2005 *MANUAL* Subaru Legacy 3.0R Spec B Sports Tourer Review (My Next Daily Pt. 2)
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- Опубликовано: 12 сен 2024
- Today the hunt continues for my next daily driver, the replacement for my BMW 130i. I'm finally driving a car I have had my eye on for ages - the Subaru Legacy. Specifically the US/European variant with a 3L flat six boxer engine up front!
How does this stack up with the charismatic but flawed Alfa Romeo that I tested last time?
#Subaru #Legacy #SpecB
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Subaru or Alfa? The answer doesn't really matter. What matters is that Jay is reviewing genuinely interesting and affordable cars. He is a man of the (petrolhead) people!
It's exactly why this channel is in my Top 5❗
Subie easily.
Very well said
For sure Subaru over Alfa. Alfa so crappy Built, worse than British cars. Brits make rubbish cars
@@gediminasbielskis8346 - yep, McLaren, Lotus, Bentley, Jaguar are all shit 😂
The 3.0R Legacy with the 6 speed manual is a gem, was my first car and I still miss her. That flat 6 engine note is addictive.
Its no Busso
@@salvofarnia8046 True enough, though I personally prefer the flat 6 sound to a Busso v6, the margin is very small. A longitudinal Busso in a 4th gen legacy would be an experience however.
I honestly prefer the sound of a straight 6 to a flat 6. I remember having a little "sound off" through the blackwall tunnel in my E39 touring against a Porsche Boxster. The flat 6 sounded rougher and angrier but my BMW straight 6 sounded much more refined, "urgent" and revvy. No doubt the Boxster would have been more fun though 😀
@@psions555 fortunately we still have the option to pick whichever engine tone one prefers.
@@antikristuseke Exactly, It's all opinion. Something a lot of people need to realise.
‘Perfect storm of things no-one really wants anymore’ Summed up perfectly.
...and yet these are the things I want.
@@darrylwebb3625 shame really. Part of me lusts after these forgotten gems.
The 10% import tariff on Japanese-made cars and UK policies on (high) fuel excise don't help at all. Subarus are quite popular here in Australia where neither of these are factors. (As are Mazda, who also suffered from that 10% tariff in the UK.)
Subarus are also incredibly popular in Australia. Even more so where I'm from in Tasmania, every family, young driver, surfer, hiker and everyone in between seems to want one.
AWD system perhaps? And not too far away from Japan?
You probably get MUCH better manufacturer support there than we do in the UK. At the very least I hope you do!
Forget Australia they can’t even spell legacy properly...they spell it liberty unlike everyone else including the 🥝’s
I am stunned by you saying Subaru's are unreliable , they are known in Australia for their reliability . I drive the model he is testing have had it for 9 years never a problem in fact I love it and my wife has the 2011 Liberty with the 3.6 again never a problem
AWD is big part of it, being that they're a bit of a 'go anywhere' car in terms of capability and image. Also tend to have decent ground clearance and hold the road well, all of which make them great cars for road trips in Australia including on unpaved roads. They are also much cheaper cars here than European counterparts, the gen 4 like the one he is testing here was far far less expensive here new than like an Allroad or E Class or 5 Series estate. Subarus of this era also had an interior, driving dynamic, and fit and finish superior to a lot of competitors offered for the same coin so they sold very well here with what they offered for the price.
We do have better manufacturer support, Subarus have always been reasonably popular here.
The reason it was called the 'Liberty' not Legacy is because we have a veteran service called 'Legacy' here, and having a Japanese car sold under that name was seen as a bit of a faux pas given the events of WW2. Legacys are around in Australia (I own one) but they're rare as they have to be grey imported and not many were.
Subarus are seen as pretty reliable compared to European cars but not as much as Toyotas, Hyundais, other Japanese/Korean cars and domestic Holdens and Fords. They are complex cars compared to a lot of cars from around the same time so the maintenance, repairs and cost of ownership is subsequently pretty pricey. The EZ30 in the car tested is particularly complex despite being a great engine and far more refined than the EJ 4 cylinders. The 3.0 are known for blowing headgaskets and when they do it's incredibly expensive, more so than other Subarus.
One of my neighbors has an immaculate one of these in blue which is always perfectly clean and shiny. Always turns my head
Same but it's an old lady, since we didn't have the manual 3.0R (that's what it's called here) only autos for bad Canadians...
if its wr blue its likely a jdm model with the 2 litre turbo. I dont think you could spec the UK legacy in that colour
@@dagnut I will check the number plate online next time I walk past it and report back
@@VidzVideo some of the jdm models are very special..there's a full sti spec one but I've only ever seen them in auto
@@dagnut it's not the wr blue but UK 3.0r did come in a light blue
Manuals get the 50/50 power split (front and rear).
Autos are 60/40 biased to the front.
And CVTs are 70/30.
I vote for that Subaru!
(I’m a Legacy owner in Japan)
I'd say auto is more like 56/44 weight split, while the torque split or whatever it's called is 45/55 with an lsd rear diff, so it's kinda balanced
5 speed auto in the 4th gen legacy had a 41/59 defailt split and a limited slip in the rear.
