I've owned Subarus for 30+ years, and by Spec B 3.0 litre for 15 years. It is by far the best all-round car I've owned. Having driven in my father's RR, plus many a Mercedes and Bentley as a review journalist - this Subaru is peerless. It is quieter than any Mercedes and its build quality and effortless ride is equal to the best of Lexus. Living in a hilly area I've often been asked by neighbours with big Mercedes and other 4x4s to pull them out of the snow, which I'm happy to do. It looks good at both Royal Ascot and a farm shop car park - a cavernous boot that will absorb a voluminous load - of picture hats or sacks of potatoes. The ever-so-long sunroof is a delight on sunny days, and passengers in the back love to get the sun that so often only the front passengers get. Touch wood, nothing big has ever gone wrong with my Subaru in its 110,000 miles - the only expense in 15 years has been replacement of brakes and calipers up front. Not a spot of rust. The interior knobs and buttons are all in the right place except for the slightly annoying 'cruise' stick on the steering column that can clash with my thighs when going round corners. Visibility - an essential for me - is unrivalled. Personally I hate cars with high backs that make it difficult to see clearly rearward - essential for European m-way driving. Security is 100%. It's triple lock and physical keys make it far more secure than the latest electronic equipped vehicles, and how would you sell so distinctive and rare a car as a Subaru? I saw one owned by a Scottish elderly couple with only 5k on the clock and was sorely tempted to buy it and put it in the garage for my latter years - I never want another car - modern ones are a nightmare by comparison.
Exactly the reasons why i want one so badly. Tho living on mainland europe supply of them is smaller, and facelift models are nearly non existant with a manual shifter and in wagon form(75-80 sold compared to 500-ish prefacelift 3.0R Spec Bs) COmbined with how perfect it is, noone really wants to let them go. Real key instead of a knob is also a massive plus for me i despise those knobs, and its incredibly easy to steal cars with these for bad actors. If fuel economy is only con and very mild one at that then i am all for it. Especially since it barely more than some older high revving 2.0-2.4L motors(from Toyota or Honda) and especially turbo ones.
@@Kacpa2 One extra benefit is that a Subaru exhaust and cat converter is not a common target for thieves - unlike those on Toyotas, sad to say, leaving owners with a £1,000+ bill.
Totally agree with all that I have a 2006 legacy twin turbo GT and look forward to driving it every single time i even go for drives just because it moves so well
Nice video. Also i have such a car. For ten years already. It is practical that is looking nice and is fast. I already drove it to Charkiv and back and to many othe far places. The fuel consumption is now at 10.4 at 100 km, and that is okay to me. i can buy fuel in Luxemburg anyway. Tow weeks ago i changed the rear brake pads and also the original exhaust (the middle and the y-piece) have been replaced. I also replaced the bonnet/hood keep it closed spring. I think that the glove compartment is not high enough and collegue missed a bluetooth connection possibility for his mobile, to play music on the car radio. I can put pipes or plastic profiles in the car that are up to 3 meter and the loading floor is big. Also do i like the wiper defrost possibility and the butt-grip (seat heating). And there is no belt to change. The sunroof is very big but best useable when the sun stands lower. You can notice a Spec B by its blackend headlights and the pedals. This is what the dealer told me once. I like the car very much. next week i will drive to the Netherlands with it and in April i go to Mannheim in Germany so i can drive on the Autobahn with it. In the summer it will take me to Croatia. I have a black on black station model. First thing is to fill the A/C again. ye, it is a great car. Regards from Belgium.
I bought the saloon version a few months ago as a fun second car. I'm now in the process of getting rid of my other car as this is a perfect fusion of fun car and family car
Hi Nigel, thanks for your top review. I'm glad you enjoyed the legacy. I can happily confirm that the door closing sound of the legacy/outback is identical to that of the Subaru Forester (SF generation at least). In 20 years of subaru ownership I am of the opinion that this sound is one of the most satisfying things about Subarus. And pillarless doors. And anonymity. And load space. And drivetrain. And ground clearance. And fuel economy. Oh no. That's never, ever been a strong point of subaru ownership. Nor head gaskets. .. well, you takes your pick, as they say! Cheers!!
My father in law has a Subaru Legacy Estate. But he has the newer one, the one that looks like it was designed by a child who had seen this one and was trying to draw it from memory, but they are not very good at drawing. It’s only a 2 litre, and an auto, so isn’t very exciting. But that was the point, he drives like a madman who’s always very late.
