Anyone driving Subaru Legacy 2.0R here ?

[Kelpie]

u r comparing apple to banna... civic is fr while legacy is awd. road handling legacy way ahead.

civics has a reputation for bengs while legacys is a gentlemen car... stealth mode ON!

 

They are just beng brands to begin with for some . A pot calling a kettle black, IMHO.

 

Regards,

[Hutan]

i know.. and i am right.. our MCF HONDA spoke-person will be/ is in Edited July 13, 2010 by Hutan

[Ooniik]

Driving an 07 2.0R (diamond grey).

3years and loving every minute of it.

[Kelpie]

Driving an 07 2.0R (diamond grey).

3years and loving every minute of it.

 

I test drove it about 5 years ago. Apart from finding its interior rather small when compared with its peers, the handling is good. I also test drove the Forester then.

 

Regarsd,

 

 

 

[Speedy2780]

They are just beng brands to begin with for some . A pot calling a kettle black, IMHO.

 

Regards,

 

hmmm.... i sort of agree with u! the true gentlemen car would IMO a maser!

damn 9 more months to go till i drive a gentlemen car... for now i would still be driving a BENG car!

[Kelpie]

hmmm.... i sort of agree with u! the true gentlemen car would IMO a maser!

damn 9 more months to go till i drive a gentlemen car... for now i would still be driving a BENG car!

 

In fact, I bought my 1st Civic without realizing it as a "beng" car until my ex-colleague told me so . I thought it has quite a good paper spec and liked the look and feel then.

 

Regards,

[Egnazio8]

FC is around 10-12lm/liter is tyre is maintained on good condition. Maintenance wise no problem..since my 2.5 yrs old Legacy 2.0R so far so good..quite a reliable car. But Petrol must use 97 or 98 octane and above...so might burn yr pocket a bit.

 

Hi,

 

can i know y must use 97 or 98 ron petrol?

 

Regards,

[Vblaster_w211]

I don't see how Civic is a beng car? Nothing of that sort. Cars are made beng by unsuitably loud and unnecessary mods. Performance mods are not beng.

[weilun9241]

Any bros can advise if it is advisable to purchase a 2nd hand legacy that is close to 220k mileage?

 

What are the potential problems and parts that need to be changed? Assuming Engine, Gearbox got no issue and timing belt have been changed at 190k mileage.

 

Thanks!

[ER-3682]

Any bros can advise if it is advisable to purchase a 2nd hand legacy that is close to 220k mileage?

 

What are the potential problems and parts that need to be changed? Assuming Engine, Gearbox got no issue and timing belt have been changed at 190k mileage.

 

Thanks!

Such high mileage cars,the best avoid..

[Shibadog]

Any bros can advise if it is advisable to purchase a 2nd hand legacy that is close to 220k mileage?

 

What are the potential problems and parts that need to be changed? Assuming Engine, Gearbox got no issue and timing belt have been changed at 190k mileage.

 

Thanks!

 

other common wear n tear issues:

shock absorbers n bushings

 

radiator (if original one with plastic parts) and radiator hoses

 

power steering pump (chk for fluid loss/leak)

[weilun9241]

Thanks for the advice. Most probably I will skip this car due to high mileage. Would sending the car to AA for inspection before purchase be a safe option? Any experience?

[Shibadog]

Thanks for the advice. Most probably I will skip this car due to high mileage. Would sending the car to AA for inspection before purchase be a safe option? Any experience?

 

 

AAS gives a good detailed inspection, but no guarantee that the car will not have issues down the road. U can also bring it to a Subaru specialist wkshop for inspection but this will not produce a black & white report for you. Do both, if you are really keen on the car.

 

a high mileage car is not necessarily a bad car. I sold my 2.0L turbo forester (see my avatar) at 180k, with 20mths to go on the COE. Most of the mileage was racked up in Msia, including abt 10 track days in Sepang. Before I sold it, I only demodded brakes, wheels, shock absorbers and other minor stuff back to stock or similar. No changes done to gearbox or engine. It was sold to the first guy that came to view it.