Wasn't bothered by the Alfa. This, however, had me straight over to Autotrader
Plenty of lada and toyotas there hahaha
Good luck finding one lol
Stay away from euro money pits. ..outside of EU
“In the northern US states where they get snow fairly often....”
[smiles in Canadian]
Cries in Finland! Had snow here yesterday
@@bilakh7 Snowing right now.
Chill out guys, it’s the global warming 😂
We love'em in New Zealand, good for 300,000km, reliable, roomy, 4wd, then out on the farm they go !
Best looking version of all the Legacy/Liberty.
A definite keeper.
I lusted after a Legnum VR4 for a long time before settling on an E39 touring. The fuel and service requirements put me off, but the Legacy, Legnum and Stagea are literally the coolest wagons going
I do agree, I'd chuck a volvo 850r in as well though. There's a Legnum near me that is being left to rot and it's a shame seeing it. Still looks good though.
Yeah I'm with you there. Especially the Stagea 260RS Autech
The legnum are nice but they’re really not fun to work on, which is probably why there’s few left and they’re mostly rough and cheap.
@@TheShinyShow The Legnum is unfortunately a money pit if not maintained correctly. AYC pumps cost ££££ to replace if not looked after.
Stagea owner here so obviously agree :-) I've always liked the E39 shape too though!
Nice review. I have such a car as daily driver. Yesterday i drove in Germany to pick upna new garden set of 4 chairs and a table. It fitted very well in the back, with the backseats foulded. On the way back, i drove 220 km/h on the almost empty Autobahn. Very smooth and fast. Ofcourse i drove the top speed in it for several times (243km/h). The steering is sharp, fuel consumption is mostly 10/100 (1 liter on 10 km) but i fill the tank in Luxemburg. The electrical heated frontwindow is my friend. My car is still totally original. I put the display on the fuel consumption/temperature/time modus because thats the must usefull one. Mine is black with black seats. I drove it to Kaliningrad, Kharkiv in Ukraine, Italy, Hungary, Liechtenstein, Slovenia, Austria and many other contries. I drive 50 km/h in 5th gear and 60 in 6th gear. Mostly i keep the revs near the 1500 range in any gear. Ofcourse, when i am overtaking an other car, i put it in a lower gear, and rocket past the other car. It does it very easy. Yes, like the car very much. I also have an Alfa Romeo GTV6 2.5i from 1985, An Alfa 33 1.5i, Opel Kadett from 1940, Hyundai H200 van and a Maserati 4.24v. The Subaru is a better car. The GTV has the best seats. I want to keep the Subaru as long as possible.
In 2007 I swapped my 986S for a new (manual) Spec B Touring in black. 14 years later I still have it. It's a great car, a real sleeper. In all those years, just 1x pads and discs plus front shocks last year. Knocked spots off the money pit BMW we ran alongside it for a few years. Plus BMW is just a bit lacking in imagination, no? Love this car 😍
To add - nicer dash and alloys on the '07 too 👍
@@jdo1014 How did it compare handling wise tho?
If you want a more exciting car. Get the Twinscroll, or the JDM Twin Turbo GTB with a manual gearbox (The generation before this) 280bhp and Bilstein suspension from the factory.
That was my last car and absolutely loved it.
yeah man I had a B4 Rsk a rev d one. spent a fortune getting it to around 320bhp on crappy Irish fuel..Once mapped properly with the downpipe cats gone it was a pretty one quick car at the time..I annoyed a lot of e46 m3 owners with it back in the early 2000s...was very rare on the roads at the time ..had an amazing macintosh stereo, full leather, had Bridgestone coilovers which where super compliant and all sti bracing...one the best cars I've owned
Agreed, I've owned both wagons 3.0r and the twinscroll JDM 2.0 Urban Select version (current) 2.0 is not as Smooth, but you get more torque/power/economy and tunability. My current 2008 wagon with the fast spooling vf45 is a far sportier drive, standard ive timed it at under 5.0sec 0-60.
This, the twinscroll is better than the 3.0 IMO. Better on fuel around town and they have more potential.
I had an import 3.0 spec b and I found the stock tune was rubbish and the fuel to performance ratio wasn’t good enough.
Subaru's are everywhere in New Zealand, they're fantastic cars. Way more reliable than Euro's and in NZ at least no more expensive than other Japanese brands to maintain. I've owned a couple of Legacy's and my wife's 2008 Legacy is coming up to 200000km and never had an issue with it.
not sure about that www.motorbiscuit.com/subaru-is-one-of-the-most-expensive-non-luxury-brands-to-own/ Subaru has very expensive repairs and they use more time in shop per repair.
