<p>I just discovered the Legacy after returning to the Subaru dealership. Nobody mentioned this model to me the first time. To Me it looks very sporty and the size is perfect. Anyone have one please share how you like it (or not). </p>
<p>Also considering the Impreza and Forrester (tho I can’t help but worry a little about the roll-over factor with Forrester). So please compare those three models if you have experience with all of them.</p>
<p>Thanks…I am looking for safety most top priority.</p>
<p>We went out a few years ago fully intending to buy a Subaru Legacy of a Subaru Forester and ended up with a Honda CR/V instead. The Legacy gets great safety ratings but it’s a heavy car for its size class, which means it doesn’t get particularly good gas mileage. With teenage kids, we also thought it didn’t have good interior leg room in the back seat. The CR/V was cheaper, roomier, got better gas mileage, and had equally impressive safety ratings.</p>
<p>The Forester’s safety ratings are pretty good, but not as good as the Legacy or the CR/V. I haven’t seen the latest models of any of these cars but the auto reviews pretty much confirm what we found a couple of years ago.</p>
<p>I dont drive it though because I am very petite. It is a manual transmission and by the time I move the seat forward enough so that I can operate the clutch, I am sitting too close to the outside rearview mirror to use it comfortably.</p>
<p>This would have been avoided if I test drove it, but it was going to be my husband’s car anyway. </p>
<p>My husbands complaint is that there is a squeak in the drivers seat. Rattles etc drive him absolutely nuts while driving, so he will probably get a new car sooner than our usual 10-12 years.</p>
<p>We have since bought a similar vintage honda civic. i like it much better, as it is easier for a short person to drive. One thing about the Legacy is that the windows in the doors do not have metal frames. I think the car looks “cheap” compared to similarly priced cars. </p>
<p>My daughter rented an Outback and loved it. She is also short but found the automatic fun and easy to drive, and liked the fact that she sat up a bit higher than in the Legacy.</p>
<p>There was recently another Subaru question that also may help you. I recently traded a 2010 Legacy for a 2012 Outback. We have had four Subaru’s and I love the brand, but the Legacy just did not work for me. The leg room for the driver was uncomfortable for a tall person and it rides quite low in comparison to other Subaru’s. I love my Outback, we have also had a forester and my son has an impreza.</p>
<p>My wife considered this moodel, and we test drove it.
Decided to go with a Jeep Liberty. That was 2 yrs ago, she is still thrilled with it.
And since OP asked for “any opinions” I’ll add that a factor was that Liberty was a Detroit manufacturer and built in Toledo. Wife and I prefer to keep Americans working when we can. I realize that isn’t important to all people, but I have offered our opinion.</p>
<p>I had a legacy for many years and it was a great car. Subaru’s tend to last forever and their AWD system is one of the best. </p>
<p>One general comment about “Buying American”, you have to be careful about that. The Ford Fusion is made in Mexico of parts sourced 85% in Mexico. Toyota on the other hand has most of the cars sold in the US made here, in Kentucky, and roughly 85% of the parts are made in the US.The Crown Victoria, that mainstay of the cab industry and cops, was made in Mexico with something like 90% Mexican parts, that if the rules weren’t screwed up would have been listed as a foreign car. Subarus are made in Indiana,my 93 was made there, and a lot of the ‘foreign cars’ are now made here, Nissan, Toyota, Honda, etc while number of cars of the ‘big three’ are made in Mexico or elsewhere, either the cars themselves and/or the parts.</p>
<p>We went looking for the Impreza around Thanksgiving and were told that because of the disaster in Japan, the 2012 models wouldn’t be coming for months. So we bought a 2012 Legacy (4 cylinder Limited) at about invoice price. Nothing good or bad about it that has stood out; we haven’t had much snow till this week so it hasn’t really been put to test.</p>
<p>Wow Dad<em>of</em>3 made a point that I never considered…Could it be that 2012 Imprezas and other Subaru models this year have radioactive parts???</p>
<p>musicprnt makes a fine point about other models and their country of origin. But those models might be better suited in a different thread; they don’t compare to a Forester. My wife considered the Forester, but opted for the Liberty, as it had the SUV features she desired. A Fusion is a nice car I’m sure, but is not the SUV type vehicle my wife desired, or that the OP apparently desires.
