Struggling to pass 80

I have a 95 Legacy Wagon(BK) and its 5-speed and yes i do its slow =). I was just wandering if it was normal for this car to struggle to get up to 90 mph from 80 mph. I'm thinking this car has the speed limiter or just slow.

Even the 2.2L should be capable of over 100 MPH. Hell, I've seen an AWD Toyota Previa (130 HP) do 110. Is your tire pressure right? Is your air filter clean? How old are your spark plugs? How many miles are on this vehicle?

Yes to all, got new filter new plugs and wires, pressure is good, and i have around 191,xxx on the car. But i do have mix match wheels on, front is different from the back but same size and with. It runs fine as well

 

The mods on the engine are ebay lw pulleys, autozone cone filter and for the exhaust setup i just have 2.25 piping from stock cat with a magnaflow street series muffler(14827). Car is lowered on megan coils but thats not going to do a drag on speed.

I've never had a 2.2L, but I am pretty sure that the limit on that would be 110 MPH.

I've been around there in my 2.2L leggy. It's possible. Get rid of your dumb HAI (hot air intake) and you'll get more power. Get something that sucks in something other than hot engine bay air.

My 97' 2.2L Legacy Brighton Wagon gets up there between 80-90 (5500 feet above sea level) just fine so I would bet that something must be wrong. I can even hit 100 if I am feeling stupid...

you shouldn't be struggling up to a hundred. ya over 100 can be stupid....but for general reference I've done way over a 100 in a 93 2.2l legacy wagon and a 91 same engine. the 91 i only got up to 135-137 but i probably had a squeeze of juice left and the 93 i did 140+ multiple times down a 1 mile long down hill into a valley to my house...I have no clue when the governor was supposed to kick in but it never did i got to the speedometer touching the M in MPH past 140 which could be like 145-148. oh ya and they both were 5MT's ( 5 speed manual). a 4 speed auto might only push 120 cause of 4th gear. and as for acceleration up to even a hundred... i never had a problem. its a 4 cylinder . u want to go fast. then bring her up to 6000 rpms and shift you'll get up to 100 in a jiffy! SUBI-POW.

 

P.S. i used to push my old 93 legacy past redline to the rev limiter about 7000rpms and quick power shift without letting off on the gas and i could get about 55-60mph in 2nd and 95mph in 3rd and get there quick 1st-3rd is fast and when u hit 4th there isn't too much power in acceleration but at that point your already at a 100 and still u can push to 125-130 in 4th pretty quick on flat. oh ya and 5th gear your looking back wondering where your buddy went! lol!

Fastest I've had my 92 2.2L Legacy was 115. No problems except vibrations in the steering wheel.

 

Do a compression test and see if the numbers are getting low.

 

And shifting without letting off is called speed shifting. Your synchro's will love you for manhandling the shifter like that too, let me tell ya...

Wist I had a tach... My poor little brighton wagon has roll up windows and no tach. Oh and only two speakers in the frond doors. I did 80+ in 4th gear up vail pass last winter though. Poor little car was probably past what would be red line.

I have a 99 legacy 2.2L and she struggles to get to 100 and anywhere past 100. It's hard to believe 140 even downhill, but if you say so. My gov kick in at 110, and she redlines near 6500 not 7000. Why would they downgrade the legacy..?

so you won't blow it up!!! lololol and yes my synchros probably hate me. but i actually consider myself a good shifter i do it without any grindage but yes bad bad me poor poor subi but damn she's a powerbeast! yes i believe redline is 6500 maybe 6700 but u can push almost too 7200 before "I" hit the Rev-limiter. 110 is prob cause its Auto 4 speed. i really don't understand the no governor thing but o well. and serously it never was really "hard" to push up to 140. especially downhill. and on flat 120-130 no prob.

i bought the 93 for $500 too! i don't think they really dowgraded it tho. just maybe dropped the governor down to 110 not to blow engine and cops, ect. or maybe there's no governor for early years. i've heard there isn't. but i could be wrong.

Agreed... these things aren't built for speed/performance anyway. Use it like the generic reliable machine it is. If you want to go fast, get one that's built for that sort of thing. And bring it to a track.

yeah i doubt they had gov's on the early model ones. I wish mine didn't, and i have a 5mt not 4speed auto. and hahaha Ldan.

could be something wrong with your car if its struggling. i guess there is no governor and i do take it to a track! my friend owns 40 acres and bulldozed a crazy drift track very fun. I also think the Stock 2.2L does quite well once it hits dirt or anything loose, I can drift those corners so sideways, rippin and always pull out straight with plenty of power! if you live in WA I can bring anyone up. He has Scooby parties, but I've seen all sorts of cars out there. Lancers. Celicas. Toyotas. (Scooby's do best tho ) even a dune buggy once. that thing was nutz too. it had a Twin Turbo Scooby Engine that just Screamed!! now that thing was built for performance, he had all sorts of mods on it too.