WASHINGTON — The Subaru Legacy has been redesigned inside and out, but the styling is more subtle than earth-shattering. There is a hint of a coupe-like profile, with sweeping rear-end styling that luckily doesn’t affect rear headroom. I call it more handsome, with some slightly rounded edges – but to loyal customers, it still looks like a Subaru.
I have terrible memories of a family Subaru from the mid-‘80s that lasted less than two years before it was on the side of the road and done for. That said, I quickly noticed the new 2015 Legacy was nothing like the old 1986 Subaru GL.
The top-of-the-line Subaru Legacy 2.5i Limited has a starting price of around $26,500. My tester was $30,500 and included a $2,990 package with a moon roof, keyless access and push-button start, NAV and a driver’s assist system called EyeSight. Not a bad price for so many bells and whistles. The EyeSight system has two cameras that look at conditions and can warn or react if there is trouble. The adaptive cruise control can tell whether you’re drifting from your lane. The pre-collision braking warns of a possible impact and works very well — it will even apply the brakes.
The new Legacy has standard all-wheel drive, which can come in handy in bad weather. Having AWD usually means taking a hit on fuel economy, but the 4-cylinder 2015 Legacy is rated 26 mpg city and 36 mpg highway and a combined 30 mpg. I managed 28.2 mpg over 150 miles. A new CVT transmission helped. I usually don’t like CVT, but this acts like a normal automatic.
The interior has really been brought up to date with buyers’ expectations of sedans. The leather seats are comfortable and heated both front and rear; the materials are softer to the touch, and there is extra padding where your arms tend to rest. It’s much more upscale than previous Subaru models. There is plenty of room for five people, and the extra ground clearance makes getting in and out very easy. There’s a large seven-inch screen for the NAV and rear-view camera display, plus voice activated controls that work most of the time. I did have some trouble with the voice controls on some NAV input.
Driving the new Legacy was surprising: With only 175 hp, the car seemed very eager, and it never seemed underpowered. There is a 3.6-liter 6-cylinder if you need more power. I did notice aggressive throttle when first accelerating, so gentle use of the right foot is needed. The ride is slightly firmer or more sporty than most sedans. I was very impressed with how quiet the new Legacy is. It has just a hint of that famous boxer four-cylinder sound under hard acceleration.
The new 2015 Subaru Legacy is better equipped to compete in the midsize sedan market with three trim levels, two different engines and a starting price under $22,000. What really sets it apart from others in its class is standard all-wheel drive. The new Legacy deserves a look as your next sedan.
Editor’s note: Mike Parris is a member of the Washington Automotive Press Association. The vehicles are provided by STI, FMI or Event Solutions for the purpose of this review.
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