Picture Gallery: 2010 Subaru Legacy | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Discuss
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Available in three levels of performance (starting at $23,995), the new 2010 Legacy offers the Legacy 2.5i and PZEV trims, which are powered by a 170-hp 2.5-litre four-cylinder boxer engine. A new, fully synchronized six-speed manual transmission is standard on the 2.5i, while the new Lineartronic CVT is standard on the PZEV and optional on the 2.5i, and this is how my tester is equipped.
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Also available is the 2.5GT model, powered by a 265-hp turbocharged engine available only with the 6-speed manual, and the 3.6R, a 3.6-litre six-cylinder boxer producing 256-hp, available exclusively with a 5-speed automatic transmission with sportshift.
Every time Subaru comes out with a new design, it offers more and more sophistication than the previous one as the company moves further away from being a quirky, niche brand to a mainstream one whose goals are to offer fun and safety in an enticing package. The Legacy comes equipped as standard with ABS, VDC and, of course, all-wheel drive as all Subarus are.
Standard interior features are what you would expect from a mid-sized sedan these days. My tester, being a Limited model, adds a few goodies such as: power moonroof, heated leather seating with 10-way power adjustment, wood trim, eight-channel Harmon Kardon stereo system (nine speakers), voice activated Bluetooth hands free and automatic dual-zone climate control.
2010 Subaru Legacy 2.5i Limited
MSRP as tested (excluding destination): $31,995
For more information on Subaru and the Legacy visit Subaru Canada
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I was a little disappointed in the rear seating in the Z last week, but in the Legacy certainly solves that problem. According to Subaru, the new 2010 Legacy has more rear legroom than any Legacy before, and I believe it. When I climbed into the backseat to get some pictures, the amount of space was the first thing that struck me: headroom and legroom were ample, even with the front seats pushed all the way back.
The redesigned interior is both a step forward and an evolution of the previous Legacy’s. My 2.5i Limited model is leather-clad, so the centre armrest is covered in leather, as well as the door panels and armrests, which are nice and soft on the elbows. The plastics seem well done, although I have never had issue with the previous Legacy’s interior either; perhaps it was a little on the plasticky side, but still classy.
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But the driving position is still comfortable and visibility is good all around, the gauges are easy to read, and all the controls are easy to reach and fairly intuitive.
Trunk space is average but the fold-flat seats allow large items to fit easily, and they are easy to release, with handles on the inside of the trunk. The trunk lid itself though is a little suspect, as it only opens a small amount before getting stuck and needing quite a bit of force to raise fully — almost like the struts on my tester are blown already.
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The drive is pretty much the same as the look: no more boxer-engine burble from the exhaust, the CVT transmission zaps any hope of having fun out of the drive, and, although this may make no sense, the car is too quiet. It is sedate on the road, which makes it feel like an appliance more than a car. What happened to fun-to-drive and sporty from Subaru?
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Step on the throttle and the engine winds up to 4,500 rpm, you hear some grumbly noises, and off you go. Accelerating from 0-60km/h is rather brisk without much effort, so they got that down pat, for sure, and the 2.5-litre engine is very torquey, which allows for satisfying hill climbs and passing power.
The new Legacy competes perfectly with the rest of the Japanese competition and, as usual, adds all-wheel drive to the list of standard features — an option very few mid-sized competitors offer. So, it’s not quirky and it really doesn’t feel much like the Subaru of old, but it is a strong competitor — and I suspect that is exactly what Subaru was aiming for.
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The gas mileage was impressive as well. Subarus, again, are not known for great gas mileage; the AWD system is typically cited as the reason and I am sure the old four-speed automatic transmission was a culprit as well. With the new CVT transmission, the Legacy provides competitive fuel consumption: I averaged 9.2L/100km over the course of the week. I drove 400km and still have more than half a tank left with the estimated distance-to-empty display showing more than 400 more to go!
*Rating out of 5:
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*Rating based on vehicle’s classification
2010 Subaru Legacy 2.5i Limited
MSRP as tested (excluding destination): $31,995
For more information on Subaru and the Legacy visit Subaru Canada
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September 17, 2009, 11:46:39 am
Subaru going "more Toyota" does not seem to be hurting them, both the re-designed Impreza and Forester are selling much better than the models they replaced. Unfortunately for Subaru to survive, they needed to go a bit more mainstream.
