stabilty traction fit and finish reliabilty looks

high cost of routine maint. pads and rotors once a year no dealer incentives corossion problems high routine maintenance costs

If you live in the snow belt, the Legacy Outback is a good choice. Two years ago we had 51 inches of snow in 36 hours and the Outback was almost as good as my 88 4-Runner. If you don't absolutely have to go out in the blizzard then the heavy, expensive all-wheel drive system is not a good choice. The routine 30K maintenance of the all wheel drive system costs between $300 and $400. The 2.5 liter engine is not quick off the line, especially with the auto transmission. Subaru brakes are notoriously bad and you can expect pads and rotors all around every 25K. For a car that is made for the great white north it doesnt seem to have the body for it. It has been recalled for extra body coating on the rear sub-frame and after 3 winters in the salt the rear alignment cams are frozen and can't be adjusted. The fit and finish inside and out are top drawer. The greatest thing about the Subie is the boxer engine. It creates such a low center of gravity that the car feels like it's glued to the road. You have to work hard to break either end loose on anything except wet ice. The All-Wheel drive system requires no thought at all and along with ABS I think it's the most stable vehicle I've driven. I have to commute over the most treacherous mountain in West Virginia and when the snow is falling fast the plow is usually behind me.

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Honda Element Toyota 4-Runner

ride and handling, awd, power, comfortable seats, and value

gas mileage and stero

The Legacy GT ltd has the handling and ride of much more exspensive cars with comfortable seats. The rear seat have enough room but wouldn't suggest long trips back there for six footers. I can only tell that the engine is a four banger at low rpm. But at 3,000 rpm the engine really comes alive and rockets the GT off the line. The awd is awesome. I was fooling around in a heavy down pour trying to spin the tires but it never happened. I just wish the stero and gas mileage was better. But there is no car in price range with the power and awd of Legacy GT. I test drove the audi a6 and bmw 330 xi but subaru was cheaper, had better ride, and out performed those cars. Over all a very well built car that has great performance for the price.

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tested audi a6 and bmw 330 xi

AWD great poor weather traction Decent gas mileage Good ride and handling Comfortable on long trips Lots of cargo space

Expensive parts Needs a bit more power Stock headlights are anemic Unexplained engine head failure

Bought in Oct 2000 after wife rolled 87 Accord & broke my arm. Wanted AWD for her for our Canadian winters. Overall have been pretty happy with the car. Had 75,000 km (46,000 mi) when we bought it, now has over 210,000 km (130,000 mi). Body is holding up well, despite 4 winters of road salt. Handles pretty well for essentially a family hauler. Traction in snow, slush and ice is excellent, even without winter tires. With winter tires, it is difficult to break loose even on solid ice. Was pretty reliable until this past spring when the left cylinder head warped and siezed for no apparent reason (Had never overheated or run low on coolant or oil). Repaired for $2200 after researching to ensure not a chronic problem. Has run fine since. Parts are a bit expensive, especially when you can't find aftermarket parts. Have had to replace knock sensor, oil pressure sensor, front engine seals and both front wheel bearings. One tip: PUT IN PLATINUM PLUGS! There is not much room between the cylinder heads and the wheel wells. Took me about 4 hours to change 4 plugs. You don't want to do this, or pay to have this done, very often! Other small problems, AC compressor crapped out the spring after I bought it. Rear wipe motor recently died. Motor for raising and lowering antenna died in 2001. Is pretty comfortable on long trips. We are 14 hours from my in-laws in Indiana, and we usually drive straight through without getting sore butts/back. Could use a bit more power, but is better since installing a K&N air filter. Get around 32 mpg on long trips, around 28 mpg around town, again helped by K&N. Lots of room. Can swallow my goalie bag plus one other hockey bag without a problem. Will definitely consider a Subaru again, especially now that the GT's have the turbocharged engine. I don't think I will buy another car again without AWD.

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2000 Oldsmobile Intirgue 1997 Pontiac Grand Prix GT 1996 Chevrolet Lumina 1995 Mazda Protege