I realize many foreign owned makers employ people here. Honda, BMW, Nisson, Subaru, etc. The Forester and Impreza are made in Japan.
But whether it’s a Honda assembled here, or a BMW assembled here, the profits go to the homeland. IMO different models will vary, but the Liberty- which is a fair comparison to a Forester, is made here and is owned in Detroit. I offered the OP a suggestion of a car to consider that is similar in features.</p>
<p>Isn’t the Outback really just a trim line of the Legacy? That’s what it used to be, in any case. We had a Legacy wagon, and currently have an Outback. We have liked them all very much, and they’ve been reliable.</p>
<p>I’m getting the Impreza instead of the Legacy because I wanted a hatchback. The Legacy doesn’t come in a 5 door anymore, I believe. The Imprezas are in short supply right now. I had to order one to get the color I wanted. None in the state.</p>
<p>Subaru decided to strengthen the positioning of their line by making the Legacy only a sedan and the Outback the more sporty wagon. I have the new Legacy. You should think of the Legacy as a “nicer sedan” and not compare it to SUV’s.</p>
<p>Yes, it does sit low. The backseats in the front are quite comfortable even for adults that are many years out of college. Heated seats are an option (an essential one for me in any car I buy). The trunk is ample.</p>
<p>Downside: I think the engine is noisy in that it has a built in clicking sound i hear that is a result of the way it is placed (or so they have told me).</p>
<p>Upside: although a sedan, this car is completely bombproof in the snow. For this feature alone I would buy this car again. I was caught in a major dump last year where i was the only car on the highway, with no plows in sight and very low visibility. cars were off the road everywhere. To contextualize this, I will do almost anything to avoid snow driving so I was terrified. This car not only got me safely over all the flatish part of our city, but up the 1000 ft. steep climb to our house and up the twisted driveway. Without a skid or slip anywhere.</p>
<p>I will forgive a lot just for that one event!</p>
<p>And for going down said 1000 foot climb, the anti-lock brakes keep all skids away too.</p>
<p>Finally, I didn’t realize this when I bought the car but it has an indicator for low tire pressure. This allowed me to get the tire fixed (it picked up a screw in a construction site) at my convenience rather than getting a flat. It’s a really nice feature.</p>
<p>My experience with Subaru legacies from a while back is that they are not of the same quality as Toyotas or Nissans. No serious engine or drive train issues, but stuff comes loose, like trim, weather seals, and other annoying flaws. </p>
<p>They have tight steering and are fun to drive. Handling is great. </p>
<p>Snow performance actually is less than you might expect because they are light. Obviously the 4wd models are better than an equivalent size and weight 2wd model, but the Subarus are so light that they have trouble getting enough “bite” in slippery conditions climbing hills compared to heavier SUVs. This may not be a fair comparison, but it was the case. </p>
<p>Mileage tends to be pretty good. I got 30mpg on a highway trip.</p>
<p>My sister drives a 2010 Legacy. In the 25 months she’s owned it there has only been one problem: an electronic outage that disabled her radio, blue tooth, and nav system. Everything was fixed and/or replaced under warranty. No other issues. </p>
<p>It’s a beautiful car. I really enjoy riding in it and she loves driving it. Great trunk space, too.</p>
<p>I’m on my third Legacy…(first was a sedan, then Outbacks)…I love them and have driven them all to 150,000 + Yes, the weather seals are a problem after a point. But they are so good to drive, so absolutely reliable in snow and on our steep, steep driveway…I can’t imagine switching.</p>
<p>Impreza has surprisingly expensive insurance (discovered that when I was looking at them a couple of years ago). Today is actually the day I swore off Subarus for good, though. I have had a horrible experience with a serious safety recall on my old Forester (took months to get an appointment, then it turned out that the car DOES have the serious defect, parts are on backorder for an indefinite amount of time – expected to be several weeks at a minimum). I spent three hours today returning the short term loaner they gave me and picking up an Enterprise rental (they had not done a good job of arranging the rental transition, although they had promised to ahead of time). Of course the rental car is not AWD, and I live in a snowy place.</p>
<p>I have an Outback as well that I really like, but they have now restyled the Outback. I drove a loaner of the new model for a couple of days, and it feels like every other SUV now (tall and huge). So I don’t like their new model AND have had a horrible service experience.</p>
So I don’t like their new model AND have had a horrible service experience.</p>