Used 1997 Subaru Legacy Consumer Reviews
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The Adventure Wagon
Andrew, 09/26/2015
1997 Subaru Legacy Outback 4dr Wagon AWD
21 of 22 people found this review helpful
Understand this isn't a Mercedes, although this car doesn't offer much in respect to the interior the reliability is outstanding for a four cylinder car. When I purchased my 2.5L wagon it had 190,000 miles on it. It now has 280,000 miles on it and is running no different then when I bought it. From the coast of California to the coast of north Carolina, this car has only needed an oil change here and there! Weather you be a first time car buyer or someone who wants a reliable car to keep miles off there nice car, you can not go wrong with this car. I will say the acceleration is terrible, I know some people have complaints about the head gasket blowing but I have the feeling its because they tried to drive the car to hard. But as long as you keep the timing belt changed and drive sensibly this car will take great care of you. Other notes: I have a 130lb dog she fits fine in there, the seats lay down giving me plenty of storage room; in fact because I travel so much I usually get a memory foam mattress topper and it makes a perfect bed for me and her (im 6'1). This car also eats oil so just be sure you check the oil every 3000 miles or so. Another thing I noticed when I was in the desert it was sitting stationary for about 5 minutes and started to over heat... I turned it off to let it cool and it was all good. Far as the steering goes its defiantly a longer car; ever since ive owned the car if I make a sharp turn at low speeds it shakes and vibrates a lot... im not sure why but its never hurt anything. The seats padding somewhat wears out on the outside and you can feel the wire frame after a while of getting in and out of the car (im not over weight at all im in great shape... its not because im fat) but the fabric is good material and wont rip easily. also the car has a feature where it notifies you if a specific door is open... they tend to fail over time and it may be telling you a door is open when its not.. that's kind of annoying. The tailgate light also miss reads if the rear door is open or not over time, again nothing major but it can by irritating. Far as clean up goes I have a long hair dog and the carpet doesn't trap hair, its actually really easy to clean up. Also if you change elevation quickly such as going through the rocky mnts the oxygen sensor will go off causing the check engine light to come on, just have it cleared after you get back to a more steady elevation. Remember to keep the tire pressure even! this is what caused the rear end to wine when I bought the vehicle; I guess the previous owner neglected to keep the tire pressure in check which resulted in a wine in the rear end. Something else Im not fond of is the cup holders... there to small.
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- Reliability
- Value
Watch those head gaskets
joeysalazar1976, 08/20/2009
1997 Subaru Legacy Outback 4dr Wagon AWD
12 of 12 people found this review helpful
The Subaru brand, much like Saab come from airplane companies. The build quality and performance are amazing for the price. But repairs are expensive. The Subaru 2.5 is god awful for blowing head gaskets if you don't baby your car. But if you treat your car right, you will get to experience all wheel drive like no other car company can build for some reason. I have had a wrx and an outback, and both have been whips.
Lacking in Gas Mileage
splendidsplinter, 07/17/2002
1997 Subaru Legacy GT 4dr Sedan AWD
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
Great car, wish the gas mileage was better.
Awesome Car!!!
Sherry , 04/03/2009
1997 Subaru Legacy Outback 4dr Wagon AWD
7 of 8 people found this review helpful
I bought this car with 98,000 miles as of today I have 252,000. It still runs like a top. I drive over a 100 miles a day to work and I have never felt so safe. Never fails to start. I have only had to do the usual maintenance for it. I make sure it has an oil change ever 3000 and regular maintenance. But I love this car. I live where there are a lot of dirt roads and the roads are not always plowed when I leave for work. This car, with a set of snow tires will walk through anything. I have a driveway that goes down hill along ways, and snow gets pretty deep in my driveway. But this car walk up that driveway like it was summer. I just cant say enough about the car.
Solid car but expensive to maintain
Dave Marshall, 07/10/2009
1997 Subaru Legacy Brighton 4dr Wagon AWD
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
Bought at 68K in 2004, we've driven this car everywhere many times over and are now at 199K. Engine still good, never got stuck thanks to AWD, and not a single breakdown. Car has been an unusually expensive one specifically in axle and brake repairs (both rotors and pads). Cat converter began failing long ago but only intermittently. Knock sensor also keeps setting off engine light. Luckily we never had the problems reported for some subies in the head gasket (we have the 2.2L) Original tranny is now close to death (slow to shift, clunks, drivetrain whines). May have pushed it over the edge last year with temporarily mismatched tires. ALWAYS match all 4 tires.
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