1998 Subaru Legacy Reviews, Pricing & Specs

Good handling and power, would like a roof rack and trailer hitch. Has serious problems since the engine light went on and can't afford dealer rates on repairs. Haynes manual is in complete should at least describe the use of every part under the hood. Instead it only describes parts that it describes how to repair. I'm very disappointed with the manual. Also very disappointed with the policy of Subaru support putting a time limit on the amount of time you can use their manual.Mar 23, 2015

Performance: So.. this is what happens, when some blokes from Subaru drink a bit too much sake one night and decide to swap in some STi class parts into a family wagon just for the heck of it? Well, I can tell you, that the combination is very nice. The weight to power ratio is equal to an STi so when pushed, this wagon hauls ass despite of its size. There is something of an issue regarding the operation of these TwinTurbo's, namely the oh so famous "Valley of Death", but that is more of an small nuisance rather than a really crippling thing. When driving normally, you almost never get past the 3000rpm mark which is below the VoD. This is due to very turbo-diesel'ish torque characteristics and the automatic transmissions eagerness to shift upwards very early. The first turbo comes into play as early as 1500rpm and therefore you have over 200nm to play with as low as 2000rpm. Going beyond the VoD to the high side of 4000rpm, the second turbo comes into play and the two turbos work in parallel mode. It pulls nicely and cleanly all the way to the red line. There is no old fashioned turbo-lag and the feeling of being shoved to the back with a two by four, but there is a lot of power and you can see this by having a eye on the speedometer! The trusty Subaru trademark AWD is present at all times meaning, that the car goes forward, in any weather, just in the direction that you want it to go. Be wary of the dual nature of the car though. Subaru's are prone to first understeer, but careless, or intentional, use of the excess power turns it into very tail-happy! This can be good or bad, depending on the situation. The Bilsten engineered suspension works very well. It is a bit soft at first but then firms up quickly. In other words, on everyday roads and situations, it eats up bumps and such veyr smoothly but then when going faster in corners, it is firm enough that the body movements are kept in check. Build Quality: The standard Subaru deal here; after a decade, everything works still with out an issue, there are no extra creaks or other noises. Very solid build for which the Subaru's are known for. Appearance: The car isn't striking to the eye. More like it is shaped to blend in but with a few characteristic differences. There are of course the Subaru trade marked frameless windows, but other than that, the car doesn't really stand out. Even the hood scoop used to pull some fresh cool air to the intercooler is very small. All in all, very stealthy. The interior is roomy with well chosen materials. You can get full blown leather interior if you wish, but that is an optional extra. Mine has the half-leather interior. The seats are modelled well and offer a fair bit of side-ways support also. You can get electric dual sunroofs, which would light up the interior nicely. Unfortunately, mine lacks those as well. There is the Momo leather steering well with leather also in the gear-lever and parking break handle. Nice touches. The plastic wood-imitation on the dash and center console though really look tacky and shouldn't be there. Perhaps some of that semi-carbon fiber looking material that is around the instrument panel would've worked well instead. The car comes equipped with McIntosh stereo with 6 speakers + subwoofer and separate amplifier. It has cassette as well as CD players. Take note though, that this being Japanese spec, the radio only covers frequencies from 76.0 to 90.0 MHz and therefore you'll probably need to either swap the unit or get a frequency converter to lsiten to radio in your own country. The entry level accessories list is very complete and doesn't leave you wanting much. Cost of Ownership: Well, this being the top-of-the- line model, it isn't cheap. However, due to the taxation scheme in Japan, if you're importing one of   these, you can get them for practically peanuts. So buying a used second-hand TwinTurbo Legacy is not as expensive as you'd think. Of course, you then need to be prepared for all of the additional fees (shipping, taxes etc). Regarding the owing one of these, they aren't that expensive. There hardly is anything to fix as long as you keep up with regular maintenance schedule. The engine being only 2 liter in displacement means fair insurance costs as well. The car isn't very fuel hungry either if you manage to keep that speed demon in check and drive nicely. If you're doing in highway at fair speed, you're likely to be in the first turbo range and you can get to under 10 liters / 100km which is not bad at all. Of course, these can gulp easily more than twice that on a track.. Fun Factor: The car is fun to drive certainly. The engine characteristics and suspension work well together. Not to mention the very stealthy appearance means you can have some fun teasing out others at traffic lights ;) Mar 20, 2010