Had the previous model H6 to this one, and currently a 2.5 turbo Forester XT. Subarus arn't about styling, they're about probably the safest handling reasonably fast car you can have on a normal persons budget, they come into their own in wet and poor conditions, you have to do doing something really stupid to lose grip in a Subaru, light and pleasant to drive, reliable if maintained sensibly. Not great on fuel, but the bomb proof full time 4WD system isn't going to go hand in hand with good economy, more efficient systems out there in other makes but they'll go wrong and cost more in the long run.
I have a MY08 6 speed manual 3.0 Spec B, for 7+ years. Easily the best car I've owned and I have had loads, It's reliable, handling is ridiculously good and it's quick, very quick and overtaking is all too easy. It's a unicorn car nowadays as saloons are next to non existent
My dad had a 51 plate Legacy import, it just went on forever and everything was super tight and over engineered, even better than the sum of its parts, it was fantastic to drive and the engine sounded awesome. Couldn't believe he sold it in the end.
The last estate car I drove was an Ital. That looks just a tad better. I get what you are saying about the styling - at first glance it's a featureless silver box but, if it's not a contradiction in terms, a closer wide-view inspection shows it to be extremely graceful. A really nice car all round and an enjoyable review.
It's my dream car, i hope i can find the facelift model, they improved it quite a bit more feature wise, telescoping steering wheel, xenon headlights and other things alike. Its pretty much the perfevt car for me and i dont mind of it needs a bit more fuel, plus i am confindent i can keep it economical on calmer trips unless engone tempts me to press on a bit more 😅
I had a freind who had one of these he liked it but didn't keep it long. I thought the build quality would have let it down over the year's. But I seem to be wrong. The mpg would put me off buying one. Outtakes brilliant 😂😂
I had one of these from new (2006) and thoroughly enjoyed the Q car vibe, mostly, "what just passed me?", fast, stable, understated. The SI drive feature was a bit scary, better on paper than in real life. The last Legacy gasp in the UK, the new ones are soft, fat and sluggish with grim gearboxes. I had a new S4 Avant after the Spec B and I think the Legacy handled better.
Wow - what a glowing review! Thank you. I feel like a proud dad watching this ☺️. This is going to make even more difficult for me to decide whether to sell. Forester XT next 😉
Love this series. Our extended family has a bunch both four and six cylinder series 3 Outbacks, as we live in Tasmania with its dirt roads, snow etc., as well as older RX 2.5s and so on. I agree entirely with the sense of consistent and integrated design, inside and out. The subsequent series 4? Appallingly poor design - would never own one, which is really sad. Apparently Subaru thought that it was fine to release it, relying on a loyal customer base who’d be happy driving, well, a series 4…
Was the bite point on the clutch quite high I'm looking into buying one and test drive one with a clutch that had a bite point like 5cm from the end of the clutch being fully released
Its the best of them all, i had a 07 and I want a new model 07 the car the engine i loved it 👍👍👍💪💪💪♥️♥️♥️☀️☀️☀️its the good stuff. I actually hate the new models they look like 💩💩💩
You can get much better economy out of it on long trips. Its around town average mostly. People are getting 34mpg out of regularily on the forums. Give it some lighter 17" wheels and drive gently and you will get even better numbers. You're just never gonna get such numbers in urban condition with anything but a tiniest engines and hybrids.
legacy 4 and first tribekas are designed by an greek designer (cheef of design back then) from alpha romeo if i am not mistaken😊 and the 3.0 engine is done with porsche's help😅
I've owned Subarus for 30+ years, and by Spec B 3.0 litre for 15 years. It is by far the best all-round car I've owned. Having driven in my father's RR, plus many a Mercedes and Bentley as a review journalist - this Subaru is peerless. It is quieter than any Mercedes and its build quality and effortless ride is equal to the best of Lexus.
Living in a hilly area I've often been asked by neighbours with big Mercedes and other 4x4s to pull them out of the snow, which I'm happy to do.
It looks good at both Royal Ascot and a farm shop car park - a cavernous boot that will absorb a voluminous load - of picture hats or sacks of potatoes. The ever-so-long sunroof is a delight on sunny days, and passengers in the back love to get the sun that so often only the front passengers get.
Touch wood, nothing big has ever gone wrong with my Subaru in its 110,000 miles - the only expense in 15 years has been replacement of brakes and calipers up front. Not a spot of rust.
The interior knobs and buttons are all in the right place except for the slightly annoying 'cruise' stick on the steering column that can clash with my thighs when going round corners.
