18 Jul 05
In its bid to take on the 3-Series, A4, C-Class, IS and so on, Subaru has given the Legacy bolder projector-style headlights, a wider body to give a more muscular look, and more aggressively-curved panels, plus larger twin exhaust tailpipes, larger wheels and tyres on most models, and modern door mirrors with integrated indicators. Interior space has been improved, there is more scope for adjustment of the front seats, and new materials have been used for the dashboard, door trim, roof lining and other interior details; the interior is rather characterless and undistinguished, but at least it's plain and simple, and less dated-looking than before. Under the surface, a new exhaust system is more efficient and quieter, extra strengthening has improved body rigidity, and the use of aluminium components in the suspension and an aluminium bonnet, plus lighter-weight steel panels, have contributed to a 55kg weight saving in most models. Suspension has been strengthened, too.
The net result is a Legacy that handles better than ever - though it's always been a good drive - and one that is ever more agile, responsive and neat to manoeuvre. The full-time four-wheel drive system, which divides power between the front and rear axles, splits torque to send most to the axle with most grip when it gets slippery, and the limited-slip differential divides torque between the rear wheels. It's a simple but effective system, and under normal driving conditions, it is set up to be rear-biased, to give the feeling of a driver-focussed rear-wheel drive car. In combination with the revised chassis, it produces a car which certainly makes the A4, Passat and C-Class feel stodgy, and which, although a very different proposition to the 3-Series or, for example, Alfa 156/new 159, deserves to be similarly ranked as a keen driver's choice.
