just going to start looking for a new Daily Driver and want to know the difference between them thanks, say 96-99 in years

more options + ground clearnce on the outback , verse the brighton

Brighton is a bare bones model. AC was the only thing standard. The stereo usually only had front speakers, the windows were crank, it has no tachometer, manual mirrors, and in the wagons no rear wiper.

 

As for the Outback, it's really just a regular L or GT with 2-tone paint, stiffer suspension, and higher ground clearance.

and fog lights

Outbacks have a slightly higher roofline (Bulged above drivers head more headroom) and will ALWAYs have a roofrack.

 

Brightons (and regular Legacies) have a "flat" roof, and even if they have a roofrack, it is not as big and is kinda weak and cheesy compared to the Outback.

Don't forget that ALL Brightons have the more reliable 2.2L engine and the Outback has the more troublesome 2.5L. Yes the Brighton is basic but it also means less to break. I do miss cruise control, but I have the rear wiper and bumper cover protector and added rear speakers as the wiring is there.

 

Goes in the snow just fine and ground clearance has never been an issue although I like the ride height of the outback better. I'll just add outback struts later to fix that. Oh and the 2.2 performance with the automatic is just fine because the Brighton is also lighter than the Outback.

Don't forget that ALL Brightons have the more reliable 2.2L engine and the Outback has the more troublesome 2.5L.

 

96 outback with Manual trans has 2.2

 

And a 2.2 can be swapped into any outback

 

 

Not arguing for either.....just stating differences.

The brightons are annoying if you like extras like power windows, more options, etc.

 

They do come with the more reliable EJ22.

 

Some options from the OBW can easily be bolted on to the Brighton. Seats, struts (for more groun clearance), wheels, and stereo are easy to upgrade. It's not all that hard to put a tach in either. Power windows and locks aren't quite as simple. With a decent set of Subaru alloy wheels they look much nicer.

I don't know for sure, but I believe the Brightons (at least mine did) come with really annoying drum brakes in the rear where as the rest have disk.

Yeah, rear drum brakes but they work just fine -- it's not a performance car.

 

Yeah its a basic car but with ice cold a/c, automatic awd, I find its easy to live with, predictable and safe and I don't have to think twice about using it for anything, something that can't be said of the loaded OBXT that has spent the winter in the garage.

Yeah, rear drum brakes but they work just fine -- it's not a performance car.

 

 

 

It's not about the performance, it's about the maintanence and difficulty of replacing shoes. Drums rust to the hubs. Drums wear a ridge into them where you risk braking the tabs on the wheel cylinders trying to get the drums off. The shoes are held in place with spring clips that are a pain to get on and twisted the quarter turn. All much more difficult than one bolt and c-clamp to replace disk pads.

he can choose preference on drums. i'm not a fan of them but in good condition they do last longer and are cheaper. if you ever do have to replace them it's not likely you'll ever have to again.

 

with discs you're not entirely avoiding drum brakes since all rear disc EJ's have rear drums brakes as well. they have adjustments, replacements, and stick as well. simple, but it's there.

It's not that I "prefer" drum brakes -- it's just what the brightons have. A yearly inspection / service / maintenance minimizes and usually prevents most if not all sticking / rusting / noise issues etc.

 

This guy's looking for the differences between the outback and brighton trying to decide on a daily driver. Pros' and Con's for each but they don't really amount to much as it depends on what fits your needs/wants. The outback will be a little more maintenance than the brighton but to ME that is a non issue as I can work on anything.

Like they said, the brighton wagon is bare bones. I've had my 99 since new and now am at 227,000 miles. My son was born in 99 and it replaced our eclipse and it was a great car for the money. I would have liked the outback for little higher ground clearance and accessories but wasn't in our budget. you'll probably pay less for the used brighton and still have a decent driver.

I should mention that while the Brighton is bare bones, all the wiring is there to upgrade things if you are so inclined. I installed a tach, rear door speakers, rear wiper, and cruise control to my brighton. All were plug and play operations once I had the components.

I don't get why subaru leaves out options like a tach on brigton models, if everything wired, it cant add much to the overall cost of building a car. They just must leave those things out so your more likely to be annoyed by not having simple little things like a tach and you'll just buy the loaded model.

Brightons seem to come in different versions.

Mine, a 96 still driving strong, had no tach (installed one), no AC but a rear wiper. I actually like the manual crank side windows and dont miss the AC.

The Brighton comes without the guaranteed leaking head gaskets