Here's Why the Subaru Legacy GT is One Underrated Sleeper You DON'T Want to Sleep On!
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- Опубліковано 24 тра 2024
- ( www.alltfl.com/ ) Check out our new spot to find ALL our content, from news to videos and our podcasts! The mid-2000s Subaru Legacy GT doesn't look anything like a performance sedan, but it's surprisingly good for what looks like another understated commuter car. In fact, Brendan posits that it's so good, you should definitely buy one before people catch on and they get way too expensive!
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#subaru #underrated #car - Авто та транспорт
Had an ‘05 GT Wagon for a few years. It made me feel like a kid again trying to run the gears on the winding roads of Maryland’s rolling hilled farmland. Sold it to pay some medical bills for my little ones. It was no contest on what I valued more, but I’ll admit I get a grin and a distant memory every time I see one rumbling around.
I'm glad to hear you were able to help your kids. A good parent sacrifices. Sometimes brother, things we've lost have a way of coming back to us. You may have a fun car back in your life someday. I'm hoping for you! 🤞
You should have kept the car. They can’t put medical bills on your credit, mine will get paid when Jesus pays them lol. I’m glad your kid is okay
Should have kept it the state can’t legally deny you medical care so tell em it’ll be paid off when they pay it off themselves
As a proud owner of an 06 Spec B (151/500) and an 08 Spec B (from Gears and Gasoline and RCR), I can say for a fact that I am obsessed with this generation
My favorite Legacy design! I always thought it was such a handsome car. Love that blue, too. 👏
Agreed on the styling. Imo Subaru nailed the styling on these early gen years specifically. It's simplistic and not too loud, but it's very pleasant to look at
I have had several Legacy GTs and turbo Outback’s…other than the timing belt service I have put hundreds of thousands miles on those cars and never experienced a bad head gasket or anything beyond regular maintenance. I think they are awesome cars and offer excellent all weather capability, decent economy and their interiors hold up remarkably well. All of my cars were automatics I bet a stick would be fun.
One of my biggest automotive mistakes was buying a CPO 2010 outback limited. It was an astonishing bad car, that made GMs from the 80s seem reliable. From head gaskets the Hvac and headunits, to door structure and starter motors to finally burning a ton of oil, and terrible fuel economy. Oh and three sets of stuts and two sets of CV joints. I dont think i would ever let another Subaru leak its headgasket in my driveway again. Terrible experience
I bought an 06’ Legacy GT Sedan Auto in 2017 for 6K CAD with 130,000 kms, at the time I liked cars but this car turned me into a full blown car enthusiast. I fell in love with it right away and I still have it to this day at 220K and it’s still got the original engine, head gasket, turbo and transmission, I replaced the stereo with a touch screen with apple car play and it modernized the interior a decent bit, added a catback exhaust and now it rumbles like a Subaru should. Over 6 years later and I still love driving this car, it’s one of the most underrated and under appreciated cars in the used market and gets almost no attention which is wild considering it’s basically a half price WRX and there’s nothing more fun than to surprise people in newer cars as to why their getting gapped by some old unknown Subaru.
We had a 5-speed 2005 Legacy GT Limited wagon. My wife and I both loved it and we usually don’t like the same cars.
The spec.B is definitely on my list of dream cars. Growing up and through high school I always thought these XT/GT line cars were so much better than the WRX, and now here I am with an 05 Forester XT with a manual transmission, and an 07 Outback 3.0R with the bulletproof H6 engine and I couldn’t possibly be happier. True gems. We will never get anything even remotely close to these from Subaru again. Snatch one while you still can, you won’t regret it.
Looks aside, the new WRX is basically a Legacy GT. I wouldn't say never get anything remotely close, I've owned both they aren't that different...
I have the (wagon) sister to this car, an 05 Outback XT. How can you not love it? Basically the same engine as the, much less affordable, STI. I modded mine with better anti-sway bars, intake, exhaust, a mild dyno-tune & short throw shifter. It now puts 250hp to the pavement. Even being 19 years old it's a hoot to drive. I don't worry about the crappy stereo (mine isn't even as nice as the one in the Legacy) because while revving the nuts off the car I can't hear the stereo;) Though louder it's especially satisfying when compared to the new WRXs, their performance & their price.
