Used 1999 Subaru Legacy Consumer Reviews
1999 Subaru Outback
The lower interior design rating is due to bad cupholders, and some of the controls, cruise control on/off master, fog lights, are hidden behind the steering wheel. Rides really well off road, drove total of 8 miles near Holy Jim Trail, orange County, CA. The 2.5 Liter has plenty of acceleration for my driving style. Some road noise at freeway speeds, but NOT too much. Clutch pedal seems to behave differently in LA traffic, maybe due to heat, (does not affect operation of vehicle). A little excessive body roll on turns. Car still handles VERY well despite the roll. I am 6 ft tall and it could use just a little more leg room. I love my Outback!
Beware of the headgasket
When I bought my 1999 Subaru (with only 70,000 miles) all my friends talked about how reliable they are and how great they are in the snow. But no one mentioned the common headgasket problem. Subarus are infamous for their head gasket problems in the 2.5L engines. My car was fine for the first week or so after buying it. Then it started overheating and I had to regularly add coolant even though there were no leaks. After investigating, I've determined it is the headgasket. This will cost me a minimum of $1,000. If you find that you are losing coolant through your coolant reserve tank, chances are exhaust it building up pressure in your radiator causing the coolant to back up into the reserve
Sally Subaru #5 And Stuck in the 90s...
Sure there are things about Subarus that are truths... if it's a 2.5 and yours hasn't blown a head gasket... it will. (best to wait to buy one that's been there and done that). At the first signs of bubbled paint on the rear quarter panel, get the strut towers patched - sealed and get rid of the rust... .or quickly watch the rear end rust to pieces. Your rear wheel bearings will fail, plan on it. I'm watching the throat on the gas tank... one day... it's going to go... been there done that too. Otherwise... you've got yourself a sweet ride... Change oil regularly... and you'll be driving your sooby for a long long time.
1999 Outback Legacy Wagon
Unlike many of the reviews, I bought my Outback brand new. It currently has 87k miles on it and has never stranded me anywhere. I change the oil religiously and keep up with the maintenance. When you buy a used car, you never know how the persons) before you have driven or maintained the car. As old as she is, I still enjoy driving her. Too bad the new Outback's do not have manual transmissions. I guest I will have to keep driving her until she blows up.
The Overlooked Gem
We have now had three Subaru Legacy/Outback wagons. We purchased our first Limited about a year ago with 155k on the clock. This car amazes me even more than the other 2 ever have. This 14 year old car performs perfectly. All the "luxury" features work flawlessly. It cruses around corners and along highways like a BMW. Take it down a dirt road and you'll fall in love. Whenever it snows, I know I am going to get where I need to go without a doubt. These cars are incredibly safe and not one function was overlooked by Subaru. Truly a quality, do-it-all luxury wagon! Only wish it had the dual sunroof..