2005 Legacy 2.5

[bill m.]

Any driver comments?

 

[enigma]

Should there be? 2005 Model year starts from August 2004 production.

 

[Stu Hedith]

I test drove the 2.5i last week. Solid. Lighter. Felt good in the
corners (power slides well). Begs for more power, and now has it if you
have the $$$.

Stu

 

[Shane White]

yeh, the clutch pedal rattles above 3000rpm.

 

[rich]

yeh, the clutch pedal rattles above 3000rpm.

huh? mine doesn't. i got a 2005 legacy gt 5-speed a few weeks
ago and love it. lot's of power. great ride. (i'm not really
a car enthusiast so i'm not going to attempt a real review.)


rich

 

[PMS]

Drove one last week. Great handling, Great interior, lacks power, not a
great value when compared with other cars in the same class.

Nice try, but just doesn't quite get it done.

 

[Shane White]

Rich, do you own a GT with a clutch pedal?

huh? mine doesn't. i got a 2005 legacy gt 5-speed a few weeks
ago and love it. lot's of power. great ride. (i'm not really
a car enthusiast so i'm not going to attempt a real review.)


rich

 

[Stu Hedith]

Typically if someone refers to a 5-speed without throwing in the "auto",
it is assumed it's a manual tranny. If you're asking him if his manual
tranny has a clutch pedal, then your complaint will only be further
dismissed.

Stu

 

[AL]

Power to go 15 mph in rush hour traffic? Or just to drive at 60 mph?

hahah

 

[PMS]

Specifically, acceleration is weak. Like cars that cost substantially less
15 MPH in rush hour traffic would not be difficult for the 05 Legacy 2.5.

 

[Bruce Hoult]

Specifically, acceleration is weak. Like cars that cost substantially less
15 MPH in rush hour traffic would not be difficult for the 05 Legacy 2.5.

Why do you think acceleration is weak? Have you tried racing other
cars? Does it have trouble keeping up with the traffic?

In my 2.5L Legacy wagon I find that if I'm first at the lights then
without even trying I'm almost always 20m or 30m in front of the other
cars when we all get to 50 km/h, or 50m - 100m ahead if it's a 100 km/h
speed limit area.

If I'm not at the front at the lights then I need to have my foot only
very *barely* on the gas pedal if I don't want to run into the back of
the car in front of me (which I don't).

I wouldn't call that weak acceleration.

Perhaps you're being fooled by the wide torque curve? Many cars have a
lot of awiting around for something to happen, and then a rush of power
when you hit the powr band. A horizontally-opposed engine gets right
into the "something happening" and doesn't have that rush later. It
just quietly and effortlessly gets the job done.

-- Bruce

 

[AL]

Some think we drive in Germany

Why do you think acceleration is weak? Have you tried racing other
cars? Does it have trouble keeping up with the traffic?

In my 2.5L Legacy wagon I find that if I'm first at the lights then
without even trying I'm almost always 20m or 30m in front of the other
cars when we all get to 50 km/h, or 50m - 100m ahead if it's a 100 km/h
speed limit area.

If I'm not at the front at the lights then I need to have my foot only
very *barely* on the gas pedal if I don't want to run into the back of
the car in front of me (which I don't).

I wouldn't call that weak acceleration.

Perhaps you're being fooled by the wide torque curve? Many cars have a
lot of awiting around for something to happen, and then a rush of power
when you hit the powr band. A horizontally-opposed engine gets right
into the "something happening" and doesn't have that rush later. It
just quietly and effortlessly gets the job done.

-- Bruce

 

[Shane White]

Gee Stu - thanks for claryfying that. I never would have known.
Nothing like an assumption to make an ass out of u and me (read
assume).
Australia doesn't have the manual GT here yet and so I was curious.
Shane.

 

[rich]

Yes, it is a manual transmission GT sedan.

The really sad thing is an SUV backed into me 2.5 weeks
after I got it, so it's in the shop now getting body work. :-(

rich

 

[rich]

Specifically, acceleration is weak. Like cars that cost substantially less
15 MPH in rush hour traffic would not be difficult for the 05 Legacy 2.5.

I don't find the acceleration weak at all in my manual sedan.
It can take off like a rocket if you don't hold back on the gas
pedal.


rich

 

[Chris Phillipo]

Why do you think acceleration is weak? Have you tried racing other
cars? Does it have trouble keeping up with the traffic?

In my 2.5L Legacy wagon I find that if I'm first at the lights then
without even trying I'm almost always 20m or 30m in front of the other
cars when we all get to 50 km/h, or 50m - 100m ahead if it's a 100 km/h
speed limit area.

If I'm not at the front at the lights then I need to have my foot only
very *barely* on the gas pedal if I don't want to run into the back of
the car in front of me (which I don't).

I wouldn't call that weak acceleration.

Perhaps you're being fooled by the wide torque curve? Many cars have a
lot of awiting around for something to happen, and then a rush of power
when you hit the powr band. A horizontally-opposed engine gets right
into the "something happening" and doesn't have that rush later. It
just quietly and effortlessly gets the job done.

-- Bruce

Subaru is now pricing themselves into a class that usually offers 6
cylinder engines if not V8 engines so I can see where he is coming from.

 

[PMS]

Thanks for al the opinions. Most of the rebuttals focused on the
acceleration aspect of my opinion with one poster understanding my point.

For the price Subaru is asking for the vehicle I would expect better
performance. If Subaru priced the vehicle about $2500 less I would not
expect the performance to be exceptional for it's class.

I am currently in the market for a new vehicle and after driving the Legacy
and working with a dealer on his "best price" I found that the Subaru is not
a good value and have moved on. Now I understand why Subaru sells only16000
vehicles in a good month while the other manufacturers sell five to ten
times that many in a month.

 

[HA]

Ya. 16000 vehicles is definitely lower than other cars like Civics or Neons
but it's higher than Benz. Go get another one as I don't want that many
clones on the road anyway. Luckily right now I can still recognize my
Forester on the parking lot with the color and options that differentiate
from others.

 

[Stu Hedith]

My first new car was a '98 GT sedan. I just finished helping my
sister-in-law get a new car and we looked at the legacys. As much as I
have followed Subaru and appreciate the product, I couldn't push her in
that direction, because as you say, the value isn't there. It was when
I got my '98 it's not now. You could get a decked out Mazda 6, V6,
leather, etc. that would smoke the base 2.5i for similar money. Only
difference is AWD. I love it, but for a $3-5000 premium? Uh-no. For
what it's worth, my S-I-L ended up with a 2004 Mazda 6i. four cylinder,
17" wheels, bose, moonroof, manual shift AT, ABS, TCS, side bags. Got
it for $19,273 after $1500 customer cash and $500 new grad rebates.
That was over $300 under invoice.

Stu

 

[PMS]

so, what are the Marketing types at Fuji thinking when they overpriced their
cars for 2005?