1989 Subaru Legacy | Retro Review

Cashing in late on the sleek sedan trend, but nevertheless the Legacy was a smart alternative to the mainstream.
Show 836 | Original Airdate 06-02-1989
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[@albear972]

I love how John says "Toyota Cam-ray"

[@damilolaakanni]

😊😅😂

[@jaymum23]

It’s almost as good as how he says “Mitsubishi Galan” 😂

[@radudeATL]

And he was beginning to soften the “RAY” in “Cam-ray” at this time.

[@radudeATL]

@@jaymum23Funnily enough, that is how Mitsubishi wanted people to pronounce it, until we Americans actually got a hold of it ;-)

[@GeeEm1313]

Why

[@p.diocee8177]

My aunt bought one brand new and multiple family members said they’d buy it if she ever sold it. Such a timeless design. It had well over 400,000 km when the Canadian winters finally took their toll. Engine never gave her an issue

[@dohc1067]

Imo, this is actually one of the best performing sedans or vehicles in their retro reviews. Well balanced: acceleration, handling, braking, and even efficiency. I think I see 👀 a little corolla in the front and some legend in the back. Not bad Subaru.

[@davidbusch8912]

I want one now

[@TheJayWashExperience]

Shout out to the lady matching the nails to her boots…she better be stylish while demonstrating the car 💅🏿

[@johnmitchell8925]

Now it tats from head to toe

[@palebeachbum]

My stepmother had a 1990 Legacy L wagon 5-speed. It was such a great car. I remember it having a great Subaru boxer sound and really high build quality. Solid metal chrome door handles and whatnot. I loved opening the doors with their frameless door glass on nice days with the window down. It just felt special. Edit: 1989 Legacy over a 1989 Camry in a heartbeat. Not only a more interesting car, but a better car. I had an '88 Camry and it was such a POS. The paint lost all of its clearcoat after 10yrs. Interior door panels delaminated their vinyl skin and fabric. Interior panels rattled like crazy. The 2.0L 4cyl was anemic and started burning oil by 138k miles. My stepmother's Legacy was a vastly better car in almost every conceivable way.

[@314jeepsnmopars3]

We had a blue wagon 5 speed awd same year. Still fondly remember that car.

[@philsmgb4393]

I wish we still got the wagon here.

[@DschoermaenRetrodaddler]

But the rear wheel arches rust like hell.

[@palebeachbum]

@@DschoermaenRetrodaddler True. Rust was a problem with cars in general at the time. Wheel wells, rocker panels, and door edges.

[@beansinacan500]

Had a 92 legacy wagon for 6 years. Loved that damn car. Everything was simple and easy to repair

[@philsmgb4393]

That 2.2 was bullet proof.

[@beansinacan500]

@@philsmgb4393 yeah it was. I loved the sound it made too. Dual port exhaust really made it sound wonderful compared to later versions of the 2.2

[@The_R-n-I_Guy]

This car is so much better than the Legacy made today

[@unitedcity_mc4421]

I’m not big into Subarus, but you couldn’t be more correct.

[@pdennis93]

My dad had a 1990 Legacy L 5 speed AWD. It lasted 306k miles before we donated it to charity still running. It had one timing belt break at 257k and a couple clutch replacements and I think axles.

[@eusoukravezuk]

This is a trully timeless design. The Legacy's exterior still look sharp and elegant after 30 years.

[@epicraptorman]

Looks like you have it sat in a car from the last 20 years 💀

[@tientrinh943]

@@epicraptorman😂

[@nwezetx1]

The body was designed in 1986 even.

[@802Garage]

If you ever get to play with a first generation Legacy in person, do it. It's amazing how much quality and thought went into building these cars. So many parts are solid metal or thick plastic that would be plastic or particle board in other cars. They also drive great, are insanely reliable, and hold up very well with age. Plus I still love the styling.

[@nowiecoche]

It's so rare seeing early 90's Legacys, especially in the midwest. I only saw one on the road so far. That one was the wagon.

