2.5i Sport vs. Limited Ride Quality?

A little background on myself: I currently own a 2012 Mazda3 that I've had for 4 years / 130,000 miles. I have a lengthy 40 mile each way commute to work, plus 1-2x per month I take a Chicago to Minneapolis road trip to visit my boyfriend in grad school.

 

I have a joint condition and looking for something more comfortable than my Mazda. It has a lot of road noise, the ride is stiff, and the steering can be fatiguing.

 

A Camry would be the easy answer. But I'm also a car enthusiast and want something with a little bit of personality. The Legacy seems like a really good balance between comfort and personality. The reliability, decent gas mileage, and resale value are attractive since I'll be putting 30,000 miles per year on it.

 

I've driven a Legacy Premium and Legacy Sport. I really liked the look of the Sport, and noticed the handling was a tad sharper than the Premium, but still quite comfortable.

 

I assume the Sport doesn't have the Stablex dampers? If so, how does the ride compare between the Sport w/ 18" wheels and the Limited w/ 18" wheels? Is the Limited worth the $3,000 price increase?

 

Final question: Lapis Blue or Ice Silver?

A little background on myself: I currently own a 2012 Mazda3 that I've had for 4 years / 130,000 miles.

A Camry would be the easy answer. But I'm also a car enthusiast and want something with a little bit of personality. The Legacy seems like a really good balance between comfort and personality. The reliability, decent gas mileage, and resale value are attractive since I'll be putting 30,000 miles per year on it.

Final question: Lapis Blue or Ice Silver?

 

I'm probably not going to answer all of your questions, but I'll give you my opinion on a couple of them. Firstly, I came into my legacy from a 2008 mazda 6 and to be truthful I didn't notice too much difference in the seating "comfort" of the two vehicles. The Subaru is quieter (although there are those on this forum who query the level of quietness ... but I'm happy with the level.) I think I know where you are coming from in regards to "personality" .... if by that you mean "individuality" then that's one reason I chose the Subaru (instead of being one of the "millions" with Toyota's or Mazda's.) I've only had my Legacy for 9 months but I am hoping for the "reliability" and "resale" points that you mentioned. You did not mention "safety" in your post ... that was probably highest on my shopping list, and the legacy with "eyesight" was the deal sealer for me.

 

In regard to color, every second car here is silver so I made up my mind not to get a silver legacy ........ I went to the dealer and on the floor was what I considered a standout looking car ...... BLOODY SILVER ....... so I bought it

Safety-wise, I plan to get one with Eyesight. Its just too good of a package to pass up and the only (affordable) automaker that seems to come close to Subaru's Eyesight technology is Honda's Sensing. I test drove an Accord, and just didn't care for the car. Too big, the steering was heavy, and it didn't ride that smooth.

I may be wrong but I didn't think there was a difference mechanically between the 2 models. From specs I'd read it was just the trims that were different.

There is a difference (already mentioned - Stablex), not sure how it translates into ride comfort, because I only ride around in my Limited.

 

It is a lot less jarring than the 2015 WRX I used to own, but seems sporty enough (with OEM anti-sway bar) to manage sweepers, as long as you don't mind sliding back and forth in the seat, because it does not have side bolstering like the WRX did.

Vehicles equipped with 18-inch wheels feature Subaru’s Stablex-ride suspension set-up. It expands the dampers at low speed to allow more movement of the suspension for a better ride and then reduces them at high speed to minimize body movements. We don’t really feel a difference between the Stablex and the regular suspension at low speeds on broken up roads, but at highway speeds there is a noticeable improvement in ride quality. Regardless of which suspension is installed, the Legacy responds decently, but is not set up for sporty driving like the Mazda6 or Honda Accord. The Subaru is tailored for comfort over handling.

 

http://www.autoguide.com/manufacturer/subaru/2015-subaru-legacy-review-3940.html

I got my 2017 sport right when it came out in July. When I test drove the sport and the limited models I didn't notice any appreciable difference in ride quality between the two.

 

As far as differences between the sport/limited in what the car comes with it basically comes down to this:

 

The limited has the dampers, leather seats, the HK Sound system, different style 18'' wheels, and an air vent for the back seats. This all comes at a ~$3,000 price tag. If you want more horsepower then you have to get the limited and pay another ~$3000. For me the 2.5 has plenty of quickness to it - never had any issues passing or climbing hills, etc.. Driving 30,000 miles a year, I'd want every mile I can get for the gallon of gas so I'd like the 2.5i for that also which gets me around 36-38mpg going 65mph.

