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Performance
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Readers' rating
By Dan Trent
First Drives
21 January 2008 10:36
Starting at £19,995 for the Sports Tourer 2.0TD R it’s good value too. For that you get xenon lights, powered memory seats, dual zone climate control and cruise as standard, the £21,995 RE getting leather, among other upgrades. Meanwhile the Outback starts at £21,495 for the R. That’s pretty keen pricing, given the spec and huge 1649-litre boot (459 litres with the seats up).
The lack of a six-speed gearbox or automatic option seems short sighted though and, while better than most Subarus, the Legacy fails to match its equivalents for quality feel inside. Neither are likely to dent demand among Subaru’s core audience but in the quest for mass appeal may be more of an issue.
If you’re thinking we’re impressed by Subaru’s first diesel you’d be right. With competitive fuel consumption and CO2 the Legacy and Outback have broadened their appeal beyond the green-wellied hardcore on whose shoulders the firm’s continued existence has rested.
This is Subaru playing to its strengths by using its engineering talents to come up with a genuine alternative to the mainstream. Characterful, refined, frugal and with the classic Subaru pillars of dependability and four-wheel drive security the diesel Legacy deserves to do well. It’s not going to offer a serious challenge to the mainstream but its talents should be enough to win over enough new customers to guarantee the firm’s future.
And if the diesel is great in the Legacy we can’t wait to see how it transforms the Impreza. A diesel WRX? Watch this space…
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Subaru Legacy Sports Tourer 2.0TD RE (2008) CAR review
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shawar1979 says
RE: Subaru Legacy Sports Tourer 2.0TD RE CAR review
Subaru is how a car company should be run. Subaru has identified their demographic, and in turn, have some of the most loyal customers of all marques.
18 September 2008 02:16
rmaxibiza says
Where's the auto option?
A quick check of the Autotrader site shows that roughly 1/4 of all Subaru sales are auto's, the Legacy is at 50% and the Outback 80%, so it won't be long in coming, I hope! A call to the local dealer elicits no futher info. In this case we obviously can't wait for the US market's demands to have a trickle down effect. Less than a year I bet.
25 March 2008 07:39
mbhalim says
ABOUT TIME!
Hope being diesel-powered will not make it perform like a bus. Otherwise we will have to invert the maker's name to U R A BUS!!
09 February 2008 13:04
Anonymous says
Good but...
I like Subarus a lot and I think a Legacy is superior to drive than any A4 Quattro, never mind more reliable. But I think it's getting old now and must be replaced soon, so this diesel is kind of late to the party. It needs to have a 6speeder, auto or manual, and I think Subaru must send away it's head of design. If not beautiful, the cars must at least look modern. And you can't do that with doors that shut to the body with black frames, and not hug the body. That was very Toyota of the 80's. Oh, and give it a decent face.
04 February 2008 10:11
bgood says
Wonderful
Now just ship it to America. Do automaker realise that not all Americans are prejudice against diesels? And that their is a growing market for them? I have long been a Subaru fan, and this makes it just oh so much sweeter.
02 February 2008 20:16
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