[@802Garage]

​@@nowiecoche They sold in large numbers primarily in the Northeast, Pacific Northwest, and to an extent in the Rockies like Colorado. It's very rare to see them in other parts of the country. Subaru was a tiny company at the time and sold less cars per year than Toyota sold Corollas. For example, Subaru sold around 100,000 cars in the USA in 1989. Toyota sold a few hundred thousand Corollas in the USA alone and 910,000 worldwide in 1989. Sadly, most first generation Legacy models have also died off due to rust. This is not because they were more susceptible than other brands, but because being sold predominantly in northern and mountainous regions with harsh winters and salted roads, they were constantly exposed to the worst conditions. Plus they were considered economy cars so nobody planned to treat them like a BMW. Everyone in my area drove them down dirt roads, rode them hard, and put them away wet. No cars from the 80's and 90's are left up here unless they came from out of state or people cared for them meticulously. That said, I do have a 1991 Legacy wagon with 342,000 miles on my lawn. Paid $100 and it does have some rust issues, but it's not dead yet. You can still find a lot of them running around in Oregon and Washington specifically, with pockets elsewhere in the country. Great cars!

[@Butterscott_NJ]

@@802Garage I saw tons of these growing up in the Denver Metro Area, I thought they were insanely attractive cars, especially the wagons. They're rarities on the east coast. If you see one for sale, it's CT or VT and they're rust buckets.

[@802Garage]

@@Butterscott_NJ Yep, I'm in VT. The environment here is one of the hardest in the world on cars due to mountains, dirt, salt, and insane temperature swings. My wagon is far from perfect. I almost bought a 1994 turbo sedan manual in red in PA a few years ago, but I just didn't have the money. Gonna twin scroll turbo my wagon, but hopefully I'll have a real nice one someday.

[@Kevin75668]

I miss my '92 wagon. No matter how bad the doors froze up here in Maine, you could pull them open with those massive metal handles, bolted right to the door's frame. Tried that on my wife's Honda once and nearly ripped the handle out of the sheetmetal. Lasted me 226k miles and everything still worked when I had to get rid of it due to rust.

[@aenoymotors]

Those ej22 engines were so so good. Too bad they forgot how to make such a good car when they switched to the ej25.

[@palebeachbum]

Yep. What's even more unfortunate is that they kept the ej25 around for too long, souring the reputation that they had built up in the 80s and first half of the 90s.

[@march24-lp4pv]

I always liked this generation of legacy..

[@Butterscott_NJ]

Had a 96 Legacy wagon with the ej22. Easily my favorite car I've had. My 08 Impreza wagon has a lot nice little features like hill assist, but the ej22 just felt smoother.

[@carypyke935]

We started building these in Lafayette, Indiana late in 1989..

[@rturner4205]

It's still made there. Although I imagine the Outback and Crosstrek overtakes production there now.

[@BurtSampson]

1:40, those boots, that denim, those sunglasses, that hair. perfect

[@MegaRetr]

I love how John says "Toyota Cam-ray"))

[@steveespinola7652]

The song on the radio was BLACK MAGIC WOMAN and I loved that old Coca-Cola can.😊

[@scott8919]

In the late 2000s I used to take my Outback to a Subaru mechanic who loaned out two Legacys to people who couldn't wait in the waiting room all day... a 97 with 250k miles, and a 91 with just over 300k. Granted they were owned by a business specializing in maintaining them, but that was impressive. They didn't fix the broken rear defroster on the 97 but they were mechanically sound.

[@landyachtfan79]

More style than the boxy DL & GL, yet you could still tell that the new Legacy was DEFINITELY a Subaru.

[@Dankcatvacs]

i love my loyale 305k miles

[@doug6191]

The heckblende on the back looked great, and it had a distinct kink on the side windows. Subaru gave these a TON of features, but the US didn't get all of them. 😢 Real nice cars!

[@ericharrison619]

One thing the US got that no one else did was a closed deck block with the 2.2 turbo in the Sport sedan or Sport wagon Legacy. These blocks were sought after by the WRX crowd.

