need to romp on it on every light. Yes we mod these cars, but they are more than competent in stock form.

 

V6 Camry or Accord gas mileage will be comparable to LGT.

 

If they ever do winter trips to mountains or something - LGT hands down.

 

Bottom line is - get them test drive LGT and a Camry and let them decide. Please report back.

Why not just a base Legacy? 2.5i SE which has a MSRP of $21,000 for the 2007 model.

 

Better on gas, 175HP without the turbo charged engine, still decent power.

Why not just a base Legacy? 2.5i SE which has a MSRP of $21,000 for the 2007 model.

 

Better on gas, 175HP without the turbo charged engine, still decent power.

 

Good suggestion, too.

I think the keywords in his post were "typical asian folks...who love camry's"

 

har to get them away from it, and it appears he wants one, but not the rents.

 

Have you seen the trunk of a camry? it can swallow a mini!

 

and the plush soft ride can not be compared to the legacy.

 

I know, I went to look at one, fugly as hell, but people make it the number 1 best selling car in america. go figure.

 

X

I think the keywords in his post were "typical asian folks...who love camry's"

 

har to get them away from it, and it appears he wants one, but not the rents.

 

Have you seen the trunk of a camry? it can swallow a mini!

 

and the plush soft ride can not be compared to the legacy.

 

I know, I went to look at one, fugly as hell, but people make it the number 1 best selling car in america. go figure.

 

X

 

lol, he should bring up Toyota's recent recall problems, and Subaru's safety and reliability record. That should push them over.

 

Get them to like a base legacy, then when you're older, they can help you buy a LGT.

lol, he should bring up Toyota's recent recall problems, and Subaru's safety and reliability record. That should push them over.

 

Unfortunately, that doesn't mean a damn when it comes to:

 

...typical asian folks who loves camrys for some reason...

 

My parents are the exact same way. They've been Camry owners since 1984 when the first generation came out. In fact, my old man still drives around the old '84. He keeps the 2004 for going out of town and my mother her 2000.

 

When I told them (keep in mind I'm 28) that my wife and I purchased a Subaru, they about flipped their lid. Heck, even my inlaws went gonzo. We showed them the safety and reliability records and that still didn't mean a damn.

 

As stereo-typical as it may be, face it, if your parents are old-school asian, it'll either be a Toyota or a Honda.

 

As to addressing your questions, the LGT in my opinion is a heck of a lot more "sporty" when compared to the 2005 Camry's and Accords. I can't comment on the new generation Camry since it wasn't out when I was car shopping. Sporty is a good thing to me, but to my parents and inlaws the direct translation is "uncomfortable".

 

Even though my families have now seen that the LGT was a good buy for my wife and I, they can't help but find issues to berate it.

 

"It's not as comfortable as the Camry."

 

"Why such a small trunk?"

 

"The tires are expensive to replace."

 

"It's not as roomy as the Camry."

 

"It guzzles gas. What kind of 4cyl is that?"

 

 

Best of luck to you and your folks,

-Jim

haha thanks for understanding me guys... It's just that a legacy is a great car but, I don't want them to just narrow their decision down to just Toyota or Honda. There are other great cars out there too! I'll do some more searching regarding the base models. Maintenance would be a big turn off. I'll chime back in to reply to new post or update on car purchasing progress.

 

I've been on here for a while, but i haven't made any post. I've just been sucking up all the information for the past several months since I registered so it might be too late to say this but... [better late than never]

 

HELLO to everyone on here!! Please teach me well o great ones!

 

I'll get a Legacy sooner or later... maybe a LeggySTI [if they ever get here]?!?! BUT, until I am satisfied with playing around with atleast another honda, I DO NOT want anything else. I want to gain more hands-on experience and be more knowledgable. Also, I want to complete school and establish a steady income before ANY life's big purchases.

 

I have an entrepreneur buddy [28y/o] that has something BIG in progress. He has turned to me for graphic designs. I will be designing the ads, icons, logos and many other things. WHEN this thing launches, I hope I can turn to you guys for support!

 

Thanks again guys,

David [glad to be on here]

 

edit: wow i actually just checked my join date

Join Date: 09-02-2005

it's already been more than a year...

