It's been trouble-free from initial purchase in 1993 with no special attention except normal maintenance. Terrific traction on slick Rocky Mountain roads. Capable ABS modulation. Excellent handling characteristics with virtually no body lean in turns. Quality materials both inside and out: clearcoat paint in great shape after 8 years with no special care and high-grade plastic interior trim and velour seats aged well with virtually no care.

Underpowered mid-range engine response for passing manuevers on mountain roads. Slight issues with rust (esp. chrome exhaust extenders). Bland styling. Price-gouging by local dealers for scheduled maintenance (e.g. $300 for nothing more than "visual inspections")

Excellent handling and reliability characteristics--couldn't have asked for better. AWD and ABS works as advertised in adverse weather conditions. I've never had such a trouble-free car--just normal wear and tear-related maintenance. Interior/exterior build quality is top-rate: much better/more durable/more attractive than even my 98 Camry V6. Never had a manufacturer recall with the Legacy--but have had four already with the Camry. The only minor gripes are the fairly lackluster engine throughput (wished the new H6 is available in a sedan form--maybe in 2002?) and the somewhat-bland styling. Even though I'm currently looking at a slew of 2001-02 AWD choices (the H6 VDC, BMW, Audi, Volvo, et.al), it'll still be difficult to part with my 93 Legacy. I think the Subaru Legacy offerings are great for anyone who wants a worry-free, practical, no-nonsense workhorse of a car and who is not swayed by the brand-cache and the slicker styling of the European marques.

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No comparison vs. the closest competitor at the time: Audi A4 Quattro was nearly 2x the cost and proved to be much less reliable and more expensive to maintain. Currently examining potential replacements after 8yrs: Legacy GT Ltd, Outback Ltd H6 VDC, BMW 330ix, Audi A4 Quattro, VW Passat 4-Motion, Volvo XC, and the upcoming Jaguar X400 AWD. In test drives, the Subarus handled every bit as well as the BMW, Audi, VW; and better than the Volvo (in and out of snow) at a more attractive price. I'm very much leaning to the VDC due to performance and past reliability experience--just wished the new H6 engine is available in a sedan form.

Looks Power and and features plus saftey , 250hp AWD wagon for under 20K NZD ( used jap import ), Subaru character

Expensive to own and maintain. $2800.00 to rebuild auto trans doh!(quite common with this model ), poor fuel economy similar to V8 . Difficult to work on

Cost NZD $20,000 with 88,000 kms mint condition fully loaded airbags , cruise control etc .. I would definitley recommend one , as long as you don't mind spending money to drive and maintain it , definitley the best bang for bucks .

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89 Legacy RS Turbo ( fun but hard work ) 626 GT - good handling just not enough power .

This car just keeps going and going.
Economical.
Roomy.

Total lack of creature comforts.

I bought this car when it had done 298,000km for a very low price at the time and I was expecting to have to replace the engine. It has now done over 370,000km. Everything on the car is the original part including the engine. The only engine work I have had done is replace a slightly leaking water pump. It has only broken down once with a blocked carburettor which can happen to any car.

The engine doesn't use any oil (less than 1 litre in 12,500km) and has still got reasonable power. The fuel economy of this car is excellent and I regularly get 700km from 50 litres of fuel. I have removed the Catalytic converter because before I could "only" get 650km.

Everyting else on the car is still going strong. I have gone through 2 CV joints though which seems a little steep. The car still handles great and soaks up our bumpy roads very well indeed.

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Ford Laser (horrible car).
Toyota Corolla (smaller, faster).

Roomy, good power, handles very well, nice inside trimming, very good factory stereo (Clarion).

Compared to my Mazda 1500 cc sedan, it likes to drink more but what can I expect.

I've had the car now for two weeks. I paid $NZ24,000 ($NZ=1/2$US) for it and it's done 80,000kms. I didn't mind the price and the slightly high mileage as the car is in showroom condition (friends have asked us if we got the car new and have been surprised when we say 'No'.)
I wanted a car that would accommodate an extra seat in the boot area because I did not want to get a mini van (I have a fourth child on the way)and have no power to get up and boogie when I want to.
I also wanted a car that handled well and was safe and is also very quiet inside, especially on the rough chip NZ roads.

I got a car that delivers all of these things and I am impressed!
I also got a very good audio system that my car audio store manager friend tells me needs at least $NZ1000+ spent on it to make a difference.
I also got a new set of Subaru alloy wheels but will be upgrading to some nice 17" wheels shortly for looks and performance reasons.
I do not like wood trim normally but this stuff looks pretty good.
The seats are firm but are a good shape and stop me from rolling when on two wheels around the corners. I like them.
Mine has a nice blue/grey interior with a leather Momo wheel and the ducco is a dark metalic navy that gets the car warm in the sun but looks really classy. I've got climate control so the heat is not really an issue.
It's not as quick off the mark as the smaller turbo motor but once it gets going, look out!
I may post again when I have put some more mileage on but in the meantime I am very happy with this car.