"Unreliable" may be over stating. I drive mine like I stole it. I've had it for 10 years and other than mods & routine maintenance I've replaced 2 clutches, the radiator & the AC compressor. It now has around 170K miles on it & it's still hauling...
I almost went for the GT back in '07 but ended up going with the naturally aspirated 2.5i Limited. Just traded her in with 179k miles on the clock for a new Mazda 3 AWD Premium sedan. The 4th gen Legacy is still the best looking car that Subaru has produced in the last 20 years imo.
Damn bro you missed out on a super fun car, the GT in 07’ would have been a rocket compared to how slow most cars were back then. Personally I think paying for a faster more fun to drive car is worth every penny in extra maintenance because it makes the quality of your life better when you’re smiling every time you drive
@@christopher-gardner Yeah, the better head gaskets in the turbo 2.5 might've offset some of the additional fuel costs and potential turbocharger replacement cost. I replaced the head gaskets once in the Legacy, and they were failing again at 179k.
I had a 2005 Legacy GT 5 spd and absolutely loved the car. Very understated look that aged very well. It wasnt a fast car, but quick enough to be fun and sounded great. The one thing that I hated about the car was lack of fold down rear seats!
I had an 02 WRX and a 05 Legacy GT both with the 5MT. I preferred the 05 GT, however there are some inaccuracies in your video. The non STI turbo 2.5 was 250 hp in all models including the WRX, it wasn't "bumped up" for the Legacy. The 227 Hp you cited was for the earlier 2.0 used in the 02-04 WRX (In the US). As far as head gaskets, the turbo 2.5 did not share the NA 2.5's appetite for head gaskets. Oddly though for a Subaru the 05 GT was the single most unreliable vehicle I've ever owned.
I happen to own an 05 legacy GT 5 speed limited sedan! Im glad videos are still being made on these cars. A very underrated chassis compared to the impreza/forester of the same generations
Keep it! Don’t sell I made that mistake.
@@backyardscaler My first car was one, still have it but its a lil theseus' ship at this point
Had a 2008 and it was my favorite car I've owned to date! Had it in a dark bronze and I absolutely loved it! 5-speed ripped!
My parents had a 98 Legacy GT wagon back in the day - no preformance upgrades from the base model but i loved the look of it with the hood scoop and body kit. Even when my parents had it as their 3rd and oldest car i would always option to drive the Legacy GT as a teenager. Good memories!
They are super comfy car too, i have the hood scoop and twin turbos on my 98 Legacy B4 rsk.
I had a 97 Legacy GT. It was beautiful and I loved it but it was junk. The last straw was when the top end of the motor unexpectedly blew when I was 4 hours away from home.
My 08 spec B was one of my favorite cars ever and wish I'd have been able to hold on to it. Had over 200k before I started having any signs of engine issues. It was replaced by a 14 WRX that, while it looks great and is still fun, always felt like a step down from car that came out 6 years prior.
As i understand it, these larger turbo engines didn’t have the head gasket issues … i have a 05 Impreza outback w/ 151,000 and head gaskets are still holding. Just a matter of time i guess … for sale BTW.
Yeah, the MLS gasket Subaru used on turbo cars were never plagued with issues.
Main thing to be careful about was oil starvation of the turbo - earlier years in the generation had a banjo bolt filter in the turbo oil line that could get clogged. A lot of people removed it.
Yeah, pretty sure the 2000's turbo Subarus in particular didn't have head gasket issues, but had some other problems. Idk if they're engine-out items like the gaskets are though. Also, I've heard the idea tossed around, but can't you also replace the crappy head gaskets with the better ones in newer Subarus if they do end up failing?