i love everything about this car its awesome, dependable and fun. its fast and handles anything ive thrown at it. rides very comfortably and can fit alot of stuff in it. it gets good mileage, not great good and as with any car you either get fun or good mileage and this car provides a happy medium. i have owned it for a couple of years and have only had to do the brakesAug 14, 2009

Secure AWD, great alternative to an SUV for rugged field work, although city mpg is low (21). Performs fairly well, though it has a unique growl (All Subaru boxer engines are supposed to be noisy). Fairly expensive to maintain when I bought it second hand. It doesn't handle as well as I hoped, compared to a smaller car such as a 4 door Japanese import, but it is WAY better than driving an SUV. It performs exceedingly well on rutted and gravel roads. Has great carrying capacity.Sep 03, 2008

I have had this car for 4 years now and it is simply amazing. It is 11 years old and requires almost no maintenance. It is absolutely unstoppable in the snow and with the AWD system it is able to tear the curves apart. Also the Subaru Boxer engine has been around for ever and keeps a low center of gravity which allows for even better handling. The interior is very simple and comfortable with soft touch trim and leather seats. It has plenty of room in the trunk and it can be increased by folding down the seats 60/40. I would recommend this car to anyone who wants a fun, dependable, and good looking car.Jun 27, 2008

The first thing you need to know about this car is that it handles beautifully. It's a little heavy but the AWD, even though it's a 10-year-old system, does a great job. Its ABS is sharp; and even with an AT, and though it was the last year the Legacy didn't get a turbo, it still has plenty of pop. The build quality is very solid -- almost 110,000 miles and all it's needed has been basic brake, engine and wheel maintenance. It's only just begun to make a rattle, and when I checked the source of the noise the part was actually snug -- just a resonant frequency thing, I guess, seeing as it always rattles when the engine reaches the same RPM. It's a beautiful car. While Subaru makes fantastic cars and always has, it's increasingly been missing the styling mark in the past few years. This car has a classic, timeless look and it looks great in its candy-red paint with still showroom-quality black leather interior. Its mileage is good -- it generally gets nearer 30 mpg than 20. Maintenance is practically free, since as I mentioned, it barely needs anything but a fluid and tire pressure check every so often. It's got nice perks such as very quick heating and A/C, easily adjustable mirrors, limited blind spots and great windshield visibility and driver position. The fold-down rear seats are nice as well, though not very unusual these days. As I mentioned, the interior is very nice. Both room and comfortable, the leather looks great on everything and the layout is very accessible. The only major drawback (and the only thing I dislike about this car) is poorly-constructed pop-out cupholders. The best part is probably its poor-condition driving. This car is glue in the rain, and in more than two feet of snow I regularly drive my little red sport sedan past spun-out Explorers on the side of the road! If you're looking for a fun, safe, reliable and great-looking sedan to go churning around mountain passes or pick up groceries, in rain or shine, this car is a steal.Jun 25, 2008

Acceleration is weak, thought about adding in a CAI (cold air intake) Speakers are mad tin sounding..going to improve them Gets really hot inside so going to tint my windows Car handles well eventually accelerates after 4,000 RPM but that uses lots of gas nice and small but can fit all my friends in in comfortably mine is forest green great first carJun 17, 2008

This car is very fun to drive, 5spd H4 2.5L. It sounds amazing and actually has coupe performance unlike other GT's. If you're going to pick on up however; make sure the cylinder heads have been done. If not the don't buy it unless you're paying $2,000 or less becasue it's a $3,000 job and you WILL have to do it. Overall very practical and very sporty, the best mix of two worlds.Mar 28, 2008