 

For my opinion on the differences.... leather seats were a "negative upgrade" of the limited - I just have never liked any car brand leather seat over the cloth comfort wise - I do like the look though. The sports cloth seats are a big upgrade from the premium cloth and for me are the most comfortable seats Subaru has between all of their models/trims. So for me, the enhanced comfort of the the sport cloth compared to the premium cloth plus the look of the leather trim without affecting the comfort was as ideal as I could ask for in a car seat.

 

I liked the looked of the sport model wheels much better and the 18 inch wheels in general fill out the wheel-wells much better than the 17'' premium trim. As I already said I couldn't feel enough difference between the dampers - and coming from an 02 Alero, anything felt like a luxury car in terms of comfort. I've never had problems staying warm/cool in a car that didn't have air vents by the back seats, so for me, that upgrade was ignored.

 

So for me it was easy - I didn't want to spend $3000 for an HK system which was the only feature of the limited I wanted. The sound in the sport is still quite good, especially if you adjust the EQ a little your self which is easy to do.

 

So I spent that money I "saved" on what I really wanted from Subaru - the eyesight/nav package which is definitely worth every penny.

 

For the color....I originally wanted a dark gray or the lapis blue. They couldn't order the blue quickly so they got in a gray one. An identical black one came in at the same time and I immediately wanted that one instead.

 

If I had to pick again today, I would either go with black or blue. The silver is a nice color, but in my opinion takes away from what makes the sport trim stand out and look cool. The big aluminum wheels stand out much better on the darker colors, the nickel color mirror will just look like a slightly different silver on the silver trim, the darker gray painted grill again blends into the silver of the car, the chrome strip at the bottom of the doors blends in a decent amount, and then when you open your door to get in the car you will see... more gray... with the seats and the roof lining color. All of these things that I thought "blended in" on the Silver, made the black look that much better (more so than the black limited too).

 

So if you love that silver color and want a ton of it, Ice silver is for you! If you are more like me and like the way contrasting portions of dark/light colors accent the car look, then go with a darker color like the Lapis Blue. If you are slightly OCD then the blue accent stitching on the seats will go great with the blue car, haha.

 

Overall, I think the sport trim is the best value you can get in the legacy. You can get basically every option package Subaru has plus all of the upgrades of the limited (push button start, better seats, bigger wheels, auto climate control etc..). If you "need" leather seats then you have to go limited. If you don't then you basically have to decide if the HK sound is worth $3000. The sport still has upgraded speaks and the tweeters which are better than the lower trims as well.

 

Have fun choosing!

There is a difference (already mentioned - Stablex), not sure how it translates into ride comfort, because I only ride around in my Limited.

 

It is a lot less jarring than the 2015 WRX I used to own, but seems sporty enough (with OEM anti-sway bar) to manage sweepers, as long as you don't mind sliding back and forth in the seat, because it does not have side bolstering like the WRX did.

Vehicles equipped with 18-inch wheels feature Subaru’s Stablex-ride suspension set-up. It expands the dampers at low speed to allow more movement of the suspension for a better ride and then reduces them at high speed to minimize body movements. We don’t really feel a difference between the Stablex and the regular suspension at low speeds on broken up roads, but at highway speeds there is a noticeable improvement in ride quality. Regardless of which suspension is installed, the Legacy responds decently, but is not set up for sporty driving like the Mazda6 or Honda Accord. The Subaru is tailored for comfort over handling.

 

http://www.autoguide.com/manufacturer/subaru/2015-subaru-legacy-review-3940.html

 

Thanks for the feedback! I suppose another option would be to buy a Sport and retrofit/upgrade to the Stablex dampers later on.

Limited also has HID OEM headlights, at least as an option. That was one of the main requirements for me, either LED or HID headlights.

 

After retrofitting the WRX, I preferred getting them stock to eliminate the hassle of doing another retrofit, and halogen headlights at this point were a dealbreaker for me.

 

Seems like Stablex would mainly improve highway driving speeds, not the typical test drive off the Subaru lot, so probably hard to judge it based upon a test drive.

I got my 2017 sport right when it came out in July. When I test drove the sport and the limited models I didn't notice any appreciable difference in ride quality between the two.