20k......New.......Good luck on that search;)

 

Get a V6 Sonata....close to 20k....very good warranty.....mirrir like performance of a V Accord.

 

Now if the target price was 30K.....

what are some of the flaws of the lgt , im looking to buy in the next couple of months

I can only speak about the '05 models since that is when I went car shopping last. I test drove:

 

300C

Mazda6

LGT

Camry V6

Accord V6

 

I went into the car buying process with a pretty open mind. My benchmark was a well maintained 2002 Ford Mustang V6.

 

I felt that the Toyota was the nicest car but was the least sporty. I think Japanese equivalent to a Buick would be pretty accurate. It was roomy, comfortable, decent performance.

 

The Mazda6 was sporty but I wasn't in love with the FWD. It was my wifes favorite car.

 

300C was awesome but too pricey.

 

Honda V6 was okay, nothing special. I thought that the Toyota was the better car personally.

 

Finally the LGT. Why did I choose this car? The size was right being between a 3 series and a 5 series. The price was right at 25k out the door. A little more than the Honda and Mazda3, a little less than the Toyota and a lot less than the 300C (this was for the cars I was looking for) and most important the performance was there. I put a pretty high value on AWD, turbo 250 hp, manual transmission and the reliablility and safety record.

 

I saw the LGT more as the poor mans sport sedan than just as a family car.

 

Unless the power part is important to your parents they would probably be happier with a 2.5i. And if ride comfort and interior room is more important they should probably stick with the Toyota.

what are some of the flaws of the lgt , im looking to buy in the next couple of months

 

Nothing serious:

 

- cheap brake pads causing deposit on rotors; easy and inexpensive fix with aftermarket pads

 

- cooling radiator getting stuck - should be fixed on new cars now - faulty relay was culprit, preventive fix costs $15

 

- some experience rattles (mine had one rattle, easy fix)

 

- wheel bearings going bad are common; replaced under warranty

 

- cheap poor performing tires - easy fix

 

That's it. Some people have few more issues (bad injectors), but these are not common.

 

These cars are reliable, nothing to worry about.

what tires are they coming from the factory with ? the brakes arent an issue i work at a dealership and can turn them whenever i need to . and as far as rattles they arent going to be perfect so i dont expect alot when it comes to that.

I fit the description, a former Camry driver (almost 20 years) and, a family.

 

Great car but, it is a reliable Buick. In fact, Toyota recognized this and attempted to make the '07 a bit sportier. Even with a 6 cylinder, it is pretty much a sheep in wolf's clothing. Acceleration was good but, it handled like a typical mid sized car.

 

Accords are a bit closer to a Legacy from a handling POV but, still closer overall to a Camry.

 

Not weighing all the benefits the faithful describe in here, a Legacy is definitely a smaller car than either an Accord or Camry but not by much for typical (parental) driving. That's either good or bad.

 

I do think (though haven't seriously shopped) a base Camry or Accord might be cheaper than a base level Legacy.

 

What do "you" find value in? For me, it was a Legacy.

I do think (though haven't seriously shopped) a base Camry or Accord might be cheaper than a base level Legacy.

 

The '07 2.5i MSRP is $20495 and '07 Camry CE is $18270. There really isn't a whole lot of differences in standard features aside from AWD vs FWD. The 2.5i has more powerful engine than the Camry but the Camry gets better MPG, 22/29 vs 24/34. The only thing on the option list of importance is that Camry could be optioned with traction and stability control.

07 2.5i can be had around $19k if not less.

Get an Accord.

LGT means they've gotta go to Subaru dealers for oil changes (nobody else would carry the right filters, right?), can't have mismatched tires, gotta RTFM to set the climate control, etc.

 

Hmmm, I got my oil changed at Jiffy Lube. They didn't say anyting about not having the proper filter, and I haven't noticed any problems. Were you just being sarcastic? They did realize that my LGT was the turbo 2.5L so I think they got it right.

Get A 2.5i SE or Limited. More for thier money than the Camry or Accord. Nicer interior. AWD. Base Camry doesn't even come with alloy rims... it has 16 inch steelies with hubcaps. Cheapie plastic interior. It's roomier and nice looking on the outside but not as nice as the Legacy is.

