Subaru Legacy 2.5i-S: more mainstream, but still just as exciting

THE SUBARU Legacy sedan and estate (station wagon to you and me) has always been one of those left-field sedan choices in the shrinking executive sedan segment.

 

Truthfully, this segment has been losing ground with buyers moving mostly to SUVs, the primary reason being that the SUVs (mostly of the pickup-based variety) are diesel, hence fuel costs are cheaper (although not necessarily overall running costs), and that the raised ride height gives these people more confidence to drive out under risk of flash floods brought about by monsoon rains, now a common occurrence due to climate change, deforestation, and a highly congested and over-populated Metro.

 

But is there hope for this segment? I believe so, thanks to interesting alternatives like the Subaru Legacy and the recently launched Mazda 6.

 

The Subaru Legacy looks much bigger than its predecessor, although Masayuki Uchida, the senior project manager for Fuji Heavy Industries (Subaru’s parent company) and the man responsible for the development of the Legacy line, says that the basic footprint remains the same, with comparable exterior dimensions.

 

The windshield has in fact been raked further forward by 50 millimeters from the base of the dashboard to help reduce NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness) and improve aerodynamics by as much as 10 percent.

 

The boxy lines of its predecessor have given way to a more curvaceous profile, reminiscent of the two-generations-old Legacy, but surprisingly making it more in-line with rivals from Toyota (Camry), Honda (Accord) and Nissan (Altima). And of course, Mazda’s 6.

 

The Legacy looks bigger, like it’s gone a weight division up, but crucially, how does it drive? We’ll get to that in a bit.

 

The interior has received a much welcome upgrade: It’s roomier, has a better driving position from the 10-way electric-powered driver’s seat (the front passenger is manually operated), and a new infotainment system that has a 7-inch touchscreen display for entertainment, Bluetooth telephony, and media device connectivity which syncs very easily and very quickly to even my dated mobile phone.

 

Top model variants get a Harman Kardon 12-speaker sound system with GreenEdge amplifier that really belts out impressive, crisp and clear tunes without washing out the delicate sounds from, say, classical music or opera (yes, I am cultured, somewhat).

 

The steering wheel is a new three-spoke design that’s handsome and functional with auxiliary buttons for the in-car computer settings, audio and cruise control systems, as well as paddle shifters for the Lineartronic CVT transmission which has been revised with a stronger torque converter and transfer case.

 

In this iteration, the CVT has none of the rubber-band feel of older CVTs, has mild steps to help make it feel more natural to the driver, and is very responsive even when left in “I” mode.

 

Push the Si Drive button to Sport, and response improves further, with the Legacy holding higher revs, shifting faster when you use the paddle shifters and engine brakes especially when it detects you’re playing downhill through a particularly tight and twisty section.

 

The engine is a new-generation FB25 which is smoother than the older EJ257-based turbocharged lump. It features reshaped intake ports with a repositioned tumbler generator to help improve low-end response, and broadens up the power curve, allowing the FB25 to deliver 175 horsepower and 235 Newton-meters of torque.

 

It’s not a lot, but you’ll be surprised with how much (or how little) power you need to have fun in the Legacy. Floor it and it’s free-spirited, revving to redline and sounding smoother than the EJ257 it replaces, yet has the tonal quality of something well-designed, well-engineered, and well-built—not something thrashy and harsh.

 

The last crucial piece of the puzzle is the Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system which gives the Legacy amazing grip and grace under duress.

 

Matched with torque vectoring (the inner rear wheel is braked slightly by the electronic gubbins to help kill under/oversteer) and Stablex-Ride (a system that expands the shock absorber at low speeds to improve ride comfort, and contracts it a bit to increase damping force), the Legacy rides like a dream, even on big 18-inch tires shod with 225/45R18 all-season touring rubber.

 

It also has ABS-EBD brakes and vehicle dynamics control (traction and stability control) to help keep you on the straight and narrow in the worst of road and weather conditions.

 

Coming home from a dark and gloomy business trip from Tagaytay, the Legacy proved its prowess. Heavy rain, heavy fog, slick roads and blind corners on the mostly pitch-black and unlit Santa Rosa-Tagaytay Road all sound like a recipe for a horror story on wheels. However, the Legacy shined brightly.

 

I was able to drive almost just as quickly as favorable driving conditions allowed. There’s a sense of security in an all-wheel drive vehicle, and playing with the paddle shifters only increases your confidence behind the wheel because of the added benefit and control of engine braking.

 

You can feel the Legacy gently warning you of your available grip level, and standing water would be met with a slight tug of the steering wheel.

 

The HID/LED headlights shone brightly, allowing me to open up the throttle and make full use of the modest power output. Out on SLEx, it was more of the same, with most cars slowing down to as low as 50 kilometers per hour with hazard lights on. The Legacy overtook everything at 100-plus kph with ease and absolute impunity of the very wet and slippery conditions.

 

And this is why the Legacy, for me, is the best car in this segment. You have absolute security afforded by an all-wheel drive, something its rivals don’t have. I got a combined fuel consumption of 9.8 km per liter with a 50:50 mix of city and highway driving. In the four days I had it, I only consumed less than 30 liters over the 300 or so kilometers I drove it.

 

My wife found it very smooth and relaxing, and she’d easily fall asleep on our long drive up and down Tagaytay. But behind the wheel, the Legacy is exciting, engaging and exhilarating.

 

Don’t drive like a lunatic half-expecting rally-rep-like responses because that’s missing the point. Drive it smoothly but with purpose, be confident in its abilities and trust in the suspension, brakes and steering.

 

It’s not perfect, of course. It lacks the sense of heft, of feeling substantial and solid the way a Mazda 6 or Honda Accord has, but it has impressive balance on the move, allowing you to feel it shifting its weight around its four wheels.

 

It’s lost its quirkiness, which can be saddening for old-school Subaru fans, but it’s a much easier car to live with now, yet has lost none of its dynamic brilliance.

 

If you need more power, there’s a six-cylinder boxer engine available on indent-order basis. Now that sounds like fun!

 

The Subaru Legacy 2.5i-S costs P1.808 million and the six-cylinder 3.6R variant is priced at P2.098 million.