The Subaru Legacy was completely restyled and re-engineered for the 2005 model year, and this fourth-generation has been updated slightly since. For 2008, it gets what we call a mid-cycle freshening. This is the same as keeping the classic blue blazer or little black skirt and changing the accessories that go with it, and accessories can really update an outfit.

Every evolution of the Legacy results in a sleeker profile, and the 2008 continues that process. While early Subarus and some recent Imprezas wore easily distinguished snouts the Legacy presents an angled-back grille with just enough chrome for highlights. A broad lower grille opening implies power, as does the sliver of hood scoop on turbocharged models.

Headlights employ projector low-beams and reflector high-beams, with the aluminum hood forming a lip above them that tapers into the front fenders. There's symmetry in the angles that form the sides of the upper and lower grilles, fog light housings, and sidelight markers.

All Legacy models use frameless door glass so there are no huge pillars to the front or sides. The rear quarter windows use a version of BMW's Hofmeister kink and viewed from the side, the rear end appears to be indented at a similar angle.

The rear view of the Legacy is perhaps its most distinctive. Dual chrome exhaust outlets and clear lenses for the signals aren't unique, but the wide low decklid and vertical reflectors in the rear bumper, as opposed to the typical horizontal setup, will make it much easier to spot in a parking lot full of ordinary sedans.

Since every Legacy comes with alloy wheels there are no cheesy-looking hubcaps to fall off at the first pothole, and many models have a chrome trim strip just below the door line. Visual appeal is one aspect, but, on light colored cars especially, this chrome should limit the shoe scuffing that eventually ends up underneath every driver door.

Although it is Subaru's largest sedan, the Legacy is not a big car. On average it's about a half-foot shorter, two or three inches narrower, and an inch or two lower than the Accord/Camry/Altima/Malibu group. We'll explain the benefits of this.

Interior Features

Inside, the Legacy has a functional layout and shows good fit and finish of suitable materials, regardless of trim level. The driver gets the benefit of superior visibility. It's a car that's both easy to live with and easy to operate. It's sized to 15/16-scale of a typical mid-size four-door. Most notice this only in rear-seat room or trunk space, but the seating is a little narrower.

Front seats provide good comfort and support, although taller drivers might find the seat cushions on the short side. Sport seats on the GT add a sprinkle more lateral support without becoming confining, and the Alcantara inserts on the spec.B add another degree of grip to your torso and breathe better than leather. On those cars with leather upholstery, the perforated fabric just oozes money.

A relatively high seating position, narrow windshield pillars, very low cowl and sloping hood over the flat engine provide great outward visibility with no downsides. Even reversing is good because the trunk isn't a bulbous appendage and the rear-seat headrests stow in a low position.

Not overly wide, the Legacy still has lots of room up front, with more legroom than most full-size SUVs; angling the power seat allows those same tall types to clear the moonroof and the new telescoping wheel means you needn't drive like an ape anymore. The front seats are thick and take up a smidge of kneeroom in back, and on the top-line 3.0R only the passenger's side has a net pocket.

The rear seat is raked well rearward and the cushions as long as the front, though legroom is more in line with the smaller Audi A4 or Volvo S40 than the midsize Camry/Altima brigade. Each position has an adjustable headrest, the armrest includes a trunk pass-through, the seatbacks fold flat with the narrow section driver's side, and the baby seat anchors are nicely concealed under an upholstered pad that appears part of the seat until you pull the hook-and-loop fastener for access.

The three-spoke steering wheel on GT and R models is ergonomically shaped and very comfortable. The welcome addition of a telescoping aspect to the tilt steering column allows a much broader range of drivers to position themselves properly. The MOMO steering wheel on the spec.B is superb, as you'd expect from a company that's supplied Ferrari and other exotics and countless race cars over the years.

Midway through the model line, the gauges are upgraded to electroluminescent, which appears a blank display until you turn the key. Then red needles and gauge outlines and white numerals shine through in clarity, and the detailed information in the trip computer/odometer display is just as crisp. If not properly adjusted, such instruments can fatigue you so Subaru allows intensity adjustment at any time, not only if the headlights are on or the sensor determines it is dark or daylight again.

The layout is typical, with larger tachometer and speedometer flanked by smaller temperature and fuel gauges. Data is inset in the tachometer, while a fuel economy gauge under the speedometer essentially mimics the throttle, even swinging to minus (-) when the automatic blips the throttle electronically on a downshift. If you can't tell what your right foot is doing, this gauge probably won't either.

Enthusiast drivers will find the pedal layout on manual gearbox cars places the brake and gas pedal close together, with the clutch pedal spaced farther to the left. This makes it difficult to blip the gas with the right foot for a downshift, while the toe of that foot is on the brake pedal, the so-called heel-and-toe technique that results in smoother downshifts when you're decelerating in a hurry.

Turbocharged and 3.0 models have an SI-DRIVE button behind the shifter, which changes relative performance among three modes; there's a button on the steering wheel that does the same chores.

A proper handbrake is immediately adjacent the driver's seat and the automatic shift gate doesn't need a separate button-push to leave Park, back up, or downshift. On five-speed automatics you can change manually using the shifter or paddles behind the steering wheel, the latter long enough that you can reach them even mid-corner.

With high-gloss woodgrain trim framing the center section of the dash, the Limiteds are inviting without being gaudy. Distracting trim is kept to a minimum, with primarily white-on-black (or dark gray) for the switch gear, although the gloss and chrome ring around the shifter do reflect a fair share of glare. All of the controls are illuminated in deep amber.

Dash lights, electronic stability control, and wiper de-ice functions are to driver's left, wipers and lights on the stalks, and climate control in the center stack.

Top center is the touch-screen for navigation and car data, a smallish screen but well-placed near line of sight. Only five simple buttons below the panel run it, the remainder done through touch inputs, and it got us where we needed to go with no fuss.

Radio controls are below that and are easy to operate. The Limited delivers good sound with six CDs loaded in dash. It has AM/FM/XM or Sirius and works with MP3 and WMA players. The satellite receiver is at the top right of the windshield where it will never obscure your view and no thief or airborne rock could knock it off. We found it received signals as well as external antennae.

With separate displays for the audio system, climate control, and navigation, menu scrolling and clicking are virtually eliminated; you needn't change screens or miss a turn just to change the radio station or cabin temperature. In addition, the audio and climate displays have large characters that can be quickly read at a glance. Finally, many controls can be reached by extended fingertips while your hand is on the shifter.

All but the most basic Legacy include a power moonroof; one button is used it for venting and another for sliding back and forth, so you'll never get confused about which way it will go next. Front visors have lit mirrors and extensions, and the manual center-mirror with dual-pivot mount can be lifted up high for clear sightlines to the right and darkened on overcast days where daytime running lights often become annoying. Rear reading lights are an accessory.

Cabin storage yields a space for everything, including deep wells in the center console, a split-level glovebox, and substantial door pockets.

The trunk is wide and long but on the shallow side; however, it does offer some under-floor space as well, grocery bag hooks, nets. The rear seats fold flat and are split 60/40 with the narrower section on the driver's side.

The release in the driver's footwell can be locked with the key, as can the folding rear seatbacks; however, there is no key lock in the trunk itself so you'll have to go through the driver's door if the remote battery dies.

© 2008 NewCarTestDrive.com