My first Liberty was a:
2008 MY08 Subaru Liberty 2.5i Limited Edition (DVD / Bluetooth / SatNav)
Steel Silver
Owned: November 2011, 63,000km - September 2013, 83,000km
Engine/Suspension/Handling:
K&N Panel Filter
DBA Slotted Front Rotors
DBA OEM Replacement Rear Rotors, General CT Pads
Interior:
Scuff Plates
Steering Wheel Controls
Rubber Boot Mat
Underseat Sub
Side Cargo Nets
Carpet Mats
AUX Port
Exterior:
35% Tint
Black & White Number Plates
Front Lip (PU)
Thule Subaru Roof Racks
Thule Bike Rack
Rallye Headlight Globes
Headlight Protectors
Chrome indicator globes
Story:
Really liked this car. When I was thinking about buying it, I was tossing up between a 2.5i and a 3.0R (but a pre-facelift). I really like the post facelifted models a fair bit more and was pretty keen to save a bit of fuel. My previous car was a BA Falcon (dual fuel) so it was pretty cheap to run and maintain. I was a little worried about the 6 month servicing costs that a Subaru would have and also that parts would be more expensive, etc. So, I went for the 2.5i.
Whilst I didn't mind the power that it produced, ultimately that's the reason why I wanted to change it. The car was in pretty good condition but it needed the timing belt done, so I decided that it was time to change over to something with a bit more power - the 3.0R Spec B.
Whilst I still had my car, I did want to sell it before I got a new one. I did drive a 3.0R Spec B which pretty much fit the bill - in my price range, reasonable km, silver and around the same age. I would have bought it had my car been sold at this point in time, but it wasn't, so I didn't. When I did eventually sell my car, not many that appealed to me were around. I drove a couple of Spec.B's, and they were nice and I was still pretty well set on getting one. I found a used one at Subaru but the condition wasn't the greatest. I thought if Subaru could fix up a couple of the issues with it, I'd be happy enough. I offered to buy it a couple of times but they were pretty stubborn and just rejected my offer without even negotiating, so I walked away both times. Third time I went there, I was set on buying it. I thought I'd take it for another drive and just make sure. However, I noticed even more issues that third time and took any offer I had off the table.
I stopped at another Subaru dealership on the way home, knowing they had a GT. It was blue, but I thought what they heck, I'll give it a drive and see what its like. I'd never taken a turbo car for a drive before besides a Golf Diesel.
It probably took around 5 minutes into the test drive to feel that the GT was the car I was now after. Much preferred the power delivery than the 3.0 and felt like the fuel consumption would be better in suburbia than a 3.0. In my opinion, the 3.0 goes like a rocket when you kick down, but lower down you can feel the extra weight a bit. The 2.5 turbo feels a little bit more nimble and suits my driving style a bit more in that I live in the suburbs and start stop from time to time. So, it's got the 2.5 efficiency, to a certain degree, but also the thrill of the 3.0 when need be.
Cut a long story short, Subaru got in contact with me the last day of the month saying that I could have it for a certain price. I'd already put a deposit down on a GT Spec B earlier that week (in Diamond Gray), but I decided to go with the GT instead, saving a bit of cash and, to a lesser extent, having softer suspension I felt was a plus. The Bilsteins are nice, but a little bit too harsh and I wasn't sure of what sort of money I'd be throwing around softening it up a bit. The Spec B hadn't been serviced for 13 months too even though it did only 6,000km in that time. But, it was a little off putting anyway.
So, I end up with a blue car, which definitely wasn't my first choice. I love driving it though (in the 5 or so days I've owned it) and will probably warm to the colour. I call it The Cookie Monster which adds 5kw ATW. Subaru will do the timing belt service for me, tyres are relatively new and rego is done for the year (which all helps) and I'm happy with the price I got it for. Loving the leather, sunroof, SI-Drive, paddles and McIntosh and of course looking out onto the scoop has a nice feel.
The GT and 3.0 (and Spec B varients) feel quite different to the standard 2.5 - especially the Spec B. They feel so much more solid and capable, at least in my experience. Oh, and I can't get over how quiet the GT is, engine wise, compared to the 2.5i.
So, my 'new' car is:
2006 MY07 Subaru Liberty GT Premium
Newport Blue
Owned: October 2013, 115800km -
Engine/Suspension/Handling:
RDA Rear Rotors with Bendix General CT pads
AVO HD Mounts
22mm Adjustable Whiteline Sway Bar (Rear)
TBSTi Mufflers
Interior:
Rubber Boot Mat
Side Cargo Nets
Carpet Mats
Belkin CarAudio Connect AUX / Bluetooth
Subaru Genuine AUX Cable
LED map, dome and boot lights
Subaru Sat Nav
DAMD Steering Wheel
Dynamat rear parcel shelf + front doors
Exterior:
Black and white number plates
STi Front Lip
STi Bootlip Spoiler
Thule Subaru Roof Racks
Thule Bike Rack
Armor All Custom Shield Front Grille
Spec B 18" Alloys
Open to suggestions on what some good, cheapish mods are for the GT without going overboard.
Thanks for reading!
. Left a zero off the end. 
.
