2008 Subaru Legacy GT 2.5 Limted: She's a keeper.

[TopHat]

How many kids do you have? A wagon would be a better alternative both economically, and dynamically. A Volvo V70, or a used Mazda 6 Sportwagon would be good.

 

[Joey D]

Dodge Magnum?

While they're still making them, I imagine most Dodge dealers are practically "giving them away" anyways...

Awful vehicle. Have you driven one by chance? You can't see out of them, they feel really poorly made, and since the back slopes down a bit it makes fitting things in the back a bit difficult. Pontiac needs a G8 estate to show us Americans what it's like to have an awesome wagon.

 

[YSSMAN]

I know that they aren't particularly good, but they aren't horrible either. They seem to have really loyal owners.

And I agree, the G8 is the best choice in that size class.

 

[Beerz]

I'd get one of these in a hurry:

Perfect for everything. 👍

 

[Joey D]

The M5 Estate isn't sold in the US.

 

[Beerz]

Bummer. Really?... Wow, that sucks.

What about the regular one?

 

[///M-Spec]

Well...thinking of selling it. It's just not as practical for my family. I may have to go SUV or worse yet, mini-van. I have <11,000 miles on it, any one have any idea what I should try to get out of it?

That's a real shame. Are you sure? Have you considered a top box, bag carrier or even a trailer to extend the usefulness of the Legacy? Seems terrible to take the depreciation hit, then turn a barely used car over to some one else to enjoy.

So far, we've been very happy with our allroad. We're getting a Thule Atlantis top box for it this summer; it should be good to go with the vacations.


M

 

[YSSMAN]

...or a used Mazda 6 Sportwagon would be good.

Actually, thats a great idea!

In that form there is still a good amount of "sport" made available, not to mention the rather impeccable reliability of most Mazda products. I'd have one in a heartbeat if I could afford it...

 

[McLaren]

Bummer. Really?... Wow, that sucks.

What about the regular one?

They're incredibly rare, and they don't run anywhere near what Pako said was his area. The only one available is a 535xi which is $52,000 base.

 

[Azuremen]

I'd say considering a Legacy/Outback turbo of the same generation. The 2005 Outback turbo my family has is quite nice and plenty of room for most things.

I know when the Outback was bought at the end of 2007, it cost about 25 grand from the dealership with about 30k miles on I wanna say. Full options except nav...

 

[1X83Z]

They're incredibly rare,

5-series wagons with all-wheel drive are quite common in the Mountain West where Pako lives... nothing European is probably common in Montana, but in Denver, SLC, the CO mountains, NM... they're around. Much more than the E39

 

[McLaren]

5-series wagons with all-wheel drive are quite common in the Mountain West where Pako lives... nothing European is probably common in Montana, but in Denver, SLC, the CO mountains, NM... they're around. Much more than the E39

I can expect that, but I rarely see the 5 Series Wagons for sale.

 

[Pako]

Already posted in the "Show Off your latest purchase" thread, but thought I should update this page as well.

Just picked up 4 new tires and wheels for the Subie.

Toyo Proxes 4
245/40ZR18

Ultra 200 Apex
18x8 wheels

More Pics here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/chris.coen/TiresWheelsOnLegacy?feat=directlink

 

[ExigeEvan]

This'll sound strange but... I love the tyre treads, even if the wheels aren't to my taste

 

[Pako]

This'll sound strange but... I love the tyre treads, even if the wheels aren't to my taste

No worries! I hate picking out wheels to be honest with you. I think they look, "ok" but the price was right. They are not totally "bling bling", but they will serve their purpose of hosting my summer tires. I plan on getting some good studded tires for winter driving on my stock wheels.

I really had my eyes set on some OZ Racing wheels, but at $800 ea, it was waaaaaaaaay out of my price range.

 

[Azuremen]

I plan on getting some good studded tires for winter driving on my stock wheels.

I really had my eyes set on some OZ Racing wheels, but at $800 ea, it was waaaaaaaaay out of my price range.

Can I slap you through the internet? (Has to be internet slap, real life you could slap chop my head off my torso)

I absolutely hate studded snow tires, and they have no place on a Subaru. Just get proper snow tires and save your roads. I don't think people realize just how much damage studs do to paved surfaces, but 80% of the wear on roads over here and over in Montana etc come from studded snow tires. They are the reason why I can drive 50 or so miles of Highway 2 without ever steering my cars...

If I can get my MR-S around Pullman in 6 inches of snow on Studless tires, you can get around Montana in a Subaru on Studless tires.

 

[Pako]

HAHA, yeah...you can bit slap me.

Last winter was really fun with bald all-seasons....just saying. I really don't need studs, but I have ran them before and they can really help, especially if it's snow on top of ice (in town). At 65MPH, nothings going to help you on ice. That said, you are probably right. My first winter was ok, with the stock all-seasons. If I get a little more aggressive design, I'm sure I will be just as productive on the road.

 

[Philly]

I agree with Cody. Studded tires have absolutely destroyed the roads all over Washington. And if you can survive with all-seasons, you'll surely be more than fine with regular snow tires. For a lot of the country, studs are illegal and we get by just fine, aside from the idiots who don't realize that you can't go regular freeway speed on an ice rink.

 

[eSZee]

I'm looking for a spec.B myself. The STI drivetrain and other goodies are easily worth the premium in my opinion.

