1997 Subaru Legacy Consumer Reviews

The amazing legacy

Written by: karguy on 02/08/2008

Vehicle

1997 Subaru Legacy 4 Dr GT 4WD Sedan

Review

The car is so immensely reliable and so capable, it's very difficult to get left stranded with this car under nearly any circumstances!

Favorite Features

The amazing awd. I can drive in conditions most people hide from.

Suggested Improvements

More power. but that has already been dealt with.

1 out 1 people found this review helpful

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A car that keeps on giving

Written by: nikki on 11/23/2007

Vehicle

1997 Subaru Legacy 4 Dr GT 4WD Sedan

Review

I owned a 1997 Subaru Legacy GT Limited Edition until I recently got in an accident. This car had it all: leather interior, sunroof and a moonroof, front and rear spoiler, interior wood trim, tinted windows, keyless entry, fold down back seat to the trunk, fast, comfy, strong, easy to drive, safe, and definitely reliable. she was at 172,000 before I totalled her. I am sure she would have gone another 100,000 miles with no problems. If you are considering buying a Subaru, do it. I promise you will have no regrets and will be satisfied with your purchase.

Favorite Features

Front and rear spoiler, sunroof and moonroof, AWD, fold down back seat, keyless entry, leather interior, body style.

Suggested Improvements

After 10 years the headlights get a little cloudy and one might want to replace them for better illumination.

2 out 2 people found this review helpful

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What's next!!??

Written by: adam on 07/08/2007

Vehicle

1997 Subaru Legacy 4 Dr Outback Limited 4WD Wagon

Review

As soon as I bought this car the starter went out. Had it replaced. As soon as the starter was replaced, the engine and radiator blew up (cracked). After replacing the engine and radiator, the starter broke again.... then again... then AGAIN... THEN AGAIN! Loud whistling coming from muffler when accelerating. Keyless entry breaks for no reason. Transmission starts leaking out of the blue. Popping noise coming from shocks/struts. AC failure - had to replace entire AC system.... and it's still bad. ALL THIS IN LESS THAN A YEAR!! Needless to say I just recently got rid of it (woohoo!). I got a lemon and tried to make lemonade... but this lemon was as rotten as they get.

Favorite Features

Good concept - love how open the interior is. Lots of storage space.

Suggested Improvements

Replace the engine with a hampster wheel - you'll be better off!

1 out 4 people found this review helpful

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Reliable AWD Vehicle

Written by: David F on 01/17/2007

Vehicle

1997 Subaru Legacy 4 Dr L 4WD Wagon

Review

I've dreamed of owning an Outback ever since I was 13. The vehicle was everything I expected it to be. Great with every driving condition (dry, rain, ice, snow). Great interior room and ride. I'm seriously considering buying another newer model of the Outback.

Favorite Features

AWD. Good MPG (for an AWD). Ride quality. Reliability with good maintenance. Drive terrain capability. Speedy acceleration.

Suggested Improvements

Interior design (especially climate controls, bulb burned out and can't see at night). Noticeable road noise. Head gasket problems at 100K. Engine fumes seep into interior. Gas gauge fails to give good reading (estimation w/ trip). Better brakes (wear too easily). Transmission jerky.

4 out 4 people found this review helpful

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1997 Legacy L AWD

Written by: bryan medlel on 07/23/2006

Vehicle

1997 Subaru Legacy 4 Dr L AWD Sedan

Review

I love this car. Bought it with 223,000 miles on it. Redid the cam seals, timing belt, fuel pump, fuel filters and put a new head on it. It now preforms as a new car only at the $3000 I paid for it and with the $1500 I spent to re work it. I feel as though I have a $10-15000 car and I expect to get 400,000 miles with it easy, with regular oil changes and belts. I rate it a 9.25 now. For $4500 find anything better. Let me know, I will take 10 of them. Hope this helps. Only fault as of now - check engine light is on due to fuel heat sensor unit is bad. Being able to do the work myself it does not bother me. I would drive to Alaska.

Favorite Features

It is a Subaru and performs VERY well and is quite safe, built with safety in mind.

Suggested Improvements

Fuel sensor light malfunctions. Needs to be 1-2" more ground clearance for me but I drive off road.

5 out 5 people found this review helpful

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typical head gasket problems

Written by: Dr. Kupras on 07/17/2006

Vehicle

1997 Subaru Legacy 4 Dr Outback Limited 4WD Wagon

Review

Haven't had this car for 3 years yet and have been very dedicated to maintaining it; new tires, struts, water pump, starter, 2 timing belts, front wheel bearing, etc, etc. Bought it with 85k on it, now has 123k and the head gasket is blown, which I found out is very common on these Subarus. Damn thing keeps over heating and will cost about 2 gs to fix it now, which I won't do. I will never buy another Subaru again. I paid extra for it since I was under the illusion it was a quality car. However, I know now that they are junk like most other cars out there. It doesn't matter if you take great care of them or not, they'll only bleed you dry.

Favorite Features

6 CD changer, and heated seats were nice for the winter. AWD was great in snow.

Suggested Improvements

Subaru should own up to the fact that the 97 head gasket problem was a design flaw on their part. This is not a one off, these cars die repeatedly and Subaru should be ashamed of themselves for making this can of junk.

6 out 7 people found this review helpful

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Love My Subee

Written by: ChrisD on 06/02/2006

Vehicle

1997 Subaru Legacy 4 Dr Outback AWD Wagon

Review

I loved my Subaru. After 200,200 miles I am putting it down. It was an incredibly reliable car. I bought it with 145,000 and added 55,000 more. At 195,000 the head gasket blew. I repaired it and many other things. Then last week the tranny blew and I decided to get a new car. MPG could have been better. All she required was basic maintenance (other than the 2 big issues). I'll get another. Excellent durable vehicle if you maintain it. Perfect for the outdoorsy person. It went to hundreds of bike races happily! Tons of space.

Favorite Features

Tons of space. Comfortable interior.

Suggested Improvements

MPG

1 out 1 people found this review helpful

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97SubLegWagon

Written by: mjames on 03/20/2006

Vehicle

1997 Subaru Legacy 4 Dr GT 4WD Wagon

Review

Runs very well in all conditions. May need to use premium fuel to gain speed quickly. This vehicle hauls a great amount of items, and a fair amount of weight with no problems. Though it has a low wheel base, it still manages to ride well over heavy snow.

Favorite Features

Suggested Improvements

6 out 6 people found this review helpful

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A fine car for the Northeast

Written by: Rich on 01/10/2006

Vehicle

1997 Subaru Legacy 4 Dr L 4WD Wagon

Review

Our '97 Legacy wagon has been a joy to own - reliable and fun to drive. The all-wheel drive gives confidence during the crappy Northeast winters. Plus the car is pretty roomy. Our only complaint has been with the gas mileage, 22-23 around town and 27 on the highway. But lots of cars have bad mileage.

Favorite Features

Suggested Improvements

2 out 2 people found this review helpful

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Kudos

Written by: Solution on 01/01/2006

Vehicle

1997 Subaru Legacy 4 Dr L 4WD Wagon

Review

The car has been excellent overall. It has been reliable, the finish and other exterior pieces have held up well in Hawaii's marine environment, and the handling, while not "sporty", is just fine. The car's only weak point is the drive train for the front wheels. There seems to be a design flaw there which has necessitated work on a couple of occasions.

Favorite Features

Suggested Improvements

1 out 1 people found this review helpful

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