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Mazda 1500cc Familia/323, 2.0 Legacy GT Turbo with RFRB kit(damn scary fast!!!), 2.2 Brighton, 2.0 GT turbo standard, Toyota 2.2 Camry (better interior in Subaru)

lively chassis, colorful exhaust/engine, grip, capable under adversity, bulletproof drivetrain, excellent brakes, decent amount of power on tap.

could benefit from a stronger motor,
economical interior/seats, could use a little improvement in the NVH (noise/vibration/harshness) department. A telescoping steering wheel would be a welcome addition too.

see above. comments only applicable to 2.5GT models.
Has some of the "fun" factor that's more outright
in it's cousin, the Impreza. Think bigger, heavier, a touch smoother...

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Audi a4, Impreza

Handles like dream. Quiet, efficient engine. Excellent storage room and seating room. I'm 6'2 and can sit comfortably in the back.

Seats typically Japanese hard. Looks like a family wagon despite its driving like an SUV--lacks 'pizazz'.

Love this car. Not a better buy on the market. The engineering of this car is absolutely first rate. Solid feel and build all the way around. No SUV, not even the other smaller ones ride as smoothly or quietly as this one and still have the ability to go off road efficiently. A lot of people will pay more to get image, but the Subaru is the best buy out there at anywhere near 20-25k.

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Mitsubishi Galant, Honda CRV

Solid feal on the road and great steering road feel. Great traction in all weather. I have a cd player w/amplifier and the sound is awesome. Love the cargo mat in back too. Heated seats will make you spoiled. Paint job is excellent. Tires are first rate. Good ground clearance.

The sunroofs, although they sound nice, are not well thoughtout...the front one only tilts up, so you can't slide the whole thing open...only the back does that and that's not where I am. The front seats, although leather, are not very comfortable after about 45min on the road...not very supportive and kinda hard. The sticker price is over $28k when I got it in August,99 but they are now selling all over Portland for about $24,400...bummer. I do like the white color but the real problem is that I got a cracked windshield (my windshield has the heater element) and it has been over 7weeks now and Subaru doesn't even have an ETA yet for delivery...according to two dealerships, Subaru got the cars to market but don't yet have the parts for them...many people all across the country have parts on backorder and this could be for many months...I just cracked one of my fog lights and it is also on special order. So please wait a few more months before a purchase and make sure the parts have started coming in so you too don't have to wait forever to replace parts that should be there waiting for you right away. Other than that,the car could use more power although the engine does kick in when you floor it and it isn't that loud.

So I have driven this car for 6mths now and enjoy it for the most part...one light rattle in the passenger door but hopefully dealer will fix in 2weeks. I leased this one and dealer service has been great other than the lack of parts I spoke of earlier. So please wait on your purchase until Subaru fixes this major supply problem. Other that that I would have to recommend the vehicle if you are looking to get one...especially now that they are selling for so much under the retail price which was just too high for this car.

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None

Solid, good price, torque and consistent acceleration;

Front seats lose support over time; we had to have something in the exhaust system replaced -- I'm pretty sure it was a heat shield that corroded; it started rattling when the Subaru had 50,000 miles; the dealer said this happens all the time on the Legacy; weak engine on the L model -- although the Outback engine seemed real strong; the suspension seems to be having problems - after 60,000 miles the ride is really rough and the vehicle rides really low -- I like the Outback suspension much better

The Service at the local San Jose Subaru dealer (california) was incredibly horrible. I will never buy another Subaru vehicle in the area until they get a decent dealer in (the dealer we purchased it from went broke). The wagon has been very reliable except for the rattling head shield; the suspension and poor seat quality is a pain, but tolerable given the great deal we got on it (New for

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I drove the Subaru Outback and it had much more power and better ride.

Boxer engine is great, AWD system can't be beat, Handling for a car in this class is amazing,MPG decent,reliability is great

seats suck great engine could use more power though and that's the only complaint

Best snow vehicle I have ever seen, better then my Jeep and truck by a wide margin handling is top notch at any speed, I have taken mountain corners at over 100mph and the car just digs in and goes. Subaru won the World rally championship in 95/96/97 and I see why!!They need the oversea turbo model in US

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Mazda GTX AWD,Jeep Wrangler,Ford F1504X4,VW Jetta,Subaru Impreza AWD

This is a very reliable car which does quite well in terms of fuel efficiency and refinement. The wagon holds a great deal and even though this model only has 130 HP, it has bags of power if you stir the stick a little. Buying a Subaru is like joining a cult. I hope to get at least 400,000k from mine and we are at 215,000 now.

Rear window wiper bearing siezes up and the seats, while they look good, are uncomfortable after 30 minutes.

A great all around vehicle with low cost of ownership for the long haul. Starts every time with no block heater even in -35C (I use synthetic oil).

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Taurus and Escort wagons - yuk. Focus should be better.