Next time my Forester is at the dealer, I will need to ask for a test drive of the CVT and form my own opinion.
September 17, 2009, 01:20:57 pm
Subaru going "more Toyota" does not seem to be hurting them, both the re-designed Impreza and Forester are selling much better than the models they replaced. Unfortunately for Subaru to survive, they needed to go a bit more mainstream.
Next time my Forester is at the dealer, I will need to ask for a test drive of the CVT and form my own opinion.
Oh, I agree--this makes total business sense for them, and they must do this to survive. I'll just miss the loss of the quirky Subaru (frameless windows, low beltline, etc.) that I grew up (well, for all 19 years of my life) with. I suppose those quirks might've turned people off them, so Toyota-esque mass-appeal should help sales. All is not lost, though. Boxer engine and symmetrical AWD are still there.
Kind of like the new XJ. It's a nice car, logically better than the old one in every way, and Jaguar had to do it to remain competitive... but I'll really miss the old one.
September 17, 2009, 01:23:34 pm
Subaru going "more Toyota" does not seem to be hurting them, both the re-designed Impreza and Forester are selling much better than the models they replaced. Unfortunately for Subaru to survive, they needed to go a bit more mainstream.
Next time my Forester is at the dealer, I will need to ask for a test drive of the CVT and form my own opinion.
Oh, I agree--this makes total business sense for them, and they must do this to survive. I'll just miss the loss of the quirky Subaru (frameless windows, low beltline, etc.) that I grew up (well, for all 19 years of my life) with. I suppose those quirks might've turned people off them, so Toyota-esque mass-appeal should help sales. All is not lost, though. Boxer engine and symmetrical AWD are still there.
Kind of like the new XJ. It's a nice car, logically better than the old one in every way, and Jaguar had to do it to remain competitive... but I'll really miss the old one.
I totally agree, with both your Subaru and Jaguar observations.
September 17, 2009, 03:40:09 pm Well I have a 2008 Legacy Wagon and it has the 4sp auto. I find a 5th gear would be really nice in the mountains as it flips back and forth from OD to 4th all the time and it is not a smooth shift either.
Fantastic ar all around. Love it.
Would I buy one with a CVT - FORGET IT.
September 17, 2009, 10:11:41 pm
Any hopes of cars like the old swoopy GLF, XT, Brat and Baja ever returning - or at least unique cars like them - are effectively DOA.
When does the Subaru Venz-tour show up?
September 18, 2009, 09:52:27 am I bought a new Subaru GLF hardtop in 1981 with the then "more powerful" 1.8 liter 71 HP motor...
Sure was underpowered!
"Cheap and built to stay that way" was the company's PR line in car mag ads at the time!
September 18, 2009, 01:06:34 pm I have a 2006 Leggy 2.5GT. I think it's a great car. Fit and finish is pretty good. Although you know there is more weight in the car that per say a Honda Accord as over really rough terrain you can feel the suspension working each corner of the car. It's not a bad feel feeling overall though. It keeps you more communicative with the road surface which I believe is a great thing. I'm running Bridgestone RE760 Sports on now. Great combination. I will definitely miss the sportiness of the old Subaru's when compared with the new ones. It's just starting to look too chunky, but not in a good muscular way. I do understand why they have gone this route as the objective of all companies is to generate maximum revenue and profit. I love my 2006 Legacy, but I am not sure if I am swayed to replace it with this new model. It doesn't appeal to be. Maybe I'll upgrade to a S4 Avante, or a older E39 M5. I really do miss the purposeful and unique designs of the cars from yester-years. Geez do I sound old now...
September 18, 2009, 02:00:33 pm Until a month ago, I was the owner of a 2005 legacy 2.5i with 5 speed manual. I didn't want to get a bigger car. The new Legacy doesn't do it for me. I find the Impreza unattactive inside and out. Got myself a 2010 Kia Forte SX 6 speed manual on a 3 year lease.
September 18, 2009, 02:44:42 pm
Any hopes of cars like the old swoopy GLF, XT, Brat and Baja ever returning - or at least unique cars like them - are effectively DOA.
