My Search:

Before I get to the actual review, I just want to give some context as to what kind of car I am looking for in terms of needs and preferences. This was you'll have a better basis for how my opinion may or may not fit with your own.

With my lease on my Saab 9-3 up in a few months, I am finally getting out to test drive the myriad of cars that are on my list as possible replacements. The car I purchase (or lease) will be my primary means of getting back and forth to work in L.A. traffic. I don't need to carry many other people in the car, so I just need it to be comfortable up front and enough space in back to hold one (or both) of my kid's car seats in a pinch. This will not be our main family car - that's what we bought our Honda Odyssey for, after all.

I'd like a car with decent performance; although I won't be racing it anytime soon and I do live in southern CA, so fuel economy is somewhat important. As far as handling goes, I'm not the kind of driver who is looking for a car that feels "toss-able" or allows me to induce oversteer. I think the best word to describe the handling characteristics I'm looking for would be "confidence". I want a car that feels like it can handle anything I can throw at it and still stay below its limits. And I'm getting old enough that I'm also willing to give up some handling capability for a little smoother ride.

As far as interior goes, I'd like an upscale interior with comfortable seats with good support. I'd also like some advanced technology available such as Bluetooth and MP3/iPod integration. A navigation system is not necessary, nor is a super upscale 15 speaker sound package. And, as I said before, I don't need a large amount or rear seat space or a voluminous trunk.

The cars that I've selected to test drive for my search can be divided into three groupings:

Compact sport sedans including the Acura TL, Audi A4 3.2, BMW 330i, Infiniti G35, Lexus IS350, Mercedes C350, and the Volvo S60 R. Mid-sized sport sedans such as the Audi A6 3.2,Infiniti M35, and Lexus GS300. And a few other odds and ends such as the Mazda RX-8 and the Subaru Legacy GT (both mostly due to stellar reviews on this site) as well as the Infiniti FX35 (which I think is one of the best looking vehicles on the road). As you can see, I plan on enjoying this go-round of car shopping.

----------------------------------------------------

Trim Levels:

The Subaru Legacy comes in two main flavors: the 2.5i with a 175-hp engine and the GT with a 250-hp engine. Both are available as either sedan or wagon. For 2006, Subaru also introduced the GT spec.B which adds a better suspension, 18" wheels, navigation, and a "brick" colored interior to the regular GT. Subaru will only sell 500 of the spec.B's in the U.S. for 2006. Since the spec.B was the only GT with a manual that my local Subaru dealer had, that is what this review focuses on.

Exterior:

Bland. Nondescript. Boring. Those are the kind of adjectives that I would use to best describe the Legacy's exterior styling. Not bad looking, certainly, and even tasteful (something that some other Subaru models have trouble achieving), but nothing that inspires any kind of lust to own one. The spec.B upgrade adds some more aggressive lower body moldings, but, honestly, I didn't really notice them. I think that says how much of a difference they make. I did find the 18" wheels on the spec.B to be an improvement, though.

Interior:

Here the Legacy fares better, in my opinion. Aesthetically, the interior looks much more upscale than one would expect in a Subaru. I especially liked the reddish "brick" leather that comes in the spec.B mixed with the black doors/dash with aluminum trim. A good portion of the materials are on the cheap side and hard plastics abound but, overall, I was quite pleased. I guess I didn't have the high expectations that I would have for an Audi or Mercedes.

The seats are comfortable and very supportive and adjust easily to your desired driving position. The spec.B comes with the upgraded MOMO steering wheel which has a nice thick grip to it. All the normal controls are laid out conveniently for doors, windows, climate, and stereo. I really liked the dash instrument cluster. Very attractive and easy to read, although I wish they would have added a boost gauge for the turbo. Upfront storage was good - the cup holders could be a bit farther forward but that's a small complaint. I'd also like an auxiliary input on the stereo for an MP3 player.

I found the rear seat room sufficient - I was able to sit behind the driver's seat that had been adjusted for my 6'2" frame. Overall, I'd say rear space is about the same as my Saab or the A4. The trunk is on the large size for this class, but there's only a pass-thru to the rear seats - no folding them down to expand the cargo area.

Performance/Handling:

Wow. :-) Part of me wants to just leave it at that, but I doubt that would get me a good rating on this review.

The Legacy's 2.5L boxster engine cranks out 250 horsepower and 250 lb-ft of torque. And it definitely felt that powerful to me. There might be a slight lag (but I thought it much less than most turbos), but once the turbo kicks in you get a big kick in the pants. I was very pleased with the power delivery from the Subaru both at city driving and highway driving speeds. The manual transmission (although not the optional short throw shifter) has a nice crisp shifter and the clutch, while firmly weighted, travels smoothly and makes shifts quick and easy.

Some of the reviews that I've read about the Legacy have criticized it for being a little soft in the handling. Perhaps the enhanced suspension of the spec.B makes a difference, because I experienced no such problems. The car goes where you point it with minimal lean and good feedback. I never doubted that the Legacy couldn't handle any of the curves during my test drive, and probably would've kept its grip at much higher speeds. The ride, while firm, takes the edge off of any road imperfections. The Legacy is not an overly quite car, however. Nothing too harsh, but you'll get more engine noise than from other cars in this class.

Fuel Economy:

This is where the Legacy doesn't fare so well when compared to other cars. With and EPA estimate of 19 city and 25 highway, the Subaru sits towards the bottom of its class for fuel efficiency.

Reliability:

Subaru's tend to have good reliability ratings, and the Legacy continues this tradition. Since 2005 was the first year for the new Legacy design you'd expect reliability to be less than stellar, but the Legacy earned a better than average rating for 2005.

Safety:

The Subaru Legacy received good IIHS front crash ratings. There are no NHTSA ratings available yet for front and side crash tests.

Update (12/05/05): IIHS has named the Legacy a Gold Top Safety Pick for 2006 for good results in front, side, and rear crash tests. The only other car in this class to receive the same rating is the Saab 9-3. The Audi A4 was awarded a Silver rating for 2006.

Summary:

Unlike the Volvo S60 R I test-drove recently, the Legacy GT is able to compensate for it's so-so exterior styling with the substance underneath. I was blown away by how much fun this car is to drive. And, although not up to high-end luxury standards, the interior is comfortable, stylish, and well put-together. The Legacy is now the car to beat in my new car search.