Durability, Handling, Traction, Versatility/Usefulness, Ergonomics

Power, Gas Mileage, Interior room, brakes

Probably the best all-around car for Western New York weather and roads. If I had only one car, this would be it. Being the GT model, with lower suspension and wider tires, it is a very nice handling summer car, and the permanent roof rack still allows camping, hauling, traveling, and bicycle carrying. Sun roof helps too. For winter, I put on Bridgestone Blizzak winter tires on all 4 corners and it becomes the best car on the road when there's snow on the road. The ride of the GT is just about as harsh as I would like: any tighter and it would be uncomfortable. I think a regular Lgacy with 16" premium wheels and tires would be a better compromise for where I live. This is my third Subaru and although I got rid of my previous ones earlier for different reasons, they appear to be extremely durable and reliable cars. They are sophisticatedly simple, basic cars that have evolved and improved with each generation, keeping the best features and also keeping the same personality and philosophy. Some of the recent models are getting fairly glittery, but not to the extent that other car companies. I am definitely a believer in the AWD system of Subaru with the low center of gravity engine. Snow and rain take very frequent where I live, and the highways are not the billiard table smooth thoroughfares of the sunbelt, and the configuration always comes through and the differences are real: stability is superb, it feels like it is being sucked to the road. Very logical configuration of gauges, driving position, ergonomics and switches: just about as good as Honda/Acura, which are the best. Great dead pedal placement for left foot. Subarus have always been like what Volvos and Saabs used to be in the 60s and early 70s: sensible all around vehicles that have unique personalities. Best oil filter placement I have ever seen: you don't even have to jack the car up to change it which is convenient for me because I use synthetic oil and spin on a new filter at 3,000 mile intervals and change it at 9,000 miles. The car's handling definitely benefits from the low centrally-located engine, which is also appears to be about 6 inches shorter in length than a typical 4 cylinder in-line motor. Engine power and acceleration are fair at best, but if that's the tradeoff to get such great handling and traction, so be it. I have 110,000 miles on my car now, but it doesn't look or feel like it. Brakes are another weak area, they are definitely non-German. Long stopping distances, but feel is OK. I understand the new generation due in June 2005 has addressed this weakness.

Room: Expansive interior with great luggage space. Ergonomics: Typical Honda- airy with excellent outward vision, low beltline helps this; all controls feel nice and light, and are in the right place so that they fall readily to hand, or foot. Handling and Ride:Probably the best feature, just a bit smoother than 5 series BMW, which is great for the roads of Western New York; Great steering feel, superb high speed stability. Durability: I expect this to be the case, but have only put 20,000 miles on the car, it needs an a/c condenser and I had to replace the steering rack so far. Styling: getting better every day, it looks like a muscular athlete wearing a shirt that is one size too small- it sits just right and the stance communicates latent/subdued power; interior gauges are perfect, maybe the last of the tasteful ones, now that even the new Acura TL has gone "Hollywood".

Gas mileage could be better: can't see why the top gearing couldn't be adjusted to deliver 30 mpg like the 5 series BMWs get, and not just 25-26. The stock wheels (15" for this year) look just a tad tiny, but the handling is so sweet, I didn't want to chance it with something different! Stock wheels are also nondescript.

Although I bought this car from a friend because of the price, shortly afterwards I became aware that many people were impressed by it, and that it had quite a "reputation" (a Legend maybe?) among people who knew cars. I began to see references to it being better than the next generation (RL) which became bloated and heavier, and frequently being called the best car Honda ever built, and now admit to seeing merit in all of these accolades. For one thing, the styling is so darn nice, and devoid of chrome excesses and exaggerated fender lines. Minimal, almost. Certainly not contrived, which is something that cannot be said for the next generation. Three times now I've driven BMW 5 series sedans, and three times couldn't see how they got such great reviews, and how they paled in comparison to this car, which I know sounds like the ravings of someone who isn't fortunate enough to own something from Bavaria, but it's absolutely how I feel. For one thing, the BMW sits like you are inside of a tank or something similar because the height of the window sills or the lowness of the roof. Whatever. The Legend, by comparison, has a very low beltline, and it feels like the car is a lot lower also. In the BMW the dash and the doors felt about a foot higher. In the BMW everything felt close and claustrophobic, in the Legend, everything is pushed farther away and down. Like the difference of driving a tank by ticking your head out the top of the turret versus looking out of a horizontal slot in the armor. Quite the difference. It feels light and airy by comparison, and this same trait also shows in my 91 Integra: very pleasing to operate. The comparison to the handling of the 5 series BMW, I'll stick by that also. Maybe the Bimmer excells at over 120 mph, and that's great for the fatherland but for all-aroud operation in the world I live in, I definitely prefer the Legend...Not that the BMW is deficient. Try the two side by side, one after the other, and tell me I'm crazy. Anyhow, the handling, ride and overall ergonomics combine to produce the best feeling car I've ever driven. Tracks like an arrow, even through rain. The wheelbase has something to do with that, definitely: there's not many cars with a longer wheelbase. Nuff said about that. Engine is good, but it's not as important to me as the other things. It has more than adequate real world power, and it should last a real long time. This car has a superb "feel" and you may not be able to measure that with a stopwatch, but it's something that makes me want to drive the car a lot. This car feels like the best blend of a German car with a Japanese car, it's the most German of all Japanese cars, with the best of both. The ride is just a notch softer, which is perfect for me. There are plenty of aftermarket handling kits to stiffen things up.

Reliability, good mechanical and build quality, VERY good road-holding and stability; has saved my life a couple of times in tricky situations, including snow. If you drive like you are supposed to (not exceeding 65mph), you will truly get the advertised 27 mpg. At speeds between 65 and 80 mph, the mileage drops to about 23 to 24 mpg. I use 87 Octane, Speedway, Clarks or any other cheap brand. Premium brands did not make ANY difference to mileage or performance. This car is lower slung than Camry and Accord (hence more stable) and at the same time has better road clearance due to it's flat ("boxer") engine. Easy to crawl under for oil changes etc.

