2013 Subaru Legacy

First impression didn't last..

By Captdan (OH) on Thursday, June 06, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 7,200

Pros: "Good in the snow"

Cons: "Sluggish and poor premium sound system."

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 1

"I bought this car in December and at first I was quite impressed with the performance. It's abilities in the snow are its only true plus. I have to let it warm up for five minutes before going down the road or it is very sluggish ... My god this is a brand new car!!! It is very noisy on the open road. I got the decked out one and I haven't figured out the stereo yet.. The quality of this system is no way comparable to my last car ( 2010 ford fusion). The gas milage is subpar to say the least"

1 person out of 2 found this review helpful

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True winter performer, but CVT failed at 70k.

By Joe (NY) on Sunday, April 28, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 90,000

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 4

"I average 100,000 miles every three years on my vehicles. I travel the northeast from Queens to Quebec for work, and demand my vehicle be AWD, fuel efficient, fantastic in the snow, comfortable for 400 mile rides frequently, be ultra reliable, and have some creature comforts. My last car was a Rav-4, and got 200k out of her in 5 years. The ride was choppy, the cargo space was minimal, but is was a gas sipper, and never left me stranded even in the worst blizzards. To replace the Rav-4 I purchased the Subaru for all the reasons I mentioned previously, but wanted a smother highway ride and went with the limited because it was loaded, and priced considerably less than its other AWD sedan counterparts(Audi,BMW,Volvo). Loaded with heated leather, moon-roof, Harmon stereo, nicer wheels, etc. THE BAD: The initial fit and finish was somewhat poor, with leaks in the moon-roof, high wind noise at highway speed, the steering wheel mounted controls for blue tooth, stereo and cruise stopped working in the first month, and it had multiple recalls. All of which, are not examples of what I had in mind when I thought of what quality stood for. Having previously owned other vehicles that cost far less, and came with much better attention to detail. THE GOOD: I installed a set of Cooper Snows for winter and the car was unstoppable in the snow. The engine is actually very well balanced for the size of the car, as only being the 4 Cyl, but the reward is better than average highway MPG. Personal best was 33MPG, but average is around 29-30 highway with Summer tires, which again is very good for a AWD sedan this size. The power comes on smooth with the CV Transmission, and can be very potent when so needed, at on ramps, toll booths, and will trounce some unsuspecting sedans and coupes at the red lights if so inclined. THE BAD: While on a long distance drive, far away from home, the CV transmission just disintegrated, and left me stranded on the side of the highway. Dealer came and got the vehicle, which upon inspection, informed me that the transmission was completely destroyed, not just a part of it, but all of it. I was faced with a $9,000 repair bill, on a vehicle that I paid $28,000 just two years earlier, as i was also informed that the warranty had expired. Subaru basically said oh well. My gripe is that had this been a KIA or Hyundai, even a Suzuki, which would have cost far less, the repair would have been covered under warranty. Prior to this I considered Subaru to be a quality manufacturer, but after this experience, I would seriously question purchasing another vehicle from them. I think Subaru was in a rush to get a CVT into the market in order to compete with the Federal Mandates and other competition for better gas consuming vehicles, that they put this model CVT into the Legacy before making it reliable, and ultimately stuck it to the consumer. I have long heard stories of Subaru's lasting into infinity, and hoped mine would be the same, but this Subaru... Not so much. If your still interested in this model, I would shy away from the 2011 LEGACY with a CVT, as it is the first generation and proven itself to be unreliable. Or keep an extra $9,000 in the piggybank to replace a blown transmission"

10 people out of 10 found this review helpful

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