BEHIND THE WHEEL: Fear not, here’s the secret to owning a Subaru Legacy

What is the difference between a Subaru Legacy GT and a Subaru Legacy with only a turbo? I am a bit confused between the two. PHOTO| FILE| NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • I have been advised that their engines fail and the fuel consumption is higher than the normal Subaru.
  • Another concern is what is the difference between a Subaru Legacy GT and a Subaru Legacy with only a turbo?

Hi Jim,

I intend to buy a Subaru Legacy turbo. I have been advised that their engines fail and the fuel consumption is higher than the normal Subaru. Another concern is what is the difference between a Subaru Legacy GT and a Subaru Legacy with only a turbo? I am a bit confused between the two.

Stanley

 

Hey Stanley

Ah, I knew this day would come. Have a seat.

Now, listen: I was also advised the same thing. I was told (and have witnessed) the twin-turbo GT engine from previous generation Legacy cars fail with spectacular frequency and intimidating certainty and I have lived for many years listening to people deride the fearsome thirst of Subarus in general, and turbo-charged Subarus in particular.

It therefore follows that if a Subaru with a turbo is thirsty, then a Subaru with two turbos is twice as thirsty, right?

That is complete bollocks.

Time and again, I have insisted that fuel economy boils down to how one drives more than the size and induction type of the engine itself. Many are the doubting Thomases who sneer at my claims of 13-14km/l when pedalling my 2.0 litre 2-Stage Twin-Turbo freight train (that car is ridiculously long, especially seeing as how I graduated from a little hatchback); and that figure includes several blasts on the tarmac while pinging off the fuel cutout point as set by the Japanese many years ago. This is the secret to owning a Legacy GT:

 

1. Thoroughly inspect the prospective buy before you commit any funds to the project. Alternatively, set aside a fat pile of money for a new engine, because, yes, Legacy GTs tend to have a high number of engine failures but the caveat is these failures affect vehicles that are run inappropriately by owners who know no better or should know better. Circumstantial evidence of this fact is manifest in three very long queues of people in my automotive life:

 a) People willing to place bets on when (not if) “JM blows that twin turbo engine”

b) People willing to sell me replacement single-turbo WRX power plants “when JM blows that twin turbo engine”

c) People willing to buy the current engine in my car “before JM blows that twin turbo engine”.

These three groups of people are in for a long wait, because JM ain’t blowing no twin turbo engines in the foreseeable future; at least not his own. I have the previous owner to thank for this because he maintained that car at a high level and the engine, original since fitment in the vehicle at the Fuji factory, is now creeping up on 200,000km and it still purrs like a well-fed kitten on idle when warm, despite the bigger-than-stock exhaust bore. On a cold start, the car sounds like a nuclear reactor on the brink of meltdown; a not-so-subtle reminder to my neighbours that a petrolhead lives amongst them and he drives a car with two turbos that need warming up before its excitable driver makes the tach needle dance to his tune on the bypass.

 

2. Having acquired a passable vehicle feed it is only the finest quality fuel you can get. Steer clear of shady peddlers and only visit renowned outlets. The strongest recommendation is Shell V Power, which is what I have been splashing under the rear seat on a regular basis. You will be surprised at the economy this car can return, especially in E Tune II spec if you get a BD/BH model. The car, if unmolested, is very easy on fuel; but then again, this depends on how you drive it.

 

3. How you drive it: Avoid anything above 6,000rpm. The temptation to hit the limiter at 8,000 rpm is great (for the manual car), but then you will be trying to blow your engine if you do. Besides the risk of wrecking your mill, consumption suffers greatly. Twice I have run out of fuel, both occasions being during the two time trial races we have had so far this year. I was not racing, but being an official, it was necessary to run up and down the track official-ing things; and forgetting to keep an eye on the fuel gauge until the car would cough, bog down, jerk, and then rev up again. The initial thought of course is two of the three queues of people in one above have just been proved right and are about to make some money off me but... wait a minute.... it’s revving again.... it’s gone again... ah, it’s revving again.... did I fuel enough? Let me add some and see. Oh, so that was it, I ran out of fuel.

 

4. Don’t run out of fuel. An aficionado of twin turbo Legacy engines tells me vapor lock or bubbles in the fuel system can spell disaster for these overly complicated engines, so it is advisable to always... ALWAYS have enough fuel, more so when thrashing the vehicle. The thing about vapor lock is of particular note because it is scarily easy to get from these engines. Turbo-charged Subaru engines tend to run hotter than most of their contemporaries. For one, after a 20-minute drive, most people find my bonnet uncomfortable to sit on (and stay off!) because their derrieres start cooking within seconds. This under bonnet heat can “boil” the fuel and cause bubbling while still within the fuel lines before it gets to the injectors, meaning if your fuel pressure is low, vapor lock is inevitable. Enthusiastic cornering can also cause vapor lock as fuel swishes from side to side in the tank, meaning at one point or another, the fuel pump will be delivering nothing but air into the fuel lines. You really need to run with at least a quarter tank to have peace of mind.