At 2.2 liters, the engine is grossly underpowered. The newer models with 2.5 liters address that problem; however, due to the AWD, the mileage and acceleration is still not as good as Camry or Accord. (I've heard of Camry's giving up to 34mpg!).

Please see my review of my Legacy Wagon of Nov 2000. This is an update. I bought my wagon second hand at 65,000 miles in Jan 1999 and now, 5 years later, it has done 168,000 miles. I have averaged about 20K per year. In that period, I have had to replace the two (front) CV joints, the starter, alternator and also the oil pump. Given the speeds at which I drive and the distances (typically, each long trip is about 2000 miles; daily mileage is 80 miles) I think this car has held up extremely well. Only now, the transmission is about to die. I believe that this is due to the manner in which the previous owner abused it (it used to jerk a little while shifting from the day I got it), else it would have taken me to 200K, I reckon. All in all, this car is FANTASTIC. Even though it's not been garaged for the last 3 years, the exterior has held up VERY well - no leaks, rust or other problem; however, I get it premium washed (including underbody spray) every 3 to 4 weeks in summer and every 2 weeks in winter (due to salt on Chicago roads). Paint work is still great. No problems with suspension and engine (2.2 liters, Horizontal 4 cylinders) whatsoever. Engine runs smothly with very low oil consumption even at this high mileage (168K). The exhaust tail-pipe is grayish, not black. I religiously change engine oil every 3K miles and flush the engine every 5th oil change; do all this myself. Works like a charm. Use 10W30 in summer and 5W30 in winter (Chicago). I use Penzoil; don't ever use synthetic for this car - you'll be wasting money.

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Have driven Camry, Accord, Mitsubishi Galant (great to drive!) and Ford Taurus in this category of cars. Subaru rocks!

Versatile, nimble,fast/fun, lots of standard equipment, singular looks, AWD, Manumatic tranny, Truck utility -- car like feel.

towing capacity, singular looks, diminutive bed

This is a lot of car (or truck)! Tons of standard equipment: pwr drs, locks, keyless,pwr moonroof,dark tint, 6 disc changer, ABS and AWD to name a few. Full-time all wheel drive makes a world of difference in this vehicle on dry or slippery roads. It handles well, has an aggressive stance and distinctive styling. Crash test ratings will put your mind at ease, as will the brake response. The bed is big enough for most casual uses (ex. dogs can ride very comfortably). Best of all, I love to drive it! The motor and suspension are a delight a-la the performance sedan engineering. The turbo replaces the ho-hum power of the naturally aspirated 2.5 with the much more robust power of a variably valve timed, turboed, twin over head cammed engine that has been well proven in the STI and Forester XT. Compared to the arcane suspension technology found under most truck-utes, the independent suspension of the Baja is delightfully quiet, responsive and now allows for 8.4 inches of ground clearance. Probably most noticable is the Baja's easy maneuverability in jungles of both the urban and rural sorts. If you tow or haul large amounts of weight, the Baja's 2400 lbs. of capacity will not suit your needs, but if your truck bed only gets the occasional kanine passenger, camping equipment, drumset or HomeDepot loot like mine, the Baja will be just right.

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AWD. With this car, you will avoid the accident that many other vehicles cannot. Body holding up well for 100K especially considering no garage. Virtually no maintenance issues. Even original battery which is really amazing because my wife starts with AC on full and headlights on. Turns over easily. We have done all required maintenance religiously.

Probably a fluke, but the rear differental went out in first 150 miles. Warranty took care of that. Door locks sticky, but some lithium grease fixed that. Cup holders very finicky. Radio won't turn off, but volume turns low enough not to matter.

Bought AWD Subaru afer rolling my Toyota Pickup. Wanted a car that didn't "prohibit" running in 4WD in "dry" conditions. Great car, handles ok, fair to poor on gas mileage. Would definitely buy again, but a little small for a family of 4 on long trips (we bought a rocket box). We got an outstanding deal from Thomason (in Oregon) but I believe they no longer sell Subaru's.

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assorted foreign and domestic cars.

Has good amount of power, handles great, drives very nice, very tough car, put it through alot

When intake got put on it cracked the tourqe converter, transmisson is crap, other then that have no problems at all, excpet for subwoofer has knocked almost everything loose and shakes everything. had a problems with the eltric stuff too.

Over all great car, really handles good, put intake and exhaust on this car and it flys. has good amount of power, ran a 16.9 in the quarter mile and its an automatic. Great car, really suggest it to any buyer looking into a subaru.

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Honda accord, nissan sentra, hyndia elentra

Good build quality. Height variable suspension

Leaks oil from almost everywhere (except the engine so far) though it does have 300,000km on the clock!

Love the AWD, Suspension and Low ratio. Makes for a very versatile vehicle, though you have to remember its not a Toyota Landcruiser by any means. It has road tires and less ground clearance. Great car if you like your outdoor sports and have muddy kit to get from place to place

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Vauxhall Astra of same vintage. Not similar at all actually but its the only car i've had before!