2010 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT Limited: Refined Legacy adds size and mpg

Written by Steven Macoy
Thursday, 25 March 2010 12:46

The redesigned Subaru Legacy is more car for less money. And while we can’t resist grumbling about size creep, Subaru had to bulk up the Legacy to keep it competitive with roomier midsize sedans, while retaining its primary advantage: all-wheel drive in every trim level.

Although significantly bigger than its predecessor, the 2010 Legacy actually gets better fuel economy. It’s also noticeably smoother, quieter and more refined than Subarus we’ve driven in the past.

The base Legacy started at $20,795 for 2009 but was cut to $19,995 for this year. We drove a top-of-the-line 2.5GT Limited, which started at $29,995. It features a 2.5-liter, 265-horsepower turbocharged boxer engine and 6-speed manual transmission, plus many interior amenities.

Past Subarus — we’ve driven various models since the early 1980s — tended to be cramped and a little noisy, and while those deficiencies diminished over the years, the competition always seemed to have an edge in room and refinement. At a minimum, Subaru bursts into the middle of the pack with the new Legacy where these qualities are concerned.

The first sign there’s something different about this Subaru is the presence of window frames, whose absence in earlier Subarus contributed to wind noise. On the road, the engine is unexpectedly smooth and barely audible. The ride is the smoothest of any Subaru we’ve ever driven, and we wondered if some of the Legacy’s vaunted handling prowess had been sacrificed. But we were able to whip our Legacy around the Exit 21 ramp on Interstate 84 East in Waterbury, Conn., at 40 mph; most sedans get a little squirrelly above 35. Chalk it up to the boxer engine’s low center of gravity, the all-wheel-drive system and improved suspension.

The Legacy has three engine options: the venerable 2.5-liter, four-cylinder boxer design that turns out 170 horsepower; the same engine with a turbocharger; and a 3.6-liter, 256-horsepower six-cylinder boxer engine. Transmission choices include a 5-speed conventional automatic, a continuously variable automatic, and a 6-speed manual gearbox. The 2.5GT is available only with the stick shift.

Among the Legacy’s strengths are a roomy trunk (almost 15 cubic feet), ample room in the front seats, adequate rear-seat room for adults, and a modern, functional look to the controls. Downsides included a pedal placement that forced our 6-foot driver to choose between too close to the brake and accelerator pedals, or too far from the clutch. And the bass-treble controls on the audio system were needlessly complicated.

Past Legacies have compiled better-than-average reliability ratings in Consumer Reports magazine reader surveys, and the 2010 model is an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Top Safety Pick.

Some competitors’ models with two-wheel drive, hybrid drive systems or diesel engines are more fuel-efficient than the Legacy. But our 2.5GT outdid itself, averaging two-tenths of an mpg higher than the car’s 25-mpg highway rating.

The revised Legacy should satisfy Subaru’s loyalists while enabling the automaker to make some new friends in the U.S. market.

 

Price: $34,146

Engine: 2.5-liter turbocharged Four, 265 horsepower, 258 lb.-ft. torque

Transmission: 6-speed standard

Drive: All-wheel

Weight: 3,477 lb.

Suspension: MacPherson strut front, double-wishbone rear

Wheels: 18x7 inch alloy

Tires: P225/45ZR18 91W performance

Seating capacity: 5

Luggage capacity: 14.7 cu. ft.

Fuel capacity: 18.5 gallons

Fuel economy: 18 mpg city, 25 mpg highway

Fuel type: Premium

 

Steven Macoy ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) is a longtime car enthusiast and full-time editor who lives in Bethel, Conn.