Subaru 2005 - Legacy Review

My wife's 2005 Subaru 2.5GT wagon was the first new car I've ever bought.  Normally I favor slightly-used, but she wanted a reliable wagon for work and hauling the kids, so my choices were somewhat limited.  Add to that the fact that I refuse to drive boring cars, and our choices were further reduced.  The only one that fit the budget and other criteria was the Subie, which was brand-new that year, so off we went to the dealership.

This is also my first Subaru.  I've always been a fan of the company's rally efforts, and I have been similarly impressed with the car in everyday use.  My wife's first indication she was driving something with "street cred" is when two teenage boys pulled up next to her while driving the car and gestured for her to roll down her window.  She was initially flattered, thinking they were hitting on her; to her disappointment, they merely wanted to tell her they thought her 250hp station wagon was cool.  That much, I already knew, and for $28K out the door, it was a hard deal to beat for a car with so many features.

With great power, a performance-oriented AWD system, and good interior room, I think it's a handsome package, and driving the car adds to the appeal.  It's very fast as long as you stay on the turbo boost, and is comfortable and not overloaded with gadgetry (which I prefer).  It can also swallow a lot of cargo and 5 adults well.  Steering feel is very good for an AWD car, and it's fairly tossable for its size.  This thing is a hoot in the snow.

The disappointments have been the brakes (too small for the car, with modest stopping power; I've warped several front rotors); the interior materials (some of the plastics are a bit cheap compared to VW or Honda); and the automatic transmission (always a poor match with turbos, and Subaru doesn't offer a manual in the GT wagon any longer).  I get about 20mpg on premium fuel, but I wouldn't call that a disappointment so much as an acknowledged shortcoming of a turbo.

The sporty wagon market around $30K has become more competitive lately (the new VW Passat 2.0T, Accord wagon and Audi A4 Avant), so I'd shop around if looking to buy again.  Still, the combination of AWD, Subaru's rep for stone-cold reliability and class-leading power make this a good candidate for my money.