Missing Features / Quirks

So, I lost my 3000GT in a flood in September ([url="http://www.depewfamily.com/3000GT/"]http://www.depewfamily.com/3000GT/[/url] ) and over the past few months have been looking for a new car. I've got it narrowed down to a few - Legacy GT, Acura TSX, RX-8, 3-Series. Unfortunately, coming from a sports car, I would like to have a little bit of power while still being sensible with 4-doors. But, there is SO little that excites me in the way of cars short of $60k+. So, the TSX is way underpowered(200hp/166lb-ft), but everything else is very nice. The RX-8, a little on the expensive end, as I only want to get a 'fully' loaded model, so I could get a 1 year old, but I'd question how it has been driven. In terms of a 3-series, they hold their value ery well, but again, I would have to get a 1-2 year old to get a 330 in my range, and then 25k miles is not my idea of a new car. I also drove the Volvo S40, and is very smooth and very stable in the twisties and a hot knife through butter transmission, but while its better on the styling i hate the center console stack and it still looks too much like the S80 all the Richmond elite soccermoms drive. So, I thought, why not look at the WRX - thought it was okay, but a bit small and by butt dyno felt kinda sluggish. Then I saw the beauty that was the LGT, and right now its in the lead, but if I am going to spend this much money I don't want to compromise on anything, and there are a few things that are available in the competing class (A4, S40, G35, TSX, etc...) that aren't available on the LGT. So I thought I'd start off a list of the things that kinda seem odd to be missing, many off which are available on the JDM model. [b][size=6] So what quirks or missing features have you noticed?[/size][/b] 1) no HID option - available in every other model 2) no navigation option - (all others but 3-series?) 3) 6-speed manual transmission 4) no hook on fuel door for cap 5) MP3 playback / RDS - does the stereo have Radio Data System (RDS) (EDIT: RDS is part of the stock Headunit)

There are like 30 threads on this subject. Please check some of them out.

I reopened this thread- the thread starter couldn't find the other topics. Enjoy guys.

[quote name='jdepew'] 1) no HID option - available in every other model 2) no navigation option - (all others but 3-series?) 3) 6-speed manual transmission 4) no hook on fuel door for cap - I mean, come on? 5) MP3 playback / RDS - does the stereo have Radio Data System (RDS)[/QUOTE] 1.) HID would be nice, but these are some of the best non HID lights i've seen come stock. 2.) NAV is a personal choice. For me, i would just rather pick up a $3 map, rather then $1-2k for nav which i would hardly use. 3.) With a 6th speed you will be out of the power band for highway driving, requiring more shifting in general. Would be nice for a higher ration for better MPG, but it has its downsides as well. Personally it doesn't make much difference to me. 4.) no hook? please, i think we are pushing it here with trying to find problems....do you really search a car out based on a gas cap hook. 5.) MP3 would be very nice, certainly wish this was an option, or better yet, din radio slots to allow for aftermarket units....even navigation, kill two birds with one stone

Hey, here's a thought, and pardon me for sounding a bit provincial: The car has what it has. Buy it or not, based on what it has. The end. I know, I know...call me silly. Kevin

[quote name='D-2.5-GT'] 2.) NAV is a personal choice. For me, i would just rather pick up a $3 map, rather then $1-2k for nav which i would hardly use.[/QUOTE] I think it is an apprpriate option for the level of vehicle, but if it were available I would consider it for when I'm out of town or when visiting my parents and they'd like to drive it.[quote name='D-2.5-GT']3.) With a 6th speed you will be out of the power band for highway driving, requiring more shifting in general. Would be nice for a higher ration for better MPG, but it has its downsides as well. Personally it doesn't make much difference to me. [/QUOTE] perhaps i should be more clear, a revised ratio with a 6th speed fr highway cruising may be more appropriate. Correct me if I am wrong but 3rd is required to hit 60 with the current ratios. [quote name='D-2.5-GT'] 4.) no hook? please, i think we are pushing it here with trying to find problems....do you really search a car out based on a gas cap hook.[/QUOTE] No, but in 9 years of driving I also havent lost a gas cap for this reason (EDIT: or more importantly SCRATCHED PAINT). I noticed someone mention it on the board and saw it on the second test drive, just seems like a simple thing to overlook. not trying to find problems but perhaps these are things that could be addressed in a later MY. The point of the post was that there are things on other cars I'm looking at that may be deal breakers yet the LGT comes closest to everything I'm looking for and was wondering if there were things that other legacy owners found odd/missing/of an annoyance so that after I plunk down 26k on a new car, I don't smack myself in the forehead for not realizing some silly or being aware of its shortcomings. I know how voraciously we internet gearheads will defend our cars-I'm guilty of it too- so I won' t take the comments personnally. Otherwise, thanks for the help and so far the board looks to be pretty well informed!

