Subaru’s Legacy is regarded as the black sheep of the family and is often overshadowed by its other products like the Forester and WRX. When offered to drive this relatively little known model, David Taylor jumped at the chance.
The Subaru Legacy is the Japanese brand’s attempt at taking on the executive sedan market while retaining those Subaru traits of powerful turbo motor, symmetrical all-wheel drive and great practicality. All those factors sound like a great recipe on paper and the Legacy delivers in most aspects.
Legacy looks and engine
Starting with the looks, my test unit was an evil black which gave it some road presence. It’s not a small car and you feel quite regal from behind the wheel. Some big alloy wheels and twin exhausts give subtle clues about the performance. It’s still a Subaru underneath that businessman’s suit.
There’s an engine sourced from the WRX sports sedan, which should give you some indication of the performance. For the record, the 2.5-litre turbocharged flat-four motor pushes out 195 kW and 350 Nm, so there is some grunt underfoot. Power is driven to all four wheels through a five-speed automatic gearbox.
Driving modes
It all sounds very good, but when it came to the driving I was a little disappointed. Perhaps I was expecting a Subaru WRX in a suit, but in reality the Legacy is more a cruiser than an out-and-out performer. Gear changes are uneventful and at low speeds there’s a slight CVT drone.
However this is rectified by putting the vehicle in #Sport and using the steering wheel-mounted paddles. The car is transformed into a much more hands-on vehicle and it’s a shame the majority of Subaru Legacy owners will never actually try this out for themselves.
There are three driving modes and you can switch between them using the buttons on the steering wheel. There’s Intelligent, Sport and #Sport. Intelligent powers down the engine slightly and is best used if you’re focusing on the fuel economy. Sport tightens things and makes the engine a little more responsive. Finally the #Sport unleashes all the power from the Subaru Legacy engine. You can clearly see the difference between the three thanks to little torque graph readouts on the dashboard.
Ride and refinement
It’s not a bad ride either. With a focus on refinement and comfort, the Legacy loses some of the fabled Subaru precision. Make no mistake though, the Legacy still offers high levels of grip – a comforting feature during a particularly heavy Johannesburg afternoon thunderstorm. While most cars had slowed to a crawl due to the volume of water on the roads, you can be thankful the Legacy will not lose traction. Look, the laws of physics still apply so don’t drive at high speed into a puddle of water.
With #Sport engaged and driving with the paddles, the Legacy GT feels quite brisk but I feel a manual gearbox would unleash even more performance. Given the fact that the car isn’t geared at being a performance-orientated machine, it’s impressive when you demand power from it. I also noted the Legacy was particularly fond of unleaded petrol, with the fuel economy reading almost 12l/100km.
Interior practicality
One brilliant selling point of the Subaru Legacy is its interior practicality. The rear legroom is simply brilliant and Subaru itself says the Legacy has the longest wheelbase in its class. This means the cabin is suitable for four tall adults and while the interior is impressive, the boot is even more so. You could easily fit two golf bags in there and still have room for a few tog bags. The interior does show some hint of performance with some splashes of carbon fiber.
Loaded with specification
It’s clear Subaru has gone for the minimalist approach inside the cabin of the Legacy. Don’t make the mistake of thinking it’s not well equipped because if there’s something Subaru does right, its vehicle specification. The Legacy is marketed as a luxury vehicle and has the majority of the luxury features one would expect when paying close on R500 000.
Leather seats with electronic adjustment and memory function, keyless entry and start, automatic dual zone climate control, cruise control, auto wipers, auto xenon headlamps, USB/Mp3 connectivity, reverse camera, Bluetooth, powerful sound system and a whole host of safety features are fitted as standard to the Subaru Legacy.
Subaru Legacy conclusion
The Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT will never be a best seller in South Africa. At this end of the market, your money will most likely head to a German brand. That said, you can’t help but feel the Legacy does the basics right and that’s about it. It lacks the prestige which its rivals offer in abundance and when you’re behind the wheel, it doesn’t feel like a R500 000 motor vehicle.
If you’re a Subaru fan, then rather get a Subaru Outback which offers higher ground clearance, better economy thanks to an award-winning diesel engine, and more practicality for R10 000 less.
Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT price in South Africa
The Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT retails for R479 000. Price includes a 3 year / 100 000 km warranty. Also includes 3 year / 75 000 km service plan.
Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT specifications
| Engine | 2.5 litre turbocharged flat four |
| Power | 195 kW @ 5 600rpm |
| Torque | 350 Nm @ 3 600rpm |
| Transmission | 5-speed automatic |
| Wheels | 18-inch |
| 0-100km/h (Claimed) | 6.1 seconds (claimed) |
| Fuel economy | 11.5l/100km (claimed on the combined cycle) |
We like:
· Still a Subaru. Still grips and handles well.
. Great rear legroom and boot size
. Deceptively quick
We dont like:
· Thirsty
. Executive sedans aren’t Subaru’s specialty
. This segment is run by the Germans
Also consider:
Honda Accord
Volkswagen Jetta/Passat
BMW 3-Series
Audi A4
Mercedes-Benz C-Class
Subaru Outback
Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT photo gallery
Photos by Justin Lee from Justin Lee photos