The 2005+ GT models mostly resolved the headgasket issue because the forced induction required stronger ones. It is really uncommon to see a failure - especially compared to the n/a 2.5s of the generations prior. They suffer ringland failures and 05-06 models frequently experienced clogged turbo oil lines which would starve it and, well, you know the rest. This 2007 model has an updated oil line design and more reliable turbo which helped but 07+ can still encounter some issues. I've owned my 07 wagon since 2010 and I have no intentions of ever giving it up - I'll replace the engine if I have to just to keep it on the road. There will never be anything like it again.
Come on with the tired head gasket meme. FYI the turbo models had different blocks that were semi-closed for better support of the cylinders and thus had far fewer head gasket failures than the NA engines. So the non modded turbo engines were very reliable in the Legacy GTs.
Really like these videos. Given the price of new cars these days, it is nice to know there are some interesting and reliable cars out there as alternatives.
I had the 2005 GT 5 speed stick with cloth seats. I also had the suspension and brakes modified for autocross. The engine had burnt valves at 90,000 miles. Then a broken piston ringland at 130,000. Sold it at 155,000 miles
There’s a decent amount of them here in the Northwest. One of my daily drivers is a 2007 Subaru Outback 5 speed. No turbo, but still very fun to drive on road and off. The mechanics have been mediocre for mine even with low miles (76k miles now), but I still find it a worthy platform to fix. I plan on keeping it for as long as possible because I think it’s one of the best looking years, fun to drive, very capable, fits my lifestyle. Great in snow. Might doesn’t have rust.
I certainly didn't overlook this car, I've had 3. Two 06's and an 08 which I bought new. They were hard to find new and are near impossible to locate today unmolested or low miles. Unfortunately, in 07 when Subaru added the Si drive, it dumbed down the performance and the HP rating was less too. The unicorn LGT is an 05 Limited trim wagon with the 5speed.
05 really is the best since you still get the “sti block” as they say.
The Legacy is probably the best car for the power/chassis/confort for the money. My 1998 JDM B4 RSK twin turbo is making 340hp has an amazing chassis and cost me $3000.
Hands down, my favorite car of all time. Spec B preferred, but I’d happily take a regular GT.
Had this same exact model and color car. I absolutely loved it, was such a fun car for what it was and it was great in the snow. Ended up going through 2 turbos and then the engine finally went😢 Man I miss that car will buy another Subie one day 🤘
love my legacy gt, great fun daily especially in snow
Just saw one of these on the road yesterday, in very decent condition. It is def a car person's car and i think the old styling is really dope.
I’ve got an 05 gt sedan with a 5 speed, I had a friend with the leather interior and I have the cloth and I definitely like the cloth more, I’ve got some blowby and I’m pretty sure my piston rings are shot but I’m thinking about getting a STi type ra shortblock to put in. Little bit of rust in the passenger rear wheel well and the paint has flaked off and I need to get that fixed. Abs light is on as well due to a mouse chewing though my wheel speed sensor. Car hasn’t given me any trouble aside from the wheel speed sensor and the oil burning but once I put the shortblock in then it will be fine. Definitely my favorite car I’ve owned. I left my 2016 vw Gli for the legacy and I don’t regret it.
I am Ride or Die with Subaru, have 4 now, including a 04 FXT and a 05 LGT wagon (BP) that is built big.
I had an 05 2.5gt manual. Beautiful car to drive and lots of power but God it was unreliable. Head gaskets clutch, wheel bearings. Mine was silver.
Heqdgaskets aren’t problematic in the turbo subies of this era
Real. I've have decompressions and turbos eating themselves alive and my brothers blown a hole in a few EJ blocks but never have we actually had gasket issues.
Always liked these cars, and the B-spec was cool. Also remember that the GT stood for Getcha new Turbo 😂
I bought my 2005 Legacy GT new and still have it. I am in the process of restoring it and improving it. It's such a good looking car, and it's not too expensive to get 350-390hp out of it. Mine is an automatic but IPT is in the process of rebuilding the trans. Going to be a beast!
