March 02--Midwesterners are known as hard-working, snow-shoveling, practical, reliable, without pretense, middling, safe and maybe even plain. Sounds like a Subaru Legacy.
I am a Subaru owner (Forester, class of 2006) and a Midwesterner. I like those adjectives in a car. And the redesigned all-wheel-drive midsize sedan, which is the most understated and overlooked of nine Subaru models, has never stood out or faded away despite aggressive competition in a shrinking segment.
Even the standout features of the Legacy -- top safety pick from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, roomiest cabin space of any midsize sedan, good fuel economy and all-wheel drive that comes standard -- are remarkably muted.
It's a great value. In fact, Kelley Blue Book just named Subaru as the brand with the lowest ownership costs and the best resale value. All-wheel-drive security coupled with top-rated safety, and being the first to define the compact crossover segment, has led Subaru to 21 percent gains in 2014, far outpacing the 6 percent industry sales gain. Subaru is one of the hottest automakers in the U.S.
But the sixth-generation Legacy isn't turning any heads, isn't beating its smooth 2.5-liter boxer-engine chest, and it isn't lighting up sales charts. It does its job, does it well and retires nightly to its suburban garage, flanked by uncluttered pegboard and clearly marked plastic bins.
This isn't a bad thing.
The symmetrical all-wheel drive distributes power to whichever wheels have the best traction, so slippage is minimized and turning the wheel takes you in the intended direction. Sounds simple, but in 6 inches of fresh snow over a sheet of ice, the Legacy does not simply inspire confidence, it affirms safety, which is even better.
The same system, mounted in-line with the horizontally opposed boxer engine, means that the power transfer between the pedals and the wheels is smooth and instantaneous. On dry conditions, the only thing you'll notice about the Legacy is its quiet interior and effortless command of the road. Subaru has done a lot to minimize ride noise.
Subaru gives the Legacy a continuously variable transmission, which cycles through any number of "gears" to find the optimal position for how you're driving. Flooring the four-cylinder means that the Legacy won't shift until much later, whereas normal driving means you'll get more subtle shifts as you get up to 40 mph. It really doesn't draw attention to itself and shifts where you'd expect it to balance power and efficiency, which is the whole point of a CVT.
The test model came in Limited trim, top of the line for the Legacy, which also comes as a 3.6-liter six cylinder, and as such was equipped with 18-inch alloy wheels and a six-speed manual override for the CVT. It's called Lineartronic, and the gears can be activated via paddle shifters. Putting paddle shifters on a 2.5-liter four-cylinder Legacy felt as natural as putting a thong on a Midwesterner. It just doesn't work. There's nothing sporty about the Legacy and there doesn't need to be. It'll get off the line and move well enough, but downshifting into a corner and not feeling the car downshift with you is pointless.
The same paddle shifters congest an already crowded steering wheel. There is a four-square control panel on the left side for audio controls flanked by a menu button and underscored by voice and phone buttons. Below it, on the downside of the wheel, are three buttons that control the vehicle information display. Cruise, and all its adaptive capacities, are on the right side of the wheel. There's a lot going on in a little bit of space but, like anything, a person can adjust to it over time. The redundant controls pair to StarLink, Subaru's improved but still lagging infotainment system that pairs phone, audio, navigation and the rest. In addition to heated and ventilated seats, the Limited gets a 7-inch touch screen with sensor-touch menu buttons on either side that is consistent with the Legacy in that it's practical but unremarkable. It's easier to use a smartphone, but the navigation is swipeable and rear-view cameras are standard. Limited also comes with blind spot detection, lane change assist and rear cross traffic alert, all of which were never obtrusive.
The interior space of the Legacy has grown even though the exterior dimensions are largely the same. Subaru nipped and tucked a foot and a half more cubic feet and, while the front seats are spacious, they still are kickable from rear seat fidgeters. That's the crux of the midsize condition. The 60/40 rear seats fold down to expand on the 15 cubic feet of trunk space, which is good for a midsize.
The Legacy improves not just over the previous generation but on competitors alike, justifying more of a look than its flyover past from midsize buyers.
rduffer@tribpub.com
2015 Subaru Legacy 2.5i Limited at a glance
Type: midsize sedan
Price as tested: $28,990
Base price: $26,495
MPG: 26 mpg city/36 mpg highway
Engine: 2.5-liter boxer four-cylinder
Transmission: CVT with 6-speed manual mode with paddle shifters
Parting shot: Remarkably unremarkable considering best in class distinctions