 

As far as differences between the sport/limited in what the car comes with it basically comes down to this:

 

The limited has the dampers, leather seats, the HK Sound system, different style 18'' wheels, and an air vent for the back seats. This all comes at a ~$3,000 price tag. If you want more horsepower then you have to get the limited and pay another ~$3000. For me the 2.5 has plenty of quickness to it - never had any issues passing or climbing hills, etc.. Driving 30,000 miles a year, I'd want every mile I can get for the gallon of gas so I'd like the 2.5i for that also which gets me around 36-38mpg going 65mph.

 

For my opinion on the differences.... leather seats were a "negative upgrade" of the limited - I just have never liked any car brand leather seat over the cloth comfort wise - I do like the look though. The sports cloth seats are a big upgrade from the premium cloth and for me are the most comfortable seats Subaru has between all of their models/trims. So for me, the enhanced comfort of the the sport cloth compared to the premium cloth plus the look of the leather trim without affecting the comfort was as ideal as I could ask for in a car seat.

 

I liked the looked of the sport model wheels much better and the 18 inch wheels in general fill out the wheel-wells much better than the 17'' premium trim. As I already said I couldn't feel enough difference between the dampers - and coming from an 02 Alero, anything felt like a luxury car in terms of comfort. I've never had problems staying warm/cool in a car that didn't have air vents by the back seats, so for me, that upgrade was ignored.

 

So for me it was easy - I didn't want to spend $3000 for an HK system which was the only feature of the limited I wanted. The sound in the sport is still quite good, especially if you adjust the EQ a little your self which is easy to do.

 

So I spent that money I "saved" on what I really wanted from Subaru - the eyesight/nav package which is definitely worth every penny.

 

For the color....I originally wanted a dark gray or the lapis blue. They couldn't order the blue quickly so they got in a gray one. An identical black one came in at the same time and I immediately wanted that one instead.

 

If I had to pick again today, I would either go with black or blue. The silver is a nice color, but in my opinion takes away from what makes the sport trim stand out and look cool. The big aluminum wheels stand out much better on the darker colors, the nickel color mirror will just look like a slightly different silver on the silver trim, the darker gray painted grill again blends into the silver of the car, the chrome strip at the bottom of the doors blends in a decent amount, and then when you open your door to get in the car you will see... more gray... with the seats and the roof lining color. All of these things that I thought "blended in" on the Silver, made the black look that much better (more so than the black limited too).

 

So if you love that silver color and want a ton of it, Ice silver is for you! If you are more like me and like the way contrasting portions of dark/light colors accent the car look, then go with a darker color like the Lapis Blue. If you are slightly OCD then the blue accent stitching on the seats will go great with the blue car, haha.

 

Overall, I think the sport trim is the best value you can get in the legacy. You can get basically every option package Subaru has plus all of the upgrades of the limited (push button start, better seats, bigger wheels, auto climate control etc..). If you "need" leather seats then you have to go limited. If you don't then you basically have to decide if the HK sound is worth $3000. The sport still has upgraded speaks and the tweeters which are better than the lower trims as well.

 

Have fun choosing!

 

I appreciate hearing your first-hand experience, especially since you went through a similar decision process as myself.

 

I'm settled on the 2.5i for the reasons you mentioned: mileage. I could go either way on the leather seats vs. cloth though. The only reason I'm considering the Limited is the potential upgrade in ride comfort. If the difference is minor, I think the Sport is the "sweet" spot in the Legacy lineup.

 

Regarding paint colors: I've been trying to put my finger on why Ice Silver looks better on the Limited than it does on the Sport. I think you hit the nail on the head: On the Sport, the mirrors and chrome trim are too close to the Ice Silver paint. On other colors the mirrors and chrome trim provide a nice contrast.

Limited also has HID OEM headlights, at least as an option. That was one of the main requirements for me, either LED or HID headlights.

 

After retrofitting the WRX, I preferred getting them stock to eliminate the hassle of doing another retrofit, and halogen headlights at this point were a dealbreaker for me.

 

Seems like Stablex would mainly improve highway driving speeds, not the typical test drive off the Subaru lot, so probably hard to judge it based upon a test drive.

 

Agreed, it's difficult to get a sense for these differences from just a short test drive, which is why I wanted to ask the question here.

 

I'm not too worried about retrofitting the Stablex dampers... it should be no different than replacing worn shocks.

I was a Premium trim (cloth seats) kinda guy with my Impreza, then WRX, but I think the Legacy leather is very good.

