Legacy sedan is the new Commodore
The very traditional Legacy sedan is all about old-fashioned value-for-money, writes David Linklater.
When the Legacy was relaunched in 2015 as a sedan only, Subaru New Zealand argued it was a car ideally placed to pick up where large Aussie-made reardrivers were about to leave off. Especially the six-cylinder RS model.
Even back then, traditional large sedans were a niche concern, but Subaru NZ could see modest potential for a family-sized machine with lots of power and the added benefit of all-wheel drive. After all, buyers of these types of cars do have a thing about front-drive. A negative thing.
Now that the Ford Falcon and Holden Commodore VF have departed, it’s theoretically Legacy’s time to shine. Except that Holden has undermined the game plan a little with the new Germanbuilt Commodore ZB, which now comes with all-wheel drive in its V6-powered incarnations.
The two are actually closer together than ever, now that the Holden has downsized a little.
It’s still the larger of the two: 102mm longer overall and 79mm more in the wheelbase, although the liftback (so no, Commodore’s not really a ‘‘sedan’’ any more) body shape is 45mm lower than the three-box Legacy.
Bootspace is almost identical between the two, although Commodore has the extra versatility of a liftback loadthrough.
But Legacy is still a large car by contemporary standards, and recent pricing and specification revisions keep the case strong against its Commodore rival.
The facelifted, upgraded Legacy RS is now $5000 less expensive at $49,990.
Assuming six-pot power and AWD is your reason for shopping in this part of the store, you’ll need to spend at least $58,990 on the Commodore RS-V to match the Subaru’s mechanical specification, although it must be said the Holden engine is more powerful (235kw/381nm) and its
Subaru takes pride in Legacy being a very traditional sedan that is definitely not front-drive.
Twinster AWD system highly sophisticated.
The RS badge is possibly a misnomer on the Legacy.
It implies sportiness but what really impresses about this vehicle is smoothness and refinement.
Don’t come around here expecting a barking-boxer engine or chassis-traction gymnastics: the Legacy RS simply gets on with business in an unflustered way.
That’s got a lot to do with the character of the Subaru Lineartronic Transmission (SLT), which the rest of us simply know as continuously variable.
It’s true that Subaru is one of the most skilled proponents of this type of technology, but it’s also true that it’s a polarising and mostly Japanese thing.
Europeans are still committed to the superior driver engagement of a gearbox with, well, gears.
The Commodore has nine of them, by the way.
But the Legacy is a swift and capable machine and few companies have as much experience with AWD as Subaru.
It combines comfort with outstanding chassis composure on Kiwi roads and you do get the opportunity to tailor the driving experience a little: both Legacy models have Intelligent (comfort) and Sport driving modes, but the RS also offers Sport#, which gives even more aggressive responses.
There is a clear progression from one to the other.
Legacy-2018 has a revised grille and front bumper, plus new door mirrors with 20mm-shorter stems and LED indicator lights.
The headlights now have integrated LED daytime running lights and full-led beams that adapt to steering angle.
There’s a new-design steering wheel, extra instrument panel stitching and greater use of glossblack trim.
There’s an eight-inch touchscreen with phone projection and some new camera technology: Front View Monitor and Side View Monitor.
The former shows a view of the front of the car at up to 20kmh to assist in tight parking situations, while the latter displays the leftfront wheel area - also at up to 20kmh.
Subaru has long-standing struggles with cabin design and quality.
The latest Legacy is still very traditional-looking inside (as is the outside), but the fit and finish is now quite impressive.
Legacy’s unique selling proposition is still the Eyesight active-safety system, which handles everything from autonomous braking to active cruise control.
We’re now in Eyesight’s third generation, which includes Lane Keep Assist, a pre-collision braking system that recognises objects earlier (maximum speed is up from 30kmh to 50kmh) and greater accuracy: the camera is better at recognising low-contrast objects and it’s mounted closer to the windscreen.
While camera-based safety tech is commonplace (standard across the Commodore range, for example), high-end functions like adaptive cruise control are still a major selling point for Subaru cars.
To get the complete package in a ZB, you have to spend over $60k on a Calais-v or VXR.
Subaru takes pride in Legacy being a very traditional sedan that is definitely not front-drive.
If that’s your thing, the revised model does present a persuasive argument in terms of engineering, safety and (especially) value for money against rivals like the new Commodore or Skoda Superb. There’s food for thought here. But it’s food for a very few. For every Legacy registration, Subaru sells 15 Outbacks. SUVS have really put the boot in these kinds of cars.