It’s no secret that the previous-gen Legacy was a favourite within the halls of Auto123.com. A little small for a mid-size sedan, at least by today’s standards, the old Legacy was nonetheless a well-finished car with a muscular turbo engine, good reflexes and all-weather capability.
Usually, when a vehicle is redesigned, it’s bigger than the one it replaces, because growing in size is typically considered as an improvement. However, the new Legacy is waaaaaaay bigger, so it competes more closely with the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry and Mazda6.
Wheelbase, length, width, height, they’ve all been increased. Heck, even the fuel tank is bigger. Looking at the old and the new generation side by side is almost shocking. And yet the Legacy has gained only about 140 lbs or 65 kg in base models, while the 2.5GT actually shed a few pounds, so the growth has been performed meticulously.
Engine choices have been revised in higher-end models. The base 2.5-litre flat-4 with 170 horsepower remains, but the 3.0-litre H6 has been replaced by a 3.6L unit, while output has been increased on the turbo 2.5L; it now develops 265 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque, up from 243 and 241, respectively.
So, the 2.5GT can rocket to 100 km/h in 6.4 seconds, which is awfully quick. The car provides quite a rush while accelerating, and you can feel that it’s not a linear power delivery like in the 6-cylinder version.
Which one is the better match for the Legacy? It’s hard to tell, since the turbo is only available with a 6-speed manual, while the H6 comes with a 5-speed autobox. Both boast similar fuel economy numbers, at least on paper; our average with the GT is 13.4 L/100 km, by the way, which is unsurprising given the way we drove the car (hey, it is a turbo after all).
The blown Subie remains an agile car despite the size increase, but we notice that it lost a bit of its sharpness; not a big deal, though. The GT’s ride is pretty good despite its sporty demeanour.
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| The Legacy is waaaaaaay bigger, so it competes more closely with the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry and Mazda6. |
Usually, when a vehicle is redesigned, it’s bigger than the one it replaces, because growing in size is typically considered as an improvement. However, the new Legacy is waaaaaaay bigger, so it competes more closely with the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry and Mazda6.
Wheelbase, length, width, height, they’ve all been increased. Heck, even the fuel tank is bigger. Looking at the old and the new generation side by side is almost shocking. And yet the Legacy has gained only about 140 lbs or 65 kg in base models, while the 2.5GT actually shed a few pounds, so the growth has been performed meticulously.
Engine choices have been revised in higher-end models. The base 2.5-litre flat-4 with 170 horsepower remains, but the 3.0-litre H6 has been replaced by a 3.6L unit, while output has been increased on the turbo 2.5L; it now develops 265 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque, up from 243 and 241, respectively.
So, the 2.5GT can rocket to 100 km/h in 6.4 seconds, which is awfully quick. The car provides quite a rush while accelerating, and you can feel that it’s not a linear power delivery like in the 6-cylinder version.
Which one is the better match for the Legacy? It’s hard to tell, since the turbo is only available with a 6-speed manual, while the H6 comes with a 5-speed autobox. Both boast similar fuel economy numbers, at least on paper; our average with the GT is 13.4 L/100 km, by the way, which is unsurprising given the way we drove the car (hey, it is a turbo after all).
The blown Subie remains an agile car despite the size increase, but we notice that it lost a bit of its sharpness; not a big deal, though. The GT’s ride is pretty good despite its sporty demeanour.
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| The base 2.5-litre flat-4 with 170 horsepower remains, but the 3.0-litre H6 has been replaced by a 3.6L unit. |