 

I love the eyesight system, like the autodimming side mirrors, required HID headlights as stated before, 2.5 is completely adequate for this car imho.

 

White is the best color, since it won't show dirt, imho.

 

Skip the Subaru all weather mats though, weathertech are so much better it is worth going directly to those.

I went to Heuberger Subaru this past Monday to look at researching a new car; was debating between the Honda Accord and Subaru Legacy. Subaru is noticeably cheaper for a new car and beats Honda in safety aspects by far. After speaking with a salesman he showed me the Sport model after we drove a Legacy Premium. I preferred the Sport over the Premium on the value and looks. Both rode very similar to me but the Sport was a few thousand cheaper and had exactly what I wanted. We walked out that day with a new Sport model and won't look back. The car drives amazing in the little time I've had in it. It's extremely comfortable, has more than enough power in the 2.5, and gas mileage looks amazing so far. I drive around 100 miles per day for work and I'm at 150 miles and am just short of reaching 1/8 of a tank. Hard to argue against for me.

I love the ride of my Limited, and the full leather seats and mine is silver and I love it! Love everything about it especially silver it has a lot of metallic in it and sort of changes hues depending on the lighting, not your typical silver, just love the look and drive of it!

Just wanted to give an update: I'm now the happy owner of a '17 Legacy Sport in Crystal Black Silica! Yesterday afternoon I ducked out of work early to stop by the dealership and decide on a color. They didn't have black in stock, but located one at a local dealer. By 9 am this morning, it was prepped and ready to go.

Congrats you will love it! Enjoy!

Been driving it for a full week now to and from work for a round trip of 100 miles a day. Drives like a champ, rides amazing, lights are perfect as I drive long open expanses with a lot of animals at night. Got around 530 miles on the first tank before I hit 1/4 tank. Filled it up today and got just over 34 mpg. Can't wait to see if it does better as the engine breaks in. All my other vehicles get better mileage from Sams Club, King Soopers, Conoco gas stations; Costco gives me the worst mileage by a few mpg.

^^The contrast of the dark and chrome looks sweet, especially with tint:wub:

Been driving it for a full week now to and from work for a round trip of 100 miles a day. Drives like a champ, rides amazing, lights are perfect as I drive long open expanses with a lot of animals at night. Got around 530 miles on the first tank before I hit 1/4 tank. Filled it up today and got just over 34 mpg. Can't wait to see if it does better as the engine breaks in. All my other vehicles get better mileage from Sams Club, King Soopers, Conoco gas stations; Costco gives me the worst mileage by a few mpg.

 

Today was my second day driving mine to work. My round trip commute is about 85 miles. The last 5 miles of my commute are 2 lane country roads.

 

The ride seems to be getting even smoother as the car breaks in. Agreed on the headlights: I was bummed I couldn't get HIDs on the Sport trim. But honestly, these are really good for halogen projectors. The fog lights do a good job of lighting up the edges of the road. The steering is nice and light at parking lot speeds and during normal driving, and firms up nicely during hard corners.

 

Overall, I'm really happy with the car. I feel much less fatigued after my long commute due the smoother ride, lighter steering, Eyesight, and quieter cabin. And it manages to be comfortable while still retaining a personality.

Costco gives me the worst mileage by a few mpg.

 

I concur!

 

Laughter is good for the Soul.

^^The contrast of the dark and chrome looks sweet, especially with tint:wub:

 

This was the best looking, classic, but elegant trim and color combo I say with the Sport model. It was not tinted initially. After it returned from the tint shop, I could not find it from the looks changing so much. Very impressed with the look and style let alone the drive of the vehicle.

Does anyone know what parts are needed to upgrade to the Stablex system? Is it just to buy the struts with the Stablex option?

Does anyone know what parts are needed to upgrade to the Stablex system? Is it just to buy the struts with the Stablex option?

 

I'm curious about this as well. Really happy with the ride of my Legacy Sport, but when it comes time for new shocks I wouldn't mind trying to make the ride even smoother.

https://www.worldoemparts.com/worldsuzukisubaruparts/shocks-and-struts/2016-subaru-legacy

 

best I can find for you.

I have the limited 2016, honestly it feels slow compaired to my old 2.5i 2005

But wait, my limited has HIDs? I thought it was just a projector housing. I can just replace the bulbs? I have a canbus kit in the mail. Lol