 

[WeinerSchnitzel]

I think it's time for a little drop, eh?

 

[Pako]

I agree with Cody. Studded tires have absolutely destroyed the roads all over Washington. And if you can survive with all-seasons, you'll surely be more than fine with regular snow tires. For a lot of the country, studs are illegal and we get by just fine, aside from the idiots who don't realize that you can't go regular freeway speed on an ice rink.

"Studded Tires" should be in the swear filter around these parts....

Yeah, I think I can manage without studs. I will say, however, studded tires are the least of my worries on Montana roads. I really should be driving a 4x4 with 35" for good reason.

I'm looking for a spec.B myself. The STI drivetrain and other goodies are easily worth the premium in my opinion.

Trust me, if my budget would have allowed it, the Spec-B would have been mine. 👍

I think it's time for a little drop, eh?

Have you been on the roads in Montana? , but yea....a little drop would compliment the looks nicely. 👍

 

[Turbo Lag]

I have to admit, wheels aren't really my taste, but it doesn't look bad at all still since it isn't all 'bling bling'. . How I'd love a GT or a Spec.B... we were seriously thinking of trading the 2.5 in for one.

 

[Pako]

Ok, so I keep hearing this from members here as well as real life friends, "now you need a drop". So here I am looking at RaliTEK's springs for my Legacy. This will a provide a 1.1" drop on the front and a .9" drop in the back, but more importantly, improve ride and handling of the car.

http://www.rallitek.com/raspforlegt.html

I guess at $62.50 wheel, or $250 for the set, it seems reasonable to get these. Next question is do I try to install them myself, or someone else do it for me...

 

[Joey D]

You should probably replace your struts too with a drop.

 

[Pako]

I was thinking about new struts. In the review I read, he put them on at stock struts at 38,000 mi and found the combination to be great! My car is just under 30K right now.

This is a daily driver, and the last thing I want to feel is every bump and crack in the road. Not knowing enough about the different struts out there, it makes me nervous that I would ruin the ride quality by making the wrong choice in struts. I'm not looking to take my daily driver on the track, for example.

I am totally open to opinions and suggestions.

RalliTEK installed their new lowering springs and it transformed the car. The car is MUCH more responsive now, reacting much more quickly to steering inputs. Pitch and squat (in my opinion a major weakness on the stock struts) have been significantly reduced with these springs. It no longer feels like your grandpa&#8217;s Buick when you accelerate or brake hard. We took the car through some aggressive corners on wet roads, and were VERY impressed with the results. Upgrading the tires from RE92s helped the overall feel of the car, but I never felt comfortable driving the car beyond 7/10ths. With the RalliTEK springs in place I was able to confidently grind through some high-g cornering that finally allowed the new tires to prove their worth. I know that a common concern of GT owners is how a suspension upgrade will affect the ride quality of the car. People often complain about how their car crashes over bumps when they pair the stock struts with a lower, more aggressive spring. That does not appear to be a concern with these springs. I went out of my way to hit every pothole in sight, and the car absorbed bumps without jarring us. More importantly, the car is better able to maintain its composure over uneven surfaces with these springs. The chassis seems to stay planted and not fall prey to oscillation. The stock struts have 38k miles on them, and felt absolutely great matched with these springs.

 

[Joey D]

From my understanding putting drop springs on OEM struts will blow the struts prematurely. Guys with drops on MINI's will only go 10-18K miles with a drop and factory struts, it's obviously going to be different depending on road condition, how you drive and the OEM strut. Just something to keep it mind.

 

[CAMAROBOY69]

Nice ride Pako.

If you are not too hard on it the struts will last a very long time with the drop. I mean if you dont road track race the car on a regular basis or take it offroad you will be fine. Especially since you are only going with a 1 inch drop. Worst case scenero is that you have to buy new struts later down the road. But by then you will probably need new ones anyway. I would not worry much about the struts with a 1" drop.

 

[Pako]

Thanks!

Yeah, no plans on running it too hard now. I like it to handle when I need it to, but not interested in taking it to the track every weekend, and definitely not taking it off-road.

Not sure I want to tackle the install, just need to make some calls on who can do it for me.

 

[Sertsa]

If you don't mind my asking, how has the car been? I'm wondering because this is the most likely candidate for my next car. I'm having trouble getting over the electronic throttle in most, however.

A Spec B did come up on Autotrader locally, but it was gone before I could go check it out.


By the way, on the studs (or lack of them), I live right in the middle of the Ohio snowbelt and have a 41-mile commute each way. I drove through a lot of nasty weather last winter, but with a set of Blizzaks, without studs, on a FWD Accord Coupe, I felt superhuman. It even became fun on several nights, and, if anything, I was worried that I would become too confident on what the car and tires could do and wind up in real trouble. Then I'd be amazed some more.

 

[eSZee]

Ok, so I keep hearing this from members here as well as real life friends, "now you need a drop". So here I am looking at RaliTEK's springs for my Legacy. This will a provide a 1.1" drop on the front and a .9" drop in the back, but more importantly, improve ride and handling of the car.

http://www.rallitek.com/raspforlegt.html

I guess at $62.50 wheel, or $250 for the set, it seems reasonable to get these. Next question is do I try to install them myself, or someone else do it for me...

Never heard of Rallitek, then again I'm not a subaru guy yet.
H&R, eibach, tein are usually safe bets but you need new struts otherwise you'll be paying to change springs twice.