Subaru Legacy, '90'98

In my opinion, short of an actual manufacturer's shop manual, you can't beat a Haynes book for completeness. And, given that they are written for the non-professional, in some ways they are far superior. Based on complete engine tear-down and rebuild, and covering standard repairs and maintainence, I never buy anything else. If you are even reasonably handy, like to save money on basic (or even complex) repairs, this is the book for you.

After having this and a Chilton's manual side by side, the Haynes book wins hands down. There is less ambiguity and more info, tips, tricks, and warnings. Diagrams are clearer. There's still room for improvement, but aside from experience, it seems to be the best option around for keeping yourself out of trouble. ;-)

I have found this book to be a great help in repairing and diagnosing my '97 Subaru Outback. Also, reading through this manual has allowed me to anticipate what I would be getting into before starting a project. This book is definately a great guide for the do-it-yourself Subaru fanatic.

haynes is much better than the chilton for anything more in depth than changing oil and spark plugs. i only had the chilton when i changed my cv boots, and the chilton manual omits a lot of small but important details ie. pins holding the drive shafts on my legacy are inserted into a tapered hole. the holes look the same if you are not watching for this. changing the clutch is also a pain with the chilton book. with the haynes i have been able to do everything from the top end of my supra to replacing my brake system.

I've had Chilton's manuals for other cars I've owned, but Haynes was the first to come out with a Legacy manual. I bought it to learn about my 97 Outback, and I'm extremely happy with it. The pictures are helpful and the instructions are easy to follow. I'm not into doing rehauls or anything like that (which this manual covers), but it's great for doing scheduled maintenance, like changing coolant, oil, transmission and differential fluid, as well as all sorts of filters. I highly recommend this book for all Subaru Legacy owners.