Used 1996 Subaru Legacy Outback 4dr Wagon AWD Consumer Reviews
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Love this car!
speedy2015, Farmington, ME, 07/18/2011
Subaru Legacy Outback 4dr Wagon AWD
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
I live in Maine and needed a car that could withstand our weather. I bought my '96 in December because I had heard good reviews about Subaru's. My dad was unsure about it because he had never worked on a Subaru before, but quickly changed his mind when he drove it in the snow. It doesn't shift very smoothly (for an automatic) anymore and the 2.5 likes the liquids a little more than I prefer. The check engine light has been on since I got the car (the previous owner said it was because of an oil leak) and the gas mileage is comparable to a half ton Dodge pick-up truck, but I still love this car.
1996 Subaru Outback wagon AWD
frank, 04/18/2008
Subaru Legacy Outback 4dr Wagon AWD
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
This car has 350,000 on it and its' still going. However, I had to replace the engine. Watch out for engines in this car - they eat oil. I put in a used 1996 engine and started have oil eating problems within the first month. Oh, well, its still running! I'd buy another Subaru
No regrets
Chris, 05/18/2009
Subaru Legacy Outback 4dr Wagon AWD
6 of 7 people found this review helpful
My car is getting old now, but is still the best car I've ever owned, beating even a BMW. It's fun to drive (manual trans) gets 26 mpg and keeps going in Chicago winters--through snow, rain, ice and crazy drivers. The engine (2.2l) is the best. My mechanic loves this car! While I've had work on auxiliary systems it's all been expected maintenance (brakes, clutch, water pump etc). The engine itself is still in great shape. The car seats are a little hard, and really, the cup holder over the CD player? Whose idea was that? My next car will be a Subaru, too.
Long Time Owner
Gonk, 11/12/2009
Subaru Legacy Outback 4dr Wagon AWD
3 of 4 people found this review helpful
I owned this for over 13 years. Absolutely fun to drive. The most memorable drives were shortly after purchasing it in March 1996. We drove up to the mountains to get a good look at Comet Hyakutake. This began about 10:00PM and for the last 12 miles or so (past the road closed sign) we saw nothing but snowmobile tracks. I drove in perfect confidence. It was amazing. There were many other drives like that. I very reluctantly gave up on it after too many engine expenses.
Dead reliable , but clumsy & thirsty
WriConsult, 06/29/2010
Subaru Legacy Outback 4dr Wagon AWD
3 of 5 people found this review helpful
I've had Subarus because I need a reliable wagon. Few choices in the decadent SUV era. Bought our Outback when our beloved '90 Legacy w/205,000 mi got stolen. Glad we got a '96 5speed, the only 2.2 L Outback ever. Great for camping/biking/ski trips but not so fun in town: too long for many urban parking spots, HUGE turning radius made tight spots even harder, big blind spots in the rear view. Would drive the smaller, nimbler Forester or Impreza if got better mpg (they don't!) and didn't have the troublesome 2.5 L. I'm a skilled winter driver & use winter tires, so I'd even do without AWD for the extra 2 mpg. Subaru's fuel economy will be unacceptable in the future era of $5 gas.
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