AWD system, very solid chassis, big torque engine, high interior quality, even better than Honda's. Lower road noise than typical japanese cars.
Handsome styling.

low horsepower, spongy brake.

$26500 out the door in CA
Limited model ALL options.
I would recommend everyone getting this.
It's really a all purpose car.

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None

-Love the AWD
-good gas mileage
-roomy, yet not TOO big
-a very versitile vehicle - capable of almost everything
-aggressive looks
-fold down rear seats
-cruise control for long hauls

Need, must have, demand... more power... 2.5L is just not enough!!
Needs bigger brakes as well.
Poor paint, chips easily

I test drove a VW Jetta VR6, Volvo 850, Mitsubishi Mirage and an Audi before I test drove my Subie.... The Subie out performed them all and I knew after one drive that was the car for me!!

Living in an area with unpredictable weather, the AWD system is fantastic! - Snow, rain, mud - whatever it may be, I am confident that the car will perform flawlessly - and it has to date! AWD is what "sold" me on this car!! And after owning this vehicle, I will NEVER go back to 2wd of any form.

Subaru has a very good reputation as far as mechanics of the vehicle and I have not had a single issue with the car yet. Currently I have logged over 45,000 miles on this car and the only think I've fixed is a rock chip. Very reliable - and dependable vehicle.

Overall, this car performs. I race it on the weekends and it really goes! No, really I do - off road even!! It has good steering, decent brakes, nice acceleration - sporty enough yet 4 doors for a family!

Buy this car if you are in need of:
*4 doors *AWD/all weather performance *realibility *good gas mileage *sporty sedan *cruise *power window/locks *roomy trunk

I highly recommend this vehicle and don't see myself driving anything BUT Subaru anytime in the future at this point!!

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VW Jetta - do not buy this car! VW is very unreliable!

I like the handling of the car and feel very safe with the AWD, ABS and dual airbags. I've only being driving the car for about a month. It seems to go, go down the highway and floor at 70 or 80 mph it will kick back to third gear and rev out. Not sure how fast the car is but I've hit 110 mph in it and still wants to go. It's looks are great everything you want is sport model car. Alloy wheels, rear spoiler even a sport tip exhaust system. As far options this car was well equipped with power sunroof, AT, AM/FM/CASS/CD, Cruise, PW, PDL, Tilt, A/C. I found the original sticker on the car from '97 it was $24,888. Nice.

The only weakness I see in GT is that eats up gas like nothing. Still haven't passed 300 miles on a full tank. The first week I had it I only drove 180 miles and had a quarter tank of gas left. Other than that the transmission likes to kick back to gears too much. I think the 5 spd manual would be better.

Overall the seems to be a good car. Can't wait to try out the AWD in the snow and rain. Currently in the process of setting things up to take some trips to see how the car does. I'm a high mileage person drive over 25,000 in one year. I like this car, it has great handling and a nice ride. You feel very comfortable behind the wheel. Having all the options is nice too. I also think Subaru should put a six cylinder in it for more performance. One thing though with Subaru's boxer engine there is only one other car maker that does that and thats Porsche. I think the design of the 2.5L is neat. It looks a minature V8.

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Used to drive a 1998 VW Jetta GL. The only thing the VW has on it that its German, gets great gas mileage, nice pick up. A family car with a sports car handling. Yes I love VW's too.

Acceleration, exhauts note, top speed of 220km/hr

Fuel consumpstion was bad. Transmision was the pits rebilt 3 times in 1 year. The fuel pump shorted out causing the back seat to catch on fire. The motor kept cutting into whats called "limp mode" blowing black smoke,back firing and idiling iraticaly. this is caused when the engine managment system cuts one cylinder leaving 3 running until the computer is reset by a mechanic

I Owned my Legacy for 3 years imported straight from japan. Because it was a private import it was hard to tell about its history there,allot of things had been fiddeled with causing big headachs. Apart from that Subaru have made a pretty strong car allround. If I was to have another Sub I would choose one with low milegde and non turbo mainly for reliabilty

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Popular cars in NZ are the Mitsi Lancers,Mazda Familia,Nissan Skylines pretty much any thing 4wd Turbo late model and Japanese is comperable

This is the fastest ever produced road going Subaru,what more can i say?
sticks like glue to the road
short shifter,far better throttle response than even STI imprezas
only 500 made

ummmmmm....cant fit enough girls in it?