Visibility - an essential for me - is unrivalled. Personally I hate cars with high backs that make it difficult to see clearly rearward - essential for European m-way driving.
Security is 100%. It's triple lock and physical keys make it far more secure than the latest electronic equipped vehicles, and how would you sell so distinctive and rare a car as a Subaru?
I saw one owned by a Scottish elderly couple with only 5k on the clock and was sorely tempted to buy it and put it in the garage for my latter years - I never want another car - modern ones are a nightmare by comparison.
Exactly the reasons why i want one so badly. Tho living on mainland europe supply of them is smaller, and facelift models are nearly non existant with a manual shifter and in wagon form(75-80 sold compared to 500-ish prefacelift 3.0R Spec Bs) COmbined with how perfect it is, noone really wants to let them go. Real key instead of a knob is also a massive plus for me i despise those knobs, and its incredibly easy to steal cars with these for bad actors.
If fuel economy is only con and very mild one at that then i am all for it. Especially since it barely more than some older high revving 2.0-2.4L motors(from Toyota or Honda) and especially turbo ones.
@@Kacpa2 One extra benefit is that a Subaru exhaust and cat converter is not a common target for thieves - unlike those on Toyotas, sad to say, leaving owners with a £1,000+ bill.
Had my 2007 Spec B Touring from new; almost everything on it apart from tyres is factory original! The exhaust is hanging in there.
Totally agree with all that I have a 2006 legacy twin turbo GT and look forward to driving it every single time i even go for drives just because it moves so well
If you want a quick practical comfortable safe reliable car a Subaru wagon is the car to get 😁petrol manual all day long
Nice video. Also i have such a car. For ten years already. It is practical that is looking nice and is fast. I already drove it to Charkiv and back and to many othe far places. The fuel consumption is now at 10.4 at 100 km, and that is okay to me. i can buy fuel in Luxemburg anyway. Tow weeks ago i changed the rear brake pads and also the original exhaust (the middle and the y-piece) have been replaced. I also replaced the bonnet/hood keep it closed spring. I think that the glove compartment is not high enough and collegue missed a bluetooth connection possibility for his mobile, to play music on the car radio.
I can put pipes or plastic profiles in the car that are up to 3 meter and the loading floor is big. Also do i like the wiper defrost possibility and the butt-grip (seat heating).
And there is no belt to change. The sunroof is very big but best useable when the sun stands lower. You can notice a Spec B by its blackend headlights and the pedals. This is what the dealer told me once. I like the car very much. next week i will drive to the Netherlands with it and in April i go to Mannheim in Germany so i can drive on the Autobahn with it. In the summer it will take me to Croatia. I have a black on black station model. First thing is to fill the A/C again. ye, it is a great car. Regards from Belgium.
I bought the saloon version a few months ago as a fun second car. I'm now in the process of getting rid of my other car as this is a perfect fusion of fun car and family car
Still driving Subaru legacy 3.0r spec b for the past 7 years 😊still in love with this machine
Hi Nigel, thanks for your top review. I'm glad you enjoyed the legacy. I can happily confirm that the door closing sound of the legacy/outback is identical to that of the Subaru Forester (SF generation at least). In 20 years of subaru ownership I am of the opinion that this sound is one of the most satisfying things about Subarus. And pillarless doors. And anonymity. And load space. And drivetrain. And ground clearance. And fuel economy. Oh no. That's never, ever been a strong point of subaru ownership. Nor head gaskets. .. well, you takes your pick, as they say! Cheers!!
My father in law has a Subaru Legacy Estate. But he has the newer one, the one that looks like it was designed by a child who had seen this one and was trying to draw it from memory, but they are not very good at drawing. It’s only a 2 litre, and an auto, so isn’t very exciting. But that was the point, he drives like a madman who’s always very late.
Had the previous model H6 to this one, and currently a 2.5 turbo Forester XT.
Subarus arn't about styling, they're about probably the safest handling reasonably fast car you can have on a normal persons budget, they come into their own in wet and poor conditions, you have to do doing something really stupid to lose grip in a Subaru, light and pleasant to drive, reliable if maintained sensibly.
Not great on fuel, but the bomb proof full time 4WD system isn't going to go hand in hand with good economy, more efficient systems out there in other makes but they'll go wrong and cost more in the long run.
