Faults:

Head gasket blew at 42,000 miles, fixed under warranty.

Rear light assembly began leaking at 31,000, fixed under warranty.

General Comments:

OEM Bridgestone tires were terrible, now running Goodyear Tripletread and the tires are great. Handles very good.

If want to drive auto sporty, then you have to manually change gears. Doing this will allow thr best handling, taking advantage of AWD in cornering.

The ride is very firm and not suitable for long interstate driving. The seat is hard and doesn't adjust, which also is not suitable for long distance driving.

MPG is around 22, best was 25.

The car is quiet compared for older Subaru's.

Speakers were a cheap paper cone type. I upgraded the speakers, which was simple plug and play, and the stereo is great. Added a Subaru subwoofer and tweeter kit, very very easy to do.

AWD not as 'instant' in engaging on automatic models as the previous Legacy. Front wheels will spin about one revolution before AWD engages with a 'thump'.

Very disappointed in the head gasket blowing so early in life; 42k miles.

Car is OK, but, for $21k in 2003, can't complain. However Suzuki now has AWD for less, so, Subaru better watch out. ;)

Faults:

Horrible gas mileage! At 16 City/22 Hwy, it's a gas guzzler. The sticker said 23 city/28 Hwy. Even a huge SUV like Ford Expedition gives that much. Took the car to dealer. He said its computerized, he can't change anything. Called Subaru, they bluntly refused, saying they can't help me. I feel cheated.

Auto transmission is highly erratic when cruise control is on. It suddenly downshifts at the slightest gradient and kicks the RPM above 5000.

Rear wiper rubber tore away after 4 months of use.

Got into a fender bender. The repair was a shocking $2200 to change side fender and head lamps.

Audio system shuts off on engine start once in a while. Comes back on after a few minutes. Very strange.

Whistling noise from top of driver's window between 30 and 50 mph.

General Comments:

I like the space and comfort. Looks good. They should put more hooks and sturdy ones in the back for shopping bags. Good lighting inside. The AWD wasn't as much use in the snow though.

Faults:

No problems.

General Comments:

The Legacy Wagon L Special Edition has many 'included' features that cost extra on previous models. It has the suspension from the Legacy GT. It has 4 wheel, 4 channel ABS disc brakes. Of course, as with all Subaru's, All-Wheel Drive. The dual power moon roofs are a great feature. The 4 speed transmission tries to be too smart, but this has been addressed on new 2005 model. It seems to lug the engine and often selects a lower gear when going down hill around a sharp curve, which is annoying. The engine could use more power, but, if you push it, and/or change the gears yourself, you can keep it in its optimum power band, giving you lots of power while sacrificing gas mileage. It is prewired for additional tweeter speakers, which are a breeze to install (less than 1 minute per side) and help a lot. The car is very, very quite, rides good with a firm controlled GT stance. Rubber floor mats are great. Also have noticed that the carpet is low pile with a rubber backing which allows you to clean and dry up spills easily. You can also fold the rear seats flat which allows you to increase your cargo capacity. Only true complaint is with the Bridgestone tires that 'bump' or develop flat spots when cold.

Faults:

Stiff uncomfortable ride.

Very hard drivers seat.

Poor gas mileage.

Erratic automatic transmission.

Parent company's indifference to our complaint's.

General Comments:

Take this car for a long test drive before considering buying it.