axgutt Posted March 3, 2005 Share Posted March 3, 2005 My wife and I both have 95 Legacy Wagons. Both are 2.2 AWD models. Mine is a 5 speed with 231,000 miles, and hers is an automatic with 131,000 miles (the baby). We're thinking about getting a trailer hitch installed on one of them so we can pull a trailer for hauling Home Depot stuff, occasional auction furniture, mulch, etc. What are people's feelings about the 5 speed versus an auto for towing a trailer? If it makes a difference, we live in a really hilly area, so we could occasionally need to get a load over a mountain (Afton mountain in Virginia - a few miles long). Thanks Adam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smpol19 Posted March 3, 2005 Share Posted March 3, 2005 Normaly i'd say the 5 speed, no torque converter and trany to over heat, and you can engine brake a little more to save on your brakes. On the other hand 231,000 miles is a lot, it could go another 100k or it could quit tomorrow. I don't think a trailer with some lumber and stuff every so often will put too more wear on the car. Which one is in better condition??? i've seen cars with 50k on their clocks that i wouldn't trade for mine with well over 100k. Alright, here is what i would do, put it on the 5 speed, if you are having someone else do it watch them. Then if anything goes wrong with that just switch it over to the Auto and put a big tranney cooler on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiny Clark Posted March 3, 2005 Share Posted March 3, 2005 I'd put it on the A/T, but change your tranny fluid before you start hauling. I don't think you could hurt either with occasional hauling, but the clutch assembly on yours may be getting to the point that the trailer would eat it up if pulled too much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subeman90 Posted March 3, 2005 Share Posted March 3, 2005 stick shift all the way. Just remember your car is a SUBARU not a chevy truck with a 454 and 411 gears.... basically take it easy and don't over do it.... I had a legacy stick AWD once that had over 200k on it and I used it to pull my VW beetle around and my friends fiat spyder. Slow and easy is the key here and always anticipate braking.... Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dude Posted March 3, 2005 Share Posted March 3, 2005 All things equal, automotive experts will pick an AT over an MT for towing. An AT is certainly much easier for the driver to tow with. Plus, you will have made an investment in the towing equipment for your car. You want to make that investment on the car with longest probable life. Please do a web search on towing . You'll see that the AT is almost universally recommended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wae Posted March 3, 2005 Share Posted March 3, 2005 I'm not really into slushboxes, but in this case, I'm going to have to give my vote to the auto tranny. With the extra weight of a trailer, you'll wind up burning more clutch than usual to get going from a stop. Especially on those hilly raods! One thing I would consider, though, is looking into a transmission fluid cooler, if the Subaru 4EAT's don't have them already (I've never cared enough about an auto tranny to find out). If you're not doing a lot of work with your trailer, you're probably okay, but you will certainly extend the life of your transmission. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtsmiths Posted March 3, 2005 Share Posted March 3, 2005 What wae said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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