1) no HID option - available in every other model - [url]www.xenondepot.com[/url] [url]www.xenonfactory.com[/url] the projectors work great with hids(they are probably the same ones as hid equipped legacys). 2) no navigation option - (all others but 3-series?) - no biggie. wait for the bezel to come out and add an aftermarket unit. They are cheaper and work well. 3) 6-speed manual transmission - if this was a big issue I would've bought an STI 4) no hook on fuel door for cap - I mean, come on? - The string works fine, you wont loose the cap 5) MP3 playback / RDS - does the stereo have Radio Data System (RDS) - wait for an aftermarket bezel. I think the car is perfect, especially for the price. Subaru has to work its way up into the more expensive market. Gotta crawl before they can walk. e.g. vw and the phaeton.

If you really want the navigation option, Subaru is [i]supposed[/i] to have it in the 2006 models. The MP3 playback is doable, but you have to source a $700 L.L. Bean Outback's console unit to have it.

you gripe about the price... but want big ticket$$ items... the cars you compare it to retail for much higher then the LGT... its been said here before.. 4/5 car for 2/3 price

[quote name='gtguy']Hey, here's a thought, and pardon me for sounding a bit provincial: The car has what it has. Buy it or not, based on what it has. The end. I know, I know...call me silly. Kevin[/QUOTE] HaHa, got to agree with GtGuy. By the way, the aftermarket can supply all the missing features you desire.

60mph in achieved in 2nd

1) no HID option - available in every other model Superwhite bulbs give you very close to the same experience for $10 2) no navigation option - (all others but 3-series?) Would be appreciated but my full carputer goes in soon - building and configuring it now. 3) 6-speed manual transmission Woudl be very nice but not all that bad without. I don't think anyone here has ever experienced a 90 mph cruise at under 3k rpm, at least not on a car that can also see 7500 rpm. I'd love an interstate gear. 4) no hook on fuel door for cap - I mean, come on? You can let it hang at the fenderwell and it doesn't touch anything. 5) MP3 playback / RDS - does the stereo have Radio Data System (RDS) I'd recommend a Kenwood music keg ($300 clearance at Crutchfield) and a FM modulator ($100). Mounts perfectly in place of the ashtray and gives tons of MP3 playback. FM modulator also works as a Sirius frontend if you want to add that later. I've had my Legacy for 2 months and I'm still convinced it's the perfect car for under $30k. My woodgrain kit arrived yesterday from exoticwooddash.com. The carputer with touchscreen nav, JBL separates front & rear, and 1500+ watts rms will take care of my AV needs. I wish if Subaru had insisted on a 5spd they would have made it like the Stealth's 5spd. They did 90 in 2nd gear and 120 in 3rd and still had a low cruising rpm in 5th. The car makes plenty of torque to use taller gears - it's not a 2.0!

[quote name='RoundBoy']you gripe about the price... but want big ticket$$ items... the cars you compare it to retail for much higher then the LGT... its been said here before.. 4/5 car for 2/3 price[/QUOTE] I am not gripping about the price! I AM willing to pay for the additional items, including the Nav system as it is part of the only $2500 option on the 26k base 6-speed TSX. Again, I'm looking for optional, not inluded in base price of the Legacy. The other cars are what I AM COMPARING, deal with it. Most (except G35 sedan which I am not interested in) start out similarly equipped, short of engine, at 25-26k and have these other features as OPTIONS, again part of the point, " hrmmm you'd have thought they offer HIDs and Nav on such a nice car, especially since they are available on the JDM car and americans love to spend extra money..." Yes, I think the car is wonderful for the price. Oh, get over the damn fuel cap thing - I said it was an ODD oversight. JohnM is the only person so far who has gotten the point of the post, Thank you fellow ex-3/S owner, you understand my paint saving and gearing concerns. JohnM - thanks for the info on RDS, a few stations in RIC/NOVA use it and its always nice to have a quick look at whose playing the song. RDS is one of things also poopooed in the american market which has great potential such as traffic alerts and tuning to a new station based on genre when you drive out of your normal listening area. Anyway[b] BACK ON TOPIC[/b] - [b][size=5]what oddities or quirks have YOU NOTICED IN YOUR LEGACY GT[/size][/b], not in my car buying style??

Regarding my comments on HID - read my post here [url]http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?p=77949#post77949[/url] to understand my point on HIDs. I couldn't give a flying flip about the ultrawhite/blue color thats for ricers, I'm concerned about light outut. And yes, stock is great, to those who aren't going to read the post and immediately threadcrap.

