1991 Subaru Legacy Sport Sedan | Retro Review

Remember that time when Subaru gave the Legacy a Turbo and a 5 speed to compete against the BMW 3-Series. We love the 90's!
Show 1014 | Original Airdate 12-20-1990
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[@TheRealHungryJoe]

A very 90’s interior,. no-airbag, two spoke steering wheel, automatic shoulder belts, a simple dashboard and a bland center console. I love it.

[@abflugz]

one of the best parts of these 90's interiors are the air ducts on the doors to defog the windows when u cant see the mirrors

[@rebelusa6585]

You forgot 2 things, '90s cars are pretty looking and very reliable.

[@miguelircontar]

And simple to fix

[@Brian-fp3mh]

Don't forget the cassette tape deck!

[@BigWheel.]

I miss this era of simple clean functional interiors.

[@KenanTurkiye]

This was a car I used to like very much back in the days. The station wagon version was even closer to my heart.

[@802Garage]

I have a 1991 Wagon and even old with over 340K miles it's still awesome.

[@LaurentiusTriarius]

It was my dream car as a teen living in a ski stations area.

[@artagain8977]

I had the wagon. Bought brand new. After 70,000, nothing but problems.

[@802Garage]

@@artagain8977 Weird. Never heard of ANYONE having low mileage issues with the 1st gen Legacy.

[@artagain8977]

@@802Garage well now you have

[@stam9241]

In 2003 an upstate NY used car dealer didn't know what he was selling. I got a 5 spd one for less than 3 grand. When I picked up the car the dealer said he got numerous phone calls about the car after I left my deposit and couldn't figure out why the car was so desirable

[@heatwole]

i just got one for 2750 with a custom exhaust i feel like i just robbed a man with consent 😭😭

[@junit7590]

Ha what a fool!

[@ericharrison619]

The closed deck EJ22T that we got in the states was exclusive to North America. These were only available in the first gen Legacy as shown. A very desirable base for a high boost build even today.

[@Kiss__Kiss]

Came in here to see if anyone remembered the Closed Deck EJ22.

[@Aki737]

They still routinely sell for $1000 just for bare case halves.

[@Dankcatvacs]

when my mom got her 93 legacy wagon , it was so cool i sat in the car and read the manual it just felt new and fresh such a leap from the 86 olds cutlass cruiser and 81 subaru previously had.

[@fernandorocha8459]

Legacy wagon is my favorite

[@junit7590]

Got an '89 JDM RS Legacy had it 21 years, heaps of mods still love it.

[@cartwheels4amile]

Had a 93 automatic sport sedan as my first car. Now I managed to track down a 91 with the 5 speed in pearl white! It only took me about a decade, lol. Love these cars, they are the reason I got into Subaru.

[@robertbenedict5648]

That's a pretty rare color for '91, IIRC

[@stupid8911]

First and foremost, the quality of this video is really good. Second, I'm pretty sure I would have had this on the shortlist: not bad on looks, good standard equipment, decent MPG, and a good review from MotorWeek.

[@therealsnow]

Ah the predecessor to the WRX, this car did well at rally as well.

[@palebeachbum]

My step mom had a 1990 Legacy L wagon 5-speed. Great car. It's what I used to learn how to drive a stick. I really loved that car. It felt so solid and I loved the sound of that 2.2L and the frameless windows. It felt fancy to me at the time.

[@marshalmagooo3899]

Almost 42k in today's money. That is about right. Good car, not many sold and they rusted out quick up north

[@qmto]

This was the beginning of building Subarus sporty image.

[@TimJoseph08031990]

The Subaru Legacy has come a long way with the new XT. The only thing that would have been better, unlike the 1991 Legacy Sports Sedan, is if Subaru got rid of the CVT and replaced it with a traditional automatic transmission.

[@davidaubin3902]

3:30 John: GAUGES ARE LARGE AND CLEAN, IF INCOMPLETE. LOL

[@dyingbreed7740]

I used to own one of these but it was a wagon. Loved it! Man it got poor mileage tho

[@LoveMyZJ]

I'd love to have one of these, especially as a wagon. A very good friend of mine inherited a non-turbo first gen Legacy from her grandmother as her first car, when we were in high school back in around '05. Sadly, one of the front lower control arms rotted off of it.

