Questions about 10 & 11 Legacy models - engine/trans

I'm thinking about getting a Legacy and I wanted to get some feedback on the 2010 and 2011 engines and transmissions. I'm mainly curious about how they are for traveling with a loaded car.

 

On longer road trips with around 750-1000 lbs of passengers + luggage combined, does the 2.5i in either CVT or manual have the power for freeway merges and passing on 2-lane roads, or is it very sluggish? How does the manual compare to the CVT, do you have more control over power via downshifting? I need to test drive the various setups, but it's still not a great comparison because of the weight difference between test drive and when the car is actually loaded and no hills in this area. I've driven the 3.6 and it had plenty of power.

 

I've been considering LGT, both for looks and I could granny drive it on my short daily commute and hopefully get better mileage than the 3.6. The base model would be fine for my daily commute and save 6-10K based on options. However, I'm not sure it would have the pep for 4 passengers + luggage + ski/snowboard gear on trips to the mountains.

 

This is coming from the perspective of driving a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee I6 with 195 HP / 230 torque per Edmunds.

Hello oh great apathetic one (just sounds right, ahem).

 

Great question. I have the GT model and just tooled around Los Angeles Saturday morning with about 850 pounds of people. You don't want to do that with the 2.5i with any transmission. It won't be a happy time.

 

Either the turbo or H6 would be a fine choice. It really comes down to your preference regarding transmissions and maybe fuel. Remember that the turbo uses premium only.

 

Regards,

 

Pete

My friend takes his 2.5i with the CVT to Tahoe frequently without any issues. I've driven my wife's 2.5i Impreza with a 4EAT and 3 people + gear, and it isn't a speed demon, but its usable.

 

The CVT does a good job of getting everything out of the engine, so its serviceable. I suspect it'll feel about like your Grand Cherokee in terms of acceleration, maybe 0.2 slower in a loaded 0-60. If that level of performance is good enough, enjoy the savings both in initial price and later in gas.

Thanks for the responses. I drove regular 2.5 manual and CVT last weekend and I really liked the CVT, but I could tell it would be sluggish with a load. I'm going to try to drive an LGT this weekend. There are a couple of 2010s about an hour away.

 

It's going to be a tough decision, even at that point, I think. The CVT would be fine for 90% of my driving, great for my daily commute. LGT would better for heavily loaded trips and more fun to drive and look better if I decide to do some cosmetic mods.

You might also want to consider a 3.6R if you'd prefer an automatic. The power is similar to a stock LGT. The LGT has more potential for upgrades, but it doesn't sound like that would be an issue for you.

I was a bit leary of the CVT when I first test drove it, but I hafta give props to Subaru. It constantly surprises me. It seems to know what I'm thinking and accelerates much better than a normal automatic transmission. I've had several people ask me if I have a 6 cyl because it climbs hills / merges so well. Of course, it's no LGT, but it does very well.

(This coming from a person who drove 5 or 6 speed manual cars for the last 20 years)

 

Zim