@@coltr7561 in my experience Subarus are bulletproof. Outside of an oil change and service every 10000km my wife's car (currently has done 198000km) has had a head gasket replaced whick cost a couple of hundred dollars but that is all. Her previous Impreza needed an O2 sensor replaced but that was it over the 4ish years we owned it. And my Legacy's never needed any major maintenance. Outside of the Honda's I've owned these have been the most reliable cars I've owned
@@coltr7561 lotta the simple stuff is easier and more accessible .. just not any head stuff
Always preferred the Legacy to the Impreza, especially in Spec B form, great performance and handling but under the radar, a true Q car, which is one of my favourite forms of transport. I liked the Mitsubishi Galant VR4 (called the Legnum in estate form and only available as an import) as it had all the tech of an Evo but a less stressed 2.5 litre, twin turbo V6. I challenge you to find one of those 😏
Great all rounder in comparison to impreza and wrx
Those vr4 engines are gobshite in comparison to an ej or 4g63/93. Not worth it imo
A Skid Factory/ Turbo Yoda/ MCM Supergramps turbo would appeal i must say.
From a fellow 3.0R owner. We have a 2006 3.0R Outback with around 550k kms on the clock. The car has never let us down in 8 years, delivers good power and is really good on fuel. My dad has been daily driving the car for the past 8 years and it never threw anything at us other than the usual oil change and stuff like that.
550,000kms????
@@jackd1582 they are a great car. Our Outback has 330 000 and has a long way to go. Lovely engine note and goes like the clappers.
That's very impressive, my 3.0r is at 200,000
Probably not a strange name in Japan. Subi's have a great wrap here in Oz especially manuals and last for ever.
Also from Oz - haven't owned this model but I had a 2001 Liberty B4 (2.0L Twin Turbo) and I have to say, I really liked that car a lot as an all rounder. Steering was a bit on the slow side and it wasn't the most "chuckable" car ive owned. But it went well, sounded great, was quite practical, comfortable, refined, well put together and relatively relaible for such an old car.
Not nearly as fun or involving as my 147 GTA but certainly more practical and versatile.
My dad had a couple 3.0 spec Bs. One 2005 with an auto and a 2007 facelift with a manual. I've worked on many JDM twin-scroll and twin-turbo legacies and I think the 3.0 is the best suited and smoothest engine for the job. The 6-speed gearbox is essentially the same as a 2001 UK STI and has longer gear ratios compared to the JDM boxes, it also doesn't have a front LSD like the later STIs. The STI Brembo front calipers bolt straight on with no modification and that's what both of ours used and was a great upgrade. Neither of these cars ever broke down and were absolutely everything a quick estate should be. I personally think that the facelift models look the best, particularly in black.
Yes, I have the 2007 in Black. I think the shape has actually aged very well. Finally needed a new Aux Belt/tensioner a few months ago; but that's only the second thing that needed doing in 16 years, and a sub £500 job. Love this car; part of the family!
I had a 2.0R Legacy Estate - regretted selling it. Loads of space, comfortable, and real mile muncher. Never let me down, and took a huge amount of abuse over 6 years! Great cars, and you wouldn't be disappointed, especially with the 6 banger motor.
There's an unmuffled legacy saloon 3.0 in my area, it sounds glorious I swear
ruclips.net/video/rlf5fBD4T8o/видео.html mine sounds superb in my opinion
If you are getting this, get a full exhaust system and a tune. The factory headers on this engine are really constrictive.
The headers are indeed a joke, terrible. The factory dbw tuning is equally terrible and they ping even on premium fuel.
Had two manual estates, only cars I ever really regret selling, such a good all rounder. VERY hard to find a good manual now.
Bodywork on mine now looks like Bruce Lee has been training on it 🙄 Original exhaust still hanging on in there!
In terms of upgrading the infotainment, it's rediculously simple. Subaru even sell an oem double din surround facia for doing exactly that and provide a dedicated redundant plug up under the dash with pin outs for constant power, accessory power, ignition power, reversing signal, road speed signal, handbrake signal etc. specifically for allowing you to install aftermarket radios and satnavs. No other manufacturer I know of does that! One of the many reasons I love subaru.
Finally the Spec B! I have driven this car for 7 years as my daily. I bought it as my first car with 200'000 km and I have stuck with it until now (300'000 km). It's the exact same spec - same colour, with manual box and the same FOX exhaust (usual problem: the standard one gets eaten by rust).
I have a love-hate relationship with it. It is thirsty and eats tires and brakes but it really drives well. All in all I have spent about 2000 euros every year for maintenance - the overall running costs are quite high for only 245 horses. On the other hand, you don't really need more performance on B roads. As JayEmm mentioned, the bottleneck are the brakes. The front is heavy, but once you get used to it, you can drift the car on snow easily. The traction is no problem in any conditions.
To sum it up: great car, no problem to daily it, cheap to buy but expensive to run. Now it's almost impossible to find an example in good condition in Europe (mine isn't one of them). Maybe it's better in the UK, I don't know.
Absolutely fantastic car, I had one and there is absolutely nothing like it. That engine is absolutely amazing. Mine was an ex police car and had 178000 miles on it! The flat 6 is so smooth, so torquey, and the noise is sublime, as per your video.
Not to sound like a hater and a car nerd, but the pre facelift spec B (as per your video) only came as a manual. It was sort of the reason for the spec B, and the manual knocked off about 1.5s from the 0-60. The spec B also brought in uprated Bilstein suspension, which the 3.0R auto pre-facelift didn't get. The facelift car then came as manual and auto with the spec B configuration. Many people buy the 3.0R auto in pre-facelift thinking it's a spec B configuration!