When does the Subaru Venz-tour show up?
Have you seen the new Legacy Outback? It's like a Venza wearing a fishing vest and hiking boots. The resemblance is even eerier in person, as it's quite tall:
September 18, 2009, 06:14:43 pm The profile and front looks just like an Infiniti G. Those huge fender flares look stupid though.
September 18, 2009, 07:44:29 pm
It looks like they took them right off the Forester
September 18, 2009, 09:09:17 pm Bland Legacy as usual, although the last gen. Spec B was a kinda cool looking car. I really don't trust CVTs though, especially with the problems I've heard with the Nissan units out there. THere's not much history with them, and you can only service them with the dealers, and even then, how well are the mechanics going to know them when they've only existed a few years.
With 6 speed auto the norm now, a cvt really doesn't have an advantage.
September 19, 2009, 11:32:12 am It's my understanding that NISSAN were the the only Co. that nailed the CVT's.........when they licensed it out to Jeep Patriots et al ...."something" was lost in translation...........can u show us different....................where these Nissan CVT's were crap............
September 19, 2009, 03:16:07 pm Some people are saying the Legacy is bland looking.
Well I think it is better looking then the main 3 Japenese competitors even though the only really really bland looking car is the Camry.
I would say "clean looking", not bland.
September 19, 2009, 05:47:12 pm Odd number generation of legacys are ugly and this is no exception.
September 20, 2009, 11:53:30 am Why couldn't have Subaru gone with DSG instead? CVT sucks.
And why didn't you guys test with a manual transmission? An automatic Subaru is wrong to begin with.
September 21, 2009, 12:48:53 am
You mean a lifted five-door hatch with an impractically-sloped rear window? What's the Outback Sport?
September 21, 2009, 08:49:08 am The problem with CVTs is that people aren't used to them. People are used to gauge their acceleration from the rising crescendo from the engine as it climbs up the revs with an upshift here and then. But a CVT's engine climbs up quickly then stays up as the car accelerates, this means that a lot of noise is produced while people don't have the impression they're going any faster even if they're accelerating pretty fast. So we end up with people saying that the Lancer CVT is slow when it's probably the fastest compact with a base engine and automatic available right now (in a Motortrend comparo, it beat the Elantra by 1 second to 60 mph and the Civic by 0,5 seconds, the Sentra CVT was just a tad slower).
This can be partially corrected through programming of the transmission so as to make the engine climb slower, so you have the impression that you have one long first gear when accelerating from 0 to highway speeds. That's what Nissans do BTW, just check acceleration videos on youtube. This gives a better impression of power from the car... even if it should actually slow it down a bit.
I don't know how the Subaru CVT is programmed though.
One nitpick with the article is the part where the author claims that Subaru's past relatively poor fuel economy may have been due to the 4-speed automatic used precedently. I think that claim is wrong and can be proved wrong by looking at the relative performance of the manual versions which weren't significantly more fuel-efficient than the old 4-speed automatic. Even for 2010, the CVT does a lot better than the previous 4-speed, but the new manual does worse than the previous manual version.
September 21, 2009, 09:40:29 am It passes the first glance test for me. Sat in the Sports trim version on the weekend and was impressed. Only dislike is the bulbous look of the front end.
Am waiting to cross-shop this with the forthcoming AWD Suzuki Kizashi.
September 21, 2009, 05:25:07 pm Was that latest photo taken to show the misaligned lights?
September 21, 2009, 10:31:43 pm 9.2L/100km? Really? I get that in city driving in the winter; in the summer I get in the 8's. Highway driving in the summer, I get in the low 7's.
September 22, 2009, 06:49:49 am
My wife thinks now 4.6 is bad, for driving around Dartmouth
September 23, 2009, 05:44:15 pm
H6 Better for:
Towing
Regular fuel
probably better for real world millage.
T4:
More power and torque but requires premium fuel.
September 24, 2009, 08:01:41 am Stupid question maybe, but what makes the H6 better for towing if the T4 produces more torque?
October 04, 2009, 05:54:41 am
When you're towing, you need flat torque curve right from idle. The impressive peak torque of the turbo four is available after the turbo spools up, not during the first 1500 rpm or so (where you need it most when towing).
At least that's my best guess.