I have friend with this exact spec and it has 280k miles on it. Mostly highway
Own a 09 2.5GT limited edition and I love it everyday. It’s such a fun drive
I wonder why you dont see these around anymore. Reliability is a factor no doubt. I would love a full time awd subaru but my mechanic friends tell me to stay away.
I know there are other problems as well, but in terms of the head gasket issues at least, I've heard the idea tossed around that you could theoretically just replace the crappy 2000's Subaru head gaskets with the better ones from newer Subaru models
I just got myself a 2024 Legacy Sport, the spiritual successor to that car. It's pretty fantastic and very quick. But it's certainly more comfortable than a WRX for this 54 year old. And they look great.
I kind of wished subaru would sell a modern legacy SUS. Always thought they looked kinda cool with the slight lift and outback cladding.
Had an 2008 white / tan color combo, it was peppy but the trans was kinda blah... Very relaxed ride, I rolled a lot of highway miles and that's where this car was suited best, rolling along at 70 MPH. My current 2016 WRX is a bigger car on the inside so it would be hard to go back to my 08...
*currently trying to sell mine... thank you for this video lol*
05 LGT swapped w/ 2018 EJ257 block and 2019 STI 6 speed
I had a 04 Forester XT, Loved it. Thinking about a Outback XT (Automatic tho). Not sure though, I do have a SUV right now that I dont really need to replace. But the idea of having a fun wagon or something that I can modify is just getting to me.
I wouldnt mind a Volvo V70R either. That thing was a blast (I test drove one).
I had a RBP 2005 LGT limited manual wagon, stage 2+. I bought it because my younger brother had a black pearl 2005 LGT limited manual wagon, stage 3. Super fun cars.
Probably close to 20 years ago. I looked at a 90s Legacy Turbo, it was selling for around 2k. I love the rear cup holders being there rather than in the armrest
Back in the day I had similar vintage Subaru Forester XT with 5 speed manual and I believe had 250 HP as well. Was a fun vehicle and fairly quick for what it was being a small SUV/slightly elevated wagon.
Great cars, I love mine.
I still have been seeking one for a decent deal so far have not come across many anywhere near $10k, its been about 2 years of searching.. It's such a amazing car honestly, not much compares.. I had a Spec B in 2006 for all of 3 weeks before someone drove into the side in at my work parking lot.. I could not find a replacement and went with a different car all together, I never got to push it, only pushed the dealer demo a few months before I got mine. That one is a fine example of ERRthing lovely of that era !
I’ve owned 9 05-09 legacy’s and outback’s. Amazing cars
if you buy one, make sure it was stock. Lots of expensive lessons learned. APV1 ate some PCMs as well. engine 2 and turbo 3 is where I'm at on the reboot. banjo bolts also was a fun situation.
I was looking for one of these GT sedan with stick shift but ended up having the 05 GT wagon limited with auto trans because the time and price were right in 2013. Every 10k maintenance there is always something to be replaced….thermostat, steering pump, leaking gas line, not to include the belt and turbo oil filter that I voluntarily replaced, but it never pulled me on the side of the road, and geez…I always enjoyed donuting around in the empty snow-packed parking lot and driving it through some mountain road. Sadly it doesn’t come with traction control and it crashed into a tree because a mini cut the lane off.
just a subaru owner seeing the little things, like the coolant coated hood mesh. feels like home
I have an 05 gt limited and I absolutely love it
My first car!!! It was unbelievable!!!!
as a 05 obxt owner as of last year, I am very impressed with my purchase, one thing I hate about it is the fuel consumption. But it does really good, especially mine being for $600
I love my 05 GT Limited Sedan 5MT in White w Beige leather. It was only $5k at 175kmi when i bought it. I've probably dumped $20k worth of upgrades in since with a new engine and transmission planned. Even at 205k mi now, car just got me from Maine to Southern CA with zero issues. This car is the greatest highway machine i've ever owned. I like it better than my 2010 WRX Premium sedan I sold years ago. It really is a sleeper. I do get love and peace signs from WRX/STI but most people have no idea what this car is. A true gem. The classy secret WRX.
