2012 Subaru Legacy
Test Drive
I really like where Subaru has been going for the last decade. Their cars have gotten more solid feeling as the years go along. This time around, we drive and shakedown the 2012 Subaru Legacy. Just getting in this car, you get a sense of quality around you. On top of that, the styling of the new Legacy makes it much more attractive to me than a Accord or Camry. On top of that, you get Subaru's legendary AWD system. We'll talk more about that in a minute.
The Pros: MPG. Despite this car being full-time AWD, it gets better fuel economy than a comparable Japanese or American 2WD sedan. Handling is a big plus. The suspension offers a comfortable ride daily driving, but still holds its own on a windy road. Quality of the Legacy is also worth mentioning. The whole cars gives you a solid feel and seems very well built. The price point also offers a huge leg up on the competition. It's not that the Legacy is cheaper than the competition, it's that you get much more features for the same price.
The Cons: You might have already guessed it. The flappy paddle gearbox. When in normal 'automatic' mode, the car shifts from 1st to 2nd gear too early with light throttle input. So much so that from the revs being so low, you will get a slight vibration in the drivetrain. This is fixed by one of two things: Either give it more pedal in 1st gear, so the transmission revs out the gear a little more, or shift it in manual mode.
Advanced Dynamics: In this next section, we examine the car performance under racing circumstances. All traction & stability systems were disabled. First thing I'd like to mention is the powerful upshifts you get when in manual mode. Despite this unit being a non-turbo base model, acceleration out of corners below 80mph is good. After that, the motor is fairly winded.
Handling: Also, I was shocked at how much turn-in the base tires offered. These were not Z-Rated tires. The last Subaru I shook-down was a 2010 Impreza. Sadly, I felt a lot of predictable understeer in that Impreza. This Legacy has FAR better turn in. Almost caught me by surprise. Braking into the turns from high speeds the car is very stable. Once you're to the turn, you get good feeling turning-in from the suspension. Through the turn the suspension holds it nicely. My single and only complaint with the suspension is it needs a strut-tower-brace. The initial turn in is great, but there is a little feedback pushing back on you after turn in. I feel with a roll bar or S-T-B this would be eliminated.
Drivetrain: The car was not equipped with a variable differential, but I thought the stock setting was a pretty close to perfect balance between over and understeer. The settings allow for confident WOT on most turns post-apex. Keep in mind this is not a turbo version. When downshifting the car in manual mode, you can add healthy engine braking even above 100mph. It makes a big difference in stopping power, and I like how you can hold a gear or downshift to help braking depending on what you need. Upshifting in manual mode gives you a nice push forward and a confident feel. I never once got the rear-end to step out. I was driving it hard. Once you're above 80mph, the non-turbo 4 cylinder reaches it's kryptonite. If I had to estimate top speed from what I saw, I'd guess 115-120mph and that's it. I did not attempt a top-speed run.
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Overall I was extremely impressed on the progression of the Legacy, and minus a few tweaks, I really don't see much room for improvement. Subaru has managed to balance it's rally-bred AWD system with a comfortable feel for daily driving. A good warranty on top of this, and it's not hard to figure out why Subaru is on the comeback in North America. Now if they would just bring the boxer diesel over here!!! Hey, I can dream, right?
