Peerless powerful performer
There’s a lot said about the quietness and refinement of Toyota cars, and in particular the Camry that’s usually a year-in-and-out chart-topper. Well, it has nothing over the Subaru Legacy.
In fact, it falls short on a couple of points. The main one is the availability of all-wheel drive (except for a brief stint in its second generation, Camry doesn’t have it; Legacy hasn’t not had it since its intro in 1990) and the second is the wagon bodystyle — Camry had one from 1987 to 1997 (and to 2001 in markets outside North America), whereas Legacy has always offered one.
Legacy was originally offered in front-wheel-drive models as well as the all-wheel-drive, but became strictly an all-wheel-drive model in 2000. From the start it has used a horizontally opposed engine (originally a four, with a six-cylinder joining in 2002).
The boxer engine provides compact packaging (for a sleeker hood) and uprated power outputs (170 hp and 170 lb.-ft. of torque, compared to the Camry’s 158/161). The Honda Accord’s four-cylinder engine makes seven more horses, but still falls short on torque at 161.
The Legacy engine sounds powerful under throttle, and there’s no matching its natural balance. The trade-off is fuel economy — rated at over a litre worse for every 100 km of city or highway driving than that of Camry.
Our test wagon was the GT version that makes torque nearly equal to that of the competitors’ V6s — 243 lb.-ft. in Legacy vs. the Camry’s and Accord’s 248, though at a slightly more usable 3,600 rpm. Fuel economy still can’t match the others in city driving, although it is closer to them on the highway.
The result of all this configurating and massaging is a powerful four-cylinder engine that will move the wagon along smartly in just about any driving situation. It’s quick from a standstill, and quick at speed, responding extremely well to the driver’s right foot. That’s mostly due to SI-Drive (for Subaru Intelligence) that allows the driver to choose between three settings (I-intelligent, S-sport and S#-sport sharp) by manipulating a large knob behind the transmission lever.
In addition to altering transmission shift points as do most Sport/Economy switches, SI-Drive also plays with throttle response changing from laidback in I mode (ideal for stop-and-go traffic so the car doesn’t leap forward when you step on the accelerator) to hair-trigger in S# (I’m sure there’s a time when it would help to have that kind of instant response at the will or your right foot, but I can’t for the life of me think of one).
The ride is equal to the best, smoothest rides on today’s streets. Broken pavement is swallowed up with the skill of an airbag absorbing a falling stuntman, only considerably more quickly and with the ability to do it over and over in the course of a couple seconds.
Inside the cabin, occupants are met with quiet and calm. The seat cushions are actually fairly flat but they have just the right amount of upward sweep to gently support thighs for comfortable and natural knee-bending, which comes in handy in the excessively tight rear seat.
Frameless windows are ready-made for creating wind whistles around occupants’ heads, but apparently good seals keep them out. The large glass roof would likely also let through a fair amount of wind noise, but it does a good insulating job as well. Overall, we can’t really say that the Camry is any quieter, though we’d probably be comparing a few decibels the human ear can’t really discern.
Flipping down the rear seats creates a large cargo area that’s not quite flat to the rear bumper, and the rear headrests have to find a home when the seatback goes down. Of interest is a soft-plastic liner for the cargo area, which makes it easy to pull out and dust or spray clean. If you choose to not have things sliding about on the plastic, you can always put it away somewhere in the garage and make do with the carpeted cargo floor.
As you can tell, there are a lot of neat things to like about the Subaru Legacy. Price isn’t one of them.
Although Legacy starts reasonably at less than $27,000 (only $1,000 or so pricier than its rivals), the price climbs to more than $43,000 for our GT wagon (which is some $6,000 more than the most expensive Camry).
Fact File
2008 Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT Wagon
As tested, before tax: $43,295
Configuration: front engine/all-wheel drive
Engine/Transmission: 2.5L H4/5-speed automatic with sequential shift
Horsepower: 243 @ 6,000 rpm
Torque: 241 lb.-ft. @ 3,600 rpm
Options: Automatic transmission ($1,500)
Freight: $1,495
Fuel required: 64 litres, premium
EnerGuide fuel ratings (L/100 km): 10.9 city; 8.1 hwy.
Observed fuel economy: 10.6 L/100 km combined over 761 km
Warranty: 3 years/60,000 km
Competition: Audi A4 Avant, Chevrolet Malibu Maxx, Saab 9-3 SportCombi, VW Passat wagon
Strengths: Smooth and powerful engine, quiet and comfortable interior, upscale looks
Weaknesses: Fuel economy, tight rear seat, crowded steering wheel
MSRP range: $27,995 - $41,795
Engines available: 2.5L H4 (170 hp/170 lb.-ft.); higher output 2.5L H4 (243/241)
Transmissions available: 5-spd manual; 4-spd auto; 5-spd auto with sequential shift
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