[@DEVILTAZ35]

A wonderful car. I had a 1992 GX AWD sedan fitted with the sunroof here in Australia. I kept it for 14 years until it literally fell apart after hundreds of thousands of Kim’s. I replaced it with a Subaru Liberty/Legacy 07 Heritage Sedan which although also great only lasted nearly 9 years until it had major mechanical issues. I then traded it on a 2016 LibertyLegacy 3.6R sedan. Great engine but rubbish CVT and too many nanny controls that were really annoying plus a choppy ride on rougher roads. I ended up replacing that with a 2016 Lexus RC 350 F sport RWD. I can’t fault this car. I have had it for over 6 years now and other than the brakes and discs are expensive to replace and don’t last more than 2 years on average and the battery needs replacing every 3 years it is amazingly reliable. Tyres were pretty bad too until I replaced the factory Bridgestone with Pilot Sport 4S. So far on my third year with these and they are still going great. If you really want to transform your car’s handling use Pilot Sport 4S they are amazing. I love these retro car reviews. This is my favourite channel on KZbin. I am it a fan of huge modern screens in cars distracting you from driving which is one of the main reasons I didn’t bother upgrading from the RC 350 plus I don’t drive as much anymore as I work from home.

[@McElroysMotors]

Looks good, even by today's standards. But that's just my opinion.

[@MyGuyJustinH]

I think that it looks good too.

[@philsmgb4393]

My first new car was a '96 Legacy. It's all I've been driving, have a '21 now. Today, everyone in my family drives a Subaru with exception of my wife, she loves her Maxima.

[@thumbtak]

The first 4 generations of Legacy are all absolutely gorgeous

[@bellamafiaquackafellarecor7770]

No

[@nwezetx1]

Yep

[@audearing27]

I still daily my 92 Legacy Sedan, Truly a special car.

[@judethaddaeus9742]

This is the car that started to turn things around for a struggling Subaru in the late ‘80s. The later Outback, launched with the following generation, completed the turnaround.

[@philsmgb4393]

Subaru was looking at leaving the American market in 1995. The '95 redesign and the Outback really made people take a second look.

[@nwezetx1]

​@@philsmgb4393Designed by the same guy who did the 1992 S-Class and 1994 C-Class, during his stint at Subaru from 1989 to 1992.

[@theKevronHarris]

In Japan, the Isuzu Aska was a rebadged 1st generation Subaru Legacy hardtop sedan in the early 1990s.

[@danmccarthy4700]

And then it became a rebadged Accord after that.

[@mediocreman2]

This is during that magical 10 years of Subaru when they were decent looking and somewhat reliable. This Legacy and the next were the only decent looking generations of Legacy. Too bad they haven't been either of those things in decades.

[@timbrown9731]

My 13 was a good design, after that model they went down hill…

[@nwezetx1]

​@@timbrown9731Not really, all went downhill starting in 2009.

[@GeorgePatteDustin]

It's a good car. My father owned one when I was a kid, and he always said it was one of the best overall cars he ever had. That trunk-mounted antenna meant business; it probably picked up stations from two states over.

[@DougMPA]

The John Davis Camrayyyyyyyyyy days lolol

[@hellboy1976]

I always pop into these videos wondering how long it will be before I see the “gorgeous” comments for 80s and 90s dreck like this. I was not disappointed here.

[@pizzaearthpancakesandother2549]

Great review from the "Kam-Ray" era

[@jay.fromthebay]

Such a handsome car

[@KhrissyDaDon]

1:40 the denim jacket with the red boots, she meant business 😭!

[@manhoot]

The little soo-bar-oooo. Wow

[@rabit818]

“Buttons are a well marked and requires little thought to use the way it should be”. You need a BS in Computer Engineering in 2023 to get that same simple tasks done. New wave leftover with her red boots.

[@bobbbobb4663]

We had a 1990 Legacy. Panasonic factory stereo had a 1/8” Aux Jack which was unique at the time.

[@rekord1969]

Myself and two friends drove an estate one of these from Boston to Aspen Colorado in the summer of ‘96. Good comfortable car. Delivered to a family that was relocating in one piece!! Good youthful times:)

[@chestermcdaniel106]

I had a 91 L front drive 5 speed. I swapped in a phase two 2.5 block using the phase 1 2.2 heads that came in the car. It shot the compression way up. Don't know how much but I had to run 93. The car was fast if you could keep the right front tire from smoking off. It would run to 60 in the 7s. Not that bad for an old naturally aspirated 4 cylinder. I worked for Subaru for 11 years and was there when the WRX hit our shores in 02. Man I miss those days.