[@Deanyfromtheburgh]

Functional hood scoop? There's no intercooler underneath it though😆

[@cartwheels4amile]

Yeah it just vents the heat from the turbo. There’s a chimney style heat shield that the scoop feeds air into

[@Deanyfromtheburgh]

@@cartwheels4amile that thing is a joke, theres no air going down the way under the car, even if it did it would generate lift, best thing you can do with those bonnet vents is flip them the other way to extract heat and increase downforce

[@TheKrazyKat89]

The closing remark at 4:09 ended up ringing very true, although the world could not know at the time it would only happen with the car that came next. This is why I think looking at old reviews is so interesting.

[@brandonbolden2276]

So rare and the EJ22 was the best

[@TommioRS]

As a proud owner of 2 1993 Legacy Sport sedans, i can safely say the car is still amazing to this day. It was the 1st "new" Subaru, the same basic under pinings were used all the way until the 07 impreza/wrx,sti and 08 forester! Hell the EJ engine came out in the gen 1 legacy. And yes the gen 1 Legacy turbo did come with the EJ22T. The ultimate Subaru EJ engine!

[@YourMom-vl2sp]

Many don't know that this is Subaru's rally car before the Impreza

[@tomaslongoria2449]

Yup yup Mcrae tore it up in Africa with it i think it was

[@sir.confident]

I drove one of these one time, and it was a beast! Basically a US-Spec version of the JDM-Spec Legacy RS-R. Btw we have a spiritual successor to that car that's currently in production and it's called.....well....the Legacy Sport. It's also got a turbo. Needs manual though.

[@arlo0011]

I still love my '99 Legacy GT Wagon. No turbo (but still has the hood scoop and rear spoiler), but slightly more power from a bigger engine.

[@johnl3230]

One of the more attractive Subarus, not a fan of the newer models. LOVE the SVX

[@FCT8306onTwoWheels]

this has to be one of the most rare Subaru cars today

[@Boosted_Davin]

My favorite Subaru of all time, still have mine. Had one in this exact spec as well

[@audearing27]

I have a 92:) love it so much

[@ragnatahgee8166]

JDM Subaru Legacy GT EJ20G 162kw/217hp, 1310kg USDM Subaru Legacy Sport Sedan EJ22T 119kw/160hp, 1420kg

[@vampyrelycan99]

Yeah... So sad indeed... But at least the MT-specific 4WD stayed, down to the rear VLSD....

[@ObsoleteGamercom]

That design looks so clean compared to the boring stuff we get nowadays.

[@daveshaffer324]

What is the marathon gonna be for Christmas this year hopefully it’s the first few seasons again like it was last year I missed a lot of them last year

[@barron204]

The JDM model was better, but still a nice car for the time.

[@matty_o]

Faster than my 2016 cx5 AWD

[@RollerCoasterLineProductions]

Fast forward 30 years and Subarus are the state car in many north east states, including my state Pa.

[@djp1234]

This model felt like a tank compared to all the other Subarus that came after.

[@cartwheels4amile]

Yeah the build quality on this generation of Legacy was really something else. Subaru was clearly aiming to make a statement and they succeeded. It’s amazing to think that until the STI was discontinued recently, the EJ series engine introduced in this Legacy was in continuous production for over 30 years.

[@pbfloyd13]

The wagon version is the only car you'd ever need.

[@stanisawbroda5835]

legacy is the sexiest subbie

[@andersonfirmino8925]

Caraca que carrão é da década de 90

[@gabrielmuller4203]

No it’s from the 2000s😐

[@dermetzger]

Could someone who knows Subarus please tell me how the turbo is set up? Like, do all 4 cylinders feed into the turbine or just a single bank?

[@Blue-moon12]

8 seconds 0-60 in 1991 is pretty decent.

[@johnnyappleseed9568]

Was this not intercooled ?

