My parents are in the market for a new car, and as of now, the search has been narrowed to the 2005/06 (I'm not sure what is available at this time in terms of dealer inventory and pricing, but we'll see tomorrow at the Subaru dealer) Legacy GT A/T and the 2006 Lexus IS250 AWD A/T. What opinions can you guys give, pros & cons? Comparisons from owners of either? Any help appreciated greatly.

Right now I think their preference lies in the IS250, we've had long term success with both Lexus vehicles we have owned in the past, and problems with everything else we've owned from our 1994 Altima to our 1999 BMW 740IL to our current 1999 Volvo S80T6. Our 1990 LS400 and my 1994 SC300 have been relatively flawless to date, aside from the factory problems common with those models.

All comments welcome. I realize the quality of luxury will be unmeasurable between the Lexus and the Subaru, with the Lexus having far superiority. Right now I think they are more interested in the reliability/drive of each vehicle.

 

I think this trumps driving impression, no matter how good a Subaru may ever handle. And of course, reliability is one of the best features of a Lexus.

 

The subie has that boxer engine, proven all wheel drive, stellar reliability, lower insurance cost, lower cost of operation. I love the Lexus IS but, I would go with the Subie.

 

Truly a toss-up, dollar-for-dollar, if I ever saw one. / Both are excellent cars, with A-1 workmanship, fit-and-finish, class-act interiors, much-better-than-average reliability, and good resale value. Subaru generally does the best AWD in the 35K and under category.....Lexus and Audi in the 35K and up. ( Audis though, have unreliable electronics, unlike both Subaru and Lexus ) Both combine a superb AWD with sports-sedan capability, although the Legacy GT, being a turbo, has more bang for the buck. Lexus has a somewhat better paint job, better A/C, better noise isolation ( but not much...the Legacy and Outback are both pretty quiet ) and a better warranty. The Legacy has a simpler and more foolproof AWD system and a lot of equipment geared toward winter driving...though not as much as the Outback. The Legacy and IS300 are both quite well-equipped, especially for their respective prices...it is really hard to go wrong with either. One thing must be noted, though. Both the Legacy GT and IS250AWD come with performance-oriented 45-series tires that are not as good for rain and snow as the tires on some other Subaru and Lexus products, and neither has a whole lot of ground clearance.
The Legacy is easier to work on up front for do-it-yourself oil changes......the oil filter hangs straight down at the lower front of the engine.
A significant limitation with the Legacy is the choice of only one color interior.....charcoal / black with brushed-metal trim. It does not have the beige interior / wood-and-metal option that the Outback does. The IS250 offers more interior and exterior color and trim choices.
Consumer Reports in general rates both Lexus and Subaru products very highly. Lexus, traditionally, long has been has been the tops in long-term reliability and assembly quality, although Subaru is now Consumer Reports' top-rated brand for number of defects-per-100 cars at 8. Lexus is right behind at 9.

I usually have few if any problems recommending a vehicle when people ask, but the choice here is REALLY tough. IMO it boils down to how much your parents want to spend. The Legacy is a steal at mid-high 20's, with plenty of power, a great interior, the best inexpensive AWD on the planet and the class workmanship of much more expensive cars. The IS250 AWD is equally a steal at the mid-high 30's. It has an even classier interior, a somewhat more reliable engine than the Subaru, an also-great ( but more complex ) AWD system, and a reasonable amount of power....though the Legacy GT will beat it on the drag strip. Neither one though, despite the AWD, is quite as good in the snow as some of their corporate cousins.....mainly due to the sport-sedan tires.

 

Great write-up mmarshall. I appreciate the info and will certainly use it to my advantage tomorrow when I go car shopping with them. I am going along because I refuse to allow them to make the same kind of mistake they made with this Volvo, although that seems highly unlikely with the quality of both vehicles in question. I agree that it is a very difficult question, the thing is that they are not really looking for power, but they also don't seem to mind spending the extra buck. So it's hard for me to even tell whether they are going to want a better price with more performance, or pay the extra dollar for quality that they KNOW FOR A FACT they will receive with the Lexus.

Interesting note about only one interior package with the Legacy. I did not know that, also, I believe the sound system quality will be greater in the Lexus compared with the Subaru. I am not sure about legroom and spaciousness of either vehicle, but I will surely find that out tomorrow at each dealership. I know the IS seems very small from when I gave it a test drive, I am not sure how the Legacy compares in that respect. I also believe the exterior styling of the IS250 will be more appealing to them than the Legacy.

 

You will get quality with the Legacy too....although Lexus traditionally builds more reliable engines and better A/C than Subaru...and does a little better job on the paint.

If your parents have a tough time ( as I suspect they will ) choosing between the Legacy GT and the IS250AWD, have them look at the L.L Bean and VDC AWD Outbacks. They are about halfway between the Legacy GT and IS250 AWD in price ( 32-33K ) They come with Subaru's H-6 flat-six engine with 250 HP and 219 ft.-lbs. of torque vs. the GT's 250 / 250, but the H6 is smoother and quieter, and comes with a steel timing chain instead of a rubber belt.....it probably will never have to be replaced. The L.L. Bean and VDC have even richer and classier interiors than the Legacy, and the VDC, unlike ANY other Subaru, has Stability Control.

 

Will do

I don't think they have even thought about the Outback. Hopefully there will be one in the showroom to gander at, I think the dealership we have is pretty small.

 

The Outback is essentially a Legacy with a different suspension and sits up off the ground higher for more ground clearance in deep snow, yet still retains car-like handling in spite of a higher center-of-gravity. It also has slightly different tires more suited to foul weather.


I don't want to push Subies TOO much though.....the IS250 is also a great car, as I said earlier. and I seriously considered one ( and an even more expensive GS300AWD ) before I bought my own Subie.

Another good AWD car in this price range is the Infiniti G35X. For several years its interior was not as well-done as Lexus but the 2005-2006 models have seen improvement. The more expensive AWD M35X's interior (see my review ) is stunning.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...t=checked+2006

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...ht=review+m35x

 

While I generally agree with Marshall's assessment(excellent as usual) & you can't go wrong with either, the IS blows away the Subie on looks alone, if it's me it would be an easy decision.

 

Without knowing your parents I'd lean toward the IS250 just based on styling (interior and exterior), and Lexus reliabilty. If it were me I'd pick the GT since I like a little getup 'n' go, but if your parents are anything like my parents the IS250 will have more than enough kick and they'll really appreciate Lexus' attention to details/reliabilty. mmarshall is right, it's a very tough call.

 

Have to agree, the new IS looks very nice.

 

IS is an luxury car, while Legacy shows how far normal cars have come. But you wont mistake it for luxury car.

 

Thanks for all the replies guys, I'm heading off to the respective dealers right about now, I'll let you know how things went when I get back home.

 

Hmmmm the verdict is..........



NEITHER.


They passed fully on the Subaru, wanting more luxury.

Passed on the IS250, too small.

Took a gigantic interest in the ES330.
Got a price quote @ $28k cash including a $7000 trade-in, or $399 a month for 36 months and 12k miles per year.

Took an even bigger interest in the Audi A6.
Got a price quote @ $42,900 cash for an Audi A6 with the Premium Package + Sunroof package, including the same $7000 trade-in, or $499 a month and 10k miles per year for either 24 or 36 months.

My dad is trying to talk the Audi down to under $41k, at which point he said he will buy. Dealer doesn't want to go below $42,5 as it stands right now.

 

Raj, how about an Rx330? Are they only interested in 4 wheel drive cars?