I REALLY want 06-09 gt but everyone says I'll be buying a money pit

So I'm recently in the market for a new car, and 06-09 manual 2.5 gt is my #1 choice

I love that it'll be awd considering I live in the pacific northwest. Plenty of power and I've always loved the way they look yada yada yada. Now, I've always been lead to believe that Subaru's were reliable cars, but when i mention my interest in purchasing one to my brother or friends (all gear heads)

they just say "have fun with transmissions problems" or "the turbos in those never last that long" I know that many things can factor into purchasing a quality used car like previous owner, how it had been driven, timely/professional maintenance and up keep. I also know that the folks on here might have a biased opinion and probably all love there leggy, but can someone please give me some insight on what I'm really getting myself into if i get one, or maybe certain things i should do right away to ensure the longevity and health of the car

 

All advice is greatly appreciated thank you

The LGT doesn't break gears like the old WRX's 5MT did in stock or lightly modified configuration. The LGT 5MT will hold about 400ft lbs (at the crank) of torque reliably, but if you bang shift gears and launch at 5k a lot, expect it to break.

 

The turbos can be hit or miss. Some owners take great care of their car and the turbos blow, but then again there's a lot of us that have higher mileage cars and the turbo is fine. My car is at 104k and saw 4 years of autocross. I just checked the turbo shaft play two weeks ago and it was still as solid as it was when I first installed my downpipe at about 40k miles on the odo.

I have an 07 GT, almost 120000 miles now--bought it new---since new I have followed the required maintenance schedule except oil changes---book says 7500 miles I have it done between 5500 and 6000 miles--I use Red Line synthetic oil. I have only had one "expensive" repair---the radiator at 115000 miles--

the car is an automatic by the way--

the only bothersome item is the seat belt light--driver side. when it it warm outside (above 70 degrees) or when it sits in the sun it goes out--and every time I take it to the dealer---it goes out before I get there---don't have the $100 per hour for them to "look" for the problem but the passenger side always goes out. I would recommend buying one if I knew the maintenance history---there is a small set of filters in the turbo lubrication system and if the oil is not changed regularly they can clog up and the turbo can be damaged.

I have an 07 GT, almost 120000 miles now--bought it new---since new I have followed the required maintenance schedule except oil changes---book says 7500 miles I have it done between 5500 and 6000 miles--I use Red Line synthetic oil. I have only had one "expensive" repair---the radiator at 115000 miles--

the car is an automatic by the way--

the only bothersome item is the seat belt light--driver side. when it it warm outside (above 70 degrees) or when it sits in the sun it goes out--and every time I take it to the dealer---it goes out before I get there---don't have the $100 per hour for them to "look" for the problem but the passenger side always goes out. I would recommend buying one if I knew the maintenance history---there is a small set of filters in the turbo lubrication system and if the oil is not changed regularly they can clog up and the turbo can be damaged.

 

Your map light needs to be re-soldered its take about 15 mintues does the trick every all the time, like Sham-WOW

So I'm recently in the market for a new car, and 06-09 manual 2.5 gt is my #1 choice

I love that it'll be awd considering I live in the pacific northwest. Plenty of power and I've always loved the way they look yada yada yada. Now, I've always been lead to believe that Subaru's were reliable cars, but when i mention my interest in purchasing one to my brother or friends (all gear heads)

they just say "have fun with transmissions problems" or "the turbos in those never last that long" I know that many things can factor into purchasing a quality used car like previous owner, how it had been driven, timely/professional maintenance and up keep. I also know that the folks on here might have a biased opinion and probably all love there leggy, but can someone please give me some insight on what I'm really getting myself into if i get one, or maybe certain things i should do right away to ensure the longevity and health of the car

 

All advice is greatly appreciated thank you

 

They're right, technically.

 

5MTs don't stand up to people who can't drive stick and/or abuse the car; and eventually, they will break.

 

You sound like a young guy, and the best advice I can give you is to make sure you've got a good job and a stable life that can support the kind of money you'll need to put into a car like the LGT. Engine rebuilds, which are common, cost about $5k, on average. If you are still in college and/or living at home and haven't actually started your real life yet, I highly advise against buying any turbocharged Subaru, unless you're really good at getting mom/dad/someone else to foot the repair bills for you.

 

The NA Legacies are very reliable from 07+, and, if that's what you're looking for, those are what you'll want.

I had to pay almost 2k right after I bought my car. For exactly what your friends say. First was the throwout bearing, then the turbo went. At least they're easy cars to work on

My motor went 28 days after I bought it!

seboozydachulo - As others have said, buying a used Subaru turbo can get expensive. If the turbo itself craps the bed, many time metal fragments from the busted turbo kills the engine. You are then looking at a rebuild ($$ if you do it, $$$$ if you have it done at a shop).