[@charlesgroover9646]

How well would a mint condition low mileage version do on Bringatrailer in 2022 🤔

[@bandguy360]

Man id kill for a 5 spd

[@allentoyokawa9068]

I would by this to AVOID a crappy overpriced, unreliable euro junk

[@josearteaga9667]

I want one

[@Christosan88]

Yes

[@Dragunov302]

I miss legacy’s with a real manual transmission….

[@RafaelGonzalez-nc2ef]

engineering🇯🇵💪

[@crocglox7797]

21 mpg?

[@joseeduardo4327]

Crazy amount of glass .

[@michaelcoffey7362]

Cool 😀

[@성태김-c1w]

This is Subaru

[@matty_o]

Brakes better than a civic or Corolla

[@sneakerfreak2002]

The tester guy is CUTE. Can i have his number? Meow

[@alexander1485]

All wheel drive.

[@Milo-Emilio]

This Subaru wanted to be a Mitsubishi Galant so bad

[@jacobfleming565]

The stereo has an aux input which I think is crazy for the year. What would it have even been used for?

[@cartwheels4amile]

A cd player like a Sony Discman could be plugged in to the auxiliary input

[@danmccarthy4700]

Something something head gasket something something.

[@bghoody5665]

Subaru Legacy an enthusiast's car? Pffft, whatever. Not even if they sent it rallying and gave it a fancy name.

[@cartwheels4amile]

Don’t knock it til you’ve driven one ;)

[@rawbeejay]

Colin McRae had this car

[@mervinprone]

That was a lot of horsepower back then and really quick, faster than many luxury cars.

[@303nitzubishi4]

One of the best looking Subaru's ever. There are still a handful from this gen roaming around the Denver/Boulder area as of 2022

[@fernandorocha8459]

I love Subaru Legacy, Legacy wagon, 2.2 liter, superchaged, 160 hp, 181 LB-ft torque

[@donwarrington4916]

Can we all just appreciate how far " high performance rubber" has come ??

[@bikes7777]

Not far, just ridiculously big rim diameters. Nothing over 17 inch is ever needed.

[@michaeljohn9263]

@@bikes7777 I remember when EVERYONE would put pizza cutter winter tires on their 4X4s and they would go through everything. Wide tires are truly awful in the snow!

[@anibalbabilonia1867]

I always loved the look of that car!👌😎👍

[@Merker367]

Most beautiful car ever built... my dream car

[@RoxiSmith]

Back in the day, my oldest half brother had one almost identical this front and back are different but I think it was green 1994 Subaru Legacy. That car is kind smooth I was ride in. I haven't seen these in a long long time. It's cool sedan, though. 😎

[@rushmatic]

$18k? Ouch, no wonder Subaru didn’t market this Legacy

[@hailstorm1986]

The beginning of the WRX 😇

[@mediocreman2]

These ended up being very good cars. It was a turning point for Subaru into a mainstream competitor. The name Legacy was chosen to emulate the Acura Legend, and I'm sure they wanted to see the same success as the Legend. They weren't as upscale as the Legend obviously, or even the Maxima, but they were cheaper. You can even see that Subaru copied styling elements from both of those cars. Even the base FWD models were quite reliable, although their engines did get very noisy as they aged. This was a time before Subaru reliability plummeted.

[@abflugz]

i got a mint condition 90' Legacy L, EJ22 N/A, awd and 5spd manual transmission, its not fast but is fun af

[@stanisawbroda5835]

90's were the best, no joke. I dont mind a little tech fling here and there but pristine clear to read mechanical dashboard should be a standard, not a novelty... and after 30 years legacy still drives like a charm

[@benjochs]

Does Subaru/Legacy still have “real” full time AWD? Or is it on demand AWD now

[@TactileCoder]

Nope. Full time. The manual transmissions get a 50/50 split AWD. The automatics have more fancier torque split options. In either case, all modern Subaru models are all AWD (save for BRZ/86)

[@joebloggs5886]

I think that has to be the least sporty steering wheel I've ever seen in a sports car...