For anyone interested I have done videos of my spec B, including taking it on track!
The EZ30R or 3.0R-B from a factory tune runs extremely rich on the low end, a tune brings them way better economy, and more power. Throttle Happy Tuning sends you a map and you upload via a tactrix cable, and his tunes have always been fantastic, all my cars have been tuned by him, and all my mates. Tuning is completely open on these, whether you throw a bolt on Raptor Supercharger kit, or you turbo it, the tuning options are open, and flex without a flex sensor is possible, provided your car has the early 1MB ECU release on it, otherwise you're stuck to only 98 tunes, he can also have full control over your drive by wire control. The EZ30 is a fantastic car for a starting point, and with boost can really liven the car, for example Mighty Car Mods and their Supergramps.
Hey Jay, do you want a bad idea for your daily?
Buy a MG ZT 260 V8
Another pretty cool idea is a Passat R36. Rare, spacious, nice engine, somewhat reliable and you can get it in saloon, estate or CC.
Passat W8
V70 T5? (Apologies if it's already been suggested...)
The best boot in any estate, and the best seats for long journeys
I have the “911 syndrome” with V70. Looking for any contender to replace it and it always ends on finding that there is no better option for my criteria.
@@JeremiBulakowski I hear you. I love mine, what else can you transport a wardrobe, sleep and get that sweet 5cylinder noise from!? NOTHING 😛
The V50 is still very handsome, gets good mpg. T5, Awd, and manuals available.
I bought one of these a couple weeks after this video was released. I've now owned it a year and I'm completely in love with it. Mine has plenty of modifications and is quite loud now, but I still enjoy daily driving it 400km a week in poor traffic without ever cursing out the third pedal. The standard brakes aren't great, but some DBA T2 rotors and XP pads completely fixed that and made them feel quite firm.
I have a supercharger kit to put on and it will be quite the sleeper after that!
Hey, spec b owner here too. Did you put the supercharger on?
@ Unfortunately life got in the way so I sold the supercharger kit and stayed NA. Tuned for 160kw/215hp atw and it's still pretty quick and very enjoyable to drive
@JayEmm I owned the US-market 2.5GT (turbo) w/ the 5-speed, and it made an incredible daily. I tuned it up a little bit (300hp at the wheels) and it simply DEVOURED highway miles. No one gave the silver/grey station wagon a second look, but passing at any speed was just a flick of the foot, even in 5th gear.
The brakes and clutch respond very well to stainless steel brake lines, OEM pads, and a good through bleed - it’ll firm them right up.
Jay is right about Subarus in the states, they are everywhere. They’ve grown on me over the years.
The sunkissed belt buckle release button really reminded me of my '06 Legacy!
It’s a series like this that I subscribe to your channel. There are so many under the radar petrol head cars that only those who know, know.
I am a Japanese owner of a 2005, 3.0R spec.B.
With regard to 3.0R,the most worrisome thing for me is there is no other estate car with 6 cylinder engine as fascinating as this generation of 3.0R, and that most of 3.0R's once owend in Japan have been exported overseas such as to Australia and its neighboring countries, where RHD is common.
I am also pleased to hear it is highly valued worldwide, but as it makes us unhappy, the more and more of 3.0R exported, the higher its second hand market price is getting in Japan.
@@liberty0758
Stagea with VQ35/V6 is available
in our second hand market with the number of good conditioned cars decreasing year by year.
However, I prefer LEGACY H6.
@@liberty0758
Is insurance for that kind expensive there ? Here in Japan, the premium is also higher with skyline, followed by Stagea than with LEGACY
@@liberty0758
$1,500 is way above my imagination, and much too high for liberty/legacy. My annual premium which covers everything costs some $450 in Japan. as in Australia, the premium varies depenending on the owner’s insurance title level.
@@liberty0758
When I started to drive at the age of 18, premium was highest to be approximately $750 for LEGACY GT-B, which is my first car, judging from my past payments for car insurance, the Australian averaged premiums are considered higher.
Difference in the number of those insured btw Ausie and Japan may cause such premium difference.
Binge-watching your videos every day. Love this series, keep it coming!!
I had one for about 5 years. Probably my favourite car overall.
I said it before and I am going to say it again. 2JZ manual (or auto since you want a pure daily), loads of space, Toyota reliability....the Lexus IS300 Sportcross!
Yikes no.
I had a 2003 IS200, and that was without a doubt the most dissapointing car I ever owned. I know the IS300 has a different motor and gearbox, but the gearbox and engine weren't even my biggest complains (though they were complaints).