 

when it was time to scrap it in early 2014, the buyer told me that the forester gave him no major issues, and it was a pity to scrap it but the high PQP did not justify the cost of getting a new COE.

 

this legacy that you are looking at... how old is it? I am assuming it's the 2.0R not a Legacy GT? how much mileage do u expect to put on it before COE expires or u sell it off? Most importantly, how attractive is the price?

 

my opinion - if you are buying it from a direct seller (not dealer), try to get a sense of how the car was maintained. Buy it only if it was maintained well.

 

If you are buying it from a dealer, remember lemon law is in effect.

[Dark]

Any bros can advise if it is advisable to purchase a 2nd hand legacy that is close to 220k mileage?

 

What are the potential problems and parts that need to be changed? Assuming Engine, Gearbox got no issue and timing belt have been changed at 190k mileage.

 

Thanks!

 

I owned a 2.0i for 9 years and basically had the same problems JohnSHL mentioned plus a fuel pump change at 8 years and aircon compressor change at year 5.

 

Mileage was 210k when I scrap it prematurely due to broken timing belt (my own fault).

 

During the final year my gearbox looks like going to give. Sometimes not able to engage reverse gear after cold starts. Once warmed up it functions normally so you might want to test drive when engine is cold.

 

Other than that great car to drive.

[weilun9241]

Hi JohnSHL,

 

Thank you for your very detailed writeup on the experience with your turbo forester. Its really a pity to scrap since it is still in good working condition with no major issues which I suppose is quite rare for turbo cars.

 

The legacy I'm looking at is a 2.0r which has no turbo (heard too many horror stories about old turbo cars). As its only left with 1.5 years and I do not really travel much, the mileage should not exceed 30k before its due for scrap. Price is 30.8k which is negotiable as stated by dealer. However, the servicing was last done at 203k and its already 220k now with no servicing done.

 

Intend to get the dealer to send to AA for inspection if I'm really buying. From what i understand from others, I will have to put a deposit which is about 10% of the car price before they will send for inspection. However, there is a risk of losing the deposit since AA doesn't state pass or fail on their inspection report, but rather a detailed summary of all the different tests they have done.

 

If I'm getting a newer car, then i dont have to worry so much

Hi Dark,

 

Is it common for subaru cars AC to fail at the fifth year? For toyota case, it usually failed between 5th and 6th year. Happened to my colleague and me.

 

I will take note of the points brought up by John and you during test drive.

 

Thanks!

Edited October 12, 2015 by weilun9241

[Shibadog]

Hi JohnSHL,

 

Thank you for your very detailed writeup on the experience with your turbo forester. Its really a pity to scrap since it is still in good working condition with no major issues which I suppose is quite rare for turbo cars.

 

The legacy I'm looking at is a 2.0r which has no turbo (heard too many horror stories about old turbo cars). As its only left with 1.5 years and I do not really travel much, the mileage should not exceed 30k before its due for scrap. Price is 30.8k which is negotiable as stated by dealer. However, the servicing was last done at 203k and its already 220k now with no servicing done.

 

Intend to get the dealer to send to AA for inspection if I'm really buying. From what i understand from others, I will have to put a deposit which is about 10% of the car price before they will send for inspection. However, there is a risk of losing the deposit since AA doesn't state pass or fail on their inspection report, but rather a detailed summary of all the different tests they have done.

 

If I'm getting a newer car, then i dont have to worry so much

Hi Dark,

 

Is it common for subaru cars AC to fail at the fifth year? For toyota case, it usually failed between 5th and 6th year. Happened to my colleague and me.

 

I will take note of the points brought up by John and you during test drive.

 

Thanks!

 

 

oh it's fm a dealer. Best to chk if the displayed mileage (220k) is true. Subaru wkshops can chk the ECU for actual mileage, I dunno if AAS can.

 

18k for service is abit long (usually 10k for NA if using synthetic oil) but the other issue is the engine has been running with low oil level if for some reason the engine is consuming oil. See if you can chk the engine oil lvl and also the colour and level of the ATF & front differential.

