The Legacy is one of Subaru's most popular models. It offers a combination of price, economy, safety and sure-footedness found in no other car of its class. Subaru's popularity has always been high in states that see heavy snows and fierce rain, but as the four-wheel-drive craze has run amuck in the U.S., the proven all-wheel-drive Subaru has quickly become a mainstream item on the American automobile menu.
Last year's Legacy model was nothing to sneeze at. With a variety of trims and options, the 2004 Legacy sedan and wagon were well-built, attractive and comfortable daily drivers. To improve Legacy models, the only way for Subaru to go was up — in size, power and prestige.
For 2005, the Legacy continues to be offered in three trims: 2.5i, 2.5 Limited and 2.5 GT. The new styling is reminiscent of that found on the WRX, which should go a long way toward getting younger buyers with kids to trade up. While the 2.5i and Limited continue to draw strength from the normally-aspirated 165-horsepower 2.5-liter engine, the GT gets a real kick in the pants by adding an intercooled/turbocharged engine that makes a whopping 250 horsepower.
Like the 2.5i and Limited, the GT comes standard with Subaru's Symmetrical All-Wheel-Drive technology. Where most AWD systems only come online when drive wheels begin to slip, the Subaru system is permanently engaged; this design allows the engine's torque to be split between the front and rear wheels. Manual models employ a mechanical viscous-coupling system that creates a 50/50 split front to rear, while automatic models employ and more sophisticated electronic setup known as VTD (Variable Torque Distribution). With VTD, the rear wheels receive most of the power allowing better performance driving, but when the system senses road conditions changing, it can vary the torque to the front and rear wheels.
On our GT test model, we found the AWD system worked flawlessly. The GT exhibits all the handling prowess of a rear-drive sport sedan, but is much more capable at controlling oversteer and negotiating sharp curves. The five-speed manual in our test car was not as crisp as that in the WRX, but it felt solid and accurate, with short throws and smooth gate action. The turbrocharged engine is a real screamer, launching quickly from a dead stop and always willing to serve up plenty of passing power. We did notice that at highway cruising speeds, the throttle response seemed a bit sluggish, requiring constant downshifts to get the most of the turbo's power. Braking for both the sedan and wagon is excellent, with big four-wheel disc brakes and ABS that can stop the Legacy on a dime.
Inside the Legacy GT, we were pleasantly surprised by the lack of engine vibration and gear noise. The Boxer engine's horizontally opposed piston setup is partially responsible; the rest of the credit goes to better insulation, a stiffer chassis and improved vibration dampening. On the road, the Legacy feels completely composed, returning excellent steering response and straight-line stability. The GT's ride is not as smooth or luxurious as that of the Limited, as its larger wheels and tires and stiffer suspension allow a bit more of the road into the cabin.
The new interior is highlighted by a handsome new dash and an additional inch of rear seat legroom. While a welcome improvement, the Legacy's rear seating area is still not as generous as that of the Nissan Altima or Toyota Camry. Then again, neither of these cars offer All-Wheel drive. If you need to carry both crew and cargo, we suggest the wagon (big dogs love it, too).
As for the rest of the interior, the Legacy gets a full makeover, with a more sophisticated dash design, a good deal of pewter trim and a cool set of LED gauges whose needles swing to the maximum position and then back to zero upon startup. The new front seats have a good amount of support and their leather coverings are first rate. The GT's standard equipment list is fairly comprehensive, but even the 2.5i comes standard with 16-inch alloy wheels, remote keyless entry, power windows and door locks, front-side impact air bags and even a full-length side airbag curtain. The GT has all this plus perforated heated leather seating, 8-way power driver's seat, automatic climate control, driver and passenger manual lumbar support and a six speaker AM/FM/CD stereo with six-disc in-dash changer.
Among the more noteworthy options is a four-speed SPORTSHIFT automatic transmission that allows the driver to change gears without the need for a clutch pedal. Also on the list are a power sunroof and an upgraded audio system.