I have a MY08 6 speed manual 3.0 Spec B, for 7+ years. Easily the best car I've owned and I have had loads, It's reliable, handling is ridiculously good and it's quick, very quick and overtaking is all too easy. It's a unicorn car nowadays as saloons are next to non existent
Best door shut sound is a g wagon
Still driving a Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT sedan for the last 14 years and hopefully more good years to come
Excellent 🙂
My dad had a 51 plate Legacy import, it just went on forever and everything was super tight and over engineered, even better than the sum of its parts, it was fantastic to drive and the engine sounded awesome. Couldn't believe he sold it in the end.
The last estate car I drove was an Ital. That looks just a tad better. I get what you are saying about the styling - at first glance it's a featureless silver box but, if it's not a contradiction in terms, a closer wide-view inspection shows it to be extremely graceful. A really nice car all round and an enjoyable review.
I am pleased you can see where I was coming from. I like the Marina and Ital estate 😊
It's my dream car, i hope i can find the facelift model, they improved it quite a bit more feature wise, telescoping steering wheel, xenon headlights and other things alike. Its pretty much the perfevt car for me and i dont mind of it needs a bit more fuel, plus i am confindent i can keep it economical on calmer trips unless engone tempts me to press on a bit more 😅
someone get this guy his own show on the bbc. incredibly entertaining
If only 😊
I have one just like it (looks identical) but with the 2.5 and auto. Love it, and I agree with your observations, it’s a great quality car!
I had a freind who had one of these he liked it but didn't keep it long. I thought the build quality would have let it down over the year's. But I seem to be wrong. The mpg would put me off buying one. Outtakes brilliant 😂😂
Bought a manual 3.0 saloon last Nov as a tide me over. Fell in love with it.
I had one of these from new (2006) and thoroughly enjoyed the Q car vibe, mostly, "what just passed me?", fast, stable, understated. The SI drive feature was a bit scary, better on paper than in real life. The last Legacy gasp in the UK, the new ones are soft, fat and sluggish with grim gearboxes. I had a new S4 Avant after the Spec B and I think the Legacy handled better.
One of my favourites the legacy
Some of my friends cald it a ris cooker, but when push came to shove they always bite the dust, yea I loved my 3,0 legacy.
Wow - what a glowing review! Thank you. I feel like a proud dad watching this ☺️. This is going to make even more difficult for me to decide whether to sell. Forester XT next 😉
Genuinely it was a much better car than I expected, and I expected it to be good 🙂
I had one of these, they are near perfect
I’ve had two. Now regret selling both 😞
@@johnny2scoobs197 I may return yet lol
My first legacy was a 3.0 im on my third the other two jdm twinscrolls
Part of the test drive would be to reverse at speed into post office 😄 very nice car. Mg zt estate 🤗
😆
Love this series. Our extended family has a bunch both four and six cylinder series 3 Outbacks, as we live in Tasmania with its dirt roads, snow etc., as well as older RX 2.5s and so on. I agree entirely with the sense of consistent and integrated design, inside and out. The subsequent series 4? Appallingly poor design - would never own one, which is really sad. Apparently Subaru thought that it was fine to release it, relying on a loyal customer base who’d be happy driving, well, a series 4…
My brother also got one of these too!!
Subaru Tribeca next please
Very weird, I now own this exact car!
😁
Was the bite point on the clutch quite high I'm looking into buying one and test drive one with a clutch that had a bite point like 5cm from the end of the clutch being fully released
7:57 is that stock exhaust?
no its not
Such a shame these never came to the U.S. as a wagon in manual.
Best sounding door shut is a g wagon
Is the automatic gearbox with paddle shifters also good on these?
Apparently yes although I’ve never driven one. Much slower though and obviously thirstier
Its the best of them all, i had a 07 and I want a new model 07 the car the engine i loved it 👍👍👍💪💪💪♥️♥️♥️☀️☀️☀️its the good stuff. I actually hate the new models they look like 💩💩💩
That doesn't sound like the stock exhaust.
It’s a custom stainless system with sports cat
Nice car. The 24 mpg average means its not for me.
To be fair - I’ve got nearly 40 mpg out of it on a run
You can get much better economy out of it on long trips. Its around town average mostly. People are getting 34mpg out of regularily on the forums. Give it some lighter 17" wheels and drive gently and you will get even better numbers. You're just never gonna get such numbers in urban condition with anything but a tiniest engines and hybrids.
Best car I ever owned. By a mile. Could use another 100 ponies though!
legacy 4 and first tribekas are designed by an greek designer (cheef of design back then) from alpha romeo if i am not mistaken😊 and the 3.0 engine is done with porsche's help😅