I wrote this before my first autocross - I'll put up impressions of that later.


Not Your Grandfather s Legacy


Can Subaru do the sport sedan?


Pros: Ride/Handling balance, reliability, AWD, materials quality


Cons: Stock shift knob, e-brake handle, lack of color choices


Short Take: Subaru offers an entertaining and solid choice among midsize sedans, especially in the snow belt.


 


Subaru.


If you are part of the general buying public, you probably think of one of two cars. Either you think of the practical, luxurious, and homely Outback station wagon, or you think of the boy-racer  Oh man lets go really fast  Impreza WRX/STI. Outside of a rabid group of enthusiasts, few have heard of the Subaru Legacy.


They should have.


The 2008 Legacy s refreshed styling is muscular, yet understated; the car features what Subaru calls  European inspired styling.  You could drive this car to work, or you could drive it to a fancy restaurant, either way you won t get snubbed. The refreshed front bumper features an aggressive chin spoiler, a sizeable chrome grille, and revised projector headlights. In profile you can see styling features reminiscent of recent  euro-inspired  cars. It is reminiscent of the last generation E46 3-Series BMW, right down to the 3rd window design. The taillights are now accented with chrome strips and the rear bumper features reflectors to improve visibility in fog, rain, and snow.


Open the door and you ll see that Subaru s trademark frameless windows. Frameless windows allow for a lighter and stronger door design, but it also tends to allow a little more wind noise, and typically makes the door closing sound less solid. Not true in this case   close the doors and you hear a solid thunk, letting you know you have something quality in your hands.


Turn the car on and the gauges make a full sweep, a subtle hint at the performance aspirations of the vehicle. The gauges are simple and legible, with a both the tachometer and the speedometer taking equal precedence. The center console also features a full information display with an external thermometer, real time gas mileage, as well as several other relevant bits of information.


Room is plentiful, even a 6 4  male can fit in the driver s seat in comfort. Thanks to an electronically adjustable 8 way seat and a tilt/telescopic wheel, most drivers should be able to find comfort on long drives. Rear leg room is adequate, easily seating 4 in comfort, and 5 in a pinch.


The interior is a comfortable place to be   as a whole it features impressive materials for a vehicle in this class. Soft touch plastics are used throughout the cabin, and are complemented by metallic trim. The handsome cabin lends attention to the main and glaring weakness of the interior, the ebrake handle and shift knob. While the rest of the materials say  entry level luxury,  the shifter and ebrake handles betray places where the bean counters had their way with the vehicle. On the plus side, the seats are comfortable, supportive, and well bolstered. Why would Subaru have seats designed for cornering in a mid size sedan?


Fire up the car and you are greeted by a muted rumble, which dies down to a subtle hum at idle. The base engine, at 170 hp and 170 ft/lbs of tq, has plenty of power to be enjoyable whether scooting around town, or hitting a winding road.


Handling on this car is exceptional for a car of this class. Turn in is immediate and the steering responsive. The car features generous grip allowing the driver to make use of the well-bolstered seats to keep you from flying around the cabin. At the limit the car s attitude can be easily modified by throttle as a result of AWD. No terminal understeer to be had here.


The ride is surprisingly composed, particularly keeping in mind the car s strong handling. It seems the car copied more than styling from euro cars, but also the solid ride/handling balance. Overall the car seems to drive more like a sport sedan than a grocery getter.


Not that the car is bad at grabbing groceries. The trunk is generous, with 11.4 cubic feet of room, a competitive number in this segment.


Under mixed driving I observed ~27 MPG using regular gas, impressive for an AWD vehicle.


As tested, the 2008 Subaru Legacy 2.5i SE stickers at $20,795. At this price range there are strong competitors such as the Honda Accord LX, the base Camry, and the Malibu. However, if buying anywhere north of the Snow Belt, the Legacy is unbeatable in its segment. Even more impressive is the list of standard features on the SE trim. Features such as power seats, moon roof, and an MP3 jack are all standard.


Both Consumer Reports and truedelta.com indicate class leading reliability for this generation Subaru Legacy. This is typical among Subaru vehicles, as is the 5-star front and side crash test rating.


Do I recommend this car? Oh yes, I bought one. There is currently no other car in this price range which offers the same mix of fun, style, comfort, and practicality. 