WRX had 227 hp with a 2.0 L engine. Head gaskets were much less of a problem on the turbo engines. WRX is based on the Impreza, not the legacy. Bad wheel bearing on a Subaru? Imagine that.
Legacy have also the 2L engine, that is way more reliable. I have the EJ208 and twin turbo making 340hp.
@@skippylegrandgourou2069I wish we got that engine in the US. Only the 2.5T for the Forester/Outback/Legacy of this generation here
Loved our 05 gt wagon 😍
I have a ‘08 legacy 2.5i wagon touring and i love it more than my ‘19 crosstrek
Had one all the way to over 190K miles. Traded for a 2022 WRX, but I still miss mine. If I could find a stock good condition Spec.B I'd totally jump on it.
I purchased a new brand new 2006 model and I got rid of it after 10k miles. It had horrible fit and finish inside. The dealership could not sort it under warranty.
You missed a key piece of info: what makes these great is that the 2.5 is the STi block! It’s just a slightly smaller turbo. Much more powerful than the 2.0 in the base wrx
my mom had a rusted red 89 legacy for a couple of years in the mid 1990s because her 88 XT Turbo was stolen from the auto body shop where its engine was being rebuilt after a head gasket blow out. granted in its 7 year run less than 100,000 XTs XT6s and Alcoyne's were built where as take the Toyota Corolla which sold 199,000 units in the US in 1991 the top selling car in the compact class that year where as for Luxury Compacts the #1 was the Oldsmobile Cutlass with 175,000 #2 was the Buick Skylark with 76,000 units sold in the us in 1991 Skylark ended production in 1998 and Cutlass and 88 series did so in 1999 Cutlass was replaced by the Alero which was also a Chevrolet in markets where Oldsmobile wasn't sold
One of my favorite cars !!!!
I had an 05 GT manual, it was red with a black interior. Loved it. It got totalled in front of my house by a drunk teen.
Long story short, fought the insurance company on pricing. After winning. I went and purchased an 07 spec B. Had that for a few years loved the hell out of it. But sold it to buy a truck
I've been looking for a low mileage/non-modded Spec-B for years. A true Subaru unicorn.
@@wvusmcGood luck
@@jasonhall3693 yeah, not looking like I'll ever find one. I bought a 2008 FXT with 42k miles during my initial search and happy with that. Still, I'll hold on to the dream.
i hat a 05 gt in 2022 with only 70k miles. I absolutely LOVED this car, but within 2 months of ownership repair costs added up larger and larger by the month to make it not worth it.
Had a 2006 2.0L diesel Wagon, a real snow king in my snowy French Alps…😊
La base en Savoie! J'ai une Subaru B4 RSK avec le 2l twin turbos c'est assez scandaleux pour une voiture de 25 ans.
Definitely always loved these in wagon form. Don’t sleep on the 3.0r version either. Most of the power, none of the turbo head gasket concerns. Speaking undervalued Subarus, everyone still hates the Gen 5 legacies, but they’ve got a lot going for them. I just picked up an 09 jdm GT S package wagon (🇨🇦 15 year rule). Much nicer interior, more back seat room, 280hp stock. I think the 09-14 outbacks are pretty ugly particularly compared to the previous gen and the ‘15+ bodies, but the 09-14 BR9 jdm legacy wagons have really grown on me.
Always wanted the LGT in Wagon form, with the STI parts. Sadly, I've had to move on the idea of wrenching no longer appeals to me. My wife's I-pace will have to do.
I got to drive a new 2005 Legacy GT wagon on a test course, along with a BMW 3-series wagon and a Volvo V60 wagon. This generation Legacy was a NICE car and quite attractive at the time, not bland like he said. It held its own extremely well against the 3-series and V60. A very quick and fun car to drive. I got a little carried away with my speed and skidded off the course. To me, Subaru has gotten less and less appealing as a brand since then. 1st and 2nd gen Legacy in the 1990s were the best with the 2.2L H4. Amazingly good cars. Now, the prospect of buying a new Subaru gives me acid reflux between being forced to get AWD when I don't need it and their insanely expensive CVT replacement cost. I've heard as high as $8k. Their short warranty doesn't ease my fear.
