[Blanco]

Thanks for the info, But I'm looking at the Outbacks because I need a wagon, I have a dog & want him to have the back to himself while we drive.
Nothing worse than him trying to climb on you while driving.
I'm planning on getting one of them gates that keeps him away from the passengers.

To be 100% honest he is the only reason I'm looking to buy another car at all.

 

[Blanco]

2001 through 2003 Legacy GT Limited WAGON is identical to the OB without the lousy OB stuff on it or the suspension.

Not to mention the the Legacy came with superior ie larger brakes disc front and back

Looking on Craigslist seems they were one in the same?
They say Legacy outback?

What would be the lousy OB stuff your talking about?
I know nothing about Subaru's?

& What's the suspension difference your talking about?

I like bigger brakes. :29:

 

[Blanco]

Subaru makes the Legacy sedan and Legacy wagon.
The Outback is a trim version of the Legacy wagon which had the suspension modified ie raised up, tough looking tires put on it and plastic kick panels pinned to the body work. This played into the SUV craze and turned the Legacy Wagon into a hot seller to SUV people.

The lousy suspension on the OB makes the car handle pretty poorly sort of a cross between a Ford Explorer and a lousy sedan. Where as the standard Legacy sedan and wagon are actually viewed as some of the best handling cars in their price range making them very fun to drive even though many people consider the 165hp not big enough for their dream to have a fast hot rod etc. However the 2.5 handles LA just fine your just not going to be doing 70-80mph over the Grapevine in 100 degree weather or doing 75+ east on 10 to Palm Springs in summer heat with a nice head wind blowing at you.

Are these air cooled?
Turbo charged?
& what about if I do want to take it down a random dirt road might having the outback package actually be a plus?

 

[Blanco]

LOL no they are water cooled like any other car

From what I understand they are an opposed 4 cyl, like the VW air cooled engines & thats why I asked.

ran my legacy GT up and down Big Bear back roads hauling Mountain Bikes - did epic snow ski weekends in Tahoe with 2+ft of snow - even drove into the lost Coast up in Northern CA during the wet season zero issues and any ground clearance stuff was easily driven around and would be the same exact issue with the OB given the issue with both the legacy and the OB regarding any off road use are the long overhangs distance between the front bumper and the front wheel and the rear wheel and the rear bumper. Traction is never an issue. Only time clearance was something I wanted more of was while driving up to a hunting cabin on a friends huge ranch crossing a big mud bog which case the Legacy never came close to being stuck but the mud was up to the floor boards.

Yes while looking at picture's of them, I keep looking at the over hang both front & rear & wonder how hard it might be to hide a metal support to protect the body from possible damage?
Does any aftermarket make these already?
I've heard that the OB has better ground clearence than the Ford Exploder?
Is this true?

I dont really plan to go Off Roading much with it yet wanna know what Its good & not so good for...?

The ability to go more places does make it more attractive to me. :29:
Because I was also considering a Exploder or maybe & Jeep Cherokee or Toyota 4Runner..

Can someone give me some reasons why a Subaru would be a better bet?

I personally am thinking I'd like the Wagon due to vision.
I've had a few trucks & small cars like Miata's for example vanish while trying to parallel park, I've never backed into one but when I had a Fiat Spider was backed into 3 times while I was driving on the street & in parking lots, so that a big part of why I think smaller & lower is better, what do you think make a Subaru better than the SUV's?

 

[Blanco]

I have seen some aftermarket bumpers that improve approach and departure angles, but, IMO, they didn't look very good. I'd say go with a Jeep if you want to take it that far. My opinion would be the Subie would be better for you since you don't plan on off-roading all the time. It still drives like a car, with out feeling like you're sitting on the pavement, and get's better mileage than an SUV. I average anywhere from 24.5 to 26 in everyday driving. Not fantastic, but a heck of a lot better than 16!

I do have my other toys for dirt.

I currently own both of them & my 4x4 diesel Dually, So as you can see I do enjoy the dirt.
The Bronco is most likely sold this weekend though & thats why I'm looking for something else like an Outback to replace them Bronco, If the Bronco dont sell all bets are off & I'm just gonna keep it & get no Subie.

 

[Blanco]

Which case why get a half assed off road and half assed on road OB when you have the full off road rig anyway?

Funny you should mention the 4runner vs OB - I dumped my 4runner for a Legacy GT Limited and have had zero interest in owning another baby SUV like the 4runner, exploder etc since. Even the current 2010 OB is far far too stupid wana bee SUV for me. I owned a cherry 93 Landcruiser from 04 till this summer sadly sold to a new good home it will be working a dinosaur dig in Wyoming this spring. The replacement was a 07 mint condition Sequoia the reason for the switch were butts in seats + space. We haul kids and grand parents on a regular basis hence the need.

However even with the old LC 99.99% of all dirt road adventures and road trips were in the Legacy GT given it was just far more fun to take on road trips and even way more fun on dirt roads. You want washed out rutted out back country adventures you already know which rig you should be taking and you own it already ;-) - same deal with the old LC we knew when the LC needed to be tagged for duty.

Well I've been thinking about getting to & from some minor wheeling, for example taking the dog out to hike to new un-known trails in the mountains & going a bit deeper in the car than on foot might be fun.

The OB or Volvo V70 ( other one I've been looking at ) or SUV will allow me comfort on the roads getting there then allow me to go further on the dirt.

