Sonata to a 3.6R Limited?

Hey everyone. To put it short I had a brand new 2012 Hyundai Sonata 2.0T Turbo Limited with every feature you could imagine. But it broke down multiple times and it has been repurchased. Now looking at different vehicles and I have finally decided on the 12" Legacy 3.6R Limited w/ Moonroof.

 

I have never owned a Subaru, and there are NO Legacy's anywhere near my home. Apparently Subaru's aren't very popular in the South so I have already arranged for one I want to be brought down from up north. The only Legacy I have driven was the 2.5i Limited.

 

1. How quick is the 256HP 3.6R, I have always heard AWD car's are a lot slower. The Sonata had a 274HP Turbo I4..

 

2. How is the 5AT transmission on it? Does it shift pretty quickly? Who makes the transmission, a model number would be sweet!

 

3. What do most people average as far as gas milage in the real world?

 

4. How does an AWD car drive handle vs. FWD? Obviously it won't slip as much, but in turn's does it really make a difference in handling like everyone says?

 

5. Can the Legacy handle mild offroading condition's, like muddy hills and such. Some of the place's I go down here in the south I have typically had to take my AWD Ford Flex to get there, its not the car will bottom out, but sometimes on the hills a FWD car will just spin.

 

Sorry for the exhaustive list of questions. Its just this is my first Subaru and I haven't even seen the car I want. I do know for a fact its the one I want but more info always helps!.

 

Not sure why the dealer said the 3.6R Limited w/ Moon is very rare. At least around here its pretty rare. The typical sedan here is the Camry and typical SUV are the newer Tahoe's.

 

Thanks everyone

1. Legacy 3.6 0-60 6.3 1/4 14.8 Sonata Turbo 0-60 6.1 1/4 14.5. However the 2.5GT Legacy does 0-60 in 5.3 and 1/4 in 13.9

 

2. Not sure

 

3. 26mpg or so from what I've heard

 

4. Its an amazing difference. I couldn't imagine going back to FWD. Its like being in a RWD car but even better!

 

5. It will go where ever you want it, even if you bottom it out it will probably keep going. Subaru uses a full time AWD system in all of their models, it never shuts off like some other models AWD systems do.

 

Good luck in your search but remember nothing is better than a nice long test drive!

Not sure in the south will require AWD or not. But the AWD is really awesome to have.

 

As for the speed 3.6r speed, the engine feels quick but it is not fast. 0-60 times is fast enough to beat most mid-size sedans out there but it won't blow people's mind away. It is a good subtle car to have if you like to be low profile.

 

Not sure if you like to mod your car. But the 3.6R doesn't have a lot of aftermarket parts to go with it.

5. It will go where ever you want it, even if you bottom it out it will probably keep going. Subaru uses a full time AWD system in all of their models, it never shuts off like some other models AWD systems do.

 

That couldn't be more untrue or biased. Subaru's AWD systems vary by car, and if you bottom it out, you will most likely hurt something.

 

 

 

The right tires will go a long way in whether or not you can make it up a slippery hill or not. If you are in a situation where you have 0% traction, no AWD system in the world will move you.

 

AWD does not make your car corner harder. What it can do is help maintain stability at the cornering limit.

 

You don't need snow to see the benefits of AWD. AWD works in the rain too.

That couldn't be more untrue or biased. Subaru's AWD systems vary by car, and if you bottom it out, you will most likely hurt something.

 

 

Provide more facts before making such a statement. The AWD in the Legacy for the 3.6 is the same as the Tribeca and Outback 3.6. It is a more rear biased AWD. The CVT Legacy and Outback have the same center diff as the Forester and the manuals have a 50/50 split center Diff. LSD's are gone in the diffs. And no S*** that hitting the car on the bottom might hurt something. I never said it was a tank but you'll probably still get out where as a FWD would be stuck for good.

 

But yes, tires make a huge difference.

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and guess that ANY AWD Subaru is quicker than any Sonata that is broken down (multiple times) regardless of it's HP.

 

If we are asking questions about the Legacy's off road prowess, were these same questions asked before the purchase of said Sonata? I'm confused.

The 3.6 has plenty of power, but the LGT is your winner if you are looking to get sucked into your seat. 3.6R is a more relaxed feeling car. There is minor shift lag with the paddle shifters, but I've gotten accustomed to it. my comined mpg is 24. HW is 27 keeping at 70 mph. The car handles very well. It has more body roll than I like, but I can upgrade the suspension to fix that. I would not take it off road. I would not consider any family sedan off road worthy. The AWD works well in adverse conditions. You would be less likely to get stuck in mud or snow

5. It will go where ever you want it, even if you bottom it out it will probably keep going.

 

Provide more facts before making such a statement.

