I need help picking a new car

I just joined here cause I figured you guys where the best to ask. I am looking at a 2010 legacy 2.5i limited. Now i have never owned a car for at least 10 years, just trucks and jeeps but I am tired of the gas and no comfort. My question is that is that 4 cylinder strong enough to last or should I look for one with a bigger engine? It seemed heavy when I test drove it. Besides that it was awesome, it has a smooth transmission, great extras and very comfortable for someone like me at 6.4ft tall.

And yes I just realized after I posted this that I am in the total wrong thread. Sorry

Well your test-drive will tell you if it has "enough power" for your needs... Durability of that engine shouldn't be a problem, but I doubt you'll be running any track days in it! It is a large car, so if you want it to jump off the line you may want to think about a GT or 3.6R. If you just want a point A to point B daily driver, the 2.5i may be the right car for you.

As for helping you pick a new car, that's impossible for us unless you tell us what you need from it... Are you in a snowy climate, cause then AWD is a HUGE plus... manual/automatic? Do you want fun to drive or good fuel economy? Etc etc. Plenty of opinions on here, but they're completely uninformed unless we know what you are looking for...

And obviously you'll get more/better opinions if this gets moved into the 5th Gen forum, or the Other cars vs. Legacy forum or the pre-purchase buying questions forum...

Based on your size, the 5th gen sounds like the best fit.

Test drive a the 2.5i and 3.6R (or GT if you feel like shifting).

Both are good, but you may find yourself wanting with the 2.5i if you're already used to having a decent amount of power under your foot.

While the 2.5i is fully capable, it's not easy to pass people when you're cruising.

What sort of mileage are you hoping to achieve with your new ride?

You can buy my 2012 premium.

Im no drag racer I just want a nice car for road trips and just getting around in style, ha. I live in Massachusetts so it would be nice to have the AWD. I test drove a 2011 3.6r. fast as hell but its 4 grand more than the 2.5i and it doesn't have that smooth CVT transmission.

Originally Posted by sirgrover

Im no drag racer I just want a nice car for road trips and just getting around in style, ha. I live in Massachusetts so it would be nice to have the AWD. I test drove a 2011 3.6r. fast as hell but its 4 grand more than the 2.5i and it doesn't have that smooth CVT transmission.

More power and more upscale vs. smoother shifter and less power.

Personally I'd choose the 3.6r. I don't mind the shifts. Coming from a hydraulic system to an electric or drive by wire throttle and brake was a VERY interesting experience. However eventually my feet got used to it. With the CVT the engine and transmission noise kind of bothered me at first. I know I eventually got used it on my test drive but the automatic on the 3.6r was fine with me too.

If you want CVT with more power, you could always look at the Nissan Juke AWD variant. ;D Not sure if it's YOUR kind of style, lol. But it's the only AWD system I'd buy from Nissan besides the one on the GT-R that is even worth the money. Nissan's "intuitive" (no, it's certainly not) AWD system is just like Toyota's worthless AWD/on-demand 4WD.

For economy and comfort I would go for the 2.5i. And I have the 5th gen wagon, and there's space enough for a grown man in the backseat - even if a well-developed person is in the front seat.

I'm still waiting for the diesel with CVT - I will at least take a test drive to see what it's like.

well thanks alot guys. after looking at all the pro and cons I bought the 2.5i limited. I pick it up tomorrow. I can't believe the warranty they offered, great to know I have nothing to worry about. Chrysler never gave me that feeling.

Originally Posted by sirgrover

well thanks alot guys. after looking at all the pro and cons I bought the 2.5i limited. I pick it up tomorrow. I can't believe the warranty they offered, great to know I have nothing to worry about. Chrysler never gave me that feeling.

I was going to chime in, but I think you made a great choice. You got a car that is going to be reliable, relatively economical and easier to work on than 80% of the cars out there. I bought mine used with 38,000 miles and love the overall package. I came from a Jaguar S-type, so I was sick of the maintenance. I miss the quietness of the Jag and the acceleration, but little else.

Originally Posted by sirgrover

I just joined here cause I figured you guys where the best to ask. I am looking at a 2010 legacy 2.5i limited. Now i have never owned a car for at least 10 years, just trucks and jeeps but I am tired of the gas and no comfort.

That was basically my situation. I drove only pickups and SUV's since the early 1990's. Gas at ~$4/gal and an 80 mile work commute were killing me.

People either love or hate the 2.5i/CVT combo (or CVTs in general). I've learned to love it over your typical nutzo, too many speed auto-magic.

Handling and power are decent, unless you've got 5 adults in the car. Things get sluggish then, as you'd expect.

Reliability and resale tend to be high with Soobies. No worries there.

You may not know this, but given your 2010 is PZEV certified and you live in MA, you have tons of components that are warranted for 15yrs/150K miles. You can't beat it I tells ya.

Joel

I had a 2009 (4th gen) Legacy 2.5i SE for 3 yrs; SE I think b/c of the addition of moonroof, power seat, HK sound system... Anyway, I loved the car for what it was. A semi-luxury vehicle (I think) at affordable cost; dealer gave me for 20k out the door but in leasing term. It had plenty of power for stop and go, which my wife often drove over the speed limit without notice. Coming from the Impreza series, I find the Legacy more luxurious and comfortable. The only 2 things I prefer to have were 1) something better than the 4EAT, which still gave me 26-31 mpg highway, and 2) VIN starts with letter J