- The thing handled pretty poorly
- Was overly firm over bumps
- The seats were neither comfortable nor supportive (I would get a sore back after about 45 minutes - never happened in any other car)
- They had a common issue with the thottle getting stuck without warning (almost killed me)
- They had an issue with rear end stability (ive experienced it and also heard numerous others bring it up too)
- The keys lliterally snap in half from normal use because they have a 1mm thick hollow plastic shell
- The interior is covered in this 'soft touch rubber paint' type finish which gets permanent scratches if you so much as look at it
- The steering wheel was too thin and hard, I would actually get sore palms from driving after a while
- Cheapy chrome paint on the gear knob peels off leaving a cheap looking beige plastic underneath
- Used spare parts were extemely difficult to find; so you pretty much had to buy direct from a dealer (which is ludicrously expensive)
- CD players are infamous for chewing CD's
On the plus it was fairly well built (aside from some of the issues mentioned above), pretty quiet, had a very small turning circle, and to my eyes was always a handsome thing to look at. Just a shame there were so many negatives.
Ive had three other cars from around that same time period:
* A 2001 Subaru Liberty B4 (as it's known in Australlia - it was a Legacy RSK elsewhere)
* A 2003 Alfa 147 Twin Spark
* A 2004 Alfa 147 GTA
All three were *so* much better then the IS200 - not even close.
I have had a 2.0R 16 valve manual Legacy Tourer for 15 years from new. For me it's the complete car and I have never before kept a car for more the 6 years. (I had 17 years of Alfanords before Subarus). !600+ litres of boot space, permanent 4 wheel drive and low ratio box for the snow when I lived in Sheffield. Corners on rails, and not nose heavy like the 3 litre. Wholly reliable over a long time except for battery failures. Revs to 7500. and will shift in the upper rev range. 113,000 miles and just run in. Uses not a drop of oil from one year to the next. Comfortable. Downsides? Not much. Brakes not the best and a bit small for the car.. Round town fuel consumption not so good, except that on a run I can get over 30 mpg, occasionally 35+. Repair costs high, but that has been replacing worn shockers, bushes, exhaust and the like. None OEM parts not that easy to source but loads of youtube videos if you want to do things yourself. Great video JayEmm. Tells it like it is.
Nice video again! I do feel the need to point out that the EZ30 is an excellent basis for turbocharging and well in excess of 500hp, they're nowhere near as fragile as the EJ engines.
I've always liked this generation of Legacy wagon in its non-lifted form, as they were a bit sleeker than the typical chunky Subaru design. Here in the NW corner of the U.S., this generation of Legacy wagon with the upgraded engine would still fetch a pretty penny, even with very high mileage. One with a manual gearbox is basically a unicorn.
USA never got the 6mt h6 😂😂😂😂
@@jackd1582 I didn't say there was for the H6. There were two engine upgrades available for the Legacy in 2005, one of which was a turbocharged 2.5, which was available with a MT here in the U.S.
Probably my favourite Subaru. I'm glad this video wasn't a full "3 strikes and out" video, but I think you'll end up with a BMW touring in the end 🤣
Some points you might be interested in:
1. The Legacy is known as the Liberty in Australia. I’ll give you the pleasure of discovering why for yourself... it’s quite interesting.
2. The R Spec B was also offered with the Blitzen package as an option in some markets. Have a look at some images. They were available in red or black only. The looks are... interesting.
It's these kind of cars that excite me, Cars for the every day petrol head. Something reasonably priced, attainable and interesting
This generation of the Legacy/Outback is the best looking of any Subaru past or present. There just isn't a bad angle anywhere, plus they still had the frameless windows and other Subaru touches. It's unique, safe, smooth and generally reliable ( the six at least). You can watch James May's old review on top gear for a good review.
I utterly agree about the styling. Particularly the Outack. Inside and out are consistently gorgeous. How could they then intro the eccch-looking series 4? They lost me as a buyer with that.
I bought one of these in early 2020. Lady owner for 10 years, blue, honeycomb grille, auto. It only ran in 5 cylinders and she was done with it. I took a risk and bought it as a project car.
Managed to diagnose an ECU fault with the ignition driver in cylinder 5! Denso ECU, no one wanted to touch it.
Managed to find a company in Leicester who said they could repair it, and repair it they did; a new IC from China got it running on 6 again!
Was a cracking drive, miss the engine. But, being an 06 and auto, road tax was well over £500.
Great, great car.
Really fancied one of these a couple of years ago... the suspension is the reason for the spec b - and that flat 6 engine sounds gorgeous with the close ratio box
I replaced my Bilstein front shocks a few years back (rust). Cost £383 inc VAT from Demon Tweeks delivered next day; Main Dealer wanted £500/each plus VAT and 3-4 lead time 😂 Only other thing that's needed done is the Aux Belt in 135k miles.
The 2016 T6 V60 Polestar. Good space, rapid and unique.
Also almost impossible to find! But something I had considered
And iirc they are holding their value fairly well.
@@JayEmmOnCars Swedespeed and Polestar Facebook owners UK members can help you find one for sure.
I might sell mine in summer if you're prepared to wait a little while james
I have one of these! Unfortunately mine is a saloon though. I'm putting the engine from one into a 1971 VW Type 2. I confirm that the clutch is difficult to modulate. The engine is an absolute gem. The handling is superb. Ride quality is quite harsh though. Fab car - so underrated!
God I wish cars like this were more common, they're so cool!
