Thinking of Buying a 5th Gen

Hey All,

 

I currently own a 4th Gen LGT (3 years now) and been slowly thinking of getting a newer car, I plan on buying a FXT in the future but the wife suggested in getting a newer LGT also. What are some things I should know about the 5th Gen?

 

Thanks,

The GT ended in 2012, with 2010-2012 being the full run of the generation for the GT. Try to find a 2012 if you can, and an 11 barring that, though there is absolutely nothing wrong with a 2010 if that's all you can find. At this point, most cars should have had all their updates taken care of, but 2010 had a wheel-wander issue at highway speeds (this was long before I owned my own, and was taken care of in a TSB).

 

First thing to know, depending on which year and the mileage on it, you'll likely want to address aging suspension components. The shocks and springs for all the 10-12 models were a bit squishy, and a nice option to improve on this is using the springs and struts from a 13-14 Legacy. Though the GT died in 12, the 13-14 springs and struts are compatible, and have improved shock and spring rates for a much better ride. Also, upgrade the rear sway bar if the original 16mm is still in there. The 20 mm rear sway bar from a 2015 STI is a direct fit that is very inexpensive.

 

I'm sure some of the GT owners will chime in with good info relating to any engine things to watch out for, I personally can't help you there.

Edited November 20, 2019 by Humble Rumble

I agree with Humble Rumble on the suspension. The stock shifter is pretty bad too. With a little luck, the car you buy will have the STI shifter accessory (I have noticed when looking at used 5th Gen GT's that quite a few have them.)

 

The 5th Gen turbo engine has dual AVCS and low mount turbo, so it has better low end torque than the 4th Gen GT. Subaru seemed to eliminate the turbo failure issues that plague 4th Gen GT. The 5th Gen makes more power at similar stage than the 4th Gen, but the after market is very limited. (ie If you looking for a project heavily modify the 4th Gen is probably better.)

 

The interior is much roomier. The Bluetooth connectivity is nice feature for hands free operation of cellphone with a MT. There are some interior features I like about the 4th Gen though too.

In the same spirit as other turbo subies I would forgo a modded LGT if there is an unmolested one available. Having said that, a tastefully modded example would be nice to find as well. There is a member selling one on the Facebook group, maybe more than one.

 

There are some caveats to 2012 models, the interiors were all black and there may be a few other things like the trim available, maybe all leather as well I can't remember that part. The most selection and options is going to come in the 2010 and 2011 models.

yea, I found a 2010 around me, looks pretty stock from the pictures. I do not plan to go nuts modding it, maybe some simple things (rims, brakes and whatnot). It will be a DD so I cant go crazy trying to make it something.

I heartily second the rear sway bar and other suspension upgrades. Big improvement with no threats to reliability or resale, IMO.

The GT ended in 2012, with 2010-2012 being the full run of the generation for the GT. Try to find a 2012 if you can, and an 11 barring that, though there is absolutely nothing wrong with a 2010 if that's all you can find. At this point, most cars should have had all their updates taken care of, but 2010 had a wheel-wander issue at highway speeds (this was long before I owned my own, and was taken care of in a TSB).

 

First thing to know, depending on which year and the mileage on it, you'll likely want to address aging suspension components. The shocks and springs for all the 10-12 models were a bit squishy, and a nice option to improve on this is using the springs and struts from a 13-14 Legacy. Though the GT died in 12, the 13-14 springs and struts are compatible, and have improved shock and spring rates for a much better ride. Also, upgraded the rear sway bar if the original 16mm is still in there. The 20 mm rear sway bar from a 2015 STI is a direct fit that is very inexpensive.

 

I'm sure some of the GT owners will chime in with good info relating to any engine things to watch out for, I personally can't help you there.

 

My '13 2.5i has an awesome ride with the stock shocks/springs. It feels very sporty and really makes the car feel planted to the ground. Definently agree with Humble Rumble!

Try to find one that has decent records of maintenance (same as any other car). I second (or third) the larger rear sway bar and shifter upgrades. If it is going to be a DD you should be fine. There is a lot of info on this forum and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

 

 

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Thats some good information, thanks ya'll. Like I said earlier, I found one not that far but decided to expand my search and found some nice options with low milage. Going to try to do the numbers and see if it is worth it to sell my current car or try to keep it as a project car. May look at trying to sell it and use the Legacy as my more summer and pick up the FXT like I said for my winter needs. I currently dont drive a lot so if I find lower milage stuff, it works best. I will start to look at some part prices for the 5th gen so if I pull the trigger on the car I will just order the parts and have them ready

those cars are hard to come by and at least in my area a lot are beat down or salvage rebuilds...

 

 

inspect the car before you buy and I would go as far as to do a compression test and intercooler inspection for oil ingestion from the turbo...