minkl81

iTrader: (2)

Just stopped by Suby dealer to check out Legacy Outback and ended up test driving a GT Limited sedan (It was a used one with 9000 miles). My impression was Never thought legacy's interior noise was this quite and it was rattle free. No rattles at ALL. Also turbo kicks in early and climbing up curvy road took no big effort. Steering was a bit numb and heavier than TSX, but on highways it felt a lot better than our TSX.

They were trying to sell me a new one with a price of $28,000 and paying off my TSX. Seems like not a bad deal but is Legacy worth a trade?

afici0nad0

i really like the lgt 5mt.

i don't know, from what the dealership is offering, it would be a very difficult decision for me...

i'm not very familiar with turbos and awd, so i don't know what the maintenance schedule looks like for a car equipped with those features.

but man... very nice car...

i'd never really thought about subaru until after my tsx purchase.

CCColtsicehockey

personally I wouldn't not really a fan of the legacy over the tsx.

jackacc

I wanted a legacy GT wagon when I was looking for cars but the price is one factor that kept it out of my garage. They are great cars and fun to drive. However, I am quite confident that my TSX will outlast the subie by a longshot...at least with way less maintinence.

I had a WRX once and it was alot of fun, but I worried about when I reached 100k... I have heard too many stories about rebuilding turbos once you reach the 6 figure range in mileage. Subaru quality is not what it used to be. (Legacy's are built in US, WRX are built in Japan btw...)

925tsx

i kinda like the legacy, but im not giving up my tsx.

West6MT

Its a nice car, but I dont think I personally would trade in the TSX for one. I have not driven the MT in the GT, but I have driven other MT's from Subaru, and I dont like them as much as the TSX. How much I like the manual tranny is a HUGE Part of what car I buy,..........so. Thats just me though,.....the GT is a really nice car.

Power1Pete

Maxboost

NighthawkCL9 just traded in his 04' TSX for a legacy gt.
I'm sure he could give you more info on this topic.
Perosnally, I LOVE the power/handling of the Subie. Maitainance wise I don't know much since I don't generally own car that long.
It really isn't step up or down from the TSX, just sideway to something more powerful.

afici0nad0

^

hopefully NighthawkCL9 will see this thread and comment on this thread topic...

Sclass88

I love the new Legacy GT... very reliable and fast car for cheap money. In terms of luxury, I think it would be a slight step down but in terms of performance, a decent step up.

afici0nad0

good point...

interior-wise, i think the tsx looks better. but, i also do like the lgt interior too.

for me, i'm not really caught up in the most advanced high tech gadgets available for cars. if the buttons are easy to reach, and the displays are clear and readable, that's just fine with me.

i'm more into handling, mechanics, and reliability. exterior? simple is what i look for...

i think this is a very close comparison. for me, i think it's a toss-up.

but, if i can get my hands on a wingless sti? damn...

LalchandYamlajat

Do it.

RTSX-ASpec

it all comes down to whether you want more luxury or more performance

smite

Legacy GT is an excellent car. I was really close to buying one before I ordered my TSX. The performance is top notch and the price is right. Unfortunately the deal breaker for me was that they severely limited their exterior/interior color combinations for 06. So basically, if you wanted a black interior, you had to get a Silver, Red, or Black car. The other thing that bothered me was that the windows were frameless and just gave you that cheap feeling when closing them w/ the window down. Nonetheless, if they hadn't restricted the color combos, I'd probably be driving one right now.

If you are looking for more performance and can sacrifice some luxury, go for it.

afici0nad0

ya...

i think i can sacrifice some luxury for additional performance.

do it...

CGTSX2004

iTrader: (1)

I was not particularly impressed when I drove that Legacy GT not long after its introduction. Yeah it's big on power, but I'm not that hung up on power. The handling balance is decent, but it feels heavy, not spritely like the TSX. Plus, there is still some sorting that needs to be done on the suspension. It feel liks it needs a bigger rear sway bar.

