Test drive: 2010 Subaru Legacy
Wednesday July 1, 2009
Wow, seems like the blog is well on its way to becoming an all-Subaru affair. No matter -- this is the part you've been waiting for, my 2010 Subaru Legacy test drive. Enjoy, and don't say you weren't warned. -- Aaron Gold
Photo © Subaru
Comments
My father has been considering a new Malibu. I have demanded that he give serious consideration to the Legacy – it’s cheaper, gets better mileage, has more legroom front and rear, almost certainly will have better reliability, and will have vastly better resale value. Oh – and there’s that whole AWD thing. What’s not to love?
Does the Subaru have better reliability? And there is one thing to not love about AWD and that is tires.
If you replace one tire you must replace all of them. Also AWD means more to fix if it does break. AWD is great if you live in snow country but even in the heavy rain we get in Florida ESC front wheel driver works great.
And cheaper? Maybe list but start talking to the dealer and I bet that changes.
Subarus are good cars but there are reasons not to get one.
WOW! I must say this was the most interesting and unique auto review I’ve ever read. It got me laughing at “… how I had to run you so hard to get any action, and how much noise you made when I did.”
I personally like the new styling a lot, but it’s the driving dynamics that really counts for me. Lots of noise in action is not neccessarily a bad thing, as long as it’s tastefully throaty
This car reminds of the the Mazda 6
Have Subie sales soared as they’ve tried to take all of their new models mainstream these past few years? If not, what’s the point? Change is good except for when it’s bad.
The styling does not have any soul to it. It looks like a boring car and after reading the review sounds like one too. For a fully loaded Legacy at $34K I would need more excitement in styling and driving dynamics. That’s where the WRX comes in. More exciting, better styling and tons of room inside.
“This test drive was conducted at a manufacturer-organized press event. Travel to and from the event, accommodations, meals, test vehicles and fuel were provided by Subaru.”
And better still, you slammed it.. Classic!
Any bad press Subaru gets is fine by me.
Let’s face it, the reason you buy a Legacy is to get a wagon. The sedan? Eh. I’d rather buy a WRX (been there, done that, fun car!). But the Legacy Outback wagon? Utility galore. I am in rain/snow territory and literally 10% of the cars on the road here are Outback wagons…including the one in our garage with my wife’s stuff and our daughter’s booster seat. In the rain/snow there are few other cars I’d want them in and the amount of stuff you can cram into and on top of an Outback is epic. It holds 3 rambunctious 7 year olds, two stressed moms and still has a ton of space in the back for the trip to the park. So again, I say to REALLY Grok the Legacy, you need 5 doors.
I drove the Mazda 6 and, yes, it is a hoot to drive. Very engaging, unlike most other cars in the mid-size segment. I loved it. What I didn’t love was the $4,500 to $5,000 premium I would have to pay for the Mazda (or an Accord) against a comparably equipped Sonata, which I ultimately bought. Yeah, the Sonata isn’t near as much fun to drive. But in every other way, it has been terrific – loaded with value, and I don’t regret my decision one bit. The Sonata is a great buy.
However, my wife’s car is a Legacy wagon. And I gotta say that, if we had only one car, it would be a Legacy – AWD is money in uncertain weather. I didn’t buy a second one largely because of the fuel economy penalty of the AWD on the 2009 model (and the tighter interior). Now, if they’ve improved the MPG with a CVT, and upped the interior space as well…well, I respect your opinion Aaron, but the new Legacy sounds pretty darn good. If only it had been available a year earlier, my decision might have been a lot tougher.
The Legacy fell off my favorite list when Subaru dropped the Legacy GT Wagon. I know the Outback is still available, but I’m not a fan of the faux-SUV look. And I don’t need/want that extra ground clearance; I want better handling.
New styling: the new headlights are too big and arched too high. And those suddenly-bulging wheel wells are really weird-looking (Subaru calls them “expressive”). With a few tweaks, the new Subie could look so much better. Imho of course…
I agree with GeoBix; having driven Subarus for many years, I too had to go with a Sonata (stick) last year as the room, MPG, price and warranty were there. While I have not driven the new legacy I most likley would have purchased it based on 25 years of driving Subarus with very good results. Note that the Legacy is made in Indiana.
Aaron,
You said, “Maybe if the GT model had a better suspension and a bit more passion for the road.” Don’t worry. The aftermarket will take care of that.
Just a note on Subaru reliability….it is outstanding. Ever since they standardized the 2.5L I4 engine across most model lines, Subaru has jumped into the top spots right behind Honda and Toyota. Their AWD system is nails, and if you ever have the pleasure of driving a Subie in the rain or snow (especially in New England), you won’t want anything other than AWD ever again. It’s practically the official car of Vermont and Maine.
The Legacy is a sports sedan that is practical. I’d much rather a Legacy over a BMW 328xi, as great as the BMW is. But the Subie has it beat in fuel economy and sticker price. Add the fact that it is quality built in Indiana and you have one of the best sedans built in the USA.
We’ve been Outback fans for many years but the fuel mileage of the 2010 version is just not going to be competitive. The 6 spd manual actually looks like it delivers lower mileage than the previous 5 spd. Bring in the diesel and we continue the love affair, otherwise I’ll be shopping elsewhere.