Was looking at importing one of these from japan to Canada with the 6 speed. Ended up picking a 2006 2.0r spec B with the 6 speed gearbox. The 3.0r spec B was still more expensive and harder to find unfortunately. Loved the review of this car. Seriously underrated cars! Have a good one
I have the saloon, wanted an estate but they're like gold dust to find in the right condition. People just seem to hold onto them. You can buy a unit from japan with A/C controls and a double din slot for about £200. 24MPG seems rather low, even with a heavy right foot I still see 28-29mpg. Probably just the estate. Maintenance can be a pita, you pay high prices or travel to a specialist. I'd agree with you about the clutch, it is simply horrid for maneuvering. Very easy to drive on the limit but puttering around town is hard work at times. The turn in is simply beautiful, suspension seems to be this lovely balance of comfort and sportiness. I don't see myself selling it, it's never let me down, it makes all the right noises and I've never mistaken it in a busy car park.
Always really liked the look of these and they do tick a lot of boxes. Perfect for jaunts down to the French alps with snowboards and junk thrown in the back
I had one of those a few years ago James. It was a terrific car on most respects. It was comfortable and roomy. It was generally quick enough, but not quite as quick as I would have expected. Biggest downside was the thirst and I had some issues with the brakes.
I owned exactly that model (54 plate) back in the day. A manual. It's still the car I miss, so much fun. I really wanted to get the new model when it came out but it just didn't do it for me. A class act.
Very enjoyable person to watch jayemm 👌 very simplistic, and very informative 🤙
Only two brand new cars I’ve ever bought were an Alfa Giulietta and a Legacy 2.5 of this era. Both amazing, wife still has the Giulietta.
Now that the world has gone mad, with useless unnecessary electronics on cars, not to mention EVs, I’m coincidentally considering a 3.0R
Great minds ;)
And great video as always!
i love this one a lot, its quirky, not a lot of people know about this and it looks quite good.
I bought a manual saloon 3.0R last Nov as a tide me over and fell in love with it. So much fun to drive, so comfortable and that engine sound.
My wife’s daily 6spd Manual last 4yrs and needed uprated brakes. Loves it. Imported with STI bits.
Subaru estates are always cool
Bland styling but great engine drivetrain
This would be brilliant for you during the increasingly erratic British winters with sudden blizzards/snow/ice - these are particularly popular in northern Japan eg Hokkaido for exactly this reason and areboth secure and fun to drive on snow!!!
Many of the ones I have seen have aftermarket double din sized units that slide out that may work with android - the owners also seem to keep them for years which says something in itself...
As an American who has stumbled upon this channel and is a Subaru type of person(what ever that means) I find this to be wonderful content/information about the quirky ways of Subaru. In America we never got a 6 spd 3.0 version of the legacy or the Outback. It was a auto transmission with all 6 cyl. I would have loved to see a manual transmission with the 3.0/3.6. The 4th gen legacy does not get as much love as it deserves in my opinion, but they were on a lower scale of “quality”. I feel as though the quality aspect really came into play around 2013 and Subaru stepped up their game at that time. Here in central Indiana and most of the Midwest area it’s common to see a Subaru everywhere you go. They are becoming a much bigger company that is genuinely trying to become better. When I worked for a local dealer it was common to see 300k Subarus coming in for service, they still ran well and even drove well. It’s hard to find a low priced Subaru in this area, the dealers rarely discount them and used one hold their value very well. I just found it funny that this guy was worried about a 24 MPG average. Lol. We love our 2013 Outback and are considering purchasing a 2021 Ascent. It’s hard to get my wife to tell me if she likes a car when we went shopping, but after test driving our now current car (2013 Outback) she was actually very interested in it. It’s the only car she genuinely likes out of all the other family sedan/crossover/suvs that we drove. We average 22mpg in the city and 31/32 on the highway at 70-75 mph. I do wish that I had got the 3.6 engine just so I could pull a small trailer more easily but I still love our little Subaru.
My old man had a ‘Blitzen’ version with Porsche influence and a mad front and rear bumper. Had no end of engine problems towards the end of his 5yr ownership. Buyer beware! But great car and tons of space, although it’s no Impreza, took it on the N’ring in Germany and the diff had a meltdown
I just got a 2010 2.2 JTS alfa 159, and I adore it. Altho it is a FWD, I must say the way it sits on the road is quite sporty, and very little understeer. Also, the prettiest car of its generation.
Typical Alfa of the time.... tasteful, pretty and aggressive at the same time , but badly flawed. Worth noting the 159 and Brera are far better built (read heavy!) than their predecessors but lacked soul comparatively... i would still have a 156 GTA over any 159 in a heartbeat. No denying the best 159 Ti 1.8 turbo is an excellent car just sadly sounds boring for a petrol Alfa. To think the 159 is the car that preceeded the Giulia today is crazy!
@@tomwebb7091 it certainly is heavy, at least 150kg too many, compared to competitors.
But I disagree regarding the lack of soul, it has plenty. THe 2.2 with a straight pipe has a deep sound, NA as Alfa should be.
And I insist, prettiest of its years.