[@LaurentiusTriarius]

Oh yeah, that was my dream car in high school, my friend's dad had a 1992 black turbo manual wagon, I wished my dad bought this instead of his Eddie Bauer explorer...

[@patrickmichael3384]

First to America came this, later came the hopped up Imprezas such as the 2.5 RS and clones of the rally car and Japanese market 22B and then of course the WRX.

[@dandennis8465]

I like the buttons for the AC, so much easier to use than the cars of today.

[@Andrew-wb2zq]

I miss those clean '90s lines

[@kari6927]

They could do quicker than 16.1 seconds stock at times 160hp and 4wd try more like 15.5

[@yudhabagaskara98]

Sleeker than Camry from the same era

[@needleontherecord]

My favourite designed Subaru ever

[@MrBattlewagon]

SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY!!!!!

[@haroldbeauchamp3770]

In todays money this is an over 40k dollar vehicle…let that sink in

[@ThePolandball]

Not at all off the mark for its segment.

[@Snake-ms7sj]

Back in the 90's when they were slapping non-functional rear wings and hood scoops on many cars.

[@ohguy1991]

What are you talking about??? It adds 50 hp!

[@HomebrewSubaru]

I would have bought one. I should have bought one.

[@frankm7707]

Test drove this with four adults in the car back in the days. It's a rocket ship with the Turbo!

[@legacyturbo8485]

I’ve owned about 7 legacy turbos and I still own one to this day .!! It’s Subarus best car ever made. The one I currently have has 100 thousand original km and it’s silver in color 5 spd turbo ..!! It’s mint and I wouldn’t trade it for the world ..!!

[@Latsaaben]

Handsome looking car!

[@mihan5660]

Wow that name is unweildy mouthfull to keep saying. Legacy gt is big improvement

[@mccrackenphillip]

Ah the GTA San Andreas Salton my fav

[@glennhansel9411]

Subaru make neat cars but they return relatively poor fuel economy.

[@johnleca]

love that car

[@adamn7516]

only thing i wish was it had regular seat belts and an airbag. I hated those door mounted and motorized "passive restraints".

[@cartwheels4amile]

The US cars were the only ones with the silly motorized belts. Some people have swapped Canadian market seatbelts and door trim into their USDM first-gens.

[@EC-ol8nz]

Who would buy this today vs what is offered today?

[@fordfanatic3307]

I would absolutely, modern vehicles are to complicated I don't like the infotainment screens the most. Simple buttons and controls for the interior and NA engines standard.

[@rawbeejay]

I have 2 Impreza Wagons ('00 a/t @ 50k & '99 m/t @ 175k), and a '15 Forester XT @ 105k... I swear the new one gives me way more problems, actually the old ones don't give me any problems.

[@rawbeejay]

There's a super clean one for sale in my area for $4k. It's a white 5 speed turbo sedan @ 165k miles. I want it.

[@Trance88]

A fine piece of early 90's automotive history. I like the look of it. There's still a couple of these buzzing around where I live in Michigan, but they're usually pretty beat looking.

[@Evolution8R]

Subie's first dip into the world market, Justy, XT be gone....no more weird, do mainstream cars. haha

[@01FozzyS]

Oh to find one of these today and do some McRae tribute car.

[@Hyperduel1]

Watching this while waiting on my new 2023 Legacy from the factory😮

[@mattm7252]

The start of the LGT. Definitely a handsome and understated machine.

[@peterjamieson2441]

And many Subarus have been in the garage of many enthusiasts ever since 😊

[@sannissansanjuan5074]

If this was a Galant VR4 vs Legacy Turbo, The Galant VR4 win by a Mile

[@cartwheels4amile]

In the US, for sure. Subaru’s US-only ej22t was significantly down on power compared to the ej20g twin cam intercooled engine these Legacies got overseas

[@abflugz]

compare it with the japanese RS, ej20g, the ej22t was heavier, single cam and less powerful

[@PhillyDee215]

Throwback😎

[@Anderson-ky6ps]

É muito agradável 😍👍