 

on my forester, the ac compressor also failed at the 5th year. Got a recon one abt $400+. My legacy (bought at 5th year, now almost 9yr) still going strong. Dunno if the previous owner had issues with it.

 

this car is at commonwealth? I see one on sgcarmart for 30.8k

 

oh the McIntosh sound system also has some quirks. CD player occasionally get stuck and the subwoofer in the boot has been known to conk out.

 

also, since the car has not been serviced for the last 18k, also chk if all four tyres are worn evenly. Due to the AWD, if the tyres are not rotated and worn evenly, the diffs may not be very happy. Anyway, since rainy season is coming in a couple of months, best to check the condition of the tyres. Old tyres can be a useful bargaining tool.

[weilun9241]

 

 

oh it's fm a dealer. Best to chk if the displayed mileage (220k) is true. Subaru wkshops can chk the ECU for actual mileage, I dunno if AAS can.

 

18k for service is abit long (usually 10k for NA if using synthetic oil) but the other issue is the engine has been running with low oil level if for some reason the engine is consuming oil. See if you can chk the engine oil lvl and also the colour and level of the ATF & front differential.

 

on my forester, the ac compressor also failed at the 5th year. Got a recon one abt $400+. My legacy (bought at 5th year, now almost 9yr) still going strong. Dunno if the previous owner had issues with it.

 

this car is at commonwealth? I see one on sgcarmart for 30.8k

 

oh the McIntosh sound system also has some quirks. CD player occasionally get stuck and the subwoofer in the boot has been known to conk out.

 

also, since the car has not been serviced for the last 18k, also chk if all four tyres are worn evenly. Due to the AWD, if the tyres are not rotated and worn evenly, the diffs may not be very happy. Anyway, since rainy season is coming in a couple of months, best to check the condition of the tyres. Old tyres can be a useful bargaining tool.

 

Yes it's from the dealer at commonwealth. I also thought of sending the car to pro scooby workshops for a check first before buying but not sure if the dealer will allow me to do so.

 

Thats what I am worried about too, servicing has been overdued for 7k mileage and it kinda contradicts with what the dealer told me (Car is in very good condition with full servicing records with agent from the previous owner). If the previous owner took such good care of the car, its unlikely he will delay servicing for so long.

 

What needs to be done if the diffs ain't happy? does it call for a diff oil change immediately? not too worried about the sound system as I can live without the subwoofer lol. Any other major repairs done on your legacy other than AC compressor? Glad to hear that your legacy is still going strong despite all the negative feedbacks i received from friends on how bad subaru cars are which i chose not to believe

 

 

 

 

 

[Quantum]

Hi JohnSHL,

 

Thank you for your very detailed writeup on the experience with your turbo forester. Its really a pity to scrap since it is still in good working condition with no major issues which I suppose is quite rare for turbo cars.

 

The legacy I'm looking at is a 2.0r which has no turbo (heard too many horror stories about old turbo cars). As its only left with 1.5 years and I do not really travel much, the mileage should not exceed 30k before its due for scrap. Price is 30.8k which is negotiable as stated by dealer. However, the servicing was last done at 203k and its already 220k now with no servicing done.

 

Intend to get the dealer to send to AA for inspection if I'm really buying. From what i understand from others, I will have to put a deposit which is about 10% of the car price before they will send for inspection. However, there is a risk of losing the deposit since AA doesn't state pass or fail on their inspection report, but rather a detailed summary of all the different tests they have done.

 

If I'm getting a newer car, then i dont have to worry so much

Hi Dark,

 

Is it common for subaru cars AC to fail at the fifth year? For toyota case, it usually failed between 5th and 6th year. Happened to my colleague and me.

 

I will take note of the points brought up by John and you during test drive.

 

Thanks!

why don't try this

http://www.sgcarmart.com/used_cars/info.php?ID=510641&DL=1277

same YOM, mileage only 98k, 1k expensive than your favor one

Edited October 12, 2015 by Quantum