I'm realy sorry to hear about your 3000GT and even more sorry to see it, i love that car, As for the legacy why dont you either deal with what it has and get it or wait till next year due to the talk of some new options like all the stuff so many like you have complianed about. If the acura is what you want you can go get one, I would rather see another subaru on the road over a honda but it's your car your choice don't get a case of buyers remorse. A little advise on a navi go for a pocket pc or laptop (Ihave used both and i prefer the plam sized pocket pc) with CoPilot or similar setup, this way you can move it from car to car, like if you fly somewhere and get a rental, take a ride with someone, or want to walk. CoPilot comes with vent clip and it sits on the ac vent and works well all round and is a full PDA plus you can buy one from them preloaded and the sensor is built in.

[quote name='ih8vtec13']I'm realy sorry to hear about your 3000GT and even more sorry to see it, i love that car, As for the legacy why dont you either deal with what it has and get it or wait till next year due to the talk of some new options like all the stuff so many like you have complianed about. If the acura is what you want you can go get one, I would rather see another subaru on the road over a honda but it's your car your choice don't get a case of buyers remorse.[/QUOTE] [b]I'm 95% going with the LGT as it stands, even missing these things [/b]([i]again my point is I would LIKE to see these things as OEM options find it odd they are not offered, but am willing to live without them and know I can go fill in the gaps aftermarket[/i]). The TSX is way too underpowered and only becomes marginally fun once you turn of the Traction/Stability Control program. So its not happening....

[quote name='jdepew'] 1) no HID option - available in every other model 2) no navigation option - (all others but 3-series?) 3) 6-speed manual transmission 4) no hook on fuel door for cap 5) MP3 playback / RDS - does the stereo have Radio Data System (RDS) (EDIT: RDS is part of the stock Headunit)[/QUOTE] Okay, guys, go easy on him. The LGT is NOT perfect and he's just pointing out a few "faults" and wants to know what others with the car think. 1. HID are nice, it's rumored for 2006. They didn't offer it for 2005 in order to keep the price down. There was already a bunch of hoos and haws over the $30K loaded price. HID's add $1000 to the price. They also increase your insurance premiums. HID's are popular with theives now, that drives up insurance costs. They're not needed, and not worth the $1K price and additional insurance costs. 2. Navigation. Also, this will be an option for 2006. There's a slot for it in the upper center console for a nice little 6 inch display. Plan on $2K (the going rate) for this option as well. I prefer a $20 Thomas Guide if I get lost, and free Mapquest prior to a trip to somewhere I'm not familiar. 3. 6 speed manual. Ahh, yes, as the LGT revs a bit high at freeway speeds, I totally agree. I like the current 1-5 gear ratios, actually they could raise 5th a bit and add the 6th at say .70:1 for gas savings and 2500 rpm 80 mph cruising on the freeway. But I'm sure they're saving the 6 speed for the Legacy STI version that's probably going to come early 2006 as a 2007 model. 4. Fuel door hook. Has a little one. 5. MP3/RDS. Screw that. Just offer Sirius satellite radio. Subaru needs to make a deal with Bose or somebody anyway. ------------------------------------------------ Now my gripes: 1. Memory seats. At least two position memory for me and the lady! No excuse here, it's a pain to have to adjust to find your sweet spot each time you switch drivers. 2. Arm rest extension should be standard. 3. Steering wheel audio controls. They don't have them because they felt it more important to put buttons on there for those who have the Tiptronic auto. But those of us with a manual should of gotten radio controls. 4. Auto Down AND Up for both front windows 5. Homelink in the drivers visor 6. A nicer stereo light display. It looks dim and out of place with the nice bright red and white lights on the rest of the dash. That's about all I can think of right now. Only the first one is a big deal to me though. The others would just be nice on a $30K car.

Driver72, Exactly what I'm looking for - thank you! I totally forgot about the lack of steering wheel radio controls, those are another *nice to have* that the rest of the segment has, and I certainly enjoyed mine in the 3000GT, never had to leave the steering wheel except to shift. Regarding the auto up/down for the windows, would something like this be as 'easy' as a replacing the pass windows switch with a driver auto down? Thanks for your thoughts! Jim

I don't think it's worth the trouble at that point. It's nice to have the auto up/down feature for drive up windows, when shutting the car off, if the cell phone rings while the windows are down, not too mention safety if someone starts running up to your car to carjack you while your windows are down. You can pull on the switches, then concentrate on getting the h3ll out of there. Oh, one other thing I just thought of....telescopic steering wheel. But again, if we ask for too much, expect to pay more. A few of these things wouldn't cost the manufacturer much more when building the car (like the little amenities) and therefore might only raise the price of the car $500. Well worth that. But I'd still skip the $3 grand HID's and NAV would cost.