Overall, it's a nice car, but aside from the power difference, I didn't feel like it had much more to offer. AWD, while nice in the inclimate weather, didn't seem to add a whole lot in the dry on the Legacy.

In the end, do what feels right to you. I had a 2004 TSX and I looked at all of the competition again before going back and getting a 2006. Nothing else impressed me enough.

aaronng

You guys have it lucky. In Australia, the Legacy GT with 2.0 Turbo engine is US$39212. And we don't get the sweet 2.5L turbo that you guys have. At that price, the Accord Euro/TSX gives heaps more value for the price of US$29970, including foglights (non-Navi). Navi is an additional US$2220

Zephrem

In my view, not really. Don't get me wrong, I really like the Legacy (our other car is a 2005 Outback, and I test drove the GT Limited sedan at that time). Sweet car, no doubt. Lots of straight line speed. But on twisties, the GT Limited is not close to the TSX. Lots of body roll (by comparison), and the rear end pushes out at the suspension's limits. The TSX chassis is far more stiff, and the Legacy's stock tires are terrible.

As far as highway feel, that is a matter of preference. Personally, we don't think the Legacy is better than the TSX on the highway. Because the Legacy's suspension is more compliant, you don't have to drive as "actively" in the Legacy.

RTSX-ASpec

yea the stock tires failed the snow condition part, its the potenza RE92...or 94 forgot....and barely passed wet, dry was only fair and they call it high performance...my ass . it was scary driving in snow....its like playing initial D. They are worse than the TSX stock

ianS

Me too, it is hard to find another car that can match the MT of TSX.

afici0nad0

damn...

any worse and you might as well ride on summer tires in the winter...

afici0nad0

good points.

ya, you can't really identify these concerns w/o a test drive.

TSX Hokie

My wife has a Saab 92x (rebadged Impreza RS), and it has the aforementioned Bridgestone RE92s. They are bad, but the OEM TSX Michelins are awful too. It's hard to quantify which tire is worse. The RE92s might actually be better on ice/snow, but that could be the AWD I was feeling. Note that the RE92A is an entirely different tire that is abyssmal in the snow.

The LGT is fast, has AWD, and a tolerable interior (somewhere between a Chevy Malibu and an Accord). However, nothing about it feels like a 'sport sedan'. The sloppy steering, extensive body roll, and clumsy shifter can't compete with the taught chassis and slick 6MT in the TSX. However, I'd take an AT LGT over an AT TSX.

Comptech-814

my brother has a black 05 lmtd legacy gt. he loves it and i love driving it. i still like everything about my tsx but the 250hp and awd is nice

minkl81

iTrader: (2)

Yea steering is more numb than our TSX, but it was so delightful to drive on highways that I mostly drive. Also my TSX is a rattle box and LGT's (it had 9700 miles) rattle free interior was very impressing.

Dirk Diggs

The Legacy GT Limited was actually a car that I was considering along with the TSX. The Turbo AWD is a major plus for the suburbs of Chicago, and it is significantly less than other AWD vehicles. I just can't get past the front end on it.

The TSX is hot, and it is FWD, which isn't bad in Chicago either.

My vote is for the TSX. Now I have to buy one.


Diggs

XPLORx4

I have been thinking about trading my 04 TSX A/T for an 06 LGT 5-speed. A friend of mine has a brand-new 06 LGT that he let me test-drive back-to-back with my TSX on the same exact route, which consisted of a mile of city driving, about 3 miles of freeway, 3 right-handed "25mph" cloverleaf onramps and a 20mph right-left-right offramp. Both cars were completely stock, except for 235/45-17 Potenza RE750's on my TSX.

The LGT definitely has loads of power above 3000rpm, and at 80mph, will still pull hard, even in 5th gear. That turbo is awesome. However, below 3000rpm in 2nd or 3rd gear, it's much weaker than the TSX.