[@nthgth]

I enjoy these trips back in time. We mever had a Subaru growing up, but the design language reminds me of our 87 Mazda 626 and general cars that were on the road when I was first getting into cars. So it takes me back. Would love a clean, manual, FWD example of this. (But I'll settle for my '20 STI as its spiritual successor, lol)

[@senseicorey9979]

A subaru in the snow is just so much fun

[@GP1138]

:59 - “Cam-ray”

[@kristianhermann5971]

"Un-Subaru-ized" LOL - the best Johnism I've heard yet!

[@anonlarson2875]

I had an 88 Camry LE. The instruments, HVAC controls and stereo look identical.

[@nwezetx1]

Subaru was putting the finishing touches on this car in 1986 when that gen of Camry debuted, probably their benchmark next to the Audi 100.

[@Trades46]

In a way the Legacy was Subaru's first real attempt at making a mainstream, mass market car. Gone is the engine bay spare tire, the car came with a rather large EJ20 or EJ22 compared to the smaller EA80 series which never exceeded 1.8L displacement. My old man's first new car he brought in Canada was a Legacy 2.5GT. It was a great car for our harsh winters, and I still fondly remember it.

[@jitakutog1877]

I have a 1990, same color. Most tankiest and reliable car I have ever owned.

[@DDM7406]

A great competitor to the Toyota Camray

[@borninhk1]

The optional turbo boxer engine later in this generation made this a sleeper sports car!

[@this_dude5307]

Wow Subaru has come a long way since then. Despite them being a minor player in the market globally, they became an automotive juggernaut in the US market.

[@mikefranco9325]

Wow this car had an aux input in the stereo

[@alanwright7819]

I used to have one exactly like the one tested in this video. Although I liked it reasonably well, the suspension was a bit floaty for my tastes. By the way, I used to drive 23 miles to work every day (one way), almost entirely on the interstate, and I consistently got over 30 mpg. On the negative side, the 4wd system used to protest occasionally with a warning light showing up on the dashboard and a noticeable “tightness” in the rotation of the wheels. The problem would usually disappear within a short timeframe and I honestly didn’t keep the car long enough to have it diagnosed, but I kind of have a feeling that one of the controlling relays was bad. Otherwise, the car was quite dependable.

[@samsos5796]

I do love the interior better than todays

[@MPi-KM]

Cam-ray

[@towelies4884]

lol exactly what I was going to post

[@MPi-KM]

@@towelies4884 Made by Toyo-tay

[@needleontherecord]

My favourite Subaru design

[@billschlafly4107]

The Cam Ray shows up at @0:58

[@RobJaskula]

C'mon John, the Cam-ray had been around for a few years by this point

[@sofiarashid8772]

My Mk2 xc90 got. Water leak from blocked sunroof drains . So is it correct if drains get blocked the water can get into the car from sunroof ??.

[@williamlangston2143]

This design was obviously inspired by the Toyota Camry at the time.

[@damilolaakanni]

Or as John would say it (even in this video), "The Toyota Camray"😆😅😂🤣

[@theKevronHarris]

Looks like the E90 and E100 Toyota Corolla on the front.

[@nwezetx1]

From what I read with photos of behind the scenes sketches and design stuff, the Legacy design was completed in the fall of 1986. Just about the time Toyota released the 1987 Camry to JDM. Fits perfectly to benchmark that.

[@Aaron.Crow512]

I always loved these styling

[@theKevronHarris]

The first-generation Subaru Legacy had made a cameo appearance on an episode of "Martin"

[@dave11686]

My godmother bought a brand new 92 legacy and that was a very good Car to her

[@barron204]

Friends in the 90s had a VZ Limited, GT turbo sedan, GT turbo wagon, RS RA turbo sedan and a GX wagon. They were popular but easily and often stolen in my country.

[@raymondhachmishvili2483]

IMO the legacy was always a beautiful car. current gen looks great too, very volvo-ish look to it. my favorite is the 2010 spec B model

[@オリバーラムズデン9231]

It is interesting to know which Japanese cars were sold in the US, during the 70s, 80s and 90s.

[@Mgoblagulkablong]

The current (2024) Legacy is underrated too and a bargain (under $30k OTD). Get one beofre it gets cancelled like most sedans.

