Little things that Subaru got right...

to me anyways. I thought after the last few days, it'd be nice to point out things that Subaru has gotten right on the Legacy/Outback. So, here are my anti-nitpicks in no particular order.

 

The cubicle has a very nice, dampened feel to it when you open/close it. When I first opened it, I figured just another crappy door that would smack open and close. Also, its lit from the inside and has a removable pad in it. Plus, its the perfect place for me to leave my house and work keys when I drive.

 

There's a power plug in the armrest. Although I don't have anything to plug in (yet), its nice to know its there. I had to keep swapping between my CD player an AC/DC converter in my previous car. Also, the armrest cubby is pretty spacious in terms of width and height.

 

It has plastic back seats. I know this seems a little weird, and some of you may think I'm crazy. But the seats in the WRX don't have it, and sitting shotgun can be a pain if the guy behind you sticks his knee straight into the back of the chair.

 

I really like the headrests. Just a personal preference.

 

I like the headlights. They're not HIDs, but I like the pattern for the low beams.

 

Intuitive layout of the center console. To me, everything makes sense for the radio/cd player. And the buttons are nice and big, so if I'm wearing gloves I don't hit 5 buttons at the same time. My ex had an I30, and to change discs you had to keep hitting "next disc" when it made more sense to hit "1" for the first one, "2" for the second one...etc.

 

The cupholder cover. When I bought my LGT and waited for the paper work to get processed, I was in an Acura showroom (long story). So, I decided to have a sit down in the RL. And it had the exact same type of cupholders with an almost identical cover. I thought that was nice.

 

The cloth seats don't seem to develop as much static electricity as my previous car. Great for getting out of the car and not having to worry about being electrocuted.

 

Plastics. I think the dashboard has a very nice tactile feel to it.

 

Noise level. I know this is very subjective, i.e. if you're coming from a Lexus ES330 then the LGT is noisier, but most of the time I can hear the clacking of my keyring being jostled over bumps. Some would say if the car had a better suspension then the keys wouldn't jostle, but I would say that being about to hear the noise shows how quiet the rest of the car is (except those damn RE92s!) Also, I move an old warning I got when I was driving from Cleveland to Denver to the passenger side door pocket, and the interior is quiet enough that I can hear it moving around in the pocket.

 

The glovebox. I only have four cars to compare the glovebox to, but the LGT's triumphs over all of them. It has a separate place for the manual, and it seems to be big and accessible. I wonder how many tickets you can stuff in it...

 

The steering wheel. I love it. My folks have a '00 Legacy wagon (Brighton, uggghhh), and if you drive it long enough, it'll skin your hands. Its just too grippy and thin, so you have to apply more pressure than necessary.

 

Finally the gas cap. This was noticed in another thread I read, so I can't take all the credit for it. The tether of the cap is long enough that it sits in the wheel well. Even better, its long enough so you can rest it on the fuel door latch.

 

That's all I can think of for now. If you disagree with me, I'm sure those nitpicks have already been voiced. But, if you have some anti-nitpicks you've noticed, please share.

I like the little foam stopper in the cupholder which can be removed to provide room to put your cup in deeper while still being able to shift. The S2K has an amazing shifter but the second you put a cup in you lose the ability to drive.

 

I also like how the cup holder divider and rubber in the cupholder can be removed to convert it into a large storage space.

 

I like the sound of the Turbo Boxer 4... Apparently other people do too as they turn their heads to hear the wail.

 

I enjoy the seating position and how you can look forward and over the entire hood thus being able to see the road unobstructed

 

I enjoy the windshield wiper de-icers the nice Tach Sweep feature, the electrolumiscent guages

 

I enjoy the perforated leather seats. Compared to cars like the A4 these seats are more well ventilated and are more durable. Also enjoyable in moderation is the seat heater which has the uncanny ability to burn my skin should I be wearing a thin shirt.

 

I enjoy the subtle looks and looks on others faces when their sport coupes get blown away by a 4 door

 

I enjoy the lack of stability control... Others can disagree but I will still enjoy it

 

Finally I enjoy the build quality and durability of this car. I cannot repeat the horror stories of what has happened to this car that should have completely destroyed it as it would other normal cars yet this vehicle still performs flawlessly as if none of these things happened.