 

The 5mt is a good tranny, but if you try and drive like Ken Block shooting a Gymkana video your gonna break it. Lot's of guys here have done track days and autocross (myself included) and have not had problems with the tranny. This is at reasonable power levels BTW, once you get to 400+ TQ or HP all bets are off. This goes for your engine too.

 

There are a bunch of other "little" things about these cars that go bad too....Axles boots wear out and tear....wheel bearings go bad....the clutch is undersized for the power this car puts down, so they tend to wear our faster than other cars....and the list goes on. So it you are on a tight budget....not the best car.

 

That all being said, these are still good cars. They make a lot of power for a 4 banger (but at the same time suck down the gas). They have a very nice AWD system. They are some of the best looking cars Subaru ever made IMO. The wagon varients can haul a bunch of carp and do it FAST!!

 

Overall I think it could work if you and your brother and / or buddies know how to turn a wrench and aren't scared to get dirty. These cars are not super hard to work on like some German cars (look up changing a timing belt on a Audi 2.7 turbo V6 engine. YIKES! ) When I bought my Outback XT the most complicated thing I had done was change spark plugs on a car. Now I am 100,000 miles in on this car and I have changed axles, clutch twice , starter, wheel bearings, brakes, suspension and a bunch of other crap. This was all pretty much self taught, but not possible without the collective knowledge of this forum and the internet.

 

Bottom line, if you want a performance wagon to haul serious booty and are willing to work on the car your self (or have a bunch of $$$ for repairs at a shop), this is the car for you. If you are not willing or don't have the cash for repairs, you should look at something else.

 

Best of luck!

buying a sedan in hte PNW is going to have a premium 'cause everyone wants one. Check on the for sale threads. Also on the Pacific Northwest section - lots of owners are active there. Also look on FB (if you do that), as there is an active LGT group there.

Even if the car is reliable it will still be a mod money pit....

I'm on my 2nd LGT. I had an 06 prior to my current 05. I had it almost 3 years with no issues. It was Stage 2 and had upgraded brakes. Only sold it to buy an SUV. That lasted 8 months, now I am back in an 05 LGT. So far only issue I've had is a wheel bearing.

If you maintain them and not beat on them, like everyone says, they'll last.

If you are patient, and look for the right vehicle to buy, you could end up with the funnest, nicest car you've ever owned! I bought my 07 with 53k miles on it in December last year, and ive put 27k miles on it since then, using it for work so I dont drive it hard at all. Its stage 2 with an Etune from Bren Tuning, and its by far one of my favorite cars I have owned since I got my license! its super comfy inside, and driving it is a pretty amazing experience. Im looking forward to doing some more mods in the near future, but for now its all stock other than the downpipe and accessport. I run all Motul Fluids, which are by far the best on the market for our cars in my opinion, and ive had no issues with anything. Good luck with your search and be patient! dont buy the first one you see

Buying a used Legacy GT is just like buying any used turbocharged vehicle with a cult following. Try to buy one from it's original owner who hasn't modded the car in any way, has babied the car throughout its life and has kept all of it's service records.

 

That's basically me. I bought my 2007 LGT from a dealer, it's completely stock down to its air filter, has been driven less than 10,000 miles a year and has been completely flawless.

 

Of course I'm not selling but you get the point.

The NA Legacies are very reliable from 07+, and, if that's what you're looking for, those are what you'll want.

 

Sorry to semi-zombie this thread, but I'm in the market for an NA Legacy, and this particular point stood out.

 

Is there something on the 05-06 models that would be seen as less than desirable, in terms of reliability? I'm looking for an 05-09 model, and I'd like to make sure I pick the right one...

Sorry to semi-zombie this thread, but I'm in the market for an NA Legacy, and this particular point stood out.

 

Is there something on the 05-06 models that would be seen as less than desirable, in terms of reliability? I'm looking for an 05-09 model, and I'd like to make sure I pick the right one...

 

05-06 still had HG issues, that's all.

05-06 still had HG issues, that's all.

 

All the BL/BP NA Legacies used the EJ253 thought, right? Was 2007 a switch to an MLS gasket, or something?

I have a 2009 2.5i and my HGs just got replaced by Subaru under the Extended Warranty. Both were leaking @ 61k miles... Other than that no other issues.

My 09 N/A just had the HGs done as well

Yeah I pretty much just assume every Subaru with the NA 2.5 will need headgaskets at some point in time.