Used 2005 Subaru Legacy Sedan Consumer Reviews
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Dream Car
Sue Tonnesen, 02/23/2016
2005 Subaru Legacy 2.5i AWD 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
18 of 19 people found this review helpful
Always felt like this was the right size car for me. It has enough acceleration that made me comfortable merging into traffic. The all wheel drive gave me comfort when dealing with snowy and wet roads. The light interior with a dark blue exterior is a cheerful look and feel. With the sunroof it made it even more desirable.
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good car... until 100k miles, then sell it quick
new_audi_drvr, 11/26/2015
updated 06/14/2016
2005 Subaru Legacy 2.5i AWD 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 4A)
36 of 41 people found this review helpful
I got the opportunity to own this silver beauty for much less that blue book from someone I know. I got it at 75k and have driven it over the 200k mark, so Ive experienced the worst miles the car goes through. The good side is; the long highway miles Ive put on the car driving 200 miles a day for 6 months were amazing. I got 35+ MPG , and the car practically drives its self, its so well balanced, precise handling and smooth. It almost gives Audis and lexuses a run for the money in the handling and comfort department, but that's where it ends. The interior was worn thin when I got the car and now its falling apart everywhere; the driver side power window went first, then the glove box wouldn't close, rattles in the dash, the trunk lining is hanging by a thread and the window sills of the doors have been ripped to shreds by my small dogs claws. Maintenance has been absurd; failed Power steering pump, AC compressor, water pump, blown head gasket, loose u joints in the axle, 50k mile valve cover changes, 20k mile tire changes, 20-30K mile spark plug wires changes and poor gas millage due to a bad 02 sensor. These are all common problems that plague the Subaru boxer engine and especially the 2.5 liter of any model or year, and it all comes down to bad design decisions that compromise reliability and longevity. The biggest annoyance with Subarus is the check engine light. 'When' it comes on, the cruise control stops working, which is a nightmare on long highway commutes. Don't bother taking your car to the dealership to get the error cleared either; they will charge you $50-100 for the privilege. I was recently forced to sell the car cheep, due to a crushingly high repair bill when the head gasket, drive shaft, o2 sensor and water pump all spontaneously died right before the state inspection was due. Exactly a year earlier I had spent $2000+ on a repair bill due at inspection, and I had to cut my losses. The first thing the buyer asked was (who happened to be a Subaru mechanic); Had the head gasket been replaced recently. This makes it pretty obvious that there's a huge fundamental flaw in the engine. The boxer engine by nature is unreliable; the fluids are in constant contact and pressure with the valve cover seals and head gasket. This mean they can quickly be deteriorated by impurities in the fluids, which caused most of my problems. Its a cascade affect; oil leaks in the valve cover = bad spake plugs and cables = bad o2 sensor = blown head gasket.
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Think before you buy A SUBA with over 180k
chema, 08/07/2018
2005 Subaru Legacy 2.5i Limited AWD 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl 4A)
17 of 19 people found this review helpful
1st time subaru buyers beware even if you are tight on budget ,my cousin insisted that i should buy a used subaru i went ahead and researched in fact theres so many of them around here but not many older legacies..well after 2 weeks of looking for a affordable one from a private seller who kept the car up to date with all repairs and all receipts since 06 till 13 im guessing well i guess i might have to fix things from the past 5 years car runs pretty well when i test drove and i knew it needed little to be done for the car to be 97% conditions i replaced the rear struts,all brake pads and rotors,spark plugs oil pan gasket both sides,oil change, air and cabin filters,cleaned mass air flow and throttle body, cv axles....now went to dealer to get a recall fixed and then they told me i have a leak on head gasket and need to fix the control arm bushings...labor for gasket repair $2300!! mechanic requires to take engine out for them to acces the gasket... $450 for control arm bushings all this cost more then what i paid for the car! plus it needs balance and/or alingment ...please please please check for that leak even if its not on the ground the drip could be hanging from the oil filter or if the car has way too much oil spots on the bottom just run away as fast as you can. the only good thing i can say about my car runs fine radio is not bad if you still listen to music on cds, driver seat a little stiff but you can set to the right position of your comfort i do love the black leather! and last but not least never jump into a GT they are even worst then the non turbo ones.
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Recent reviews have been wonky
Henry, 06/27/2010
2005 Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT Limited AWD 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 5M)
7 of 8 people found this review helpful
It's as if other companies are trying to artificially bring down the rating so I felt compelled to give this car a proper review - throughout the last 5 years, it has repeatedly proven itself as a solid, reliable, and fast car at a steal of a price. There is no way around it.
Leave on a high note
rumbah1, 11/15/2012
2005 Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT AWD 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 5A)
7 of 8 people found this review helpful
I just traded my 2005 Legacy GT sedan in which I had bought new in 05. I didn't want to get rid of this car. I loved driving it. SO much fun! However, it was not without problems. Within the time I had it there were many electrical problems. The biggest one was a throttle sensor went. This almost caused some serious accidents until they could figure out what was going on. The seat heaters went out. The power windows went out. The radio display lights went out and also would lock up on me. The power steering fluid had leads and the CV boots cracked. I traded it in for a 2012 Acura TSX wagon because I wanted to end our relationship on a high note before dumping more $$ into repairs.
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