I took the freeway cloverleafs at over 55mph in both cars, which is pretty near the limit of safety. The LGT handled the curve quite neutrally, with a slight bit of oversteer when decelerating, but the car snapped back rather nicely when given gas.

The TSX, on the other hand, understeers quite a bit under full throttle, but can be induced to oversteer just slightly by letting off the gas.

Basically, the main difference I found between the LGT and the TSX is that the TSX pushes when given gas, while the LGT holds its line better.

So, as I continued my head-to-head comparison, there are a lot of things missing in the LGT that I've grown accustomed to in the TSX. Standard features like a well-designed auto-climate-control, HID lights, steering-wheel audio controls, beautifully-designed interior, 60/40 rear folding seat, HomeLink, sunglassses storage, better fuel economy, and a radio that supports aux-in with aftermarket plug-in devices.... are all of these things that make daily driving such a pleasure worth 250HP and AWD?

At the end of it all, I think I'll keep the TSX. If anything, I might trade in the '04 A/T for an '06 M/T with NAV.

XPLORx4

PS- I also tested an 06 LGT AT, and compared to the TSX, it was a horrible experience. Shift lag is noticeably longer than on the TSX. And when you combine that with no power below 3000rpm, driving the LGT AT was not impressive.

aaronng

The 6MT would be heaps above the 5AT. When you are in the corner and feel it about to understeer, just lift your foot up by a few cm and the rear end comes back in. Accelerate again.

It's difficult to compare full time AWD and FWD with the same driving style. While with the LGT you can power through reasonably, with FWD you're meant to go in with just enough speed and put your foot down once you pass the apex.

Zephrem

That reminds me... the auto climate control across the Legacy line is perhaps the worst designed in the industry. It is terrible, with wild, unpredictable changes in fan speed and temperature when in automatic mode. And we have one.

On the Outback boards, they refer to it as HAL (taken from 2001: A Space Odyssey), and that has been adopted over at LegacyGT. The source of the problem is the location of the temperature sensor, and on the main Legacy Board there is a modification, including the installation of a separate fan, that helps with the problem.

We take ours off of auto and use in manual, where the temperature settings are guideposts (in other words, 65 = no heat; 66 = heat level 1; etc., etc.) and that mitigates the problem. But that information is not in the Subaru manual -- I learned about it on a Subaru board.

NightHawk CL9

i'm the one that traded to an LGT, i love it, yes some of the features on the TSX is not in the LGT, but some are just convience, like the audio controls on the steering, while nice and i used them all the time, a switch to non audio controled steering wheel was instant, i barely used the flipdown seats so priority wasn't on split seats, interior i would say is tastefully done, ala audi, but i agree, the auto climate SUCKS, but i just switch around until i find somethign comfortable, but it sucks cause in auto all of a sudden you have hot air then cold air pouring in the cabin...

here is a thread i started where i got a bit more comparo done.... https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28058

the biggest 2 reasons i would say not to get a LGT are no navi in 06 MAN, or in 05 and gas milage will take a hit while in boost, but i don't agree that it is slower then the TSX in 2nd and 3rd without benig in boost, i think it feels the same, i never driven the at lgt, so i can't comment on that.

and i bought mine used and it has the STi Pinks on them, which i think makes it handel just as well as the TSX, maybe the corner entry soeed is lower, but exit speed is definantly faster, cause usually your in boost and awd it grips like crazy, granted i have potenza s-03, but even in the 30's degree temps, it still got better grip then i did with the tsx.

Sclass88

It snowed up here in MA today and all I could do was envy my friends with AWD Audi's and Subies as they just cruised out of the parking lot as I sat there spinning the tires trying to emerge from my parking space.

I'd say a HUGE advantage of the Subie is the AWD. The TSX might have a few extra advantages over the Subie but AWD makes up for it... and then some.

Zephrem

Pinks completely change the equation. STI Pinks make the Legacy handle much better than stock. That, plus the 4wd, make for competitive handling. Add beefier sway bars, and a strut bar... But then again, put the A-spec on the TSX...