I would agree with some of Driver72's points: 1. Memory setting on power seats. My wife drives the car alot and it's a bit of a hassle to find my 'perfect' settings when I'm back in it. 2. Auto-up at least on the driver's side window (our minivan has this). 3. Audio controls on the steering wheel (our minivan has this as well). However, those are rather minor issues. After almost 9000 miles I still like this car more every time I drive it. Chris S.

One thing I really miss from my '02 Buick Century is cornering lights. (I guess that's really 2 things....) These were lights that were integrated into the outsides of the headlights, one on each side, and would come on with the turn signals. They projected a pretty good beam of light out at about a 45 degree angle. Worked great when you are sitting at a dark intersection; you could see where you would be turning. Don't know if any of the other cars previously mentioned have these or not. Other than that..... I did miss not having radio controls in the steering wheel at first, but I've gotten over that. However, it would have been nice to have a cassette player along with the CD changer. Clint

how about a working climate control system?

My top 10 gripes/wants are: (not in any specific order) 1. an Automatic Climate Control that works properly 2. a little more padding in the seat bottoms 3. residual power for the windows after shutdown, and/or the ability to close all windows with the key 4. seat/steering/mirror memories 5. telescopic steering wheel 6. a premium stereo option w. MP3 and AUX, and steering controls on manuals 7. better remote/keyfob that doesn't unlock the doors just by looking at the buttons and dowsn't require a one second pause between double-clicks 8. better tires that can at least brake shorter than a Hummer 9. raise the radio and ACC controls up so you don't have to look way down there 10. better fuel mileage

1) My climate system works very well.. as long as you understand how to use it. 3) what? if the car is off.. its OFF.. want the windows to move? Leave the car on or leave it in acc.. i really don't understand why the windows should work when the car is off/...explain ? 6) yes.. we need better audio options. Its ok for know.. but i need better if i am keeping this car for a while. I expect many things down the line 7) there is a very simple fix posted on these forums for this.. works WONDERFULLY 8) Just buy new ones ?? 9) ACC should be on auto then :) ... radio can be had on the steering wheel on outbacks 10) its an AWD turbo car.. unless you do mostly highway... you are not gonna see above 18mpg. The NON turbo model gets good gas mpg.. if this is a main concern.. buy a hybrid ?

[quote name='RoundBoy']1) My climate system works very well.. as long as you understand how to use it. 3) what? if the car is off.. its OFF.. want the windows to move? Leave the car on or leave it in acc.. i really don't understand why the windows should work when the car is off/...explain ? 6) yes.. we need better audio options. Its ok for know.. but i need better if i am keeping this car for a while. I expect many things down the line 7) there is a very simple fix posted on these forums for this.. works WONDERFULLY 8) Just buy new ones ?? 9) ACC should be on auto then :) ... radio can be had on the steering wheel on outbacks 10) its an AWD turbo car.. unless you do mostly highway... you are not gonna see above 18mpg. The NON turbo model gets good gas mpg.. if this is a main concern.. buy a hybrid ?[/QUOTE] 1. Lucky you. I guess you don't live in a cold climate. If you leave it on auto on a cold morning, it will cook you before it decides to settle down to the temperature you actually requested. If you go manual or semi-auto, everytime you select a mode that includes the winshield vents, it switches the AC on, even if it's freezing outside! And if I have to constantly fiddle with it, then in my book it is not automatic. I'd much rather have a simple 3 dial manual setup. There are plenty of well designed ACC's out there, Subaru's is a dumb and deficient design. It's a well documented flaw, not just my personal opinion. 3.So that you can still move your windows up or down at the gas station, or close any window you might have forgotten to close before shutting down. A small but very common convenience on most cars of this class. 7. You mean for the double-click? Yes I;ve seen it and will try it, but when I pay this kind of money for a car, I shouldn't have to start splicing cables to make it work right. 8. Yes, I plan to do that next spring, the RE92s are not going back on for sure. But again, when I pay this kind of money for a high performance machine, I expect to get good tires, I should have to shell out several hundred dollars to get safe tires. Isn't Subaru billing itself as a safety conscious company? 9. not on the XT 5MT, but hey small gripe. It wouldn't bother b=me if the radio was mounted higher. 10. I was not expecting a frugal car, but I was expecting it to consume less than my Highlander V6 Automatic. Even the non-turbo has poor fuel economy, all Subaru's do, and they did even before they all became AWD. Subaru can do better than that if they bring their engine technology into the 21st century. Anyway, I really like the car, but this topic is about gripes right? Why does everyone feel like they have to defend Subie against other people's gripes???