Sourcing a used Legacy
Discussion
Lotobear said:
Willing to travel for right car.
How far?? 
2009 is last of the Gen4 line, and colour is hard to find...
https://www.carsales.com.au/private/details/Subaru...
Lotobear said:
I'm looking for an 05-08 Legacy estate or Outback with sensible miles, 2.0 or 2.5 petrol engine, and manual transmission.
Can anyone suggest an independent or better still if you know of one let me know. Willing to travel for right car.
Cheers
would your budget stretch to the new model from 2009-2014?? If so i can highly recommend one. Can anyone suggest an independent or better still if you know of one let me know. Willing to travel for right car.
Cheers
Rasta,
It's not a budget thing as in fact you see many of the subsequent generation priced similar to the old versions which I think tells it's own story.
It's just simply that I don't like the later ones - probably a very good car but bigger, less elegant and.... no frameless doors!
Also, no manual petrol.
I had two of the older Legacys from new back then and I still miss them. I went on to an A4 Allroad, then 3 succesive Skodas, currently a VRS230 and none of them match up to the ownership experience.
there's a depth of engineering well beneath the interior finish on a Legacy this is matched in no VAG or similar product but then you already know that!
Would have had a Levorg but not with that engine and transmission set up
It's not a budget thing as in fact you see many of the subsequent generation priced similar to the old versions which I think tells it's own story.
It's just simply that I don't like the later ones - probably a very good car but bigger, less elegant and.... no frameless doors!
Also, no manual petrol.
I had two of the older Legacys from new back then and I still miss them. I went on to an A4 Allroad, then 3 succesive Skodas, currently a VRS230 and none of them match up to the ownership experience.
there's a depth of engineering well beneath the interior finish on a Legacy this is matched in no VAG or similar product but then you already know that!
Would have had a Levorg but not with that engine and transmission set up
Lotobear said:
Rasta,
It's not a budget thing as in fact you see many of the subsequent generation priced similar to the old versions which I think tells it's own story.
It's just simply that I don't like the later ones - probably a very good car but bigger, less elegant and.... no frameless doors!
Also, no manual petrol.
I had two of the older Legacys from new back then and I still miss them. I went on to an A4 Allroad, then 3 succesive Skodas, currently a VRS230 and none of them match up to the ownership experience.
there's a depth of engineering well beneath the interior finish on a Legacy this is matched in no VAG or similar product but then you already know that!
Would have had a Levorg but not with that engine and transmission set up
Completely agree!It's not a budget thing as in fact you see many of the subsequent generation priced similar to the old versions which I think tells it's own story.
It's just simply that I don't like the later ones - probably a very good car but bigger, less elegant and.... no frameless doors!
Also, no manual petrol.
I had two of the older Legacys from new back then and I still miss them. I went on to an A4 Allroad, then 3 succesive Skodas, currently a VRS230 and none of them match up to the ownership experience.
there's a depth of engineering well beneath the interior finish on a Legacy this is matched in no VAG or similar product but then you already know that!
Would have had a Levorg but not with that engine and transmission set up
I have an ‘04 Outback which I bought in 2007 and it’s been the best all-rounder I’ve ever had. Nidging 120k miles but other than the usual issues (replaced exhaust system with stainless, rear wheel bearings, replaced brake calipers/disks as the car sits in the week and scoob Tokico’s are renoun for seizing) it’s been good as gold.
The newer ones got fatter and uglier - can’t atand them and the diesel engine issues are well documented.
It’s only worth about £2k now but I can’t bring myself to replace it. Leather, climate and all the toys - incredible value motoring. Good luck finding a good one (2.5 SE manual would be my choice)
5er said:
MDMA . said:
Are these chaps any good? i always buy private.5er said:
Fair enough. Didn't know if you'd dealt with them or not.
A Legacy or Outback 3.0 auto is on the shortlist for my next car, but there's hardly any decent low-iish mileage ones about.
They always seem to have a decent selection, but you never know until you have a look. Prices seem pretty strong. I paid £3700 for my 1 owner, 2005 UK Legacy 4 years ago which wasn't cheap then. So they either firmed up a lot recently or very overpriced. A Legacy or Outback 3.0 auto is on the shortlist for my next car, but there's hardly any decent low-iish mileage ones about.