@@Sazuza2 Yeah its the best looking saloon of its gen especially apparrant now in TI trim (standard ones with small wheels look abit weedy). But a straight pipe is going to be horribly loud and annoying and obnoxious its not a supercar so id be embarrassed driving about a tasteful Alfa saloon whose exhaust is writing cheques the performance cant cash. The weights is also a huge issue esp for the 2.2 wirh its lack of torque... even the 156 2.0Ts felt faster and gruntier. The V6 is just too nose heavy and sadly wasnt busso and the 2.4 JTd which i own in Brera form is much quicker than the 2.2 when remapped but also nose heavy. The soul was missing because Alfa were trying to be too german and they sold out using alot of GM stuff but it still is an Alfa at the end of the day and thats better than almost every other run of the mill brand 👌
@@tomwebb7091 loved the "a tasteful Alfa saloon whose exhaust is writing cheques the performance cant cash." going to use it myself. :)
all right, I might simply delete the cat (it is really a bit too silent imho)
@@tomwebb7091 and overall I am with you.. expcept one thing: I would not take a diesel engine, no matter how good the performance. it's the sound.
I'd really love to see a Mitsubishi Galant VR4 estate in this series, they're tricky to find though. No idea about the price or reliability either.
Cracking suggestion
Yeah great choice !
Now thats a looker
Another car I really wanted years back! Unfortunately very rare now and most examples are sadly quite haggard.
Believe there are ~35 left in the UK, sadly very rare
"I have stalled this car a couple of times already. That's not something I often do"
You do usually reserve the stalling for Astons, don't you? :D
Great video BTW, can't wait to see what you decide to go with.
Great video Jay. Viewing this in Aus and thinking of getting one. But was very surprised to see you driving through my local area back in the UK!
Ahh excellent. I consider buying a car. I look for reviews of it on RUclips and see my favourite car reviewer has done a review for said car. Can't wait to see the verdict!
One of the ultimate sleepers. Up close and personal you really feel this car is well built.
You said it , the Alpina will do it mate 💯🤛🏿
🔥🔥🔥
No kidding about Subaru's popularity in the north east USA, i'm from New York and Subarus are everywhere. I own a 2005 Subaru Outback 3.0R sedan my self and it is absolutely astonashing in the snow, I can chew through a foot of snow without issue. They're very dynamic in the snow too. I always say that I can make it "dance" in the snow and go where I want. Something wasn't as easy to do in my old Jeep.
i have an 07 Legacy Estate 2.0R, bought Jan2020 with 80k miles. Full service history, belts changed etc..bought for 3300GBP
Feb, front o2 sensor went (easy to replace),
Mar, rear o2 sensor went (bitch to replace),
Nov, passed MOT first time
Dec, engine light on again, said it was the secondary air pump. Apparently about up 2500GBP to replace, most blank it out, but havent found a place to do it.
Maybe age and miles, its not quick, definitely notice it when you're merging onto highways.
But its a still a great drive, one of those that gives you smiles when driving within the speed limits.
Keeper :)
Great work. Keep up the interesting, real people car reviews. Not sure how much they are now, but how about a Passat R36?
The R36 is a great car but rare. I'd imagine they've kept their value and a good one would be well north of 15k
W8 would be interesting too.
@@MrGwaldo that would be my choice too but vw techs don't even know they exist near me had one in service and they was all headsmashed at to what it was. I was only a vallet and was all over it.
@@JD-eo7dr yup. Bit different to a box ticking service and oil change on a TDi for those folk. Good that such oddball cars still exist though.
I remember when VW considered putting the R36 engine in a Golf! They bottled it and went 2 litre turbo instead. Imagine a 3.6 litre Golf! Nice.
I’m liking that Legacy! Engine sounds Uber smooth, seats look lovely and comfortable and it’s plenty big enough for all your gear. Stick some decent pads in and upgrade the fluid and lines and away you go. I loved the Alfa GTA but sometimes, you just need something that doesn’t stand out, can park anywhere without unwanted attention been drawn and this could be it!
Great vid, infact, I loved it 😘
@Uncle Gilbert 🤦🏼
The " patter " cracks me up . Like Top Gear of old . I also have a neighbour who has two silver one's of these cars . One newer one older . He's devoted to both and always tinkering .
Specifically for the 3.0R, headers and a tune make a lifetime of difference since their factory headers converge down from 3 to 1 on each side with very small tunes 👍
what kind of tune?
Hahahah..... James James James....... my wife and I are having the same dilemma! We don't know what to update her car to so we're going around in circles!
This is one of the very few cars that all three on proper top gear all loved their ain't that many
I test drove the Spec B ... must have been around 2005, at that time it was a cracking car, reasonably quick, great engine note and I really enjoyed it. I would have had one but the company I worked for at that time wasn't happy to let us have cars outside the Ford/Vauxhall stable, oh and it had to be diesel. Such a shame, I feel as though I missed out on this one.
import one from japan
Good thorough review Jay! I almost bought one of these before I bought my Stagea but having already owned a same year 2.5i SE thought I'd go another road. I found the Legacy seats a bit bum numbing and the full leather left me feeling as if I was sliding around in them on windy roads. Other than that I think they're a great all round car. The 3.0 engine can sound amazing too with the right exhaust!
