Still the class leader in affordable all-wheel-drive vehicles and a New England favorite, Subaru has refreshed the Legacy Sport sedan for 2014.
Despite being a "boutique" brand, not one of the automotive powerhouses, Subaru is a must-shop when working your way through the crowded field of mid-sized sedans. The famed all- wheel-drive remains the key selling point, and with each iteration of the Legacy, the Japanese maker chips its way into more market share.
This more stylized offering features a sharpened nose and front fenders, with the headlamps wrapping around to emphasize the new lines. Under the hood the 2.5-liter, horizontally opposed engine produces 173 horsepower and drives the car through a continually variable transmission.
Unlike its little sibling, the Impreza, the bigger engine drives the CVT quietly and efficiently without the incessant whine, which tends to make me cringe, that the smaller 2-liter produces. This sedan has a sporty feel to it and the front Macpherson strut and rear wishbone suspension make for sure handling and a fun car to toss around. The car tends to plunge a little when pushed, but roll was fairly minimal. It's not the amped-up rally racer WRX, but I appreciated the easy ride.
Subaru has featured Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive for so long they've got the engineering nailed on it. The one drawback I did find was the low-slung four door struggled to get through deeper snow. Dropped lower than the Outback or the Crosstrek, to help handling and fuel efficiency, I hung up on a snowplow drift that I tried punching through. But once clear, the car had no issues confidently maneuvering through the rest of the day.
On the highway the Legacy is quiet and gets on the higher end of good mileage, making the better part of 32-33 miles per gallon, a gas-sipper compared to other cars in its class. It drops to about 24 mpg locally but I found the car to be a bit better on average.
The interior — although upgraded with some leather trim, metal-trimmed pedals and patterned plastics — still suffers compared to its competitors like the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Mazda 6 and Ford Fusion. And I found the infotainment screen to be small and dated, like Volkswagen. The driver's position provides good sight lines, and the steering is light and responsive. Controls are well-made and simple enough to use without using the manual. Most controls have steering wheel redundancy, and surprisingly the Bluetooth phone is one of the better ones I've used, providing a clear signal and comfortable levels of hands-free conversation.
So although the interior refinements trail others, a situation I bet is addressed on the next refresh, the all-wheel-drive Legacy at a MSRP of $23,595 looks like a good deal even before adding the $2,500 Sport Equipment Value package for a delivered price of $26,418. That package adds a moonroof, 18-inch alloy wheels, a reverse camera, auto-dim mirror and fog lamps, yet you're still checking out at thousands less than aforementioned competitors.
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