The Outside

I liked the outgoing Legacy. Its appearance — assertive up front, aggressive in profile — set it apart from a number of tubbier-looking competitors. Sadly, times have changed. The Legacy has caught up in girth, which Subaru says was in response to shoppers finding the last one too small. It isn't appreciably heavier by the numbers, but it no longer looks skinny, at least to my eyes.

The actual styling is a whole other affair. I see some Infiniti G37 up front, a Saab 9-5 in back and some Subaru Impreza along the sides. I find it not so much controversial — that can be a good thing — as simply overwrought, chaotic even. It's no worse than the Accord, another car stuck nursing wounds from the ugly stick. Decide for yourself about the Legacy's appeal, and drop me an email when you do.

    See also:

    Selecting category (only when connecting iPod®)
    When the “LIST” button is pressed for less than 1.5 seconds, the iPod® menu is displayed. Each time you turn the “TUNE/TRACK/ CH” dial clockwise, the displayed category changes in the following seq ...

    Vehicle Dynamics Control mode switch (STI)
    Indicator light Vehicle Dynamics Control mode switch When the switch is pressed briefly or for more than approximately 3 seconds during engine operation, the mode of the Vehicle Dynamics Control Sys ...

    Using the select lever
    Shift to the next-higher gear by briefly pushing the select lever toward the “+” end of the manual gate. Shift to the next-lower gear by briefly pulling the select lever toward the “−” end of ...