Subaru of America would make a terrible ex-boyfriend/girlfriend/spouse. The minute you’re ready to leave, it keeps calling you back. And when you finally part ways, they just keep looking better and better.
Forget what they tell you, Subarus aren’t about love — they’re about unrepentant jealousy and envy. Like an ex winning the lottery and naming a newly purchased mansion after your favorite color and childhood dog. Oh, how love and wickedness can be two sides of the same coin.
The 2015 Subaru Legacy is the perfect, diabolical example. Subaru’s lone mid-size sedan languished waiting for an update. The four-door was not only behind competitors like the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry in sales, the Legacy was also behind even its own brand, sitting fifth in sales behind Outback, Forester, Impreza and Crosstrek. Friends don’t let friends get into bad relationships with cars without one-touch turn signals.
The new Legacy, unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show this year changed all that. Like showing up to the prom in a dress worthy of a montage, the world glimpsed a look at the Legacy that was always hiding underneath the frumpy skin. Despite being virtually the same as the outgoing model, this 2015 Legacy was somehow, you know, hot.
The new Legacy’s wheelbase is exactly the same length as the outgoing model. Only the overall length (+1.4 inches) and track width (+.07 inches) have changed. The interior dimensions have shifted because of apparent magic, but we’re talking about the same skeleton here. Same goes for the powertrain, which is the same 2.5-liter four and 3.6-liter six as were in the outgoing model. Subaru engineers have a long list of improvements to the engine, which include but aren’t limited to, new cylinder heads, new pistons, new engine computer, new ignition coil — shave and a haircut, two bits.
Where the new Legacy really gains ground is on the outside. The A-pillar has been pushed forward, and the C-pillar back, which gives the Legacy a sleeker roofline, sweeping front to back. In front, the Legacy gets a new grille and headlights, along with lines emanating out from it to the hood and around the side. Sure, the new grille has hints of say, a Ford Taurus, but that’s for the patent lawyers to decide — not you. In back, the Legacy gathers nicely, if not quickly. Other automakers tend to carry the side and roof lines all the way around, whereas the new Legacy wraps it up within a quarter of the tail end’s real estate. The trunk lid slopes gently upward, like an upturned sporty nose and the standard LED tail lamps give it reason to be hoity-toity — few cars in its class have such rear-end beams as standard. If I have a nitpick it’s this: The 3.6-liter gets a standard dual exhaust, which without looking hard on the 2.5-liter base model, is lovingly outlined on its rear bumper.
In profile, the Legacy looks almost like a bigger Impreza and not too dissimilar from the outgoing model. That’s not a knock, but rather a byproduct of more stringent federal standards and pedestrian, side-impact and fuel efficiency standards that keep us safe on the road. Want more distinct mid-size sedans on the road? Elect Ted Cruz president. Don’t come crying to me when Miami is six feet underwater.
Under the hood, the aforementioned powertrains haven’t changed much. The 2.5-liter still manages less than 200 horsepower and the 3.6-liter six has 256 horsepower, which is around 30 too much. Subaru won’t release a turbocharged model this year — that may come later — and that’s a shame. At sea level, the 2.5-liter, horizontally opposed four is enough for the 3,500-lb. sedan, but at altitude, or more than 3,000 feet (Subaru’s bread and butter) the smaller option just might feel a little light up canyon passes. The 3.6-liter has always been more than enough everywhere, but justifying its $3,100 price difference has only been something roughly 10 percent of Legacy buyers could do. (The Outback sells quite a few more 3.6-liter engines than the Legacy.)
On the inside, the Legacy makes up solid ground on its competitors. This year, the seats and dash received a much-needed upgrade and the rear legroom and overall hip room increased by 1.6 inches and 2 inches respectively. The stereo/navigation head unit, which was Subaru’s Achilles heal for a long time, was upgraded to a new unit developed by Clarion and can finally compete. The touchscreen unit of old was frustrating enough to put your fist through, but escaped that fate thanks to the fact that it was too small for even your fist. It’ll start making the rounds to other Subaru cars next year and the rest of us should rejoice.
If it sounds like I’m whining, you should have heard the old Legacy’s transmission. That continuously variable transmission, a one-gear planetary drive that howled like the wind blows, was the few amenities you could quickly relieve on the old Legacy and actually save a few hundred bucks. This year’s Legacy receives no such treatment. All-wheel drive is standard on all models because Subaru.
The CVT is standard across all models this year, which is how the Legacy can boast upward of 36 mpg on the highway in 2.5 spec form. The 3.6 model boasts 20/27 mpg in city/highway, whereas the smaller mill manages 26/36 mpg. Thankfully, Subaru engineers have quieted the CVT when you stand on the right pedal, and simulated step-gear shifting greets you under hard acceleration.
For all its improvements — standard 6.2-inch touchscreen, LED rear tail lamps, all-wheel everywhere, 43 percent improved torsional stiffness — the Legacy only clocks in at $400 more than its predecessor to start, $22,490 with destination included. It’s most popular model — the 2.5i Premium will only be $200 more than last year — at $24,290 qualifies as downright reasonable. Subaru officials say they have no illusions of taking on the goliaths Camry and Accords in its class, which is completely predictable. Exes have a habit of being so manipulative in their reverse psychologies.
Aaron Cole is a managing editor. He enjoys hearing from readers. Reach him at acole@aurorasentinel.com or @ColeMeetsCars