Subaru Legacy - Sixth Generation

The Subaru Legacy is officially in its 25th year since the first one debuted in late 1989. For its 25th year, the Legacy has been regenerated to its sixth generation and while it's okay to look at, it's somewhat not okay to drive one but why?

2015 Subaru Legacy B4

2015 Subaru Legacy Outback

For the first time in Legacy history, the Touring Wagon was been officially axed from the lineup and it was supplemented by the Impreza-based Levorg station wagon, which remains a Japan-only car for now. This means, for the sixth-generation model, it's now available only in the B4 sedan and Outback crossover, which is kind of odd but why would they add a crossover version of the wagon no longer available for this generation?

To make things worse, the new model is now available only with the updated version of the FB25 boxer engine with Lineartronic CVT gearbox. I know that this combo will lead to a fuel economy, as calculated by 14.8kmpl (14.6kmpl for the Outback), which is not bad, but when it comes to driving one, it's going to be one slow trip at a snail's pace. On the flipside, however, both the new Legacy and Outback can bring it on whatever Mother Nature takes on and it doesn't really matter if they're on tarmac, gravel, snow, or whatever because of Subaru's legendary Symmetrical AWD and its boxer engine's low center of gravity. It keeps it as firm as you're glued to your seat by some anonymous prankster but never mind that part. The result is the handling that is not half bad for either a sports saloon or a crossover utility wagon, although the use of double wishbones and struts is a bit old-school for these models. Feels like they're not quite getting through the groove when faced against numerous rivals from a multitude of countries.

2015 Subaru Legacy Outback

2015 Subaru Legacy B4

With safety as its number one priority Subaru, the new Legacy, in B4 sedan and Outback crossover, doesn't come ready for the road without the breakthrough EyeSight ver. 3, which uses stereo cameras for adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and collision warning/prevention. Those technologies were the same thing we found on the Levorg station wagon and this safety technology is second-to-none if you're really careful on how to use it well. I heard that this car won the IIHA Top Safety Pick+ thanks to this option and it's the only Japanese carmaker with IIHS Top Safety Picks for all models for the last five years. There is a well-known fact that 95% of Subaru vehicles sold in the last 10 years are still on the road today and for this new generation, I really had high hopes that it will stay sturdy through the end of eternity and that's good...probably.

There's more because on the Outback, it comes with the X-Mode feature as seen on the current-gen Forester. The X-Mode system keeps the new Outback more stable and more responsive when taking on off-road terrain and with the Hill Descent Control. the new Outback maintains the vehicle’s speed so the driver can focus more on steering. That is just the tip of the technological iceberg.

2015 Subaru Legacy B4 interior

2015 Subaru Legacy Outback interior

Design-wise, the new Subaru Legacy models are more solid and more dynamic than the previous generations, although I find pity for the B4 model because it kind of looked like the Hyundai LF Sonata upon further observation. While the interior isn't what you call premium, it's still not half bad to look at judging by its seats, the legroom, the sat-nav, the paddle shifters, the cup holders, on and on. This is somewhat like when your office cubicle from work meets Starbucks but that's just how the pencil pushers ruin the interior affairs for no reason.

The new Legacy B4 starts at 2,862,000 Japanese Yen while the new Legacy Outback starts at 3,132,000 Japanese Yen so it's not what you called cheap but your Sir Chief would definitely want one for his family at this moment in time even though this new model promises better value for money thanks to its AWD, the optional Eyesight, and its fuel economy not bad for a company car. For now, it's evaluation time. While the Legacy isn't much more fun to drive than the originals and more expensive than its rivals, it's now more mature in the technological stakes judging by the help of Eyesight and X-Mode (only applicable for the Outback), and this is not a half bad car for a start.

Available Colors (B4): Crystal White Pearl, Ice Silver Metallic, Dark Grey Metallic, Crystal Black Silica, Venetian Red Pearl, Lapis Blue Pearl, Deep Sea Blue Pearl.

Available Colors (Outback): Crystal White Pearl, Ice Silver Metallic, Platinum Grey Metallic, Dark Grey Metallic, Crystal Black Silica, Venetian Red Pearl, Tungsten Metallic, Lapis Blue Pearl, Deep Sea Blue Pearl.

Photo: Fuji Heavy Industries