Unpopular opinion. The 2010-2012 is better and even more underrated!
My mom had a 2007 wagon in the same blue but 2.5 non turbo automatic
I had a 2005 Subaru Legacy 2.5. Spoiler on the back BUT no hood scoop or GT label
I used to own a 2011 Outback. I always wanted to do a Subaru Legacy GT swap since we never got the Turbo in the outback.
Oh, wow. I thought that center console was all-new for the 3rd-gen STi, but it looks like it premiered here!
You guys need to start going through those old clinkers and RVs and public wors/contractor trucks. Stuff you see everyday and wonder what's inside.
I remember a different commercial. Those are rarely seen here in Canada 🇨🇦
O_O that sale price, holy cow I need to do this since + manual and - nanny features. I think I'm done buying new for good. I only want something that CAN more easily kill me but won't constantly narc on me via telematics modules and black boxes.
I've had 2 a 05 wagon and a 05 sedan both manual both turbo probably the best car subaru ever made
Im from germany and i recently saw a nice Spec B model for sale for 11k, aawh i wish i could buy it XD
Had like a duplex STI genome exhaust, mcintosh radio, 280HP and a 6spd that thing is sooo perfect makes me wanna trady my bugeye in for that
What a clean engine bay
Yo, I REALLY had to dig to find this, but I've heard the idea tossed around that you could theoretically replace the crappy 2000's Subie head gaskets with the better ones from newer Subie models. Can anyone confirm this? I love 2000's Legacy GT's and Forester XT's though, they seem like fun sleeper cars for sure, and imo Subaru nailed the styling on these early gen years specifically. It's simplistic and not too loud, but it's very pleasant to look at
Love the look of this generation, but turbo Subarus are a financial gamble most can't afford. They are extremely intolerant of even light knock. One boost spike and you can kiss your ring lands goodbye.
I have a 2.5 N/A of this gen and love it, but repairs get costly after 150k miles
Man I remember my friend had one of these and it was fast fast. Also an actually nice and comfortable interior compared to the WRX.
Agree - have a neighbor with a dark blue one tricked out nicely. And honestly it's really no bigger than current WRXs.
That WRX vs Legacy owner thing was true when they was new and used for $26k 2 years used. Used today was how do I do burnouts then part out thread.
Piston slap bad in winter
i have the limited and must say better interior and sound system but other than that it's pretty much the same as the regular gt...head gasket were bad on non turbo 2.5, lgt get ringland before headgasket
I did the head gasket on a Subaru it's not hard, but it is engine out. That being said I will take a known issue that happens at a specific millage over many unknown issues that can happen any time.
I have 06 3.0 6 cylinder spec b combi and it's lovely car engine is reliable if you take care of it
2009 Spec B in Satin White Pearl checking in.
Totally agree with you on this one. I know, who'd a thunk it?
I have a 20 year old Solara. It has 112K miles on it and still hums. I think I take it for granted, but I don't want or really need a 'new' car.
I have a 2006 Legacy GT wagon with a six speed. Impossible, you say? Nope, I swapped in a Spec B sedan transmission and it has an STI front diff, among a very long list of aftermarket goodies. Never getting rid of it, and it's more fun to drive than our Tesla Model 3!
THANKS 7:36 for the selling price! Really.
US market was the only place the GT wagon/manual trans combo was discontinued for '06. It continued to be available north of the border through '08. The Outback XT also kept the stick for the entire production run, so you've also got the option of picking up one of those and bringing it back down to Legacy ride height.
Outback XT also gets the cool looking fender flares. Especially nice looking when they have the lowered suspension.
Probably my favorite Subaru
09 Silver GT owner here 🩶
Where can I get a rebuild kit for a 5speed transmission on this exact car?
A Subaru without a CVT is a neat ride.
One of the best looking Subarus ever, far better than the WRX.
I miss my LBP 05LGT