Chompin

I drove an 06 LGT wagon just last weekend. Nice car......it was the color I wanted and everything. Actually put on about 15 miles during the test drive. From what I've read they are kinda thirsty with gas. This one went from a 1/4 tank to the light going on while I was driving....Yikes! I also like a frame around my windows....that Subies don't have. I've read so much about this car and the TSX that I'm going crazy...:-). Then I read someone calling the TSX a rattle box...Ugh.....that only adds to the confusion with my decision. Oh..yeah.....the sticker on the Subie was 32K plus.....thats a biggy. I told the salesman I'd need a really outstanding deal to buy the car.
All in all the car drove great . It was quiet and the ride was good. But the wagon only comes with an auto trans...but even that in the sport shift mode was fun with steering wheel mounted controls.

NightHawk CL9

you may be correct, as i never drove one with stock suspention i cannot comment on the stock vs. pinks, but i must say that there is almost no body rool, and i am planning on throwing in a set of sways and strut bar..

but for the mod crazy people.......... the legacy's already have a programable ECU software, and with 1400$ worth of parts you have 300 crank HP, just like an WRX STi, or do a WRX STi turbo, manifold, intercooler swap.... about the same chunk of change..... and you can go from there.....


32K for the wagon seems alot, although i don't know cabout the 06's, which you can get with navi..... but i know 05's brand new are selling around 28ish, generiously loaded if not fully.....

afici0nad0

^

yup... both are very nice cars...

i've recently been a member with the other subie forums. i enjoy reading the threads and learning about the turbo set-up...

Zephrem

[RANT]Car makers do some dumb things sometimes... why remove the manual as an option for a turbo? They've sold manuals for two model years, and now no longer (my Outback 2.5i Ltd Wagon is a manual, also removed as an option for 2006 -- and although not a turbo, the manual can make even the 2.5i engine scoot far more effectively than the AT). So, if you want a manual and the turbo you have to move to the Outback XT, which is $$$ (relatively, but not in comparison to, say, an Audi).[/RANT]

Grrr... I know, it has been posted before; but Subaru, with its rally history, should understand their enthusiast base. All you have to do is lurk on the boards...

yuhoo22

the handling on the suby is what really makes it a deal breaker for me.....also the fact that I know that the TSX will definitely outlast the suby

mmm def

Hey I have an 05 LGT 5sp manual. Bought the car new in Aug 04, today I have close to 35K on the car. I Love the car!!!! Mine has the chip, Turboback exhaust and better TMIC. This car is verrry fast. I replaced the RE92 garbage with PZero Nero M+S, made a huge difference. Yes the car has a few rattles but I'm very picky and will sit there with everything off listening to them. The handling is fine stock, I would like it a bit tighter. I did do a rear sway and that made a huge difference. Tires/sways are usually enough for most. Pushing over 300hp I get a consistent 21mpg, nothing special.

Some might say the gearbox is a little mushy but the optional short shift kit takes away and sloppiness. I don't think the interior quality is as good as the Acura but it is probably the best of any Subaru, no complaints and I did come from an Audi S4 before. Subaru needs to work on some things; auto down on drivers only? cmon!

In a nutshell the car is relatively cheap, tons of fun and very reliable, no problems in 35k miles. I do have my eye on the TL 6speed when my lease is up, or maybe even the TSX if they drop the 2.3 turbo in it.

Dave

ianS

Yes, I like my P-Zero Nero a lot too. It is hard to imagine a 4 season tire can be better than a lot of performance tire in the market. The overall refinement & the sloppiness gearbox of the LGT sway me away to TSX. I sold my old prelude to a Subaru service advice and he was trying hard to cut me a deal on a LGT. He offered me 15% off but he also agreed that once I set my heart on the Honda gearbox and refinement, it is hard to steer me away and that's why he bought my prelude instead of picking up a wrx from its own used lot for dirt cheap. But actually I think he didn't trust any used wrx that was never been abused.