Subaru Legacy (2004-) Review

On the road

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Subaru has improved the Legacy's ergonomics considerably; the controls and displays are better laid-out, the more forward-slanted windscreen and larger glazed areas improve all-round vision, and the driving position is less cramped. Steering feedback is good, and the uprated brakes bite smoothly and progressively; the full-time four-wheel drive gives excellent security and traction. Even in very wet, slippery conditions, the Legacy feels sure-footed, and you'd have to be outrageously over-ambitious or incompetent to provoke a spin. For a large, wide car, it is extremely manoeuvrable round tiny, tight, twisty roads, and it is absolutely stable for high-speed autobahn cruising, too.

The pre-2004 Legacy may have felt dated, but there was something inexplicably 'right' about the way it drove. This model feels slightly more remote, but it's responsive and intuitive nonetheless. The steering is well-weighted, without the horrid artificial feeling of most modern electrically-controlled steer-by-wire set-ups - Subaru is sticking with a hydraulic power-assistance system, though the 2006 cars do gain a 'drive-by-wire' electronic throttle. The new suspension is agile, grip is improved and the lower centre of gravity is obvious, even on Outback models, which now have far less body roll. Hardcore petrolheads may argue that rear-wheel drive is still the way to go, but if you're not up for "getting the back end out" at every corner, or powersliding your way to work in the morning, then a Legacy is plenty fun enough for the rest of us.

For 2006, the 2.0 and 3.0 engines are mounted lower still in the engine bay, making the drivetrain straighter and improving refinement, but also lowering the Legacy's centre of gravity further. Wider track (the distance between each pair of wheels) at both axles also helps cornering, reducing body roll and giving even sharper turn-in. There's also been strengthening to the suspension and 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.

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.

The closer-ratio five-speed manual gearbox on the latest 2.0 tested felt tight and a little awkward, but like the engines, Subaru gearboxes tend to need to warm up as well. One gearbox unlikely to get any better with time, however, is the 3.0R's auto: this isn't the quickest-acting auto around, it seems to sap power and the manually-selectable sequential shifts don't add much to the experience, unless you really push it in Sport mode. Still, the 3.0R is the kind of car much better suited to manual transmission anyway, and that six-speed manual gearbox isn't bad at all; previous 3.0Rs we've driven with this have been blisteringly fast (see separate driving impressions story for more on this).

An earlier version of the 3.0-litre 'boxer' powered Subaru that we drove felt slower than it should have given an engine of this displacement. But as mentioned above, Subaru engines do tend to need a few thousand miles to loosen up - 3000km to get 90 percent of full engine power and torque and 10,000km to get 100 percent, said one Japanese engineer. Having driven a more run-in example of the 3.0-litre engine - with nearly 5000km on the odometer - we found the quoted 245bhp output much easier to believe, with improved low- and mid-range flexibility compared to the earlier, much lower mileage version tested at the 2004 launch. Likewise, the five-speed auto gearbox behaved more consistently, with smoothly refined shifts and less hunting around for the right ratio. The Outback's 2.5-litre unit (now 163bhp) responds vigorously and revs quite freely, too.

The 2.0 engines have always been adequate, though not outstanding. The new 165 bhp 2.0-litre unit is more powerful than the 135 bhp engine it replaces, with its torque output at 138lb ft and peaking lower down the rev range at 3,200rpm; it's a decent improvement, and the closer-ratio gearbox and electronic throttle help acceleration further. Top speed is now up to 133mph and 0-60mph acceleration comes up in 9.2 seconds. With an engine running at full power, the Legacy should be most entertaining, though before it's completely run-in, the lack of low- and mid-range flexibility is a bit limiting for all-out behaviour.

And then there's the diesel; see separate story for more on this, but this strong, smooth and quick 150bhp engine really does give the nearest to a petrol-engine driving experience of any diesel we've yet driven.