Legacy receives a makeover for ‘05
A few years ago, I fielded a phone call from a reader looking for an all-wheel-drive family sedan that wasn’t a Subaru.
The Subie was too downscale, she had decided, not refined enough.
She had a point; Subaru has built its reputation on reliability and all-weather traction, not the sophistication of its design, either inside or out.
Where it hurt most was on the inside, where eye appeal was sacrificed to the budget gods and, perhaps, the inattention of Subaru’s design staff.
At the time, there were few alternatives to suggest and I could recommend only the Audi A4, a decidedly more sophisticated, attractive — and expensive— option.
Surprisingly, the field hasn’t changed much in the intervening years. The best-selling family sedans — read Camry, Accord and Taurus — continue to rely on front-wheel-drive, while the compact and midsize SUV and crossover segments have grown like topsy, filling the demand for affordable AWD vehicles.
In fact, it was Subaru that ignited the crossover market with its groundbreaking Legacy Outback sport-utility wagon. It was first to place an all-wheel-drive wagon on an elevated platform, dress it up with industrial-strength bumpers and lower body cladding and call it something new. The Outback has evolved into its own model line, separate from the Legacies with which it shares platforms and many mechanicals.
Fortunately, for anyone seeking an upscale alternative to the Legacy sedan and wagon, and don’t want to step up to an Audi price tag, there is now another choice — the Subaru Legacy sedan and wagon.
After all these years of allowing mediocre design to limit the appeal of its cars, Subaru makes a big step for the ‘05 model year by revamping its bread-and-butter Legacy models inside and out.
The interiors are fresh and inviting and are finished in improved materials, while the exterior gets a bold, new wedge-shaped silhouette that lifts the Legacy from the mundane, also-ran look of previous years.
While they were at it, Subaru product planners also created a new GT trim level within the Legacy family that utilizes a detuned version of the turbocharged and intercooled 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine that makes 300 horsepower in the WRX STi sport coupe.
The GT sedan and wagon are midlevel offerings powered by a 250-hp version of that little screamer.
All of a sudden, the dull Legacy has become a sparkling performer with a visage to match.
Base Legacies (from $21,570 sedan/$22,570 wagon) continue to be powered by a normally aspirated (sans turbocharger) version of the same engine, which puts out 168 hp this year, compared with 165 last year.
Each iteration, base and GT, are available in Limited formats, which use the same drivetrain as their namesakes but add upscale goodies.
The GT sedan ($26,570) and wagon ($27,570) are identically equipped, with dual-zone climate control, cruise control, power driver’s seat, heated front seats, tilt steering, AM/FM/CD audio and power windows, mirrors and door locks with remote keyless entry all standard.
Limited models (Base: $25,020/$26,020 ; GT: $29,070/$30,270) add leather upholstery, power front passenger seat and power sunroof. The Limited wagon gets dual, front-and-rear sunroofs.
All Legacies receive anti-lock brakes, front side airbags and side curtain airbags as standard equipment.
We tested a GT sedan equipped with a five-speed stick — a five-speed automatic with manual sport-shift mode is also available — and let me just say this: The GT flat moves out.
Turbo lag inhibits the action at low rpm, but once engine revs hit about3,500, the engine is producing 100 percent of its peak torque and the Subie is hauling the ashes. Zero to 60 comes around in 5.9 seconds.
A six-speed box, as found in the WRX, would produce even quicker numbers, but fitting it to the Legacy apparently would have been cost-prohibitive. Enthusiasts will want to step up to the optional ($339) short-throw shifter.
Once the GT is pumping, one quickly becomes aware that the body structure is substantially stiffened this year, producing a more confident, controlled ride. Steering is quick and accurate — the ratio has been shortened on GT models from 3.2 turns lock-to-lock to 2.8 — but the system feels direct, not nervous.
To concentrate mass near their central axis, GT models have been lightened front and rear via the use of an aluminum hood and lighter bumpers and the repositioning of the battery rearward in the engine compartment. The wagon gets an aluminum tailgate.
These measures improve balance in the corners, while a revised suspension minimizes body lean and 17-inch, 45-series tires put plenty of patch on the road surface. All-wheel-drive maximizes the amount of power delivered to the tarmac.
Around town and on the freeway, the ride is comfortable, but not cush. This car is meant to inflame the enthusiast, not pacify the domesticated.
Subaru is making noises about transitioning the Legacy into an upscale fam-mobile, but this kind of attention to performance will clearly set the family apart from the normal run of Camrys and Accords.
A few other pieces need to fall into place before Subaru can take its place among the heavy hitters in the class. For starters, it needs to upgrade its audio systems. Neither navigation nor vehicle stability control — two features becoming increasingly commonplace in the family sedan segment — are yet available.
And, despite having grown in the past year by 2 inches, interior space is not yet up to class-leading standards. Four 6-footers will be comfortable, but not pampered.
In short, the Subaru Legacy GT offers the ideal solution for the buyer who’s ready to settle down, but isn’t ready for the grave.