Subaru LEGACY RANGE
Subarus Legacy Usually Found Itself Filed Under The Speciality Interest Section. Quirky And Patchy In Its Talents, It Never Had The Polish To Mix It With The True Big Hitters. That May Well Change With The Introduction Of The Latest Generation Models. Andy Enright Reports
In the past, I have to admit that the
Subaru Legacy has left me feeling frustrated. Were talking after all, of a manufacturer often close to genius. A maker whose people intimately understand chassis engineering. A maker with the skill to create wonderfully characterful engines.
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A maker who has cracked the reliability issue more effectively than any other rival. Against that, previous Legacy models have featured exterior styling and dowdy interiors designed only to endear them to the most stolidly practical. Mate all that fantastic running gear to a little artistry in design and youd surely have a winning combination. With the latest generation model, the yen has at last dropped, leaving the critics with less ammunition than ever before.
All the
Subaru trademarks continue. The frameless windows, the boxer engines and the all-wheel drive transmissions are all present and correct, but the big difference is that the Legacy is at last a car that your passengers will enjoy as much as you do. I remember once enthusing about a Legacy estates cornering prowess while at the same time spotting my wifes barely concealed disdain for a cupholder that grated cheaply from its aperture. There will certainly be no such issue with the latest car.
Subaru have poached Andreas Zapatinas from
Alfa Romeo and theyve snagged a very capable designer. Encouraged by recent part-shareholder General Motors, Subaru now seem to have a little more integration between their engineering and design departments. The latest Legacy is at last the car that most car nuts wish it always had been. The styling has been sharpened up, excised of all the fussy detailing and gawky lines.
The basic silhouette still shouts Subaru, but the deftness of detail in the headlamps, the swage lines and the perceived tension in the body is something that has eluded the crayon-wielders at Subaru to date. Everything is just that little bit neater. The mirrors house Mercedes style side repeaters, the wheelarches bulge gently out, topped by a pronounced hip. The roof pillars are elegantly slim and the wheels do a better job of filling the arches.
One can almost imagine Zapatinas taking a red pen to blueprints of the old car.
"The latest Legacy is at last the car that most car nuts wish it always had been "
If you think that the exterior lines have been sharpened up, just wait until you drop into the cabin. Although its probably too much to expect
Audi or
BMW style at the first strike, the fascia is one of the better designs out there. Gone are the acres of brittle grey plastics, flimsy cupholders, scratchy fabrics and uninspiring dials. In its place is a dashboard of sleekly industrial metallic finish, overlapping aluminium-ringed dials, soft-touch surfaces and rubber and felt-lined door pockets and cubbies.
Despite only featuring height adjustment for the steering column, its an easy cockpit to get comfortable in. Head and legroom are generous up front and the seats are reassuringly supportive. This is a Subaru, remember. Access to the rear isnt the best, the wheelarch making the door shape a little awkward, plus theres a big transmission tunnel marring foot space for a third central passenger.
The estate version boats better headroom but the penalty for the saloons swooping lines is rear headroom thats a little restricted for the taller passenger. Consolation comes in the form of one of the most accommodating boots in the class. The load area is usefully free of intrusions, is fully carpeted and the estate version features a split rear
seat and a very long and flat load area. Theres a choice of three petrol engines starting with a 140bhp 2.
0-litre flat four, a 165bhp 2.5-litre version and an exotic 250bhp 3.0-litre flat-six engine topping out the range. The 3.
0-litre model features a quicker steering system and stiffer springing, making it a departure from the lazy cruisers that topped the range in the past. The standard 3.0R is an automatic only model but the enhanced spec.B version has a manual gearbox and various specification enhancements.
This is a car aimed at the keen driver. Lined up at the Japanese launch were a number of domestic market only 286bhp turbocharged cars, recognisable by their gaping bonnet scoops and big wheels, but here in Blighty it may take a couple of years before this particular model can be certified for European emissions regulations. The Outback estate continues, powered by the two more powerful engines. Tweaks to the suspension geometry and componentry make the latest car an even more accomplished handler than its predecessor and due in no small part to a significant weight loss plan the cars are, model for model, a good deal quicker too.
The price for this dynamic focus is a slightly firmer ride but its doubtful too many UK enthusiasts will mind. Think of it as a scaled up Impreza and youre not too far off beam. Its fascinating to consider what customers Subaru is chasing with the latest Legacy. Theyll appreciate keen styling and quality detailing and will want to choose something thats a little cerebral and not something the next-door neighbours have parked on their drive.
Factor in an illustrious rally heritage and the lateral thinking of a smallish company backed up by big corporation dollars and you have...
Saab.
Also part of the General Motors empire, Saabs 9-3 seems like a natural rival for the Legacy and its tricky to see how they wont cannibalise sales from each other. Both are very good cars. The objective view says that the Legacy is just plain better.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Subaru Legacy range
PRICES: from £17,350-£27,900 on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 11E-15E
CO2 EMISSIONS: 182-234 g/km
PERFORMANCE: [2.5] 0-60mph 8.9s / Max Speed 133mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [2.5] (Combined) 34mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags / ABS with EBD / Seatbelt pretensioners.
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 4665/1730/1425
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