Silver Forester 2.5 XT Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 Finally. At Last!. It worked. Hopefully will be looking at a number of pre ( silly road tax ) 2006 Legacy's during the next few days. :) Thought that I would ask in this section rather than just the Legacy section, hope that you don't mind. Thanks to getting help from our loyal and supportive SOC forum members, I have managed to convince the wife that a super mini with a 998 cc sewing machine engine just wouldn't be practical enough for us. We would prefer an estate for practical reasons although we could probably manage with a saloon which do seem to work out a lot cheaper. Have been using a Passat B6 2.0 TDI saloon recently and although not a Subaru, I was quite impressed with it. I would like some input as to which of the following Legacy's you would prefer in terms of reliability and driving pleasure please?. They are listed in terms of lowest price upwards. As usual, they are all many miles away and many miles apart so I would like to narrow down the search before deciding which to look at ( first ). Number one is a 2004, 2.0 SE manual estate. @ 180000 miles and is @ £1500 Number two is a 3.0 RN 5 speed automatic saloon. @ 70,000 miles and is @ £2500. Number three is a 2005 3.0 Spec B 6 speed estate. @ 140000 miles and is @ £3200. Number four is a 3.0 R 5 speed automatic saloon 50,000 miles and is @ £3400. Considering that I had a Forester 2.5XT Prodrive before, which one of the Legacy's do you think I would be happiest with. Is the Spec B estate worth the extra £700 compared to the 3.0 RN which has half the mileage figures. Would the 2.0 SE probably be less reliable than the 3.0 H6 engine. Are the automatics better to drive or vice versa. Can't believe that the insurance on the Legacy 3.0 is less than for the Forester 2.5 XT Thank You Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom_gr7 Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 have you got any links to the cars? Are the 3ltrs all in the lower tax bracket? If you didn't know the 2ltrs are flat fours and the 3ltrs are flat 6's - which are train driven. I've got a 2.0R legacy Saloon. I think its about 160/5 bhp so its nothing to write home about, but it's good enough for me. Using vpower I can get around 34/35 mpg with a mixture of town and motorway driving, which is about 400 miles per tank. It was on 87k when i bought it, its now on 105k. I've only had to replace the dics/pads and the clutch and the dual mass flywheel. - which i converted to a single mass flywheel. - the single mass was considerably cheaper and the DMF's have a tendency to sequel, so I opted for a single mass flywheel and clutch. I also need a new exhaust, as the Y piece has a hole in it. - Which is a common issue with legacy's, so it's definitely checking out when you go and view one. A Stainless steel exhaust is probably going to cost me about 400-500. If i was buying another, I'd probably go for the 3.0R with the 50k on the clock. The Spec B will probably have blistein suspension, but personally I'd rather have the lower mileage. The 3ltr engines are solid and pull really good! Ask Dave, he's got a 3ltr outback. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Forester 2.5 XT Posted May 25, 2015 Author Share Posted May 25, 2015 Thanks for the reply. The 3.0 litre Legacy's are all in the £290 road tax bracket as far as I know. Wouldn't want to be paying £500 per year for a younger model. 50,000 miles on the 3.0 R saloon seems quite low compared to many other cars of a similar age. The 2006 Passat 2.0 TDI that I am currently using has done over 180,000 miles and still drives really well but has wanted for nothing in terms of servicing and maintenance. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david1972 Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 Cheers tom....can definitely recommend the 3.0 engine with auto box. Silky smooth, power on tap instantly and returns a real life 26mpg, mostly for me on trips under 20 miles. I get 30+ on a run. Rarely exceeds 2500rpm under normal mixed driving, so barely ticking over. All this leads me to believe it'll run forever due to the lack of strain put on it. If you want to push on it really comes to life past 3000rpm [emoji3] Sent from my iphone using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Forester 2.5 XT Posted May 28, 2015 Author Share Posted May 28, 2015 Update:- I have narrowed my selection down to a choice of two Legacy 3.0 saloons at the moment as I can't find any estates with low mileage. Both have similar mileage, dark leather trim and automatic transmission which I have been told are smoother to drive than the manuals. One is a 3.0 RN and the other, which is @ £200 more expensive is a 3.0 Spec B. Would it be worth paying the extra to get a Spec B legacy?. What extra pleasure am I likely to get from a Spec B bearing in mind that they have the same power and performance on paper. Does the Spec B handle better and have better brakes?. Thank You Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david1972 Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 Spec b should be quicker as far as I'm aware Sent from my iphone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majik_thighs Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 I'd go for the RN for just £200 extra you get satnav! Sent from my Galaxy S6 edge using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Forester 2.5 XT Posted May 28, 2015 Author Share Posted May 28, 2015 The Spec B saloon that I am looking at also has Sat Nav. Haven't found a Spec B estate yet that has covered under 100,000 miles which is a shame. From what I have been reading, the Spec B is supposed to have better suspension and better brakes than the 3.0 R models. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom_gr7 Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 I thought all the 3ltrs and the spec b's have 315mm front discs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Forester 2.5 XT Posted May 29, 2015 Author Share Posted May 29, 2015 I have just come across a 2003 Legacy Outback H6 with LUX Pack for sale at a good price which has covered @ 140,000 miles. Have been looking just at the legacy in either saloon or estate form but may be tempted to change my mind re an outback. It is the older model outback with single exhaust pipe at the rear and seemingly less power at 207 Bhp. Did Subaru tweek the engine power on the post 2004 models?. How do the Outbacks compare to the Legacy estates in terms of handling and responsiveness please?. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david1972 Posted May 29, 2015 Share Posted May 29, 2015 I can't compare as such, but can tell you about my outback. My version has 241hp according to the book. An outback is essentially a legacy on steroids...it has a higher ride height and some protective cladding compared to leggys. When I parked mine next to toms leggy saloon you could notice quite a difference in ride height...a good few inches I'd say. Regardless of that, I love mine...super smooth power Sent from my iphone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Forester 2.5 XT Posted May 29, 2015 Author Share Posted May 29, 2015 david1972. I notice that your Outback is the newer model than the one I am looking at which is a 2003. According to the dealer specification it has 207 Bhp, is automatic and does up to 36.5 Mpg. The newer 3.0 engines show 241 Bhp. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david1972 Posted May 29, 2015 Share Posted May 29, 2015 Late 2005 mate - as you mentioned though, my version was introduced in 2004 (have seen the odd 53-plate as the earliest example) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Forester 2.5 XT Posted May 29, 2015 Author Share Posted May 29, 2015 Will have to investigate the older pre 2004 Outbacks online now as it is offered at a good price.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david1972 Posted May 29, 2015 Share Posted May 29, 2015 I don't recall hearing of many problems - as ever, a full history is worth its weight in gold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Forester 2.5 XT Posted May 29, 2015 Author Share Posted May 29, 2015 Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david1972 Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 Let us know how you get on [emoji3] Sent from my iphone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Forester 2.5 XT Posted May 31, 2015 Author Share Posted May 31, 2015 Am I correct in thinking that the Pre 2004 Outbacks had a 4 speed auto box whilst the post 2004 models have a 5 speed auto or is that the Legacy 3.0 auto's?. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david1972 Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 Mines certainly a 5 speed auto box Sent from my iphone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Forester 2.5 XT Posted June 3, 2015 Author Share Posted June 3, 2015 Update. Missed out on a couple of the Subaru 3.0's that I had in mind. Can only view and test drive at the weekend due to work commitments so other people snapped them up. Have found two more that I like. 2005 Legacy 3.0 Spec B 6 speed manual which has covered @ 150,000. 2005 Legacy 3.0 RN with 5 speed auto box which has covered @ 107,000 miles Both look nice, have have leather seats and sat nav etc. The Spec B manual is more expensive and has done 150,000 miles. Lots of service history but more than one owner. The Legacy RN Auto is @ £300 cheaper than the Spec B and has covered @ 105,000 miles, full service history and one owner. Both are miles away ( as usual ) but are also in the opposite direction to one another so I will only really get chance to view one or the other. Which would be better, I can't decide so would like some help and opinions please?. The Spec B should handle a little better then the RN due to the suspension. Are the auto's better to drive than the manuals please as I imagine that power, performance and fuel economy would be similar. Your opinions are appreciated. Thank You Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david1972 Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 Auto, but you could say I'm biased [emoji6] The one owner, full history, lower mileage, cheaper wins the day for me over the minimal difference you'll notice with spec etc Sent from my iphone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Forester 2.5 XT Posted June 3, 2015 Author Share Posted June 3, 2015 david 1972. I was wondering would the Legacy with manual transmission be better for driving on wet, icy or other slippery surfaces in terms of control due to being able to disconnecting the power to the wheels by depressing the clutch?. Forgive my question but it stems from years of driving vehicles with manual transmission. I did own a Volvo V70 T5 auto once but that didn't get used on snow or ice. I believe that the interior specifications are very similar between the RN and the Spec B. It is the differece in mileage and the manual vs auto that will probably decide it. One thing I did notice was that according to official figures, the fuel economy seems better in the 5 speed auto than in the 6 speed manual which doesn't sound logical. Thank You Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david1972 Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 Depressing the clutch would only decrease traction anyway. An auto should be no different in reality and if anything the 'auto creep' will help you to move on snow and ice without having to put any power down Sent from my iphone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Forester 2.5 XT Posted June 3, 2015 Author Share Posted June 3, 2015 Thanks David. Just got my insurance quotes through for both vehicles and I'm confused now:- £341 2005 Legacy Spec B 3.0 Fully Comp zero no claims on a second vehicle. £413 2005 Legacy RN 3.0 Fully Comp with zero no claims so £72 more expensive. I would have thought that the Spec B would be more expensive to insure than the RN. Do you have to use premium unleaded petrol such as V Power or Momentum 99 for the 3.0 Boxer Engine?. I had to use premium fuel in my Forester 2.5 XT Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david1972 Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 You don't have to, but I do and it more than pays for itself with the improved mpg. The engine runs better too, which is always a good thing Sent from my iphone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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