Legacy

Vehicle: 2010 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT
Price as tested: CDN$38395

Performance: Subaru’s latest offering in the mid-size sedan comes in 3 flavours. The base 2.5 liter flat-4 that comes with 170hp up to flagship flat-6 3.6 liter with 256hp. In between the 2, its the highlight of our test drive. The new Legacy with DOHC 2.5 liter flat-4 and a turbocharger. With the addition of a turbocharger and a double overhead instead of single overhead cam, this Legacy has 265 ponies and 247 lb/ft of torque, which is 9 more horses and 11 more lb/ft of torque than the equivalent 6. In the other trim level, Legacy is finally available with what Subaru called Lineartronic CVT gearbox. However, on our GT tester. It only comes standard with a 6-speed manual gearbox. What is really surprise us, is the latest Legacy’s manaul gearbox has surprisingly long throw compares to Subaru of the past. While the clutch is light and progressive, the manual gearbox doesn’t have the defined gates and smooth shift as we used to be. On the other hand, Subaru’s known horizontally opposed turbo 4-cylinder engine is a smooth operator. Its also completely lack of any turbo lag. The turbo starts to spools up whenever driver nails the throttle. It is also willing in the mid and upper range without feeling any breathless. Subaru flat-4′s distinctive engine note remains intact with the latest Legacy.

Handling: Its always hard to fault Subaru’s driving experience. As it all begins with a solid and stiff chassis, which is completely free of any cracks and rattles. The latest Legacy has taken this one step forward. New Legacy’s chassis rigidty is on par with anything from Germany. Add to Subaru’s famed assymertrical AWD system and a sports suspension in our latest GT, this Legacy is a very capable sports sedan. Not only does the AWD system works exceptionally well in all kinds of weather, its also a proactive system that is seamless in its operation. It also works with Subaru’s VDC as the 1st level of security. The vehicle dynamic control won’t step in unnecessarily until the AWD works its worth. That means the VDC will always remain uninstrusive and allow driver to have some oversteer before actually steps in. Add Subaru’s hallmark steering feel and feedback, which as always, provide excellent roadfeel and ultra precise. Along with acceptable amount of body rolls and understeer, you get a very satisfying dynamic package. Last but not least, Legacy turbo has a supple yet controlled ride which is both comfortable and offer excellent body motion control.

Brakes: With 4-wheel discs and standard ABS, the latest Legacy has stopped accordingly. The stopping distance is short while pedal feel sure-footness and confidence-inspiring. Unlike Subaru of the past, the latest Legacy’s pedal has some lives to it. The Brake Assist doesn’t grab driver’s right leg as much as many of its rival’s systems do. ABS, on the other hand, only steps in whenever its necessary.

Interior: Subaru interiors used to have some weird design with quirky materials. The latest Legacy has finished exceptionally well. Not only does everything else has placed ergonomically, they are user-friendly as well. The automatic climate control placed below the stereo for better access. All the controls are large enough to operate with glove hands in the winter. The instrumentation gauges are clear and analog. The leather seats are well-foamed, comfortable and made with high-quality leather hides. In terms of plastic materials, the latest Legacy uses all the top-notch materials. That means there are plenty of soft-touch plastic around the dashboard and door panels.

The rear seat is equally spacious, as there are plenty of space for 3 passengers aboard.

When it comes to trunk space, the new Legacy has scored well with uninstrusive trunk hinges. Unlike some old school poppy leaver hinges, this kind of hinges won’t crashed into the eggs and vegetables you put in the trunk. While the liftover is high, the side cut-off is pretty well. That’s despite the trunk opening is pretty narrow. With the 60/40 split fold-down rear seats, the latest Legacy is a very versatile sports sedan.

Conclusion: The new Legacy has signalled Subaru’s transformation from a quirky manufacturer to mainstream manufacturer is about to complete. As the Legacy has everything to complete with all the mainstreamers, along with the benefit of Subaru’s famed assymetrical AWD and great driving dynamics. But it doesn’t mean this transformation is all good. As the 4th generation Legacy doesn’t have any wagon offering on this side of the earth, since Subaru thinks those who purchase a Legacy wagon would opt for the Outback. Not a smart move given how loyal Legacy wagon owners tend to be.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2010 Subaru Legacy
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Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 5/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4.5/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 4.5/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 3/5
Value-for-money: 4.5/5

Overall rating: 4.25/5

Vehicle: 2007 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT Spec-B
Price as tested: CDN$44995

Performance: The biggest highlight to Spec-B, other than the Bilstein performance shocks, is the advance of Subaru’s SI-Drive. This SI-Drive has a desired effect when set it into “sport sharp” mode. This flat-4 turbocharged engine is more energetic at around 2500rpm when pushed, while the exhaust note has a solid rumble sound that is more in tuned with Spec-B’s sporty character. The “sport” mode is a more sporty mode than the economy-oriented “intelligent” mode which provides more gentle throttle response, as well as a nifty green light to give driver notice on upshifting. This design encouarges the driver to keep in the most economical rpm. Everything else this SI-Drive is connected to Legacy’s electronic throttle. By moving the I-Drive esque knob in the center console, driver can choose between “light”, “mild” and “spicy”. Back to the 243 hp flat-4 turbocharged 16-valver. This unit is as impressive as ever, as it doesn’t have any turbo lag with distinctive horizontally opposed engine note. The 6-speed unit, which is exclusive to Spec-B, has nicely set-up ratios and decent clutch.

