A very special Subaru
29 July 2000: by Brian Byrne & Trish Whelan.
Trish: Subaru's top of the range Legacy is something quite special, and definitely a serious option for those who like elegance and performance without the ostentation of a Beemer or Merc badge.
Brian: It's a car in which you can remain comfortably anonymous, or, as in the review vehicle in white with the Subaru 'Cuisine de France' rallying decals on its flanks, be noticed. A lot.
Trish: I'll say it now - this car is on my wish-list. For a lot of reasons, but mostly because I felt it was a perfect fit for my kind of driving and my lifestyle, neither of which are racy but for both of which I require a car that is comfortable, powerful, smooth and fun. This Legacy fulfils all these requirements ... and more.
Brian: The Legacy in side view has a quiet, powerful look about it, particularly with the boot-mounted spoiler option (which I can take or leave really, but such things can turn some people on). I'd venture to say that it 'outelegances' the 3-series BMW in style while looking very like it in some aspects. The front end is strong without being aggressive in looks, carrying the Subaru six stars motif, and the rear has the Legacy trademark of full-width reflectors joining the lights clusters.
Trish: The car in question, the 2.5 GX saloon, came with automatic transmission and leather upholstery. The immediate impression of the interior was how much the wood-effect upgrade improved the dashboard of the standard car, which can otherwise seem very dark. Instrumentation is standard Legacy, two large dials for speed and revs, with the addition in this one of an indication of automatic transmission positions.
Brian: While on that, the auto trans in the Legacy is operated by a 'J' gate, which I find much better for flicking between top and third gears on winding roads ... the system saves fiddling with detent buttons for that purpose. There's also a 'power' and 'hold' switch for more sporty upshift settings, or use in icy conditions.
Trish: Let's stay on the mechanicals for the moment. This Legacy is powered by the 2.5-litre version of Subaru's well-proven 'boxer' engine, outputting a very healthy 156bhp. An interesting thing here is that while there's a 2-litre version available in lesser Legacys, even in the big engine's automatic form, fuel consumption at just under 30mpg is only very marginally less than with the smaller engine. The performance difference between the two in the 0-60 sprint is 8.6/10.3secs, which is substantial.
Brian: I've often said that the larger of any engine options in a medium or big car is always a better bet in economy terms as well as giving you safer and smoother options in actual driving. It's a real pity that the Government and insurance companies go so far in penalising larger engines ... more powerful cars require less 'driving' and generally people drive them in a much safer manner than others trying to squeeze the last ounce of power out of something more puny.
Trish: Back to the Legacy, and in accommodation terms it is spacious and comfortable, with real room for three people in the back, while those up front have all the space they want. The leather seats were nice, and had heaters to take the chill off in winter. But even though the review car was air-conditioned - full climate control, too - I found that leather can leave clothes feeling sticky and uncomfortable, so I'd opt for the material instead.
Brian: But back on the road, I found the car a dream to handle - easy to manoeuvre and exceptionally stable in true Subaru style. In even the worst conditions, you're never going to have any difficulty, thanks to the marque's mastery of all-wheel-drive technology. The steering is just like Baby Bear's bed, not too hard, not too soft, just right. Come to think of it, exactly the same analogy could be used for the suspension.
Trish: One further point, although the review car was white, it never looked in need of a wash! Even after driving through some very heavy flooding in my town. In truth, I liked almost everything about this car. Smart without being sassy .... just like me!
Brian: It has always surprised me why we don't see a lot more Legacys on Irish roads. It does quite well, but deserves to do much better. In this version, it has anything you could want. I hear already that it is selling nicely to the discerning. Quite right too.
Price £28,950.
Legacy facts: 2- and 2.5-litre petrol; 5-speed manual, automatic; 4-door; price range £20,500-£29,250.