This can is the kind of car you have to keep driving and find excuses like
"oh we need more milk" just to get in it again.
Very addictive but can result in loss of license to the unwary.
good to pull up next to kiddies in their joke v8's and hot wrx,lancers etc

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Misibishi Lancer EVO VI- very similar to each other but i preferred the Subie after driving both.

All-wheel drive is a plus (great in snow, nimble handling in all conditions), and the gas mileage on my 5-speed is great. Comfortable seats and good utility from the fold-down seats and trunk

Engine is noisy, and timing belt placement is critical (if wrong belt used, performance isn't affected but engine can smoke). Anti-lock brakes in the 1996 are not the most effective stoppers, and stock tires (Bridgestone BT70S) aren't good in soft snow.

Overall, the car has been a nice fit for my needs. Until January 2000, I drove a 1989 Dodge Raider V6, which was quite capable off-road, but a handful as a road machine. Since moving out of the Rockies to Noew England, my amount of true off-roading diminished greatly - thus, the Subaru is much better for me. The all-wheel drive makes handling in all conditions a joy, as long as the tires are up to the task. The engine (2.2 litre) is a bit noisy, but nothing bad. Gas mileage is a big plus (average of 27.5 highway, 25.7 in mixed driving).

I'd recommend the Subaru Legacy to anybody in need of a good, reliable car for everyday needs. It's not a luxury car, but it gets the job done with nary a fuss. If you don't need the Audi name, get a Legacy and be happy: reliability is as good, performance (esp. in the GT) is comparable, and cost is much less.

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1986 Audi 4000S Quattro, 1999 Audi A4 Quattro.

Reliability, AWD system, Excellent handling capabilities, quiet engine, load carrying options, safety(standard anti-lock and dual airbags)

Poor seats, bad cupholder placement, kinda weak engine, sorta low to the ground(but hey its not an outback)

This wagon is indeed the vehicle to have if you live in snow bound areas. The AWD system is excellent for both rain, dry pavement, and snow. I have never been stuck in this car and I have driven in CO for a year, and currently reside in Boone, NC(nasty roads and snow). The car itself it very reliable, as I have never had any engine problems in 105,000 miles. I recently replaced the left front axle, which was quite unexpected. Other than that, maintance is fairly standard, change the oil and go. Every one who rides in this car expresses how quiet the engine is in nuetral, something I never got out of the Volvo(haha). Gas mileage is pretty good for an AWD vehicle, but it could be better(around 24 MPG for the 5speed). Overall I love this wagon and would consider buying a new one when this one dies...unless a nice volvo comes my way(sorry, but I love volvo wagons!)

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92 Geo Tracker(4-wheeldrive), 84 Volvo 240 Wagon

Price - I can't believe the prices you pay for cars in other parts of the world. $16500 NZ equates to $7225 US.
AWD - I'm a forester so the car gets it's feet dirty, it handles most conditions with ease, could do with an extra few inches though (bet that's what ya wives tell you as well ;-).
Handling on the open road - can it stick to a corner or what.
Performance - the two stage turbo sure does it job, around 260HP - lucky its got a rev limiter at 7000rpm cause in top gear this is about 190km/h.
Acceleration from 80 km/h to 110+ is really really really quick - excellent passing machine.

Fuel consumption - bugger me!!! I know we don't pay half as much for or fuel as those in the UK, but it still adds up. My first tank of gas in this car equated to 15 mpg, this was the test tank to I expected to be a little low. Since then its levelled out at around 20mpg - still pretty shocking though.
Wanted a manual model but had to settle for the auto because there was no room for my foot between the clutch and the foot rest.

I know I got a good deal as most others I've seen in the 90000km range have been around $20K, the asking price for my one was $22500. So I got a show room condition car at an excellent price. Overall rating would have been 5 if I could just get around 30mpg - my foot isn't that heavy.

Might look at an Outback for my next car, it will give me more ground clearance, better fuel economy but not as much grunt.

