Diesel Subaru Legacy driven

Introduction

Subaru has enjoyed a loyal following for years and its Legacy Estate has been at the core of this devotion. However, even the die-hards had begun to question the lack of a diesel in Subaru's family car line-up, so the new Boxer Diesel has not arrived a moment too soon. Coming late to a class packed with talented cars and sophisticated diesels, Subaru's world first flat-four turbodiesel needs to be very good to stand a chance among such exalted company.

What are its rivals?

You cannot discuss the family estate sector without mentioning the Ford Mondeo, which comes with a spread of decent 1.8- and 2.0-litre turbodiesels. It's also one of the most practical wagons on the market and poses a stern test for the Subaru even if it doesn't have the Japanese car's four-wheel drive. The VW Passat has the option of a diesel-powered four-wheel drive model, though it has a steeper entry price than the Legacy Boxer Diesel. Still, the Passat is a classy machine that appeals to both private and company buyers alike, which the Subaru needs to do to be a sales success. Then there are the more left-field choices, such as the Saab 9-3 and Volvo V70 wagons, which have a strong fan base among more independently-minded buyers that Subaru must also win over.

How does it drive?

With standard four-wheel drive, there was never any doubt the Legacy Boxer Diesel was going to have the same impressive levels of cornering grip as other models in the range. The steering may fall a little short on communication, but it's light to twirl at town speeds and when parking and is direct enough to make twisty roads easy to negotiate. More importantly for the load-lugging types who will buy a Legacy Estate, the ride comfort is every bit as serene as its petrol siblings, mopping up bump-spattered roads with determined efficiency. Subaru sticks with a five-speed manual gearbox with the Legacy Boxer Diesel instead of most rivals' six-speeders, which means fewer gear changes, but also means the engine can take a little longer than is desired to pull the car up to the required rate of knots. However, the engine is happy to haul at the national speed limit, regardless of how many people or how much luggage is crammed in.

What's impressive?

Easily the most impressive aspect of the Legacy Boxer Diesel is its refinement and that counts for a lot with a car likely to be used by company drivers to rack up big mileages. The engine revs up freely when working its way through lower gears and the rev counter is north of 2000rpm, yet there's barely any evidence this engine uses diesel fuel. There's no gruffness or diesel rattle and you could easily mistake its off-beat thrum for one of Subaru's petrol flat-four engines. The engine also produces admirably low carbon dioxide emissions to make it attractive to business users, while the 49.6mpg combined consumption is good.

What's not?

The Legacy is ageing gracefully in most areas and will make a smooth transition to an all-new model in 2009, but there is one place where it now lags behind the best in class: rear seat space. With an average-sized adult installed up front, there's little room for a similar-sized adult to get comfy in the rear seat. Headroom is not an issue in the Legacy Estate unless you choose the optional sunroof that robs the ceiling of vital millimetres, but the rear bench is too narrow to accommodate three children comfortably, never mind a trio of adults.

Should I buy one?

The Subaru Legacy has a loyal band of followers and the Boxer Diesel will certainly keep them in the Subaru fold as pump prices rise ever higher. This new engine also takes Subaru much further into company car territory than it's been before and is well worth a look for anyone, private or business user, if they need a practical estate with decent economy, low emissions and the added advantage of four-wheel drive. It's also likely to exceed strong residual values of the petrol-fuelled Legacy models and Subaru has priced the Legacy Boxer Diesel competitively for an all-wheel drive model. Then there's the superb refinement of the world's first flat-four turbodiesel that makes it an attractive package, even if it is late to the party.

Alisdair Suttie

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