My Sammy it too hardcore to drive very far on the fwy & the Bronco is probably gone this Sunday.

& the Dually will have a camper on its back most of its life.

So the OB or Volvo or SUV will be for fun trips to some simple trails that I can actually drive to in comfort on the fwy & then.....?

Part of me dont wanna sell my the Bronco & if it dont sell Sunday, I'm just gonna keep it.

I need the extra money the Bronco will bring me to pay things like Property tax & etc & with the left over I want to buy my next one.

& thats why I'm here, I'm REALLY leaning towards the OB or maybe legacy.
I'm figuring Monday I might be looking at many dealerships for test drives to at least see what they're like to drive & then maybe buy from private party as suggested.

I know many dealers just buy from auctions & from my past experience from a used car dealer I was left very un-happy..

 

[Blanco]

I've noticed some have dual sun-roofs & lots of nice options, how do I figure out what ones have all the nice stuff to limits my searches to those while shopping?

Can anyone give me a breakdown?

 

[Blanco]

I have seen some aftermarket bumpers that improve approach and departure angles, but, IMO, they didn't look very good.

Might you have any links or pictures or links?

 

[Blanco]

Sounding to me like a 4runner is a better fit. Subarus are great logging road rides but once it goes slighty technical the overhang is the end game.

Like I said it wont be my Off Road rig , yet being Subaru seems to claim its abilities I'm the sorta guy that might want to see what it can actually do?

To be honest being I was considering a Volvo as well, seems the Subie might be a wee bit better off road?
Yet not as plush?

Yet, to be 100% honest I prefer something like a OB due to the fact that a 4X4 SUV will end up having me throwing lots of money at it building it into a OFF ROAD rig & I really don't want that again.

I just want a nice car that can do more than a basic Station Wagon....?

 

[Blanco]

Thanks for all the links guy's I will follow & watch all that & probably now not be buying my Subie till next year being I did not sell my Bronco as planned, the guy tried to talk me down in price & I refused to budge on my asking price.

So for now I'm keeping it but next year will hopefully have the money for a OutBack VDC Limited, with all the cool options, Being I live in LA, I have no need for the heated seats & such though.

 

[Blanco]

The older purpose built 4x4's don't sell well on Craigs list but on the right forum ie audience you can get the right buyers. My mint condition 93 Land cruiser spent a month on Craigs list lots of looky loos looking for a 4runner and had zero idea what they were looking at had a few low ball offers which I showed and explained would not even cover the must do's maint on such a truck per my actual receipts etc.

In the end LC forum had a guy from Seattle ask some questions I sent him a pile of info picts and records. He flew into Oakland Airport picked him up drove it 30 minutes back to my house paid cash and he drove it home. $7000 for 145,000 mile mint condition all records LC. He sent me a note a day later 16hr drive home zero issues loves the truck.

Good luck with the old Bronco! Try some 4x4 forums where people really know these rigs you might get a better buyer.

This guy actually found me from RaceDezert, & drove down from Aspen Co.
We'll his buddy was delivering a car to this area & so he rode along..
I know he loved it but wanted to pay less & No way was I gonna drop it anymore, I've got over 25K into that truck & I'm asking 9K

Anyways I have sorta fallen for this Little Subies & think they're perfect for the wife & dog etc etc...

So I'll probably get an OB next. :29:

 

[Blanco]

LOL stick to your guns on the Bronco pricing! I had some joker keep emailing me that I was way over priced. I finally responded and told him sorry dude it sold for ask and the difference between a buyer and seller - the seller owns the vehicle and can sell it for whatever they want. LOL

I love the bronco & so does the wife.
So I'm good with keeping it, but like I said with my studies on line my next rig is gonna be an OutBack. :29:

 

[Blanco]

So what a better actual Off Road rig?
The OutBack or Forester?

 

[Blanco]

Forester has slightly better entry and departure angles due to the shorter overhang but the OB and the Forester are very different regarding comfort and level of trim etc. Think of the Forester as the lower end product and the Ob as the high end product you get the general idea. The difference off road is very little a good rut running up the length of the road is going to end your adventure with either one.

Do you know what a Class 11 is?

 

[Blanco]

Might point about the Class 11 was that the are simple with not too much ground clearance & power, so I'm figuring what they can do we should be ahead of them playing around in an OUTBACK?

I would hope anyways the a later model Subie would be better than the old stock bug platform that race's off road?

 

[Blanco]

You would be surprised what that old bug will do! Hang up an overhang on a little rut and your stuck - no body work dragging on the ground your on your way. Actually I would say no the overhangs are your enemy on the subaru.

90% of the use of whatever Subie I buy will be in the street with the random dirt fun, as I posted pictures of before, I already have my serious off road toys. :29:

 

[Blanco]

How about an outback limited with baja suspension? I love mine and rage it on burly Colorado Jeep roads a lot. I don't think I ever hit anything underneath and I am not afraid to ride straight over 8" plus rocks with speed. The SUV's usually have to pull over for me

Well......

Being I'm gonna be buying mostly to be the wifes main car from my fleet, my plan is when it needs new tires, getting the largest A/T tires that will fit to help in ground clearance & maybe a few minor mods & then consider it done, I say this Hoping I could control the addiction to modifying cars that I have alwYs had.