The rest of the procedures are fairly obvious. Service the car on time, use the right oils and stay ahead of maintenance; you will be fine. As to whether or not you should buy one, here is my advice:

Buy it: It really is a marvellous car to drive, particularly with a row-your-own manual transmission. The power delivery from the turbo(s) is subtle and you won’t be mistaken for one of those undisciplined yobs who thunder through estate thoroughfares in STis, rushing to post about their highway conquests on social media. Practicality is another plus, and GT stands for Gran Turismo. There is no better description for the Legacy; it is a road trip tool, a grand tourer like few others. Fuel economy is another boost; if you keep things mature and avoid wide open throttle.

Don’t buy it: Well, engine failures are a constant worry, for starters. Prepare for sleepless nights any time a funny noise emanates from under the bonnet. The car is lengthy and can be a little unwieldy in tight parking spots. Twin turbo engines are needlessly complicated, which is why they were discontinued after the BD/BH model. Servicing costs are ridiculous too: the plugs alone on the current twin turbo cost more than the entire service programme for the Demio I sold, in fact almost twice as much. It is painful replacing them... and not just financially. If you like doing your own wrenching, prepare to skin your knuckles when changing those plugs; they are as inaccessible as a clergyman’s daughter on a Sunday morning.

Disclaimer: Ever since the BH model went out of production, Subaru has reverted to single turbo engines in the Legacy range. While I have sampled one or two (same virtues as what I just described above), my experience with them is limited, which can be translated to mean I am yet to discover their vices. Given how ownership of the twin turbo has been so far, I am becoming less and less inclined to depend on hearsay for advice. Feel free to take the plunge, but always keep our little four-Step therapy in mind. Good luck!

 

Hi Baraza,

Thank you for your continued insights into car maintenance and care.

I own a 1998 Nissan B14 which I have done my best when it comes to maintenance. I decided to do an engine overhaul which worked very well after. But recently, I have noticed a rare thing whenever I drive for a long distance. Every time I slow down, say while approaching a bump, the oil light shows up but when I accelerate, it goes away. I always check my oil level which is at the recommended level. Whenever that happens and I happen to get caught up in a traffic jam, the vehicle keeps switching itself off since my leg will be resting mostly on the brake pedal. Kindly advise me what could be the problem as my mechanic seems not to know of the diagnosis.

Kanja 

 

Hello sir,

 

An 18-year-old Nissan Sunny is not exactly the paragon of mechanical excellence, but I am not here to disparage your vehicle, all I am saying is the intermittent oil light could be the direct result of the vagaries of the passage of time. That car, I presume, has already seen its best years.

Does it have fuel injection? I will assume it does, so when the engine stalls during idling, the cause could be one of a litany of problems in this list: a bad idle air bypass valve, a bad cold-start valve, or a bad fuel pressure regulator.

If the engine stays running when you lightly press the accelerator pedal, then that means the idle bypass valve is the culprit. Since the stalling occurs in traffic jams, that means we can rule out a bad cold-start valve (the engine isn’t cold anyway), which leaves us with the last suspect: a faulty FPR.

Replace where necessary.

 

Hello JM,

Your insight on cars is very informative, thanks & God bless. I cruze on a 2L 1999 non-turbo Subaru Legacy, which I acquired from a friend. I love my sub (nicknamed Janam) for its speed & stability; confidence in motion. Well, I do service major & minor religiously and recently changed his timing belt which has actually improved performance, especially up a steep. However, my concern is the fuel consumption, it does only 6km/ltr in Nairobi, which is the reason I did major service, changed almost everything I was advised by my mechanic. The mechanic actually told me it should do 9/10km/ltr.My question is; what is standard km/ltrs for a 2l Subaru Legacy Brighton type?

Ogolla.

 

A 2.0 litre naturally aspirated Subie should not be very thirsty, unless you like to hunt down other cars (prolly fitted with turbos) on the road, in which case it will be. However, you say the car does 6km/l “in Nairobi”, which could mean a variety of things, the most obvious being that you spend an inordinate amount of time welded firmly in traffic jam. In this case, your consumption will suffer. 9-10km/l is what I’d expect the city figure to be, with something much better for the highway (as high as 14km/l). If the vehicle is mechanically sound, try the following and see if it helps with the economy.

1. Tread lightly. In addition, don’t chase other cars.

2. Shed weight. Anything that you don’t immediately need but still lug around with you should be removed from the car.

3. Minimise the use of air conditioning

4. Ensure your tyre pressures are what they should be

5. Plan your trips ahead. Try and avoid traffic jams, long routes or rough roads which limit one to low, thirsty gears.

6. Stay at home: sometimes it’s not a must to leave the house, one can stay home and fill in a crossword puzzle or something. That also saves fuel