Subaru has always been a company that has put engineering first, styling second (Guigiaro-designed SVX coupe excepted). With the appointment of former Fiat designer Andreas Zapatinas as head of Subaru's Advanced Design studio in April 2003, we are starting to see more of a European sensibility to some of Subaru's concept cars. The B11S Coupe - shown at the Geneva show last March - gives an indication of what the new, very non-bland look of future Subarus will be. The 2005 Legacy's styling certainly will not rock any boats in the existing Subaru fleet, as it is definitely an evolutionary redesign over the 2004 model. Obviously, the car was too far along in the product pipeline to have adopted any of Mr. Zapatinas's future ideas. The new exterior design has been tastefully cleaned up, though, and like a lot of newer cars, the external lighting on the new Legacy has become a form of automotive jewellry. Overall it reminded me of the 1996-2001 first gen A4 - others saw Chevrolet Epica - go figure!
All of these changes for 2005 have produced a much more stable car, even in the base model 2.5i sedan. Despite being the lightest Legacy in price, the new 2.5i sedan weighs in with all of the core handling and interior upgrades - save the carryover drivetrain - that went into the entire 2005 Legacy range.
In overall value, the Legacy 2.5i sedan leapfrogs over the usual four-cylinder suspects in this price class - Accord EX-L ($28,600), Altima 2.5 SL ($29,498), and Camry XLE ($30,485) - and has met Subaru's lofty goals of being a serious contender in the entry-level sports sedan class.
The Legacy 2.5i is more fun to drive than a Passat GLS, is more sure-footed than an Acura TSX in bad weather, and less expensive than an A4 1.8T, yet offers similar refinement and added traction capabilities standard. At this price, for dedicated driving enthusiasts, I would still recommend the more athletic Mazda6 GT I-4. But, if overall refinement and all-wheel-drive are a priority on your own wish list, than go ahead and start your own legacy.
Technical Data: 2005 Subaru Legacy 2.5i sedan
Base price $27,995
Options $1,200 (Automatic transmission)
Freight $1,195
A/C tax $100
Price as tested $30,490
Type 4-door, 5-passenger mid-size sedan
Layout longitudinal front engine/all-wheel-drive
Engine 2.5-litre four cylinder, horizontally-opposed
Horsepower 168 @ 5,600 rpm
Torque 166 lb.-ft. of torque @ 4,000 rpm
Transmission 4-speed automatic
Tires 205/55HR-16 all-season
Curb weight 1470 kg (3,240 lb.)
Wheelbase 2670 mm (105.1 in.)
Length 4730 mm (186.2 in.)
Width 1730 mm (68.1 in.)
Height 1425 mm (56.1 in.)
Trunk capacity 433 litres (15.3 cu. ft.)
Fuel consumption City: 10.4 l/100 km (27 mpg)
Hwy: 7.2 l/100 km (39 mpg)
Fuel type Regular unleaded
Warranty 3 yrs/60,000 km
Powertrain warranty 5 yrs/100,000 km
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In overall value, the Legacy 2.5i sedan leapfrogs over the usual four-cylinder suspects in this price class - Accord EX-L ($28,600), Altima 2.5 SL ($29,498), and Camry XLE ($30,485) - and has met Subaru's lofty goals of being a serious contender in the entry-level sports sedan class.
The Legacy 2.5i is more fun to drive than a Passat GLS, is more sure-footed than an Acura TSX in bad weather, and less expensive than an A4 1.8T, yet offers similar refinement and added traction capabilities standard. At this price, for dedicated driving enthusiasts, I would still recommend the more athletic Mazda6 GT I-4. But, if overall refinement and all-wheel-drive are a priority on your own wish list, than go ahead and start your own legacy.
Technical Data: 2005 Subaru Legacy 2.5i sedan
Base price $27,995
Options $1,200 (Automatic transmission)
Freight $1,195
A/C tax $100
Price as tested $30,490
Type 4-door, 5-passenger mid-size sedan
Layout longitudinal front engine/all-wheel-drive
Engine 2.5-litre four cylinder, horizontally-opposed
Horsepower 168 @ 5,600 rpm
Torque 166 lb.-ft. of torque @ 4,000 rpm
Transmission 4-speed automatic
Tires 205/55HR-16 all-season
Curb weight 1470 kg (3,240 lb.)
Wheelbase 2670 mm (105.1 in.)
Length 4730 mm (186.2 in.)
Width 1730 mm (68.1 in.)
Height 1425 mm (56.1 in.)
Trunk capacity 433 litres (15.3 cu. ft.)
Fuel consumption City: 10.4 l/100 km (27 mpg)
Hwy: 7.2 l/100 km (39 mpg)
Fuel type Regular unleaded
Warranty 3 yrs/60,000 km
Powertrain warranty 5 yrs/100,000 km
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