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Toyota Hilux 4WD 3L diesel - drives like a whale, but goes any where.
Mitsi Gallant 1993 - just doesn't compare

Quite, smooth with lots of features for the price. Just enough power for a small engine, excellent sound system.

Not enough cubby holes for 'stuff'. Goofy rear fold down seats.

Since I've only owned this car for a few weeks, I can't speak to its durability and reliability just yet, but here are my thoughts so far. I like this car, but I don't love it like some Saturn owners. For the price, it feels solid and drive quietly and smoothly. The engine ( we have the small one) has enough power to get us around and passes just fine on the highway. Lets face it, it's a station wagon and I'm not a race car driver. It corners well and takes the bumps without any trouble. THe fit and finish are ok, but I have some loose panels that need to be attached properly. I think the dealer is really good at fixing this stuff, so I'm not overly concerned. The interior is layed out well but there are no where near enough cubby holes to put stuff. I can't find a good place for my snow brush and the first aid kit is stuffed under the passanger side seat. I have a crappy back, and I find it difficult to get in and out of the car. Something I did not take into account when test driving. On the long trips, I can't seem to find a comfortable place to put my right foot once the cruise control is on. Although I can adjust the seat in many ways, I can't seem to get any support under my legs during the long trips. I mention these things as I notice them with my bad back. You may not notice these things at all. Who designed the fold down seats in this car? The rear seats fold down, but not flat. On top of that, when you fold down the 40% side of the rear seat, a bar remains across the back reducing, if not eliminating the usefulness of the 40% split fold down seat. It seems to me that all other manufacturers have this figured out, but Saturn. The Stereo is excellent and the heater works well in -28 degree weather. I can't speak for the air conditioning yet as it's still February here. The light are bright, but don't ask for the fog lamps after you buy the vehicle...you'll need another loan to have these installed. I've only been through a couple of tanks of gas, so I don't have a good feel for the mileage just yet. Currently it doesn't look as good as advertised, but it has been quite cold and it may not be fair to report my findings just yet. Over all I tink you'll be happy with a Saturn LW wagon. In a few years, I'll know more.

very reliable,long life, perfect size for active families, good gas mileage(22-28)very comfortable to drive, feels extrememly safe, rated exc. in crashes. AWD is almost unfair, you have to try to slide or slip in rain or snow-better than any 4wd suv or truck.

We have put over 100k on ours with very few problems. Compared to all new cars it is very easy to work on(engine can be removed in under 2 hours). There are some common subaru problems with the 2.2. Water pump will eventually leak and is the one difficult part to replace. Like most small 4 cylinders the timing belt needs to be replaced fairly often, but it isn't extremely difficult. Watch the cv boots, if one rips replace it, it is a little work to remove a shaft but you can replace a boot for about $5 versus 120 for a rebuilt shaft. I have heard the auto trans are expensive to rebuild but show me a car that isn't, ours has the original at 160000mi. with no signs of problems. The only nagging problem has just showed up, the engine is hesitating(missing)on the freeway when climbing hills. It is infrequent but still annoying. Web searches have showed me reports of similar probs in older cars and say you can fix it with a new ECU and engine knock sensors, but it's not a guaranteed fix, I'll live with it until it gets too bad. BTW get a good aftermarket manual for the car and try to do as many repairs as possible yourself, it's not that hard and saves tons of money.

Anyone who has heard the reports of the "old Subaru's" with their weak engines and semi cheap contruction needs to check out the new sub's. The cars are probably one of the most reliable out there, probably even comparable to honda's. The AWD cannot be beat, trust me. They get better fuel economy than any SUV built and insurance generally costs 1/2 that of an SUV(check it out for yourself).
It is not uncommon to see families with 2 or more subaru's, how many other brands do you hear that about?

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honda accord(not awd, doesn't even compare except better gas mileage),Eagle talon tsi-awd system is copied after subaru and does great, power is awesome, gas mileage is poor when driven anything besides like a grandma. Car is way too small unless you don't: grocery shop, have any hobbies requiring equipment, carry more than one passenger. Reliability doesn't even come close to subaru.