1:51 You could certainly buy a 3.0L Gen IV Legacy in Japan, it's just that hardly anyone did when the more powerful, more economical twinscroll was readily available.
Loving these recent videos. Not quite as slick on the intro as the one that got all the attention (although no slouch on the camera work). Focus on the script, original and interesting - no BS, avoiding the British Clarkson imitators. Spot on Jay! edit: As for the third strike, wtf is going on with those indicators on the side mirrors? lol
Great cars! Two friends of mine have/had these, to which I’m incredibly jealous! The 3.0R in particular is very popular as a fast first car in Australia, but prices are getting a bit silly as nicer ones are getting harder to find. A very strong choice.
And on tuning, this car has a terrible factory exhaust system. Look into stainless headers by a company called Raptor, they’re meant to really bring the car to life.
Those headers do indeed but at 500 quid for just those and the 2 sports cats and a full ss cat back exhaust you are looking at 1000 to 1500 quid. That is a lot of money to spend for an old car
@@aliulugun4045 yes indeed
but it does make it feel so much better
and the sound is really nice
worth it in my opinion
especially if you manage to find a cheap used exhaust system (i was close to buying a full exhaust for $450 aud, but someone else picked up before i could)
Currently driving a flat 6, 3.6L Legacy. Loving it, and I think the CVT suits it. Woosh
Subarus are extremely popular in the PNW of the USA. Camping/skiing/kayaking/canoeing/general outdooring is a large part of the culture here so Subies are a normal part of life in this part of the country. I have a '98 Forester manual for winter use to work and back. I would love one of these, but unless you want a WRX (and all the [well-deserved] stigma that goes with them), there aren't really any other interesting Subies that are/were sold here, there were a handful of manual Legacy GT wagons sold awhile back but finding a good one costs a lot.
I had one exactly like that (apart from a wire grill which improves the looks). Fantastic car - bulletproof and one of the best I’ve ever owned apart from its drink habit.
One of the three cars like by Clarkson, May and Hammond. That's high praise
Underrated cars have owned 3x done well over 300,000kms travel .... driven hard the lot of them top speed 220km with limiter removed ...after market intake + header+ exhaust + tuning in my latest 2007 Si drive around 210-20kw on 98oct fuel ... you can supercharge get 300kw+ ..cheap as cheap ... and unlike all the Euro trash actually don't need thousands to keep on the road ...
There is another Subaru. The Forester. I have a 2litre boxer diesel and purchased it only because I needed a car suitable to accommodate the wife's guide dog. Indeed the dog was so imminent I actually swapped a 5.0L Jag XK for it. 18 months later and while the dog has still not arrived (courtesy of Covid) I have grown to really LIKE (not love) this car, and I have a huge soft spot for it. Extremely practical and incredibly fuel efficient for a permanent 4 wheel drive (60mpg) and apart from new glow plugs it hasn't missed a beat in the 30,000 miles I have put on the clock. Ironically I am now about to buy myself a car 'for me' but have decided the Subaru will stay, even though there is till no sign of a dog for the wife....
Great review Jay! I'm moving to Canada in a few months and am currently sifting through the classifieds for a daily driver. With the criteria of practical space, all wheel drive, comfort, power, value and petrolhead quirkiness the Legacy keeps coming out on top. You've helped me with my considerations big time in this video. Thanks mate :)
I second the V60 T6 Polestar - sporty, practical and just a little bit different ... mine is on the way.
I have a legacy at the moment, an 06 tuned by Sti manual wagon. I love it, but when I move on I'll be picking up a Volvo v60 polestar.
I had already made my mind up, but nice to see a review that confirms my thoughts.
Great review mate.
I have one of these (3.0R Spec B manual sedan). Most of what you say is correct. I would add: really needs front chassis brace (if not fitted) as flex is very noticeable at even mild levels of enthusiasm. Re brakes, choice of pad material (i.e slightly colder) completely solves this and stopping distance (and ABS operation) is excellent! This car probably helped me avoid being killed when a clueless SUV driver pulled out of a farm road right in front of me on a main highway!
I had NO idea they made a 3.0 h6 spec b,
I WANT IT I NEED IT! GIMME GIMME GIMME.
I own multiple cars( DC2, NSX, Pajero Evo, 964 ), my former daily was an 130i than a 855R, but since 2 years i have this similar Legacy 4 3.0R. Brakes are shit, seats are hard, but the rest is super good, did 40.000km in 18months, proper cruiser !
Sweet looking car. And practical! You sure made a good decision here.
Bought mine on ebay and was suprised to discover it has Yokohama tires and a stainless exhaust. Sounds lovely.
I just sold my Subaru Legacy (Liberty here in Australia) with 375,000km on it for an Alfa GT V6 as my daily driver. Subarus are hugely popular down under, they even named one of their models the Outback. Mine only had the 2.0 litre flat 4 with a 5sp manual and while it was hugely reliable it was also horribly under powered. Having said that it would quite happily sit on 110km/h on the freeway as long as there weren’t any large hills to climb. Oh, my partner’s daily is an Alfa 159 2.4 ti Sportwagon. Now that would be a great option.