 

https://www.google.com/search?gcx=w&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=subaru+getting+stuck#q=subaru+getting+stuck&hl=en&prmd=imvns&source=univ&tbm=vid&tbo=u&sa=X&ei=DZXnToPbC4Xr0gGUwIigCg&ved=0CDEQqwQ&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&fp=f0025338305ca523&biw=1600&bih=775

https://www.google.com/search?gcx=w&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=subaru+getting+stuck#q=subaru+getting+stuck&hl=en&prmd=imvns&source=univ&tbm=vid&tbo=u&sa=X&ei=DZXnToPbC4Xr0gGUwIigCg&ved=0CDEQqwQ&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&fp=f0025338305ca523&biw=1600&bih=775

 

Much better. Of course the first vid is a vid of a STI pulling a truck!

1) It'll be slower from 45-70 mph, but faster from 0-40 because the AWD will let you actually put power down in 1-2 gears.

 

2) The 5EAT is a JATCO unit modified Subaru to specs for AWD usage. Similar units are found in Nissan's but without AWD. There's about 0.6s of upshift lag. Downshifts are nearly instant and automatically rev-matched so they are very smooth. Passengers will not notice when you downshift on an incline.

 

3) Probably expect ~24 mpg in real world driving.

 

4) Vastly better. You can easily accelerate during a turn and the car will ride on rails with no wheel spin. The last time I drove my parent's S60 T5 (similar to a legacy GT but FWD) whenever I tried to pull out quickly the tires chirped, that NEVER happens on my LGT.

 

5) If you've got the ground clearance, you shouldn't have any issues. The 5EAT is generally considered to have the most sophisticated Subaru AWD system, except for the DCCD in the WRX STi. The system is standard bais 45/55 F/R, and will transfer power much better than the system in your Flex. The center differential is electronically controlled and will pro-actively transfer power based throttle angle, steering wheel angle, and a host of other input.

AWD will probably eat a lot of gas. If you live in areas which do not have snow, I do not see why AWD would help. If you can't handle the rain, then you should not be on the road.

 

3.6R is a nice car, its a bit of everything.. not much of power, or not much of luxury either. It's a piece of everything glued together

 

dont forget snow tires + FWD > all-season + AWD. Most Subaru drivers think they have this

 

http://www.rpmgo.com/images2009/subaru_trax_sti_snow.jpg

 

I know they don't

Thanks everyone for your responses, I decided on a 2012 Subaru Legacy 3.6R Limited /Moonroof

 

I drove a demo for a couple of days and took it on the rugged terrain you may encounter in the south and in the rain and I couldn't get a tire to spin, even on a muddy hilly dirt road.

 

Now I am waiting for them to bring me *My* car from up north, I am in a 11" Forester X and the AWD system feels a lot more like my Flex's, the front wheels will spin and then after a moment, the rear wheels will get traction and push the car.

 

Can anyone give me a technical explanation or any explanation of how the Legacy 3.6R AWD system functions?

 

Thanks everyone

Nice choice on the 3.6R. I love mine... Definitely not neck snapping power, but very smooth and enough power on tap if you need to pass someone or climb hills. The downshifting is very smooth transmission wise.

 

What color are you getting?

Thanks everyone for your responses, I decided on a 2012 Subaru Legacy 3.6R Limited /Moonroof

 

I drove a demo for a couple of days and took it on the rugged terrain you may encounter in the south and in the rain and I couldn't get a tire to spin, even on a muddy hilly dirt road.

 

Now I am waiting for them to bring me *My* car from up north, I am in a 11" Forester X and the AWD system feels a lot more like my Flex's, the front wheels will spin and then after a moment, the rear wheels will get traction and push the car.

 

Can anyone give me a technical explanation or any explanation of how the Legacy 3.6R AWD system functions?

 

Thanks everyone

 

Not sure about the 5th gen but the 4th gen's AWD system is rear biased. Meaning that most of the power goes to the rear, I believe 55% or 60% of the power goes to the rear and the rest goes to the front wheels. When the car starts to slip, the computer will direct the power to the wheel with the highest traction.

 

Hope that helps! Have fun with your new car.

I believe 55% or 60% of the power goes to the rear

 

on the 05-09 5EAT it's 45/55, MT is 50/50 :]

Can anyone give me a technical explanation or any explanation of how the Legacy 3.6R AWD system functions?

 

The 4EAT in the Forester defaults to a 90/10 front-rear split.

 

The 5EAT in the Legacy 3.6R defaults to a 45/55 front-rear split.

 

Both claim to use steering inputs, wheel spin, etc to modulate power distribution. The 90/10 split is similar to the default in a Flex. The Subaru system should be able to get better rear power transfer than the Flex, but the response time will be similar.

Nice choice on the 3.6R. I love mine... Definitely not neck snapping power, but very smooth and enough power on tap if you need to pass someone or climb hills. The downshifting is very smooth transmission wise.

 

What color are you getting?

The gray color! Its awesome looking. Its very smooth and has great power. Hopefully *mine* will arrive from the port by next week.

3. What do most people average as far as gas milage in the real world?

 

4,600 miles logged on my 2011 3.6R and I am averaging 19.2 MPG overall since taking delivery. Any given tank of gas gets me 18.5 MPG but my miles are probably 90% city if not higher and consistent mainly of a 6 mile commute to and from the city in morning and evening rush hours. Any trip on the highway and the average increases greatly.