[@MrPoppyDuck]

What a nice car. Too bad you cant buy one nowadays. A fun around town car with excellent four wheel drive.

[@kokocostanza2036]

1:40 These boots are made for...driving.

[@GalenlevyPhoto]

Haven’t seen those in years. There are more Honda accords and Camrys than the legacies so the legacy already became a legacy.

[@march24-lp4pv]

They didn't sell in near the numbers that Camry and Accord did, mainly the Camry.

[@GalenlevyPhoto]

@@march24-lp4pv I know altho seen the Subaru advertisement saying that 96% of the Subarus are still on the road. Ofc sometimes advertisers lie.

[@evanlilly420]

Best car ever made. Does it ALL

[@davidaubin3902]

1:26 John: A LIBERAL SPRINKLING OF WARNING LIGHTS AROUND THEM DETRACT SOMEWHAT FROM THE SENSE OF ORDER! LOL

[@Moching-ob6ny]

I had 3 of the 1st gen Legacy. All were bought used for next to nothing and very durable

[@blisterbrain]

I heard both "Cam-ray" and "Cam-ree" in this one!

[@itzed]

I wonder if there’s a way to find out when this specific test car had its first head gasket job….

[@ericharrison619]

The EJ22 and EJ22t were not known for head gasket issues. You are obviously trolling the EJ25 that came out in the mid 90s.

[@itzed]

@@ericharrison619 trolling? 😂

[@danmccarthy4700]

This video is where John made the switch from "Cam-ray" to "Camry".

[@TheCarCrazyGuy]

0:58 Camray?

[@Butterscott_NJ]

I know it was a lot less boxy than the earlier 80's Subarus, but it's still funny for John to say "We can't complain of boxiness anymore" on an objectively boxy sedan.

[@Doc1855]

The Outback and Forester are now the safest vehicles on the planet.

[@thimble288]

Best car Subaru ever built

[@nathanbishop5614]

The steering wheel looks almost identical to that of the Toyota Corolla of the time

[@DMETS519]

The frameless windows still carried on with my 2008 Legacy. Looks so weird to have the back doors open with the windows down.

[@nthgth]

True, almost every car I can think of with frameless windows is a 2-door. Never thought of that before

[@blackericdenice]

People wore bright red shoe back then?

[@audiophanatic4331]

I owned a 1991 Legacy back in the day. Great car, had to get rid of it after my cat pissed in the back seat.

[@v60polestar88]

Damn some current Subaru still take almost 9 sec to hit 60 lol

[@isaiahash9697]

one thing i hardly ever see is old subarus. i think i've only seen a rustbucket brat and a few old outbacks in the past year

[@marshalmagooo3899]

Friends father owned a 87 DL.... Nice car, however, parts were HARD to find and some had to come from Japan

[@blainw1976]

Those boots

[@mattmroz4905]

It’s tough to compete with the CAMRAY.

[@carwrtr1]

I drove a Toyota Camry for one week, and it did nothing for me. I drove a Subaru Legacy for one night, and I didn’t want to give it back. I would own this…

[@jessieharbinjr.6589]

“Aero dynamic” lol! Still looks like a box.

[@johnmitchell8925]

Man that engine was making some noise when started

[@bobbydavenport8941]

I just love subarus

[@emeyer6963]

1990 was the 1st year for the Legacy

[@jamiluibrahim2577]

Simple car for simple people like me... 👌

[@thomasw3285]

Subaru clearly buttered up MotorWeek by giving the tester a free pair of pants made out of carpet remnants from the test car. Slick move Subaru, slick move...

[@JohnSingler-r7b]

Cam-ray!

[@Goldenrod636]

Strange I thought they were gonna talk about the automatic seat belts which they seemingly don't like.

[@NuclearFireworks]

Subaru Legacy now Legacy Subaru

[@SM-ih6dt]

this need a rifftrax....great car

[@giselasilva5415]

That front is a copy of the Peugeot 405, high praise for the Legacy

[@razvandobos9759]

Called the Liberty down under until 2020.

[@nthgth]

Then they changed it to Legacy down there as well?

[@pontiacGXPfan]

i guess we'll never get a Legacy STi

[@alpe6228]

back when subaru built indestructible tanks.