 

edit: and the cool little foam storage thing in the spare tire well... oh the things I keep there.....

I can add a couple:

 

I like how the washer fluid nozzels are protected by the hood. Protected from snow and ice.

 

I also like how you can store the cargo cover in the back of the wagon when not in use. There's a perfert cut out for it in the spare tire bay.

How 'bout 250 bhp/250 lb/ft torque... oh wait, that's a big thing .

I like the lights in the doors- they're very bright at night- my driveway is always icy. Well, not in the summer, kekekeke, but I can see where not to step when I open the door.

I like how I can go from just enjoying the ride, jamming to the tunes, to beating down on some peeps with a press of the pedal

I like the audio controls on the most awesome steering wheel.....and also the little orange thingy that the gas cap sits in on your fuel door, so it doesn't hang down into the mud and snow on your fender....

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There's a power plug in the armrest. Although I don't have anything to plug in (yet), its nice to know its there. I had to keep swapping between my CD player an AC/DC converter in my previous car. Also, the armrest cubby is pretty spacious in terms of width and height.

 

Even better is the little notch that allows you to run the power cord from the DC12V plug out of the console. Combine that with the rubberized cup hold door and you have a PERFECT place to plug in the cell phone, leave it be to charge, and never have to worry about it flying around during the twisties. Because the console is pretty spacious there is more than enough room for the entire cord to have just the little power nubby sticking out onubtrusively. This works well for iPod power adapters or whatever your flavor may be.

 

Oh, and since I brought up cell phones, here's my little public service announcement. If you must use the cell phone while driving, please at least use a hands free kit (get bluetooth for wireless if you're lucky enough). 20 year olds with a cell phone have the same reaction time as a 70 year old. Scary.

 

References:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=463588

http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/news/6365786.htm

 

I really wish they would mention which journals these studies were published in.

Just toured the Chicago Auto Show. The Legacy has many things right, especially for the money. We walked away from so many cars just shaking our heads. Example: side benefit of the IRS is it allows for smaller rear wheel arches and a wider cargo floor.

i like the way the lights light up and dim down when you open and shut the doors.

 

i like the gauges and the way the light up a lot.

 

the computer under the cubby is pretty cool - first car i've owned with anything like that. It's pretty accurate at guessing gas mileage as well.

 

I know this an added option -- but i really like the all weather floor mats. I didnt think i would ever use them at first -- now i can't imagine not having them in my car. They are brilliant.

 

the window comes down to the perfect level on the door -- perfect for resting your arm on while driving, or cruising with the windows down.

 

lots of other things as well -- but these are some little things that come to mind.

Im loving the rattles, and what you guys said too

Funny, I just came from the Chicago Auto Show myself...5 min ago.

 

I sat in both the Audi A6 and in God's gift to mankind: the mighty Infinity G35x. Honestly, I can barely tell the difference in quality; the G35x seemed cramped.

 

My friend however (she knows I got the Legacy, but I have not taken it to the University yet) was however impressed with the inside of the Legacy GT. "I can't believe this is a Subaru". I took it as a compliment...and promissed to blow her mind away one of these days by exposing her to the LGT fun factor.

 

the window comes down to the perfect level on the door -- perfect for resting your arm on while driving, or cruising with the windows down.

 

YESSSSS! I live that too!

I like the auto - when in 5th on freeways it goes into eco mode. When I need a bit more power, I simply use the steering buttons to go up a gear even though it's already in 5th and it gives more revs. I feels like a 6-speed auto. I believe it's a Nissan transmission.

 

I like the fuel warning light flashing when low in fuel.

 

I like the leather seats, wheel, boot storage, dash, 13-speaker system, auto air-con.

i like the way the red ring around the fuel gauge blinks when low fuel warning

i like the Elapsed Time blinks hourly, useful during my recent 6 hr drive

i like shopping bag hooks in the cargo area

i like the wide sweep of the HID low beams

i like the sound coming out of the non MacIntosh system

i like the Bilstein rev A handling

On the wagon, when you want to retract the center seat belt into the roof you must press a recessed button to release the belt. The ignition key is just the right size to do this.

On the wagon, when you want to retract the center seat belt into the roof you must press a recessed button to release the belt. The ignition key is just the right size to do this.

Thanks- that one's new to me- I just put it up there and forgot about it.