GeoLogic

I have a friend with a 1991 Legacy sedan, automatic transmission that has more recently began having problems with a severe shudder and power loss when, say, trying to get on the freeway under more aggressive acceleration. That is, this problem comes up during times when heavier on the throttle-- The entire car starts shaking and looses power. Apparently when accelerating very slowly this problem doesn't happen. The car is mostly used as their around town runabout, and now has about 89,000 miles on it (low for a car this age). Has anyone else experienced a problem of this kind and can perhaps provide an idea as to what the cause is? I was thinking maybe a bad motor mount(s), but she didn't mention that this happens at any other time except when accelerating aggresively. If it was a motor mount I'd expect a "thud" type of sound, or similar, when shifting, say, from neutral into Drive. So it seems more likely the problem is something else... Thanks for your help, all-- They need to keep this car and can't afford to replace it, so ideas as to what's wrong are badly needed!

I respectfully differ in opinion regarding this issue-- I believe there's nothing wrong with complaining about sub-20's fuel economy no matter what vehicle you're speaking of, and in fact believe it's beneficial if people DO complain. With dwindling fossil fuel supplies, increasing dependence on foreign sources, and the ever increasing cost for that fuel (both in money and human lives), it serves good purpose if consumers demand better fuel economy from ALL vehicles; be them Subaru, GM, Honda, or whatever. So I'm under the opinion of, "Complain away!"-- If no one ever said a thing about poor fuel economy then there'd be almost no incentive for any auto maker, including Subaru, to improve the situation. Apathy befits apathy, and action spurs the corollary. I believe it's fortunate that throughout human history there were at least some people who refused to throw up their arms and say, "Just deal with it". We would never have advanced as a society without them.

I completely agree, but unfortunately NO auto maker offers exactly what I want except Honda (the Accord) and Mazda (the Mazda3). The Accord doesn't cut it because it's… 1. Unspeakably ugly. 2. Noisy (road noise). 3. Uncomfortable (hard seats, stiff ride). Meanwhile, the Mazda3 is… 1. Too small (rear seating is flat horrible). 2. Noisy (road noise). 3. Rides a bit too stiffly. As for other options, I dislike the Mazda6 (interior is lousy), I can't stand Nissan design these days (ugly/cheap), Toyota is bland (and I very much detest, for instance, the Camry's interior design), and I won't buy American makes due to their established history of poor reliability and cheap construction. European makes are off the list due to their bottom-dweller reliability and bloated, overpriced nature. The likes of Acura are too expensive, and they require rip-off premium fuel. The new Toyota Camry might be an option, but I must await its release before passing personal judgment. The exterior looks good so far, but we’ll have to see how the interior shapes up. And of course how well it performs. I quite admit I'm very demanding-- Enough so, in fact, that if an auto maker refuses to offer a car I appreciate, I'll make one myself. Screw them! Hence, thus far I believe Subaru gets me pretty close to what I want, and I'll modify as needed-- It's worth the time, money, and effort as far as I'm concerned. I also enjoy working on cars, so such a project would be a cool challenge. And you all might have already guessed, I like the idea of defying auto makers who refuse to offer sensible options-- I’ll be damned if I’ve worked and sacrificed and saved this long only to be denied the car I’ve wanted my whole life. The main thing I’m interested in here is opinions regarding the Outback and Legacy in terms of ride character, roominess, noise levels, and overall satisfaction. This site’s a great resource and I appreciate the experience of other owners-- Such will be helpful in determining which one to go for if Subaru ultimately turns out to be the brand I go for. Anyway, thanks for listening to my tirade, all! I’m not trying to be difficult, as said-- I’m just the demanding sort, and I’m dead-set on making this huge purchase work. Cheers!

Hi all-- I'm getting closer to finally having enough money saved to buy a new car, and the Legacy and Outback are very strong front-runners on my list. My problem is I insist on the following characteristics: 01. Navigation 02. Leather seating 03. Manual transmission 04. Fog lights 05. Alloy wheels 06. Moon roof 07. Fuel efficient 07. 4/5 doors 08. Mid-sized 09. Reliable 10. Side curtain airbags 11. ABS 12. Quiet riding (I hate noisy cars) 13. Smooth riding (I dislike stiff riding cars) Subaru offers a great many of these characteristics, but the trouble is you pretty much have to get the larger, gluttonous fuel sucking engine and/or an automatic transmission to get leather and navigation. I hate that. The news is, I refuse to buy the 250 HP engine because of its offensive fuel economy. And I happen to like manual transmission and won't buy a car that doesn't offer it. Period. I don't know why not a single auto maker (except Honda and Mazda) thinks people who like manual transmissions and fuel efficiency don't deserve navigation and leather. What a crock. So I believe it likely that I'd have to forgo leather and navigation in order to get the smaller 175 HP engine and manual transmission. Then I'd order a leather conversion kit from some aftermarket company and get the leather interior I demand, myself. I'd also find a source for the OEM Subaru navigation system and install it myself. I've done a lot of car modification and am pretty skilled in such things. I feel with an official Subaru service manual I could get navigation installed-- Just as if it had come from the factory with it. And I'm not talking about some ghetto aftermarket nav system-- I'd install the real McCoy Subaru system. True, it would be a lot of work, but I've always wanted navigation, and dammit, I've been working so hard and saving for so long I won't compromise on getting exactly what I want from my new car. So anyway, any of you have any opinions on which car is better in terms of the above noted list, either the Legacy or the Outback? Thanks for your thoughts on this, guys-- And sorry if I'm inflexible on things-- As said, I've been working, saving, and sacraficing for 3 years; suffering getting stranded by my current old car, having no power anything, no safety equipment, etc.. I'm dang well going to get the new car I want... even if I have to rip it to the ground to get it!