Hmmm, I got my oil changed at Jiffy Lube. They didn't say anyting about not having the proper filter, and I haven't noticed any problems. Were you just being sarcastic? They did realize that my LGT was the turbo 2.5L so I think they got it right.

 

I wasn't being sarcastic, but I don't speak from experience with Jiffy Lube since I simply would never go to any quick lube place, ever. But, consider that Subaru has changed the filter specs several times and even had a recall for a certain batch. They had to re-engineer to a smaller diameter filter to keep it away from exhaust plumbing.

 

Add to that the unknown quantity of oil the car needs, and the near impossibility of a consistent reading off the dipstick... Even my highly-reputed local Subaru dealer overfilled on my change. I do it myself now.

 

You can't expect Asian parents to worry about such things. Nor will they check oil, check tire pressures, close the door using only the little black trim piece, etc. I love my Subaru, would do it again without question, but for any non-car-enthusiast parents, I believe it's a tough sell.

 

Add to that the rarity of Subies in southern states. I wouldn't expect a quick lube to stock Subaru filters. From my experience, 4 and 6 cyl Hondas, which sell in the hundreds of thousands per year per model, all use the same filter.

This starts to be derogative. WTF you imply Asian parents have to be morons as far as taking care of a car goes? You don't need to be an enthusist to do reasonable job of making sure your care gets good maintaince.

This starts to be derogative. WTF you imply Asian parents have to be morons as far as taking care of a car goes? You don't need to be an enthusist to do reasonable job of making sure your care gets good maintaince.

 

Not implying that at all. Just voicing some opinions based on plenty of observation in this area. In fact, I'm going through similar decision process in buying a new car for my parents--Asian or not, these are real practical considerations.

 

I'm definitely not trying to be derogative against any group of people. The originator of this thread has the right answer anyway: suggest the parents drive all cars in the class and make decision themselves.

20k......New.......Good luck on that search;)

Get a V6 Sonata....close to 20k....very good warranty.....mirrir like performance of a V Accord.

Now if the target price was 30K.....

I mentioned around 20k, doesnt have to be OFF THE LOT BRAND SPANKING NEWW, just a newer car 2002+, brand new or used. They can have a few[2-3] K's of slack. My mom and dad also look at looks. The Sonata wouldn't fit their taste.

 

What do "you" find value in? For me, it was a Legacy.

 

Actually for the general purposes they use their car for (Weekly trips to the Airport, taking/picking up sister from and to school,) the Camry fits their needs nicely. I have seen the trunk cargo and it is huge. BUT the Legacy doesn't fall to short of fitting their needs ethier. I still don't want them to have such a narrow choice in cars.

 

You can't expect Asian parents to worry about such things. Nor will they check oil, check tire pressures, close the door using only the little black trim piece, etc. I love my Subaru, would do it again without question, but for any non-car-enthusiast parents, I believe it's a tough sell.

 

Add to that the rarity of Subies in southern states. I wouldn't expect a quick lube to stock Subaru filters. From my experience, 4 and 6 cyl Hondas, which sell in the hundreds of thousands per year per model, all use the same filter.

 

lol My dad used to be old school mechanic back in the country (Cambodia.) So, he checks them. Even though it's in the back of their minds, they DO check them. There searching for a car now because someone rear ended our old one. It was a 84 Mercedez 380 SEL, and that thing WAS in MINT condition. Original EVERYthing. So, my parents are able to take care of a car.

 

Also Thanks for all the replies!! Are there any more opinions, comments, or experiences??

 

EDIT::

P.S. The Mercedez is totaled! The damage creases went all the way to the back doors unabling them to open at first.

http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/9028/pic0008qj4.th.jpg

http://img140.imageshack.us/img140/560/pic0009kx6.th.jpg

http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/3441/pic0010ga8.th.jpg

Can you guys believe that a Honda CR-v did this to a steel frame beast?! CR-v from what i heard only had messed up bumper and some radiator damage.

I'll give you the quote from the show Top Gear, it applies to the Mercedes.

 

Don't worry, those dents will buff out just fine.