Handling: The Spec-B stands for Bilstein performance shocks. The same set of shocks already gone into the impressive WRX STi rocketship. Given LGT’s already impressive ride and handling compromise, all these shocks have given it a flatter cornering ability. Along with Subaru’s well-renowed symmetrical AWD and low center of gravity, thanks to its flat engine configuration. Its handling dynamics can easily be mistaken as a sports car. Even if it does handle like a sports car, its ride quality is supple and firm without losing the comfort of a family car. On the other hand, Spec-B’s VDC is an uninstrusive type. It only kicks in to save during nasty situations.

Brakes: 4-wheel discs with standard ABS have provide excellent pedal feel. Spec-B has the best pedal feel in Subaru history, second only to the STi. The pedal is firm and linear, without all the mushiness typical of Subaru in the past.

Interior: The biggest difference between standard LGT and Spec-B is the use of “Alcantara” in the center portion of its leather sports seats. Its more supportive and grippy when flying through corners. Other than that, its the usual Legacy interior. Once again, Legacy’s interior has always been considered as Subaru’s best efforts.

Performance aside, the biggest improvement to Spec-B is the addition of 60/40 split fold-down rear seats. You finally can have both fun and practicality if one is looking to buy a performance Legacy sedan.

Conclusion: With the introduction of Spec-B, Subaru finally has a car that can run with any German top-tier sports sedans. It has a great engine, wonderful handling dynamics and, finally, practicality to boost the whole package. Those who are looking to buy an STi with less “boy racer” image can have something more understated to haul their whole family. If Subaru is going to make a Spec-B with wagon bodystyle, its going to be close to perfect. However, there is another issue that Spec-B is never going to be perfect. And that is price. Even if Spec-B has 243 horses and top-notch AWD to run with the best of European AWD sedans (A4 2.0T Quattro/328Xi particularly), Subaru just doesn’t have the cachet to charge such a premium. In short, its really a pity!

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2007 SUBARU LEGACY SPEC-B
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Performance: 5/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 5/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4.5/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 4/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 4/5
Value-for-money: 2/5

Overall rating: 4/5

Subaru Legacy 2.5i short review
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Price as tested: CDN$28995

Just like its 2.5GT silibing, 2.5i has both sedan and wagon available. With 168hp and 166 lb/ft of torque, this engine is more than adequate for most daily driving. Its a surprisingly flexible and refine engine considered its nature, which is to serve as a safe daily driver for those who don’t need to extra performance of a GT. Dynamically, it handles as well as GT through corners.

Even though the 2.5i tester I drove is the base model, which means it doesn’t have leather seats and auto climate control. It still has the high-quality, tactical feel of all Legacies. Everything inside has a substantial feel that lacks in Subarus of the old days.

If you are looking for a family sedan that comes with sporty intentions and AWD without too much horsepower, 2.5i should be a worthy contender especially in base form. Its also a more competitive car in Legacy product range given its better pricing scheme over the high-performance model.

Overall rating: 4.5/5

Vehicle: 2005 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT Limited sedan with 5-speed Sportshift
Priced as tested: CDN$37495

Performance: The biggest highlight of new Legacy GT has to be its engine. The 2.5L horizontally opposed 4 cylinder DOHC 16-valver is basically a detuned version of STi’s awesome powerplant. With 250 horses and lb/ft, power has never been an issue. There are tons of low-end torque and its willing to rev through the rev range. It also doesn’t have obvious turbo lag for smoother power delivery. Throttle response is exceptional. Its surprisingly quiet and refined for a family sedan with sporty intentions, given this engine shares with a rocketship. On the other hand, the 5-speed Sportshift allows you to shift pass redline when driven enthuisastically. There is one drawback, however, is its relatively lazy to upshifts in auto mode. Other than that, its a very good system that is smooth and downright responsive when needed. All you need is to rev for upshifting if you are too lazy to use manumatic mode.

Handling: Legacy begins with a great chassis that is stiff and lack of flex, along with Subaru’s proven assymertrical AWD and you got an extremely balanced car in twisties. The steering has great feedback and responsiveness, its also surprisingly precise. There is a slight amount of understeer and body rolls when pushed through corners. As I have experienced in an autocross track, its a very agile and dynamic car that shines itself through the pylons. The suspension is firm for aggressive driving without sacificing the ride comfort. Thanks to the right amount of suspension stiffness and spring damping, Legacy probably has the best ride/handling balance in the Japanese mid-size family sedan segment. However, the tires are not as capable as chassis itself when pushed. If I happen to buy this car, the first thing to do is to ditch the tires.

