Subaru Legacy Doubles As
Commuter Sedan, Sporty Ride

By Anne Proffit
Gazette Auto Writer

Subaru has a simple solution for drivers who really want the firm’s barnstorming WRX STI rocket ship sedan but have obligations to behave civilly. The answer is the 2007 Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT spec.B four-door sedan, an absolute wolf in meek clothing.

The diamond gray metallic AWD Legacy spec.B sedan looks like a proper business express, and the fact that it is pretty much invisible makes it effortless to have fun with this car. Equipped inside with truly supportive black leather sport seats trimmed in blue alcantara suede, the Legacy 2.5 GT spec.B is a very attractive and logical package.

When the driver ignites the 2.5-liter, 243 horsepower turbocharged “boxer” engine, that is when this car’s true personality emerges through the dual exhausts’ throaty groan. Shifting is enabled through a snicky and precise six-speed manual that has excellent gearing for high-adventure touring.

On the highway, the Subaru runs at about 2,900 rpm when it’s doing 80 mph, returning an estimable 19/26 miles per gallon from the 16.9-gallon tank. Premium fuel is required.

Pricing for this particular 2007 Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT spec.B begins at $34,620 including freight fees. Subaru charges $42 for a wheel lock set and another $456 to bring XM satellite radio into the cabin, for a grand total of $35,118. There are plenty of other vehicles available in the size and pricing category; does this Subaru fill the bill?

I think so.

This car is for the Clark Kent/Superman in all of us. It will behave like a proper commuter sedan, schlepping five folks comfortably wherever they need to go and filling the deep 11.4-cubic-foot trunk with sufficient stuff for weeks on the road.

The Subaru spec.B Legacy has excellent, precise and well-weighted steering to help it achieve a good turning circle at 38 feet and the 3,515-pound spec.B has road manners to suit enthusiasts and everyday drivers alike. One of the few clues to its performance is the hood-mounted air inlet one finds on the Legacy’s Impreza WRX siblings.

Out on the open or winding road, this sedan comes to life. Equipping the Legacy spec.B with the company’s symmetrical all-wheel-drive— as are all Subaru vehicles — Subaru adds vehicle dynamics control, antilock 4-wheel vented disc brakes, Bilstein sport suspension and Bridgestone Potenza P215/45R 18-inch gumballs on 10-spoke alloy rims that effectively cool the brakes for its standard list of active safety items.

For passive safety, Subaru fits its Legacy group of sedans with front, side and head curtain airbags. There are active front seat head restraints and a tire pressure monitoring system. Another safety item is the excellent rearward vision in this car. There’s not a blind spot anywhere.

An excellent touch-screen navigation system is standard, along with dual-zone climate control, heated front seats and mirrors, windshield de-icer, cruise control and tilting Momo leather-wrapped steering wheel that has all audio controls imbedded. There are aluminum alloy pedal covers with rubber nubbies that are perfectly set for enthusiastic heel-and-toe driving.

The driver’s seat has dual memories and the passenger’s chair has full power capabilities. Both seats have manual lumbar levers on the inside. The driver’s window has one-touch down but must be held when returned to its upward space.

The tilt/slide sunroof has separate controls for both of its functions and one must hold the buttons to operate. Atop the steering column lies a rocker switch that will allow the driver to use parking lights in addition to daytime running lights — I had no idea this switch existed and thereby drained the battery.

For additional amusement, there’s a standard 6-CD audio system that will play MP3 and WMA; an auxiliary jack is located, along with a 12-volt plug-in, inside the commodious center storage box. I didn’t count the number of speakers but found the sound extremely fine throughout the cabin. With the XM radio fitted, I rarely use CDs anymore; there are so many good stations to check out.

When stopped at a traffic light, the Legacy burbles through its dual exhausts and has a rather rough idle that didn’t bother me. The promise of performance, however, doesn’t mean the ride is rough or punishing; my most particular passenger felt comfortable with the seating, the height capabilities, even with the sunroof, and the ride of this sedan over our rough freeways. She was surprised how much she liked it.

One item every wannabe racer will enjoy is Subaru’s SI Drive custard cup control at the base of the shifter that will change the tempo of transmission shifts. There are triple settings for this useful tool: intelligent, sport and sport sharp modes. In the “I” mode, green upshift lights flicker on the always visible black tachometer display to advise when to shift for optimal efficiency; in “S” sport mode, one can feel the crisper feel to the shifting, while “S#” sport sharp allows for extremely quick shifts with attention to rapid responses.

Unfortunately, there are no struts to prop up the hood on this Legacy sedan; it’s one of the few items I was concerned by. The front cupholders are a bit too shallow for water bottles and there’s a mileage gauge at the bottom of the speedometer that wags back and forth like a happy dog’s tail but really tells little.

Rear seat passengers of all sizes will enjoy great comfort and their cupholders emerge from the rear of the center storage. A true armrest folds down if two are in the back seats and there’s a lockable central pass-through to the trunk. Alongside the remote fuel and trunk levers there’s a lock to keep items safe from valet parkers.

The 2007 Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT spec.B has estimable power, outstanding suspension, brakes and steering and is truly comfortable and fun to drive. It’s the answer for the enthusiast in all of us who needs to show up driving a business sedan. We don’t need to tell anyone that this Lafayette, Ind.-built AWD cruiser is actually ready to run hard, do we?