The perfect fit.

I was looking to dump my VR6 VW Passat because I was plagued with problems and I needed reliability. My travels often require me to make long trips on the highway as well as long trips across the green mountains of Vermont, in addition to a 22 mile daily commute. I was looking for a car that had All-Wheel-Drive (not 4x4), and something with a decent track record and a good warranty. Overall I needed a car that would consistently get me from A to B safely for years to come (of course extra features, power, or sportyness wouldn't hurt). P.S. I was on a very tight budget.

After a good amount of research I had narrowed the selection of vehicles down to three: Ford Escape, Subaru Outback, and Subaru Legacy (sedan SE). The outback costs considerably more than either of the other two choices so I had to neglect it. I was left with the Escape and the Legacy; two very different vehicles. The Escape, a small-sized SUV (similar to a Toyota RAV4), had everything I was looking for, but I was in the dark about its All-wheel-drive feature. I went from dealer to dealer and no one knew how it worked, but I was under the impression that it was more like an "anti-slip" or "traction control" device as opposed to full time all-wheel-drive. Coupled with the fact that I previously owned a Ford Explorer that was 2 repairs shy of being classified as a lemon, I decided to drop the Escape from my list.

Now heres something special about the Legacy sedan: the 2003 lineup includes a "Special Edition" model. The way the dealer pitched it to me was that Subaru had an overstock of "additional features" and decided to throw them in the legacy, call it Legacy SE, and stamp it with a really low price-tag in hopes of selling off a bunch. Well let me list these STANDARD features:
16 inch aluminum alloy rims / power mirrors, locks, & windows / Projection-beam halogen fog lights / Leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter handle / woodgrained interior trim / Power moonroof / Remote keyless entry / Rear heat ducts / CD-Player ..... and the list goes on.

You may find these features on similar vehicles, but I beckon you to look at the price tag (do the similar vehicles also have AWD?). With all the money I saved I was able to get the Auto-dimming mirror/compass and a rear spoiler.

Now for the driving. This car comes standard with a 165 HP 4-cylinder horizontally opposed boxer engine. No, it is not the Porsche "Boxter" engine (an unusually common misconception). The drive is peppy, but not powerful or robust (I'm basing this off of driving my 180HP 6-cylinder VW). Once you get past 30 mph it starts to open up a little more. Make sure you test drive this vehicle if power is an issue. It corners tighter than any car I've ever driven, this may be due in part to the AWD feature. Everything on the inside is well placed; the cup-holders are weird but do the job and the seats are comfy but don't really adjust to a wide range of positions. I get decent mileage, not as much as the Subaru acclaimed "22/29 city/highway" though, its more like 20/25.

I've driven the car in the snow and it handles 100 times better than by front wheel drive VW did. I couldn't get the car to slip.

I've only owned the car for 6 months so a long-term diagnosis isn't possible yet, but I love the car. Another thing to be noted that you won’t find on the sticker price: this may only be at my Subaru dealer, but not long after purchasing the car, I was sent a package from the dealer. Inside was a Subaru coffee mug, a bag of candy and a “Congratulations!” balloon. That seems pretty cool to me. I was also recently sent a reminder for my first service appointment, and I was automatically subscribed to Subaru’s outdoor life magazine ( I forget the name of it though).

Here is my perspective on some commonly asked questions:
The engine- reliable, smooth, but its not a V6 and you will know it. It will get up and go and eventually get you screaming down the road but the mid-range is weak.
The transmission- really smooth, and it should be its only 6 months old. It loves to kick up a gear and hit the higher RPMs but won't kick down as easy.
The front seats- comfortable, good for any length trip, but only adjustable 2 ways (front/back, recline).
The back seats- hmmm, I usually don't sit in them, but my friends haven't complained yet. They look good.
Trunk space- not too much. if you like to pack a lot of things in your car you might want to bring some of these things to the dealer for a test. There is a pretty wide pass-through space, but the seats don't fold down so what you see is what you get.
Controls- good, everything is within reach and easy to use, especially the cruise control. Forget those tricky levers of the past, now theres a cruise button on the dash, just push and go.

The only advice I can give the prospective buyer is remember to compare apples to apples; this car is jam-packed with features and all subarus have AWD. This is a "compact-car"/sedan and it is easy to start comparing it to higher end cars (with higher end price tags).

I hope this may aide you in your decision.