Brakes: With 4-channel, 4-sensor ABS and all wheel discs. The pedal feel and moduation are excellent. It also got great pedal effort when needed. Upon trying a few hard stops from 80 km/h, its stops are short and straight without any serious fades.

Interior: Inside the Limited tester, it all comes in one way which is loaded. It got a nice sets of leather sports seats, clear analog instrumentation gauges and climate control/stereo knobs large enough for human beings. There are also plenty of head and legroom at the backseat. The use of materials and build quality are remarkable improvements over its predecessor. There are plenty of soft-touch plastic and textures that make it feels like an upscale car. However, there are 2 large drawbacks in this Legacy. Firstly, the leather seats feel slippery and texture feel more vinyl than a leather. Secondly, the lack of 40/60 split fold-down rear seats really kill the practicality equation although it got a ski pass through.

Conclusion: This generation has to be the most revolutionary of all the Legacies ever made. It finally got the performance and interior it deserves. With the turbo engine, you can view it as a toned-down, less boy-racer like and more gentle STi for the family. It also has better performance than most V6 family sedans and entry-level premium luxury sports sedans. On a contrary, here lies the problems. While many people who are looking for a family sedan is not looking for rocket-like performance, those who are shopping for a premium sports sedan think Subaru has charged its price tag too much due to the lack of cachet. The 38 grand Legacy GT could repeat the history of the underappreciated SVX sports coupe a decade ago if Subaru doesn’t price the GT right in between a loaded Altima/Camry/6/ Accord V6 and A4 Quattro 1.8T/C240 4Matic/325Xi. Or, better yet, offer H6 3.0 from the Outback wagon as an optional engine that could appeal more to the “appliance” public who are shopping at Accord and Camry.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2005 SUBARU LEGACY 2.5GT LIMITED SEDAN
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Performance: 5/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 4.75/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4.5/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 4.5/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 3/5
Value-for-money: 2/5

Overall rating: 4/5

Vehicle: 2003 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT Limited Edition with 4-speed manumatic

Performance: Sharing the same 165hp and 166 lb/ft 2.5 H4 as Impreza, Outback and Forester. The Legacy GT responds decently with its 4-speed manumatic tranny. Although it can’t describle the 2.5 as a breathtaking performer, this engine is more than adequate for daily driving. The 4-speed auto has one drawback that makes the 2.5 feels legthegic between gears. This tranny is lazy to upshift. The fuzzy logic system doesn’t learn the throttle too well when combine with this engine. Subaru should stay with Forester’s tranny programming with the Legacy. On the other hand, the manual mode responds decently despite its doesn’t respond briskly. Because of Legacy’s weight, the lazy tranny makes the whole car feels somewhat sluggish when you want aggressive acceleration. Subaru has done a much better job with Forester’s unit than this one.

Handling: One of the best attributes with all Subarus is the driving dynamics. Combine one of the world’s best AWD and a stiff chassis, along with a sports-tuned suspension. Legacy provides a lot of fun through corners. All attributes of Subaru can easily find in this Legacy. Plenty of road feel through the steering, AWD reacts as it should be and the chassis reacts swiftly to driver control. The driver communication is close to the top of the family sedan segment even the current Legacy is nearly the end of the life cycle. On the other hand, due to the “just adequate” 2.5 H4 engine and legthegic auto tranny. This car feels underengined because of such a docile chassis. Give it a turbo 4 (we want a B4 RSK ), Legacy’s driving experience is able to take on any famed AWD German sports sedan.

Brakes: Unlike the Legacy I have driven before, this engine has solved the soft pedal feel. The pedal feels solid and responsive.

Interior: As with any Subaru, the driving position is ideal in this Legacy. All the seats are comfortable and all the controls are logically placed. The interior build quality is close to the top of the family sedan class. That’s except for the faux wood trim that looks very plastic, as well as the leather that feels plastic on hand.

Conclusion: Although you can opt for a V6 Accord, Camry and Altima with the price of a limited edition 2.5GT, Legacy remains a “different kind of family sedan”. The combination of balanced handling, very responsive chassis, one of the finest AWD system and boxer engine that has distinctive sound is quite an attractive package. If only Subaru is willing to give us a B4 and a reprogrammed auto tranny that has quicker upshift…….

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2003 SUBARU LEGACY 2.5GT LE PREMIUM SEDAN
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Performance: 2.25/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 4.5/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4/5
Build quality/fit-and-finish/attention-to-details: 4.75/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 4/5
Value-for-money: 3.75/5

Overall rating: 4.25/5