Japanese used car review: 2000 Subaru Legacy

Overview

Subaru is well renowned for being a manufacturer of hardy cars with its permanent all wheel drive system which increases safety for road use and is great for some off road activities too. With its third generation line up of cars Subaru has introduced a range for 2000.

The Legacy GT is the star of the line up. It offers sporty European sedans a run for their money, although not necessarily haveing the sexy aura of the BMWs or Audis, it is guaranteed to be turning more heads than if you were driving some of the other sedans on the market.

Walkaround

The initial impression of the exterior is that you could easily mistake it for a BMW 3 series. Its design would not look out of place on the street of Berlin, Paris or London, blending in with the European styles almost seamlessly.

The high rear trunk line give a distinctive look while helping aerodynamics and also upping the storage capacity. The profile descends to the front and ends with a low level bonnet which gives an overall wedgelike shape. The overall length is slightly longer than previous models and this provides good sized doors. Another feature is the pillarless windows, somewhat unusual in a four door sedan, which adds to the sporty coupe look. Character is accentuated with some simple cladding along the doors. At the front a large grille and headlights are embedded with no protrusions giving a very sleek and smooth look.

Interior Features

Taking lessons from previous models the new Legacy for 2000 interior has been overhauled. There is a more convenient cockpit layout for the driver so that controls are all within easy reach. However there is less room for short legs while some longer legged drivers may be more comfortable as the right knee is further back.

The four main readouts on the dash, a tachometer, speedometer, fuel and water temperature guage, are well positioned and are read easily in all lighting conditions. The dash itself features a nice black and grey plastic trim with grain effect finish.

The environmental and radio controls are easily reachable in the center dash column. The sound and air conditioner worked effectively.

So, apart from the somewhat smaller, perhaps cramped for some, cockpit there was better layout and headroom in the front than in previous odels. The rear offers a surprising amount of legroom for passengers which puts the Legacy above the other cars in its class. Rear headroom is adequate for those shorter than 6 feet, but can feel a little cramped for those who are taller.

One detracting feature is that the rear seats do no fold down so your overall capacity for large or bulky objects is reduced.

Driving Impressions

As mentioned earlier the Subaru engineers have a head start on the handling. The Legacy GT has a refined gliding feeling of sure footedness which springs from the combined all wheel drive, low center of gravity and superior suspension design.

The drive system delivers power evenly to all wheels making the car more controllable in both dry and wet conditions. This power system is well designed and offers more for less. The weight of the system is vastly reduced from other types of similar systems.

The four cylinder engine delivers 165 HP, and provides great low end torque which gets you off the line speedily at lights and boosts your steep uphill power. The Subaru Legacy is more powerful than the Audi A4, Honda Accord and Toyota Camry!

The manual transmission is delightfully smooth and helps you to get the best from the engine. The automatic model weakens the acceleration somewhat and the notched gate layout of the gears means you have to take care not to select third instead of drive.

On a regular smooth road its impossible to tell that you're using an all-wheel-drive system. The steering precise and there is no torque steer during hard acceleration.

Overall, the Subaru Legacy GT gives you a better level of driving experience than many other cars in its class. It dosent quite give the excitement of several of the European competitors but its a lot closer than most similar cars from American or other Japanese manufacturers.

Summary

The all-wheel-drive system of the Legacy offers superior handleing in adverse conditions such as snow or rain. The stylish design and revamped interior will take you out on a night on the town as well as get you down the potted track to the campsite at the weekend. A good all round car with a great safe drive.

Engines: 2.5-liter sohc flat-4
Transmissions: 5-speed manual, 4-speed automatic
Safety equipment (standard): ABS and front airbags standard; side-impact airbags on Limited models
Safety equipment (optional): N/A
Basic warranty: 3 years/36,000 miles

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