The gifted one.
The name Subaru is now synonymous with rallying. During a large part of the nineties and briefly during the beginning of this Century, Subaru brought home many victories in the form of driver and manufacturer's titles. With the likes of Colin McRae and Richard Burns behind the wheel of the specially prepared World Rally Championship cars, Fuji Heavy Industries, manufacturer of all-wheel drive cars, was making a name for itself. The real beauty tied into all the rally heritage is that the avant-garde technology developed to win races eventually makes its way into road cars.
Back in 1992, Subaru introduced a Legacy with a turbocharged 2.2L engine that developed 160hp. Garnished with all-wheel drive, this car was to become a favourite amongst amateur and professional drivers because of its torque and excellent traction. The turbo Legacy was dropped for a few years in favour of the Impreza that literally picked-up where the Legacy left off. On the North American market, Subaru remains grossly underrated and insufficiently appreciated. This situation could change with the new Legacy.
A complete makeover was the order for the 2005 model-year and it was done with an injection of might and styling. A base 2.5i Legacy retails for $27,995 and will top out at $41,795 in the form of a 2.5 GT Limited Wagon. The tested 2.5 GT Limited 5-speed manual sedan has a sticker price of $40,295.
Exterior styling
The new Legacy's exterior lines have been sharpened considerably
compared with the previous generation's slightly squarer proportions. The overall styling is much more aggressive and attention grabbing. The projector style headlamps amplify the new assertive design of the Legacy. The concave rear-end treatment of the sedan gives the illusion of a trunk mounted spoiler without actually having one. Particular to the GT are the twin chromed exhaust tips and the signature hood scoop. Throw in some hot looking 5-spoke 17" alloy wheels and fog lights and you've got yourself one of the best looking sedans on the south-side of 40k.
Interior styling
The dash is beautifully executed with sensible ergonomics and quality materials. Both it and the door panels are well assembled. The seats are cozy, though the cushions could be a little longer. The Momo steering wheel is perfect: Its shape, size and lack of any controls make it a perfect tool to control this car on those snowy evenings. The only shortcoming is that the tilt adjustment is a little limited height-wise and is not telescopic. This is also another car that is too good for auto up/down windows. Another annoyance came in the form of many rattles. The rear deck and the windows were the principal perpetrators.
The cabin size is just right; not too big nor too small. The cockpit's shape and dimensions drop all the necessary controls within easy reach. For example, the distance between the shifter and the steering wheel is no more than 8 inches (as opposed to 12 on an average car). This short distance aids with the quickness between shifts and steering inputs when racing. The next time you watch some old rally footage (before paddle shift), notice the closeness of these two items. From where I am sitting, this is just another indication of Subaru's underlying thoughts.
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Back in 1992, Subaru introduced a Legacy with a turbocharged 2.2L engine that developed 160hp. Garnished with all-wheel drive, this car was to become a favourite amongst amateur and professional drivers because of its torque and excellent traction. The turbo Legacy was dropped for a few years in favour of the Impreza that literally picked-up where the Legacy left off. On the North American market, Subaru remains grossly underrated and insufficiently appreciated. This situation could change with the new Legacy.
A complete makeover was the order for the 2005 model-year and it was done with an injection of might and styling. A base 2.5i Legacy retails for $27,995 and will top out at $41,795 in the form of a 2.5 GT Limited Wagon. The tested 2.5 GT Limited 5-speed manual sedan has a sticker price of $40,295.
Exterior styling
The new Legacy's exterior lines have been sharpened considerably
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Interior styling
The dash is beautifully executed with sensible ergonomics and quality materials. Both it and the door panels are well assembled. The seats are cozy, though the cushions could be a little longer. The Momo steering wheel is perfect: Its shape, size and lack of any controls make it a perfect tool to control this car on those snowy evenings. The only shortcoming is that the tilt adjustment is a little limited height-wise and is not telescopic. This is also another car that is too good for auto up/down windows. Another annoyance came in the form of many rattles. The rear deck and the windows were the principal perpetrators.
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