Lotobear said:
Rasta,
It's not a budget thing as in fact you see many of the subsequent generation priced similar to the old versions which I think tells it's own story.
It's just simply that I don't like the later ones - probably a very good car but bigger, less elegant and.... no frameless doors!
Also, no manual petrol.
I had two of the older Legacys from new back then and I still miss them. I went on to an A4 Allroad, then 3 succesive Skodas, currently a VRS230 and none of them match up to the ownership experience.
there's a depth of engineering well beneath the interior finish on a Legacy this is matched in no VAG or similar product but then you already know that!
Would have had a Levorg but not with that engine and transmission set up
Look I wouldnt be so dismissive if I were you. I was in your position in 2015. I hadnt a clue what to buy but knew I needed 4wd and an estate living in alpine Switzerland. I looked around me and every other car here is a subaru. Then it clicked with me about the Legacy (I also remembered watching Niall Maguire and Richard Burns rallying them). I bought a 2014 model with 17,000km on the clock. Its the 2.5i model with about 180bhp. I wasnt gone on the looks but when was there ever a nice looking subaru. I wanted a white one but there was none available matching all the other criteria. Thats the only thing i would change. It's not a budget thing as in fact you see many of the subsequent generation priced similar to the old versions which I think tells it's own story.
It's just simply that I don't like the later ones - probably a very good car but bigger, less elegant and.... no frameless doors!
Also, no manual petrol.
I had two of the older Legacys from new back then and I still miss them. I went on to an A4 Allroad, then 3 succesive Skodas, currently a VRS230 and none of them match up to the ownership experience.
there's a depth of engineering well beneath the interior finish on a Legacy this is matched in no VAG or similar product but then you already know that!
Would have had a Levorg but not with that engine and transmission set up
When I was looking for one our garage man warned us off the diesel version. He said that quite a few had been sold in Switzerland and they have a poor reputation for reliability relative to the petrol model which is 'tried and tested' with the same engine going into the Impreza Forrester XV for the Swiss market. I do about 30,000km a year and the car has not missed a beat since i bought it at one year old in August 2015. Its now a 89500km. The comfort and standard equipment levels are very very high. I can highly recommend it in this regard. The Bluetooth is a bit fiddly to set up and there are some build quality issues such as the boot cargo cover having a clip that falls off every time you use it and the cup holders having a partition piece that comes out whenever you but a large water bottle in it. In terms of petrol use, the tank has a range of 800km and I would do about 650km per week. So I fill it every week and it costs with todays prices 80chf per week or a little less. Thats about 80e give or take. But all that is only minor in the overall context. Service is every 15000km. Do not neglect this and make sure the previous Owner has not either., especially if you do plump for the diesel. Cabin noise is quite low but then you miss a little of the boxer burble. I miss it in the winter anyway as I have to run winter tyres which are super hard super noisy but work well on the snow and Ice. Also I would go for 16" alloys. The arches may look a bit starved but your back will be glad of it as the suspension is a touch on the hard side. Handling is quite good but the steering can lack a little bit of 'feel'. The Awd system lets you really push it into the corners and it grips forever. Torque isnt particularly great but they have a good top end. The Manual gearbox is notchy at first and takes some getting used to. But honestly they are beasts on the road and will conceivably allow you in poor road conditions to leave the posse behind. In normal conditions they are not the fastest on the road but certainly not the slowest. They are quite hard to drive with the Awd in traffic as its a permanent system and so the car can be quite jumpy at low speeds. But otherwise the system is simpler and yet far far superior than the Haldex systems on for example VW group cars. If you need to know anything more then PM me (photo of mine below). Oh and by the way, the cops in the alps drive them (see below):
I think Im well placed to recommend one to you given that Ive spent two hours in one on a daily basis since 2015. As regards to the Levorg, similar to the above, I would suggest that you try one before you dismiss. I have never driven something that corners so hard and so even. Honestly you can lose people for dust on mountain roads in one. and I had one for the day last year. Its got Delta integrale like balance through the corners. the transmission is excellent, NOT a slushbox, and the engine can be tuned very easily. A colleague put a new map on his to 225bhp and has a set of eibach shocks too. makes it hard but fast.
Don't take it personally Rasta, I didn't mean it as a sleight on your own car which I'm sure is brilliant!
