Styling and Speed

After my long search for a car, I was a former SUV owner, I settled on the 2005 Subaru Legacy GT 2.5 Limited AT. I found this gem of a deal in off of a used lot and I just couldn't pass it up. Although preferable in the MT due to the sportiness of this car I settled with the automatic transmission due to the fact that I didn't have a choice and also because of the large amount of city driving that I do.

I didn't know much about this car when I first test drove it at the dealership. I knew about the WRX and didn't realize that Subaru had a luxury model with a turbo engine. After taking a spin in the GT and being blown away I quickly added it to my short list of cars that I would consider. The car has very nice styling, similar to that of the Acura TSX, hoodscoop is functional and looks sporty. The wheels are 17 inch and for stock rims they are quite impressive.

In the limited model the interior is all leather and comes with dual climate control. Stereo is a 6 speaker, 6 disc changer with an option to have a subwoofer installed. Automatic transmission is 5 speeds and has the optional manual shift gate as well as an auto sport mode which holds a gear longer to grab the higher RPM's Shift buttons are on the steering wheel if you want to shift via your thumbs. I was quite impressed with the manual shift mode in this vehicle, compared to some other vehicles with the same option this allowed the user to really hold onto a gear deep into the RPM range without autoshifting to the next gear.

Stereo system is your standard stereo. I personally don't really care much for aftermarket stereos so I find that this does just fine. The option to change this to another deck is limited as the stereo is integrated into the HVAC unit. Upgrades of speakers may be the best bet for better sound.

The climate control is dual zone. It has an auto mode as well as side mirror defrosters. I haven't had a chance to try out the defrosters yet but from what I have heard they work great. Also integrated into the glass are wiper heaters for the winter when your wipers freeze up. One thing that Subaru didn't do very well for the 2005 Legacy was to put in the cabin air filter. I had to install the filter myself and due to the location of the filter tray it was quite the experience. Poor location of this feature is a big minus. Although I do suggest everyone install this filter when they get a chance as it will lower your cabin dust and also slow down the air flow. Overall heating and a/c works as advertised.

The interior is quite luxurious. All leather in the limited model with strong bolstering on the two front seats. Rear seats have a centre arm rest for comfort and plenty of room for a large person like myself (6 feet). Driver seat has front/back, height, tilt, seatback and lumbar adjustment. Passenger seat does not have height or tilt adjustment, all of these adjustments are power. I find that the Legacy does lack a little bit of head room for a larger person like myself. I have tried various adjustments but find that I manage to hit my head on the top of the car when moving about in the cabin. Overall for regular driving it is comfortable, some may find the bolstering too aggressive for longer trips.

The drive is quite a treat coming from an SUV and from driving domestic vehicles it is nice to see the refinement and quality of an import. AWD system hooks up consistently and you never get any wheelspin on dry pavement. The gear changes can be abrupt from first to second. The turbo spools up quite quickly although there is some turbo lag. Passing on the highway is a dream, very easy to pass multiple vehicles if needed. Some negatives so far is cornering, although it does corner quite accurately it does have a large amount of body sway that can be solved with a beefier rear sway bar.

So far I have really enjoyed this vehicle. It provides a nice luxury touch and sportiness wrapped up in one package, I can't wait to try this out in the winter. Fuel consumption is not the best with this vehicle due to a couple of factors, AWD system and the turbo. Keep a heavy foot and you will drink the fuel, drive it regularly without any heavy acceleration and the fuel consumption is not too bad. There are probably a few modifications that can be done to improve fuel consumption on this vehicle such as adjusting the air intake and ECU changes.

I thought I would update this review as I forgot to mention some of the things I wish this car would have. Fold down seats in the rear. Coming from an SUV I really miss the roominess that something like this would provide. The Legacy sedan only provides a passthrough. Memory seats and mirrors would be a plus. With both the seats and side mirrors being power if the car is driven by two people it is quite a hassle to adjust every time you get in to get the comfortable position. Center armrest is small!!! There is an aftermarket armrest provided by Subaru for over 100 dollars that will give you a longer and higher rest. In my opinion it should have come stock, I guess this was part of the sporty factor to not have a big clunky armrest.