Road Test: 2009 Subaru Legacy Sedan 2.5

Subaru is a quirky Japanese automaker, and the Legacy sedan may be their least quirky car. In the mid-sized segment, it is definitely something different compared to the Mazda6 / Nissan Altima / Honda Accord crowd. It’s not a car that will jump out at you, but if given a chance it’s likely to win fans.

The Legacy model range has a lot of options starting at $26,995 for the PZEV (partial zero emissions vehicle) Sedan with a 2.5L horizontally-opposed boxer four-cylinder, making 170hp and 170 lb-ft of torque. The Legacy’s PZEV package makes changes to the air-intake system, fuel injectors, engine control module and catalytic converter to reduce emissions by 90% over an average new car. Strangely, these components are only available on the base model.

The Legacy 2.5i Touring for $29,495 doesn’t meet Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle standards, even though it has the same engine with the same power output. But you gain a leather wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, a better stereo, a power moon roof, 17-inch alloy wheels instead of 16-inch and a windshield wiper de-icer. But unlike all the other models including the base car, you don’t get LED turn signals integrated into the side mirrors. See, Subaru is kind of quirky.

The next engine is a 3.0L horizontally opposed six-cylinder with 245hp. The range topper is the sport “spec.B” at $41,995 with a turbocharged and intercooled version of the 2.5L 4-cylinder with 243hp. A wagon variant is available with the PZEV or Touring trim for an extra $1,000.

The model I drove was a manual 2.5i Touring Sedan wearing a sparkly “satin white pearl” paint job. With its crisp lines and rather simple surface geometry, the Legacy looks good in white. Add some dark tinted windows and you would have yourself a rather sharp looking car. It is nowhere near as flash as a Mazda6 or even the new Ford Fusion, but it does have a smart look to it.

The interior is similarly simple and utilitarian, but well built with a premium feel to the construction. It is not a roomy car, but it gets extra points for better than average seats. What it lacks in flash, it makes up for by simply being a sturdy, well put together car – and you can feel it. As you probably know, all Subaru’s have full-time all-wheel drive. Combine that with the lower centre of gravity of a flat horizontally opposed engine and a good front/rear weight distribution, and you have a planted and balanced feeling car. It doesn’t feel over-engineered. It’s tough and solidly built rather than laser precise.

The four-banger gives off a hearty engine note when you hit it. It’s no sports sedan, but it handles itself well and is fun to push around. And when you’re in the mood, you can have fun stretching the 2.5’s 170hp more often without fear of accidentally catapulting yourself into the morgue. The 5-speed manual transmission shifts smoothly and has a pleasantly chunky mechanical feel. A 4-speed auto is available for $1,200. Because of the all-wheel drive, it uses a little more fuel than it should for a four-cylinder, but 10.6 L/100km city and 7.5 L/100km highways is livable.

A new 2010 Legacy is set to hit the road in the fall of 2009. The car will be bigger on every axis and will offer more powerful top-end engine choices. Powertrain upgrades will come in the form of a standard 6-speed manual instead of the current 5-speed and a continuously variable transmission (CVT) instead of the 4-speed automatic. In the meantime the ’09 offers surefooted handling and good value in a mid-size package, with a wasabi twist.

Photograph by: Staff, Canadian Auto Press