Spokane-Pete Posted April 23, 2005 Share Posted April 23, 2005 Considering buying a Subaru AWD wagon. Something $10-16K or so. Can't figure out the differences in the models. Except the Forester, they appear similar to my untrained eye. Somebody please educate me. I'm a huge car nut and have owned and restored many brands and ages over the years but not Subaru. Need something good for hauling things and season snow and ice. Will a 6ft ladder fit inside one of these? I'm in Spokane Washington. Thanks! Peter S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuBrat84 Posted April 23, 2005 Share Posted April 23, 2005 Considering buying a Subaru AWD wagon. Something $10-16K or so. Can't figure out the differences in the models. Except the Forester, they appear similar to my untrained eye. Somebody please educate me. I'm a huge car nut and have owned and restored many brands and ages over the years but not Subaru. Need something good for hauling things and season snow and ice. Will a 6ft ladder fit inside one of these? I'm in Spokane Washington. Thanks! Peter S Okay.. I'm not up to date on the specs... But an Outback is a Legacy.. but like "beefier" (and maybe they put the 6 cyl in outbacks) "Subaru Legacy Outback" The Legacy wagon is going to be "L = 2.2l" and "GT = 2.5l" 4 cyl engines. The Forester is an Impreza.. "Subaru Impreza Forester" they also have "Subaru Impreza Outback" (Sport, i think.) And I'm not positive what motors they are using in the Impreza wagons... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olnick Posted April 23, 2005 Share Posted April 23, 2005 Hi, Spokane-Pete. My guess is that you'd probably want the Outback/Legacy model (same basic body, but the Outback sits higher and has sportier trim.) Not sure about the interior dimensions & cubic volume, but I think they're roomier than the Forester. What caught my eye was your location--Spokane. My daughter's boy friend lives there and I believe he is thinking of selling his Outback! It's a '98 with 114k miles on it and, from what she says, it's in really nice condition. Could be had for considerably less than your budget range too, I'll bet! Anyway, if you're interested in looking at it send me a PM (Private Message) and I'll give you his number. Good luck in your search--as you can tell from this board we are all pretty much "true believers." I've driven Subarus for 20 years and couldn't be more satisfied. Aloha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamal Posted April 23, 2005 Share Posted April 23, 2005 The Outback is based off the Legacy, but has two tone paint, and sits higher due to different suspension and taller tires. 1995 was the first year for the Outback, but it was just a trim level. In 96 it had the different suspension and tires. In 96, the 2.5 was introduced in the GT Legacy, and was apparantly an option for the Outback. According to cars.com, the 2.5 was standard in Outbacks by 97, but I'm not sure if that's right. The Forester is based off the Impreza, and is a taller wagon. It's also shorter than the Legacy. The Outback sport is the Impreza version of the Outback, and has taller tires and different suspension. It's a wagon. All of this information is avaible by searching here and cars.com and edmunds and whatnot. Also, if you're concerned about fitting a ladder, before I had my racks, I could fit my 185 skis (about 6ft) in the back with the seat folded down in my 93 Legacy sedan. My driver's seat is all the way back, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nixon Posted April 23, 2005 Share Posted April 23, 2005 All are pretty roomy inside. The forester has a smaller boot than the OB/legacy,both in length and height[with cover over],but rear legroom appears to be better.For a small car,the forester will swallow big loads,and will take an 8' ladder with ease. It's also more fun to drive,and that BIG sunroof takes the biscuit.It's also made in japan,not US,so is better built. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dude Posted April 23, 2005 Share Posted April 23, 2005 Good observation. I own a Forester, and I'm still trying to find a truly significant difference between the Forester and The Impreza Sport Wagon. An inch here or there really isn't much of a difference. Maybe next time I'll buy the Impreza and save a couple of grand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outback_97 Posted April 23, 2005 Share Posted April 23, 2005 It's hard to improve on this website for a lot of information in one place for comparing the different Subaru models: http://www.cars101.com This link from Nasioc has some good comparos too, although it's Forester vs. Legacy vs. Impreza: http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=689844 Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubaruLegacy2003 Posted April 23, 2005 Share Posted April 23, 2005 Starting in '03, I don't believe the 2.2L engine was available anymore. I think that the entire line has the 2.5L Phase II engine (do a search on Head Gaskets on the forum for more info) In '03 there were at least 3 levels of trim on the Legacy, both Wagon & Sedan. There is the Outback, more ground clearance, more aggresive off-road type tires and different interior trim levels there is also a 6 cylinder option. New for the '03 was the SE (special edition) Legacy, it came with the GT 16" wheels, dual sunroofs, Leather Steering wheel & shift knob, CD, 4 wheels discs etc....There is also the GT, bigger front brakes, rears are the same, optional sport shift AT, leather, stiffer suspension (bigger sway bars I think) and that's about it. Except for the Outback 6 cylinder, I believe all the '03 &'04 have the 2.5L four. Any of these (except maybe the 6 cylinder) should fall into your price range. There was also probably a base model Legacy that had A/C optional, steel wheels etc...that would make 4 levels of trim. At the time, if you didn't need the additional ground clearance of the Outback, I found the SE model to make the most sense. I looked like a GT, had the same engine as the GT, and while it didn't have the leather interior or the bigger brakes or suspension upgrade, it was also almost $5,000 less than the GT or the Outback. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sregor13 Posted April 23, 2005 Share Posted April 23, 2005 Considering buying a Subaru AWD wagon. Something $10-16K or so. Can't figure out the differences in the models. Except the Forester, they appear similar to my untrained eye. Somebody please educate me. I'm a huge car nut and have owned and restored many brands and ages over the years but not Subaru. Need something good for hauling things and season snow and ice. Will a 6ft ladder fit inside one of these? I'm in Spokane Washington. Thanks! Peter S I used to haul around full sheets of plywood in my Subaru GL. I could alsmost shut the gate. I am positive a 6 Foot ladder would fit in a GL. I also can haul 10 Ft Conduit. Probably would fit into Legacy, but you may have to put the passenger front seat forward a bit. I would rule out the Forester as an option. They just dont have much space. I might consider finding a 86-or 87 Gl Wagon with a 1.8 litre Engine that has low miles and dumping a bunch of money into it. These make great tools cars and get good gas mileage. Just a thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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