2003 Subaru Legacy L Special Edition 2.5 from North America
Summary:
Great value, medium performance wagon
Faults:
No problems.
General Comments:
The Legacy Wagon L Special Edition has many 'included' features that cost extra on previous models. It has the suspension from the Legacy GT. It has 4 wheel, 4 channel ABS disc brakes. Of course, as with all Subaru's, All-Wheel Drive. The dual power moon roofs are a great feature. The 4 speed transmission tries to be too smart, but this has been addressed on new 2005 model. It seems to lug the engine and often selects a lower gear when going down hill around a sharp curve, which is annoying. The engine could use more power, but, if you push it, and/or change the gears yourself, you can keep it in its optimum power band, giving you lots of power while sacrificing gas mileage. It is prewired for additional tweeter speakers, which are a breeze to install (less than 1 minute per side) and help a lot. The car is very, very quite, rides good with a firm controlled GT stance. Rubber floor mats are great. Also have noticed that the carpet is low pile with a rubber backing which allows you to clean and dry up spills easily. You can also fold the rear seats flat which allows you to increase your cargo capacity. Only true complaint is with the Bridgestone tires that 'bump' or develop flat spots when cold.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 11th August, 2004
23rd Jun 2005, 09:25
I agree with you on most points with this car. I was getting good mileage with mine though. I think this was due to the use of synthetic oil and I also used 10-30 instead of 5-30 which is thicker and made it run cooler. I hated the auto transmission as it was very apprehensive and never seemed to know which gear it wanted to be in. I actually traded it in recently for a turbo car with a 5 speed. Much better set up and plenty of power to spare. I did, however, never have any problems with the Legacy.