Used 1998 Subaru Legacy Wagon Consumer Reviews
98 Legacy Outback Wagon "AUTO"
Purchased in 2000 with 20k miles. AWD/Auto/Leather/dual sunroof/All weather pkg/loaded. Drives through anything! Has taken me home every time through bad weather and good! With 198,000 miles on her now, she is still going strong. I have gone through a lot of brakes and associated parts... I'm not a hard braker but I've replaced all the calipers at least once and one rear caliper 2 or 3 times! In 2011 replaced the front bearings. In 2012 replaced outside front CVs, drivers interior CV & Timing belt/water pump & tensioner service done ... wow I was gonna sell it but now I'm gonna keep it for another 25,000 miles. Tranny flush n fill too! Oil changes every 10K now. Used to be 3k, then 5k.
Last Subaru I'll ever buy!
This is my 3rd Subie and will be my last. Subaru has known about the head gasket problems plaguing the 97' thru 01's for a long time and they aren't doing anything to help their loyal customers out. Cost me over $2,400! to get it back on the road again. They blow at around 90,000 miles.
Time to Go
It's time for this car to go. It has been a daily driver and true workhorse for 10 years, mostly for commuting to work. Long trips were agonizing - serious lack of power with the 4-cylinder engine and the vague handling did not inspire confidence. Rust is abundant due to the application of plastic on the underbody rather than paint. On the plus side, we really did not put much money into this car for repairs so I would place reliability at the top of the food chain. Interior design left much to be desired with the cup holder blocking the heater, radio/CD/tape and clock. Back seat folding was an incredible nuisance to the point of where we didn't bother. Overall, we got our $worth.
Perfect car? Maybe so!
Subaru Legacy Outback could possiable be THE prefect car, a mix of comfort, performance and reliability. Having owned this car for 5 years, we have been through many many things. Comfortably holds 5 adults and all luggage for a weeks vacation, 31 mpg. Now, this car does not have a lot of "get up and go" but that isn't what it is made for! I currently have 312,000 miles on it and drive it 50 miles a day to work. Also being a volunteer firefighter and emt this car holds all of my gear with a LOT of room to spare. Never left me stranded weather it is snowing in blizard conditions, or raining buckets. Also, as a hunter and fisher I have used this car to get to some of my favorite remote spots.
Poor head gasket design
I loved my Subaru and how fun it was to drive. Unfortunately, I will never buy another one. On a road trip with my kids, the the head gasket blew with less than 70000 miles! Over $1700 later I was on the road again but lost all faith in Subaru as a whole. I started to see head gaskets as a major problem with model years 1997-1999 by visiting other websites (www.subaruoutback.org) and no recall or note from Subaru.
Great all around car
We have owned this car for a number of years and we have had nothing but great experiences with it. Awesome to take up the mountain to go skiing or to head out to the beach to go camping. This car has excellent clearance for being just a wagon and lots of cargo capacity. We use the Yakima racks which bolt right on and work great for skis, bikes and our kayak. Decent gas mileage and power with pretty good handling. This car has been super reliable and built very well. We will be getting another Subaru and it will likely be the Legacy Outback wagon as it has been so great.
190,000 miles
This is a great car. I have 190,000 miles on it. It has fewer rattles than a 2004 Toyota Sienna LXE I bought new that I traded for another new car. I tow a utility trailer and small craft trailer with it. Breaks, tires and belts and a tune up at 100,000 miles, second timing belt at 175,000. Very few problems ever - dash lights burnt out had them replaced. Some engine noise before warm up. Unbeatable in snow and ice. We get a lot of both here in northwestern Connecticut. You sit a little low but that's acceptable. Perhaps next year I will get another. Hope to keep this past 200,000 for winter driving and towing. My daily driver is now a 2006 Honda Accord - sill like the Subaru better I think!
Still Chugging too
Bought it used 8 years ago. Doing regular maint, it has been 100% reliable. With snow tires, it just goes and goes in New Hampshire winters - even on unplowed roads and driveways with 18 inches of snow, it can't be stopped. Not the most comfortable of cars (we have two other cars for long distance trips), but when the snow starts falling or we're headed skiing, it's always the Subie we take out. Best 11k I've ever spent.
98 Legacy L Wagon, 5spd - College Car
We bought this Subuie from our neighbor who bought it new. When we bought it it had 65K miles and was complete with maintenance records and sales slip to day 1. We replaced the timing belt early (and water pump) just because it was close to time and it was 10 years old. This car has been very good for our college student who lives 370 miles away in eastern Washington state. Fully loaded with college stuff and 2 people it gets 30mpg highway and we get about 23 in town. The 2.2 is a good little motor and sufficient for this car. This year we put on 4 wheel snow tires and it goes in the snow with no complaints.
Love this Car
this is my second legacy, the first one the body rusted but the engine was still great with 140K on it, so I bought a demonstrator with 6k on it from the dealer. Besides the above mentioned gasket problem I have only changed the tires, and oil, and a timing belt when we did the gaskets. Subaru's are low maintenance cars.