2000 Subaru Legacy

My beloved '97 VW Jetta GT was totaled and I hated the 2000 Jetta. I needed a car fast, and after four VWs I needed something new. I was really disappointed with everything I test drove and nearly gave up on anything from Japan or Korea. Then I saw the restyled Legacy for 2000. I went on-line and got a sweet deal on a Brighton edition. The sales rep tried to talk me into an "L," but I explained that it was meant for basic transportation. I laugh now. The Brighton is everything I wanted except for power door locks.

Well, for $17,000 no other car offers what the Brighton has. Sure, the same car can almost double in price with options. Remember this is basic transportation, but you can't take the "ride" out of the low end car. It has the same 2.5 "Boxer" engine and AWD.

One year and 10,000 miles later, it still feels like new. I won't be going back to VW anytime soon.