2010 Subaru Legacy at NYC Autoshow




When Subaru?s product developers responsible for the 2010 Legacy began probing Legacy loyalists about their likes and dislikes with the current model, the loud-and-clear message was: "We want more space!" And by far the loudest shouts from the chorus were to expand its rear legroom. Well, Subaru has gotten the hint ? and then some.

The new Legacy is way bigger. Up by 1.4 in. overall, 3.2 in. taller, and 3.6 in. wider, the wheelbase grows by 3.6 in. resulting in a 12% gain in both interior space and that critical number, rear legroom. The car is simply cavernous inside. Gads, the rear toe room beneath the front seats could consume NBA footwear. Has the blimping of the average American really gotten this voluminous?

The good news for those few among us who remain "conventionally proportioned" (well, almost) is that despite the supersizing, the Legacy?s weight has risen by just 1.4% (credit 38% of its chassis being composed of high-strength steel). And that?s a minuscule enough increase to be easily offset by developments under the hood no matter which engine option is fitted. As before, the Legacy arrives in three flavors of horizontally opposed engine ? a normally aspirated 2.5L four-cylinder, a turbo version of the 2.5, and a six-cylinder, though it?s capacity rises to 3.6L (per the Tribeca) replacing the elderly 3.0L.

The base engine powering the 2.5i produces 170 hp at 5600 rpm and 170 lb-ft of torque at 5600 rpm, but its emphasis is on tweaks to improve responsiveness and fuel economy. Note that that?s a little less power here, but it?s produced at usefully fewer rpm.

The 2.5GT is motivated by a revamped configuration of the previous turbo-four, featuring a (now-bigger and higher-boost) turbocharger relocated to beneath the block?s nose. Plusses include a lower center of gravity, quicker tip-in responsiveness, and better thermal control of the low-density catalyst. Power climbs from 243 hp at 6000 rpm to 265 hp at 5600 rpm (torque rises from 241 lb-ft to 258 at 2000 rpm). The 3.6R?s six-cylinder is hardware already familiar from its Tribeca application, but to recap, it offers 256 hp at 6000 rpm (247 lb-ft of torque at 4400 rpm). That?s up 11 hp and a considerable 32 lb-ft compared with the previous 3.0L mill, which was nearly identical in external size and awkwardly required premium gas (the 3.6 is happy to sip blue-collar regular grade).

However, there?s bigger news in the transmission department. Reducing the crankshaft revs are either a six-speed manual or a CVT (I?ll get back to this one in a minute) in the 2.5i, a six-speed manual for the 2.5GT, and a conventional five-speed auto for the 3.6R.

And, ah, that CVT. Not only is it the first Subaru CVT since the wonderful old days of the Justy, this is the industry?s first application of a CVT in a longitudinal, AWD configuration. Moreover, Subaru?s Lineartronic CVT is remarkably compact for such a system, being a chain-type (rather than belt) in order to reduce space and improve efficiency. Another notable is a second clutch introduced in the powerstream aft of the CVT to absorb drivetrain shock when, say, all-four wheels suddenly encounter grippy asphalt after delicately slipping on ice. The moral here, apparently, is that a happy CVT chain is a shock-protected CVT chain. As with many other CVTs, a set of steering-wheel paddles offer an illusion of manually selected stepped gears ? in this case, six ratios.

The new Legacy possesses six developments of note in the world of Subaru. One is framed side-glass (ending the era of frameless side glazing), double

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