itzed

That is, of course, unless you change your oil too often. Since most of the wear occurs when the oil is new. Oil geeks can read here: http://neptune.spacebears.com/cars/stories/mobil1.html

It's made by Shell, and it's decent stuff - not recycled. http://www.rotella.com/products/rotella_t.html Ed

Nice! Congratulations. Now just get rid of that dealer logo on the trunk and you'll have yourself a great car!

I think you actually made my point better than I did. Part of my reasoning for saying "without warning", is really based on people not knowing timing chains can and do fail, and people just thinking they never will, so they don't pay any attention to them as a maintenance item. If you don't work on cars and know what to look and listen for, then a noiser valve train on a high mileage engine is often completely overlooked until something breaks. Ed

All engines have valves that need to be actuated. Rubber is quieter and easier to change but needs to be changed more often. Metal is noisy, fails without warning, but generally lasts longer. Pick your poison. Rationally I doubt it, but then it appears you need some emotional support and justification for your new decision, so I'm sure you can find some people to agree with you.

I come from a VW/Audi background, and I only have about 400 miles on my new Legacy, so I'm far from familiar with Subies. But I do have some rather extensive information on oil as VW has stringent tests and recommendations that Subaru apparently does not have. They, and most European manufacturers almost exclusively recommend 5w40 oils for year round use. I really don't see how you can go wrong with most any oil that meets VW's 502 standards. I've got a lot of documentation on this if anyone is interested, but for now, here's a list of the North American oils that meet it: Ed

Maybe I should revise my guess to 0-50. So much of the quickness in recorded 0-60 is due to gear ratios and redlines. The car "feels" pretty quick, but it redlines in 2'nd before you hit 60, requiring a 2'nd shift. That adds a lot of time. Most real performance cars can hit the famed 0-62 (100Kph) in just 2'nd gear. I've owned a few nice cars in my time so I have an idea about how this car compares to some very nice automobiles, and with only 400 miles on the engine, I'm certainly not going to test it right now. But I have to say, there's no way this thing is in the 11 second range. Of course I also have my suspicions that the speedometer might read a little fast too.

They say 0-60 in 9.2 for the 168 HP 2005 unit. Since the 2006 has 175HP and I have a manual, I'm going to guess it to be about in the high 8's or so, maybe 8.7 - 8.9. Sound reasonable? They also say 133MPH top speed, and I thought I remembered reading somewhere about the 2006 being governed to 135MPH, so that jives too. I wonder why nobody has ever really fully reviewed and tested the NA Legacy? It's a great car!

Anybody know where there might be some performance numbers for this car with the normally aspirated 2.5? My new 06 Legacy feels pretty quick but I can't find where anybody has tested anything other than the GT. Ed

I had a '95 Jetta that FELT quick, only because the chassis was so light and uninsulated from the road that almost any speed was scary. Newer cars are much more refined. Maybe it's partly perception.

I mean it's not buttery smooth going into 1'st and 3'rd all the time, and it's a little notchy - like you have to push it a little harder and past a very slight bind. It usually happens when going slow. It's really not a problem for me, but if my wife drives the car I'll have to mention it to her because you COULD be tempted to think it's in gear and let out the clutch when it really isn't quite there yet. Ed

Thanks for the welcomes. My 1 hour commute to work and 1 hour back from work was totally enjoyable today! The seats were fine, and the arm rests were the right height, and the steering wheel was well positioned. It seems to fit me just fine. And I just absolutely love that growl the engine and exhaust combination makes! The clutch is easy and not a problem, although the shifter is a little balky in 1'st and 3'rd sometimes. I expect the linkage might loosen up a litte in time. Overall, a very positive experience and I'm looking forward to talking about it with you all for many years to come! Ed

Thanks for all the replies. I did it. I picked up a new Legacy SE Monday night. Black, with the spoiler 5 speed. Very sharp looking car, and I love the growl of the engine. I find the seats OK so far, but have not taken any longer drives yet. I'm taking it to work today, which is a 1 hour commute, so I'll know better at the end of the day. My biggest thing with the seats is that I need rake adjustment to tilt the front up and the back down, which this seat has. So I'm optimistic. I'm now a Soobie guy.

Hi, I'm 44 and I've always loved to drive. I've particularly loved my VWs over the years. I'm 6'4", 190lbs, and comfort is important to me as well. I recently moved and live on a fairly steep hill, and the wife wants us to own at least one AWD vehicle. I'm currently splitting my driving between a '97 Audi A6q (automatic) and a '95 VW jetta (manual). I've always preferred a manual for the involvement, and it always seems to be in the right gear. <g>. I do all my own service work, and it seems I'm always fixing either one or the other of these two cars. I don't mind doing it, but the cost is about equal to a new car payment, and my wife is complaining she never sees me anymore. So recently I began wondering if there was a car out there that could give me what I want in a single vehicle: Comfort; Reliability; Fun; Reasonable cost; and AWD. I've identified the base 5 speed Legacy as about the only contender that I think might initially meet all those criteria. I've never owned a Subaru, and I'm seeking your opinions on what could be a rather fast decision because of the incentives currently offered. I'm interested in: Reliability: What are the weak points of this 2.5i engine? Is the maintenance schedule reasonable? What about the "Subaru common problems"? Trust me that Audi A6 blower motor is NOT an easy job. Comfort: I'm very concerned that the seat be comfortable for me, as my work commute is 1 hour each way daily. I sat in and drove a Legacy GT that I found comfortable, but there was no standard SE for me to try out. I've read some complaints on the web about the seats, which scare me. Any comments on this? I know I'm asking a lot here, especially for a first post. But I promise if I buy this car, I'll stay here on the list and pay it all back. Thanks, Ed