Comments on: First Drive: 2010 Subaru Legacy Sedan

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Tue, 13 Jul 2010 13:07:14 +0000

[...] "The CVT has the same “rubber band” effect such gearboxes always experience,…" [...]

By: JC

JC — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:16:37 +0000

The new 2010 Legacy is definitely a right step towards the mainstream, as the writer have said. As a current owner of a 2009 and previous owner of 2008 Legacy, I drooled over the new 2010 model when the specs and details came out in the media.
The current model is not “bad,” but it definitely needed some tweaking. As a somewhat new Subie owner, I was very impressed on how the car rides on the road and handle the curves/turns. Not many cars could do 85mph on the West Virginia mountain highway without the feeling that you are losing control (not recommended – as I was only trying to test how good the car handles on these roads). Also, something I as looking forward to was the CVT transmission, as it seems pretty cool on paper. Hey, who wouldn’t want to get a better fuel economy? But I do have to see how they feel on the road before I would buy/lease one for real.
I do think the writer needs to mention that not all of the midsize cars currently on the market comes with AWD as a standard package. That will be a big selling point to anyone that is looking for safety in a car. But the name “Subaru” is pretty much synonymous to AWD (as it is a standard for all models), so I can’t blamed you there.
One thing is of a little concern for me on the new model is the car seems to be sitting a little lower on the road than the current model (ground clearance wise), from the picture. As someone from one of the snowy states, the ground clearance might be an issues if there’s heavy snow fall (more than 3-4 inches on the ground).
All and all, good job Subaru. You have brought a good car to the next level up.

By: John V

John V — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 15:44:59 +0000

Paul

The first Outback was 1995, so they weren’t quite “launched a couple of decades back” … just FYI.

By: tdb

tdb — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 13:47:54 +0000

Bryan, Al,
When a review gets long, I often wind up playing triage, so a few smaller bits get left out. Let me answer your questions, as well as one you didn’t ask:

-The new Legacy is built in Indiana, so it’s “American-made,” depending on how you count componentry;
-The initial fit and finish appears to be very good. That said, Subaru continues to rank below average in the J.D. Power numbers, etc., while Ford has generally been gaining significant kudos for its own, recent quality achievements;
-As noted, I fit comfortably into the new Legacy, though I sit closer than many folks my size because of how I believe wheel and pedals need be positioned;
-That said, Subaru pointed out, during their presentation, that they have about the largest amount of seat travel of any vehicle in the Legacy segment, and increased it with the 2010;
-One thing I didn’t mention in the review and SHOULD have came to mind when I drove home from the airport, last night. The Hyundai Genesis Coupe I was in had gooseneck trunk hinges that nearly broke my laptop computer when I tried to close the trunk. Like a much more expensive vehicle, the Legacy now uses a complex hinge and support arrangement that does not penetrate the cargo space when closing. That may be one of the nicest details on the car.
Paul A. Eisenstein
Bureau Chief, TheDetroitBureau.com

By: Al Rusca

Al Rusca — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 12:03:50 +0000

At 6’4″ I’ve always liked Subaru but could not find one that fit! I “tried on” a 2009 Forrester just last week and although they have expanded in hip room it was still tight on leg room. I’ll have to try a 2010 Legacy on for size when they become available.
A note to any of the Japanese designers that may read this blog. Why not take a hint from the European manufacturors and add an inch or two to the length of your seat tracks? Driver leg room problem solved!

By: Bryan Morris

Bryan Morris — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 03:08:24 +0000

This sounds like a pretty nice package. I’ve owned one Subaru, one of the original Foresters, and have considered buying one a couple of times since. It was the first Japanese made car I ever bought and only one of two overall. I really liked my Forester and kick myself mentally every time I remember that I stupidly traded it in before its time. It was very solid and the fit and finish were as good as I’ve ever seen. The two main reasons I’ve never bought another Subaru were because they seemed to be kind of smallish on the inside and the all wheel drive detracted from the gas mileage. From what you say about the new Legacy, it sounds like they’ve addressed both of those issues, particularly with the CVT transmission. Two questions come to mind. Where is it made? And how would you compare the fit and finish to a Ford Fusion? By the way, Subarus are hugely popular here in the Pacific Northwest. My friends from the Southeast, where I originally came from, are always taken aback when they see so many of them during visits. Maybe their attempt to go more “mainstream” will make them less exotic there.