The potenza tires are great for 30k miles then they get scary. When
new they were awesome in the snow and rain. Handled great too. I'd
avoid the new subarus as styling and comfort are ten steps behind the
04's . Should buy another new car. You will be putting money into the
04. Mine feels a lot looser at 75k than it did new. I know the engine
will last but suspension is weak- already had a blown strut replaced.

Jim Stewart wrote:

Jim Stewart wrote:
The '99 was indeed declared totalled and I got a fair
insurance settlement along with a promise of a token
pain-and-suffering check.

We headed up to Gold Rush Subaru in Auburn,
California on saturday to look for a replacement.
I had been driving an 06' Outback that my insurance
supplied via Hertz. I didn't like the higher ride
height and decided to look for a pre-05 Outback.

Gold Rush had a 35th anniversery '04 Outback
in very good condition. H-6 engine, auto trans,
heated seats, auto sensor mirror for a good
price. My wife fell in love with it so we
took it. I have to replace the Crapenza® tires
with something better and get a wheel alignment,
but other than that it runs real nice.

The H-6 is a little quieter and a little quicker
than the 2.5 DOHC that I had before, but not
enough that I'd pay the new-car premium for
one.

Body Roll wrote:
If someone could tell me the difference between
a '04 Outback and an '04 Legacy, maybe I could
answer your question. As far as I can see, it's
mostly styling and possible a slightly higher
ride height on the Outback. In any case, either
one would do the mission. The H-6 was just a
little gravy on the plate.

Jim Stewart wrote:
Hmm, I just checked the prices for 07 outbacks and they are within
$300 from Legacy. I hadn't checked prices recently and remembered
outbacks were around $24k 5-6 years ago. Nevermind.