The Legacy impresses as a solid and tight sedan that inspires confidence when the going gets nasty. Indeed, we know Subaru owners who have literally beaten the tar out of their cars and they just keep going.

Being a bit smaller than the segment volume leaders gives the Legacy a distinct edge in urban traffic as it feels much smaller and will always fit through a narrow lane. Not until you've tried to park something six inches too big do you realize a prime benefit of compact external dimensions.

And since it's a tad smaller, the Legacy tends to run a shade lighter as well, with a six-cylinder all-wheel-drive Legacy about the same or lighter than V6 front-drive versions of the mass market midsize sedans: Altima, Accord, Camry, Malibu. Finally, with the Subaru's horizontally opposed engine layout (cylinders lay flat), the weight can be kept down lower, and a lower center of gravity aids response, stability and braking.

Each of the three engines has different characteristics that change the character of the car to some extent.

Power from the 2.5i models (170 horsepower and 170 pound-feet of torque) is about par for the course and similar to the Camry et al. A four-speed automatic is available and it comes with the same fuel economy rating, but the five-speed manual makes the best of what's available.

It's a relatively easy manual to drive, with an anti-stall feature built into the engine management system to detect impending stalls and bump the throttle a bit. Clutch action is smooth and progressive, and the shifter works much better if you take your time rather than trying to rush it.

Suspension on the base model leans to comfort, with the travel to absorb relatively large bumps with ease; the primary detractors are the 17-inch wheels and low-profile tires. Having a solid structure to work from allows the engineers to deliver a good blend of compliant ride and good handling.

Steering is direct and lightens up at highway cruise speeds, cornering grip is quite satisfactory, bumpy corners telegraph to the driver but don't upset the car. Skilled drivers may find electronic stability control isn't necessary; all-wheel drive makes this a stable car with predictable handling. The Legacy does notice crosswinds and tractor-trailer turbulence, but like bumpy corners, these merely make you aware something is changed.

On the 2.5i Limited, electric windshield de-icing thaws blades frozen to the glass much faster than the defroster will, so you'll spend less time scraping or sitting and not burn up the wiper motor.

With the all-wheel drive and good safety ratings, the $21,000 2.5i makes a compelling argument for sending recent high-school graduates to school in the snow belt or using as commuter where the roads are often marginal.

GT models are powered by a similar flat-four 2.5-liter that has been turbocharged, gaining 73 hp and 71 lb-ft of torque, the latter at a very usable 3600 rpm. The GTs rate 19/25 mpg with the manual and 18/24 with the automatic, but test vagaries mean it's easy to better automatic highway numbers.

A five-speed manual gearbox is standard and well mated to the engine. On twisty roads taken quickly you may find that using a gear higher than you normally would brings the smoothest drive as there is still vast midrange torque but it comes on more progressively, and the less sudden any change is applied to a tire, the better it grips and goes.

GT automatics use the same all-wheel-drive system as the 3.0R, called Variable Torque Distribution, controlled by electronics that nominally ladles out 45 percent of power to the front wheels and 55 percent to the rear wheels to help give some rear-drive feel to it. No one will mistake a Legacy for a rear-drive car, but it does feel good from the driver's seat and automatically adjusts to changing conditions.

The five-speed automatic is properly calibrated to give the right gear at the right time, near seamlessly unless you're full-throttle. It blips the throttle to match revs downshifting, and manual requests from the shifter or paddles are answered promptly.

SI-DRIVE has a three-setting switch that controls engine output and automatic transmission shifting behavior. In Intelligent mode it runs most economically by reducing engine power to 195 hp and 228 lb-ft, requiring more gas pedal to get the same reaction; Subaru estimates a 10 percent economy increase. This setting can be used all the time and works very well in stop-and-go traffic to smooth things out. We found the middle Sport mode best in everyday driving. Sport Sharp, at the other extreme, delays upshifts and gives the quickest pedal response, as you might like on spirited drives or climbing mountain roads with sporadic passing lanes.

GT models get larger brakes, slightly wider tires and tighter suspension to accompany the added power. Everything remains in balance, and with the turbocharger laughing off altitude and a good set of winter tires, the Legacy will be miles ahead in a ride up to the slopes.

GT spec.B uses the same turbocharged engine but accelerates a bit quicker because it has a six-speed manual gearbox, stouter differentials and Bridgestone tires with the same grip level you'll find on much more expensive European sport sedans. GT spec.B gets a suspension supplied by Bilstein, which seems to have a knack for getting the best comfort/grip compromise out of everything from sport compacts to motorhomes.

The spec.B manual gearbox is similar to that in the rally-bred WRX STI Impreza. It will teach you, through practice trial-and-error, proper gearbox technique and until you learn it you'll find hurried upshifts tend to be a bit jerky as turbocharger boost, revs, and gears all have to line up like so many planets. Once you get used to it, the spec.B goes like few other compact four-doors near the price, and just a tad slower than the Mitsubishi Evolution, the Impreza STI and the MazdaSpeed 3.

The spec.B is one of those cars where an open-visibility sweeping on-ramp becomes an invitation and you have to slow down to merge with traffic. You can push it quite hard without stability control intervening because of the inherent composure from the low-mounted weight and all-wheel drive. Low-profile tires will notice lane-divider dots and require more space to make a U-turn, though all Legacys do a good job shrugging off ugly potholes.

With a nearly identical 245 hp, the 3.0R Limited might seem on paper a duplicate of the GT turbos, but far from it. This engine uses the same architecture as a Porsche Boxster or 911 and it's evident in the silky mechanical noises, free-revving nature, and faultless smoothness even when idling. Peak torque is 215 lb-ft, down about 10 percent from the XT turbo, but the H6 makes up for it in linearity. It simply makes more power the faster you rev it.

The 3.0R's six-cylinder is matched to the same five-speed automatic, with gear changes near imperceptible for the most part, seamlessly swapping between them to keep engine revs and output in the right place. It's so smooth that you will sometimes find watching the tachometer is the only way to tell it's changed gears.

The 3.0R's all-season tires ride on 18-inch wheels and while they'll prove better in snow than the spec.B they still delivered the kind of grip that made passengers sit up and take notice. Suspension is by Bilstein, recalibrated for more elasticity than the spec.B hyper-sport arrangement, and the 3.0R rides very well for a car with such low-profile tires. The same solid build that closed the doors with a thud also meant no creaks, squeaks or rattles even on rough surfaces. Brakes are shared with the spec.B and equally impressive as the 3.0R weighs just 15 pounds more.

© 2008 NewCarTestDrive.com