I'd bet this is the same as what happens to my Geo Prizm: It's probably coolant flowing through your heater core. Try moving your interior temperature lever to 'cold' and see if the water sound stops. As said, my current car is a Toyota (all Prizms were Toyota Corolla clones), so heater core operation might be different in a Subaru, but it wouldn't surprise me if that water sound you're hearing is simply harmless coolant flowing through the core. I trust the sound goes away, no matter where your temperature lever is, once your engine is fully warmed up? Anyway, there's another possibility to consider! Irritating I suppose, but so far I've found it to be harmless in my old car... Cheers, all! (And by the way, I'm here as a possible future Subaru owner-- I had been thinking about an old GL 4x4, but decided to keep my Geo Prizm and continue saving for perhaps a new Outback or Legacy-- I figure I have about a year of saving to go, then I'll be ready to spring! )

Hi all! I've been lurking about over the last several weeks, learning more about classic Subarus. This appears to be a great resource and it's much appreciated. I've been a longtime skier and have generally always done well with the FWD cars I've owned, but in the back of my mind have always fancied the idea of having an on-demand 4WD car that allows me drive most of the time in fuel/money saving 2WD and then shift into 4WD when conditions are appropriate. Sadly, if you want that kind of combination you're out of luck these days, as 2WD/4WD can only be had in pickup trucks (not cars); or you have to settle for AWD. I don't have anything against these vehicles, but for my modest needs I like the idea of an on-demand 4WD *car*. And the last of those were offered in the 80's, pretty much (Subaru GLs, Toyota Tercel wagons, Nissan Stanza wagons, Nissan Sentra wagons, Dodge Colt wagon). For whatever reason, manufacturers dropped that genre of car all together, which is a real pisser, and now your only choices along those lines are cars that are becoming increasingly rare and trouble-prone (as any 20+ year old car would be). Anyway, to test the waters of what's available I posted a couple of "Wanted" notes on Craig's List Eugene and Portland, OR (thanks to all who responded, by the way). Got one response recently from a fellow in Portland for an '88 GL hatch-- Apparently free of rust, in "great looking and running condition", 150k miles. Given that this is the place to secure such incite, I wondered if I might get some of your guys' experience with these particular generation GLs. I always liked the look of the hatchbacks better than the wagons, but on the other hand the wagons have greater capacity in terms of passengers and cargo. But fuel economy would also be slightly better with the hatch. So, questions: *How's the space inside a GL hatch? *How's the stock handling/ride characteristics? I'm a modest fellow and generally prefer quieter, smoother quality. *Anyone have ideas as to what's the most common problems for the GLs (such as the 4WD system (leaks and such), heater core, EA81 engine, brakes, etc.)? *Typical fuel economy? I'd be using such a car for run-of-the-mill mountain trips, on road, with really only road ice/snow, and parking lot snow to contend with. Might hit up a gravel road every so often, but really I'm just a low-key "Joe driver" interested in safety, efficiency, and low cost. One other thing I should add: I'm also a perfectionist when it comes to my cars-- I insist that everything be in top shape and operational; cosmetic and mechanical. So anything in need of repair or replacement I'd probably obsessively make it happen! The short story is I’m interested in getting any of your opinions regarding the viability of having such a car for the uses outlined above. My main concern is going to have to be cost-- I’m quite concerned about the cost of repair to make such a car safe and reliable, insurance, etc.. This would also have to be a second car, as I’d be keeping my current 1990 Geo Prizm GSi hatch (Toyota Corolla clone) (a car I’ve worked to bring up to superb condition, and one I can rely on without worry). I’ve learned an enormous amount about working on cars through my (4A-GE fuel-injected) Prizm, and would likely do all but the largest types of jobs on any Subaru I might buy, myself (although I’ve never worked on a boxer engine). Thanks for your input, everyone, and for letting me ramble on! I would flat out LOVE to have a GL of this generation but fear the cost of an extra car might be too much at this point. Doh. My (eminently practical) girlfriend says I shouldn't get a second car, but it sure would be fun, I bet! Cheers!