It's just I've had two of the previous models from new and did over 150,000 miles in total in them, including taken them down the the French alps on many occasions
I ackowledged that the later car is probably a very good car (who knows, perhaps even better than the previous one) but I simply don't like them from an aesthetic viewpoint think, personally, that Subaru lost their way after what was a very nicely designed previous model (probably as they poached Alfa's head designer to pen the old one).
I've really wanted to like another Subaru since then but the subsequent models do not do it for me. Levorg looks great but the engine and transmission combi is frankly beyond comprehension which is why my local Subaru dealership has now stopped selling them and the only models available in the UK are 2 year old ex dealer demos at ridiculously inflated prices which they were unable to sell at the time and still can't
It's just I've had two of the previous models from new and did over 150,000 miles in total in them, including taken them down the the French alps on many occasions
I ackowledged that the later car is probably a very good car (who knows, perhaps even better than the previous one) but I simply don't like them from an aesthetic viewpoint think, personally, that Subaru lost their way after what was a very nicely designed previous model (probably as they poached Alfa's head designer to pen the old one).
I've really wanted to like another Subaru since then but the subsequent models do not do it for me. Levorg looks great but the engine and transmission combi is frankly beyond comprehension which is why my local Subaru dealership has now stopped selling them and the only models available in the UK are 2 year old ex dealer demos at ridiculously inflated prices which they were unable to sell at the time and still can't
Lotobear said:
Don't take it personally Rasta, I didn't mean it as a sleight on your own car which I'm sure is brilliant!
It's just I've had two of the previous models from new and did over 150,000 miles in total in them, including taken them down the the French alps on many occasions
I ackowledged that the later car is probably a very good car (who knows, perhaps even better than the previous one) but I simply don't like them from an aesthetic viewpoint think, personally, that Subaru lost their way after what was a very nicely designed previous model (probably as they poached Alfa's head designer to pen the old one).
I've really wanted to like another Subaru since then but the subsequent models do not do it for me. Levorg looks great but the engine and transmission combi is frankly beyond comprehension which is why my local Subaru dealership has now stopped selling them and the only models available in the UK are 2 year old ex dealer demos at ridiculously inflated prices which they were unable to sell at the time and still can't
Haha no worries. I think if you have nothing else to go for then these are very very viable options. As a general point what gets me is the fact that in the UK and Ireland these cars are so expensive. I can pick up a low mileage 2 year old levorg for 21k in swiss franc's which is around 16,000 stg. It's just I've had two of the previous models from new and did over 150,000 miles in total in them, including taken them down the the French alps on many occasions
I ackowledged that the later car is probably a very good car (who knows, perhaps even better than the previous one) but I simply don't like them from an aesthetic viewpoint think, personally, that Subaru lost their way after what was a very nicely designed previous model (probably as they poached Alfa's head designer to pen the old one).
I've really wanted to like another Subaru since then but the subsequent models do not do it for me. Levorg looks great but the engine and transmission combi is frankly beyond comprehension which is why my local Subaru dealership has now stopped selling them and the only models available in the UK are 2 year old ex dealer demos at ridiculously inflated prices which they were unable to sell at the time and still can't
https://www.autoscout24.ch/de/d/subaru-levorg-komb...
Its a shame for you that, ultimately, you cannot by what you want. I feel your frustration as it would drive me nuts. What about JDM import??
I've found a local one owner low mileage (£61k) Legacy 2.0R which i'm going to see tomorrow and will probably buy if it checks out. Owner seems a very genuine guy.
Not the RE I wanted but I'll take the low miles in exchange for heater leather!
No cam belt change yet so have to factor that it and it needs new drop link bushes (surpise surpise) - will do both items myself.
Not the RE I wanted but I'll take the low miles in exchange for heater leather!
No cam belt change yet so have to factor that it and it needs new drop link bushes (surpise surpise) - will do both items myself.
Lotobear said:
Bought the car, thanks for all the responses.
Lazy power steering when cold - fluid and/or pump O ring?
Neither. I have this problem every morning in winter. Its just a case of letting the car warm up prior to driving. If its a manual the gears can be a bit tricky first thing in the morning also if the temps are in or close to the minus. Lazy power steering when cold - fluid and/or pump O ring?
Gassing Station | Subaru | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff