1998 Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT 2.5 Inline 4

Summary:

Beats a Camry/Accord in every department possible

Faults:

Nothing, as of yet. (Knock on wood). Though when braking hard, the car pulls to either side.

General Comments:

I was very impressed with this car from the moment I test drove it at the dealership.

Handles very well, yet suspension is comfy.

Great pep right off the line.

Good, reliable car that looks great and is as cheap to repair as a Toyota or Honda.

Only complaint (minor) is the brakes; they could be a bit firmer.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 7th April, 2004

1998 Subaru Legacy L 2.2L

Summary:

AWD rules, but the L needs a bit more power

Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong since I've owned it.

General Comments:

I love Subaru's. This vehicle doesn't have as much get up and go as I would like though because of the weight and engine of the car.

Cons: The engine valve train ticks and theres quite a bit of road noise. Its underpowered as well. The interior is a little cheap, but I'm neutral about it. I don't like the A/T at all.

Pros:

The AWD is great to have in the winter. I can easily go where FWD vehicles can't, even though the car is quite low to the ground. Gas mileage is good for a AWD vehicle. I've beaten on this car quite a bit (the front and rear bumper are a bit scuffed from off road excursions, ha ha) and it still drives perfectly.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 4th April, 2004

1998 Subaru Legacy GT 2.5

Summary:

A reliable and comfortable vehicle

Faults:

The transmission is quirky at times, even with synthetic fluid.

Surprisingly few problems, even though I am obsessive about maintenance.

General Comments:

This car has excellent suspension, handling corners surprisingly well for a car of this size.

The cornering ability is complemented by a smooth ride, even on a pothole filled dirt road like mine.

Seat's are very comfortable. My back usually hurts in other cars on long rides, but these seats are awesome.

I put a little money into performance parts, and the car really wakes up with a small amount of cash.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 29th August, 2003

24th Jul 2005, 21:24

I am looking at buying a 98 Legacy. it has 143,000 miles on it. Is this something I should consider when buying it? Is that a lot of miles for this type of car? I need something durable to make it back and forth from college, and this legacy seemed like a nice car, but I don't know what to think about the amount of miles on it. It would be great if you could give me some good advice on this thought. Thank you.

6th Dec 2006, 15:50

I don't know where you live, but a Subaru with 140K on it here in Alaska is nothing! People drive the tires off of them here and they STILL keep running!

1998 Subaru Legacy GT 2.5 litre

Summary:

Rock solid and fun to drive!

Faults:

I've had minor issues, most recent is a check engine light that came on during a rainy day, but the engine is running fine and I've yet to take it to the dealer to have the issue checked. Other issues related more to wear and tear items such as interior lights needing to be replaced etc.

General Comments:

This is my second Subaru and I'll most likely buy another (Impreza STI would be nice). The car has decent power, but could use a little more due to the weight and AWD system.

I'd like to see better brakes installed, this was an issue with my previous Subaru, and even with ABS the stopping distance seems too long.

Other than minor gripes I love this car and plan on driving it for many years to come. With over 87,000 miles, the engine is still strong and I haven't seen any sign of wear such as excessive oil consumption or leaks.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 12th March, 2003

1998 Subaru Legacy GT Limited 2.5

Summary:

Better than a Beemer, more practical than most anything else out there

Faults:

The automatic transmission, when accelerating at a leisurely pace, shows inconsistencies. The 1-2 shift is rather abrupt, but the 2-3 shift takes much too long. When accelerating more briskly, all shifts work flawlessly.

A minor complaint is regarding the angle of the seat bottoms on the front seats. They are too flat, and at times make me feel like I may slide off the front of them.

General Comments:

I would really love to see Subaru's 3.0L flat-6 in the GT model. All their major competitors have a V-6, so they should follow suit (That would boost Legacy sales substantially - Americans love power under the hood!).

I love the driver's seat-height adjuster - I've seen it the SVX and the XT / XT6, and really liked it. I'm glad mine has it.

Why do the car magazine's ignore the Legacy? I feel it's better than the Camry & Accord (and has 4wd), but it doesn't get noticed by the car testers. Too bad - they don't know what they're missing.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 10th September, 2002

22nd Mar 2003, 14:12

Road and Track did mention your model once when they said and I quote "the old Legacy had an interior that looked like it should be washed out with a hose!" At the time I had a '98 GT as well. Absolutely perfect car.

14th Nov 2003, 01:59

I have a 97 Subaru Legacy GT and I have also noticed that the shift between first and second can be abrupt. Other than that it is a wonderful car.

6th Jun 2004, 17:06

I love my 97 GT. I can't believe how ignored this car is, especially by aftermarket parts producers. Unlike the many unimaginative, young, slow Honda owners who spend money on performance parts; I chose to be original, young, and fast. The only problem is finding the parts meant for a WRX that will fit in my GT (I will have to have my carbon fiber hood custom made). positive/negative due to the AWD system: Great traction (stays stuck to the road in all weather conditions) / understeer during aggressive cornering. I'm waiting to see if I can fit Subaru's new b-spec 250 horsepower turbo charged 2.0 boxer 4 under the hood of a 1997.

17th Oct 2005, 19:18

"Better than a beemer"

Only someone who has never owned a nice, or driven a good condition BMW would make a statement like this.

Please disregard this statement.

17th Dec 2009, 23:52

I've owned/driven multiple Beemers, and while they do drive nice and handle excellent, all of them broke down atleast once a month.

1998 Subaru Legacy L 2.2

Summary:

Good family car, easy to maintain

Faults:

After regular maintenance for 100,000 miles, everything runs well. I have never had a major problem.

The only problem is that I'm told I have oil seepage that will eventually require the engine block to be taken out to fix. This will be $1000 repair.

General Comments:

This car handles very well in the snow. AWD (All Wheel Drive) really makes a difference in heavy rain and snow.

After seven years in Michigan, with lots of road salt in the winter, there is virtually no rust on the body.

Excellent gas mileage for a wagon, even when it's loaded down and the air conditioning on.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 15th August, 2002

1998 Subaru Legacy GT 2.5

Summary:

Everybody should have a Subaru AWD

Faults:

Absolutely nothing.

Except I wish the gas mileage could be better, getting an average of 20-21MPG.

General Comments:

Most stable car I have driven.

Handles extremely well. Awesome in the rain, and when cornering hard on dry pavement.

Surprised on how nice it rides, for a car that can corner. Cars that handle well usually sacrifice in ride quality, but not this one.

Will keep this one forever if I can. Second car will be a manual though.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 11th April, 2001

2nd Jan 2004, 09:47

I have a manual 98 GT Wagon and absolutely love it.

1st Oct 2007, 16:13

Yeah I just bought a 98 2.5gt with a 5spd. I drove a wagon 2.5gt with an auto, and the 5spd in the Sedan I have makes a ton of difference in the fun factor. The engine seems way, way more peppy when you can choose what revs you want to run. Besides, any real driver will opt for a stick any day over an auto.

1998 Subaru Legacy Outback Limited

Faults:

Not a single thing.

General Comments:

This is the best car I have ever owned. I have had it for about 8 months and I will never regret buying it.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 7th June, 1998