2013 Subaru Legacy 3.6R

The Legacy has always been known for Subaru’s flagship with the idea of a homogeneous four door sedan complemented with a flat four-cylinder boxer engine and Subaru’s AWD system.  The all new 2013 Subaru Legacy adds quite a bit of extra flare  with more aggressive styling and an upgraded 3.6R trim model with the boxer 6-cylinder engine.

Subaru’s AWD system is the biggest selling point for the Legacy, but the downfall is reduced fuel economy due to inherent friction from added complexity in the AWD system compared to front or rear wheel drive power trains.  Subaru has taken this aspect into account and has since improved the overall drive train design with new four-cylinder engine and upgraded CVT transmission. This brings the fuel efficiency score cards close to other front cylinder four-cylinder engines on the market such as the Toyota Camry, Honda Civic.

For drivers who want more power and acceleration on their daily commute, Subaru also offers the 3.6R model which comes with a 3.6 liter 6 cylinder engine.  Although the power delivery and acceleration falls short with some of its competitors in its class, but the acceleration and gear changes in the Legacy AWD system is ultra smooth.

Subaru has also introduced a new technology in the Legacy lineup as an option called the “EyeSight”.  The system utilizes two windshield mounted camera systems to produce a stereoscopic image in real time to perform adaptive cruise control, alert the driver when the vehicle swerves into neighboring lanes unintentionally and actuates brake assist when the vehicle detects an obstacle is approaching too fast.

The Subaru Legacy is offered in two drive train options: the 2.5 liter flat four cylinder boxer engine and the 3.6 liter six cylinder engine.   The 2.5 liter engine produces 173 horsepower and 174 foot pounds of torque, which is respectable for its engine size.  The 2.5 liter engine model comes standard with a 6 speed automatic transmission, but a CVT transmission can be upgraded as a purchase option. Fuel efficiency of the 2.5 liter engine scores in at 24 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway.  The 3.6 liter six cylinder engine boasts an upgraded 256hp and 247 ft. lbs of torque.  A five speed automatic transmission is the only purchase option for the six cylinder engine model.  The fuel economy of the 3.6 liter engine comes in at 18mpg in the city and 25mpg on the highway, which is quite a significant drop compared to the four cylinder engine as fuel efficiency goes.

The interior is very clean and sleek, especially with leather interior.  The dash controls are simple and easy to use, but they are not the most user intuitive.  The graphical user interface  is not the nicest layout and the foam material used for the seats feel cheap.  Nevertheless, there is some sense of luxury feel when you step into the car and there is plenty of legroom and space for both the driver and passenger.

The Subaru Legacy drive feels great.  The acceleration and gear changes on the 5-speed transmission with the 3.6 liter engine is amazingly smooth.  Notorious for Subaru’s jewels, the car feels extremely solid and stable.  The steering is fairly heavy and lacks positive feedback.  However, the Subaru AWD system with reduced body roll make the Legacy very capable of handling corners.  Consumers will have to draw the fine line between choosing a car with better fuel economy in its class, or bite for Subaru’s silky smooth power train with Subaru’s AWD system.