There is much to like about the new Subaru Legacy GT. In the most general of terms you have the nicest interior seen on a Subaru to date. A powerful and smooth acting 2.5 liter turbo 4-cylinder engine that is basically the same powerplant you find in the monstrous WRX STi. And the AWD handling and low ride height make the sedan feel more like a sports car. A sports car you can drive confidently in bad weather too.
That?s what make the Legacy a must drive if you?re shopping for a sedan in this range like the equivalently equipped Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and Mazda 6. The roughly $26,000 base price for the GT is high. Deck it out in the Limited trim like our tester with leather, sunroof, 6-CD changer and you?re at $28,595. But it is still under the $30,000 mark and on par with a similarly equipped Accord V6.
But before I get into the pros and cons there is the one tried and true Subaru hallmark you have to consider foremost when addressing this car, All Wheel Drive. If you live above the Mason Dixon line or in any snowy locale the grippy AWD system of the Legacy GT moves it to the top of the shopping list. Sure FWD vehicles handle snow and bad weather well, but you?ll be a lot more worry free with AWD.
And then there is the sweet sweet turbo. The stick is a bit rickety and first gear and reverse are troublesome at times to select, but the feather light clutch and responsive turbocharge kick will excite commuters that want a bit of punch in their sedan. After driving the new STi and Legacy GT back to back a few weeks ago I knew that the STi was MUCH faster but the Legacy offered smoother acceleration. And that?s what you want in a sedan that you can actually drive to a business meeting and not look like you?re trying to recapture your youth.
Drivers ride low to the ground and I still haven?t found a comfortable seating position. Like many Japanese cars, the pedal position doesn?t seem set up properly for my size 11s. But it?s not a make or break after the first few days. I can still get the clutch going fast enough to run through the gears in the manner this car asks for.
The Legacy GT is mighty quick, corners well and tops all the comparable import sedans in performance. As far as the interior, looks and equipment we?ll tackle those in the days to come.
Read Day 1.
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