The car people most closely associate with the Subaru brand, Legacy is Subaru’s longest running nameplate in the U.S. Over the years, the car has evolved from a rather dull family sedan and wagon to spawn a rough and tough offroad version called Outback, in addition to a number of high performance iterations as well.
The current model, with its six-cylinder engine options, even manages to function in entry-level luxury territory — demonstrating fully the versatility of Subaru’s bread and butter sedan.
Thanks to its unique horizontally opposed engines and all-wheel drive powertrains, Subaru’s Legacy has become something of an icon. In fact, largely due to Subaru’s success with all-wheel drive, every other manufacturer eventually came to realize it needed to offer the feature on most of its passenger cars as well.
While the first generation Legacy was initially offered in Japan in 1989, the Subaru made it to North America in 1990. Five generations of the Legacy have been offered since its launch.
Subaru Legacy: 1989 – 1994Remarkably, while Subaru is known today for producing all-wheel drive vehicles, the first Legacy to come to the U.S. was offered with front-wheel drive. All-wheel drive was an option.
Its body styles were four-door sedan and five-door wagon. ABS was an option, as was an air suspension system enabling drivers to raise the car for additional ground clearance off road. The air suspension system also lowered the car at speed for better aerodynamic efficiency.
The 1990 Legacy came equipped with a 130-horsepower, 2.2-liter, horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine and a five-speed manual transmission. For those not familiar with the “flat” engine layout; rather than being configured upright in a straight line as with an inline four-cylinder engine, the four pistons are fitted into the sides of the engine block — two to a side — and operate in opposition to one another.
Thus, the term “boxer” was coined for the engine, as the pistons appear to “punch” toward one another as if they are boxing. This layout enables the powerplant to reside lower in the engine bay, which makes the car’s center of gravity lower and improving its handling.
Offered in three trim levels, ranging from utilitarian to fairly luxurious (Base, L, and LS), the GEN1 Legacy could be had with such niceties as power windows, power door locks and cruise control. Optional features included a four-speed automatic transmission, air conditioning, a rear window wiper for the wagon and an AM/FM/Cassette audio system. In 1991, Subaru offered a sport turbo package, the forerunner to today’s GT trim, with a 160-horsepower 2.2-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine.
Subaru Legacy: 1994 – 1999The second generation Legacy went on sale in Japan in 1993 as a’94 model, and came to the United States in 1995. A complete renovation of the first gen model, the 1995 Legacy we got here in the states featured an all-new body and chassis. 1995 was also the last year Americans could choose between front-drive and all-wheel drive, as the Legacy became strictly an all-wheel drive proposition for U.S. buyers in 1996. This generation of the Legacy was also marked by the introduction of the “Outback” trim, which is today considered a separate model unto itself.
The 2.2-liter engine was largely carried over from the GEN1 car, albeit with a slight horsepower increase to 135-horsepower. Transmission choices remained five-speed manual as standard and four-speed automatic on the more richly equipped LS and LSi trim levels. The turbo engine was dropped for ’95.
For ’96, the GT trim level returned with a 155-horsepower, 2.5-liter flat four. Standard features of the GT were fog lights, a rear spoiler, ground effect side skirts, and bucket seats. A keyless entry system was optional. For ‘97, output of the 2.5 was bumped to 165 horsepower. The 2.2, by then offered only in the base model, was bumped to 137 horsepower.
For 1998, Subaru dropped the LSi and offered a lineup featuring Brighton wagon, L sedan and wagon, 2.5GT sedan and wagon, and the Outback wagon. A 2.5GT Limited model featured leather, a CD player, dark tinted glass, and a Weather band radio; but no manual transmission. The company also offered an “Outback-ish” version of the sedan, labeled Sport Utility Sedan.
Model year 1999, was Subaru’s 30th year of selling cars in the U.S. The occasion was marked with the appearance of 30th Anniversary Legacy models. The L sedan and wagon offered a power moonroof, alloy wheels, a rear spoiler — or a roof rack (on the wagons), body-color trim, a power antenna, and a seat height adjuster. The 2.5GT Limited finally got a manual transmission, and remote keyless entry was made standard for the 2.5GT, Limited, and Outback.
Subaru Legacy: 1998 – 2003The 3rd Generation Legacy went on sale in Japan in 1998, making it to the U.S. in late 1999, as a 2000 model. Trim levels for the sedan were the base L model, the GT and the GT Limited. Wagons came in Brighton trim, L trim, and top-of-the-line GT trim. The Outback trim package was spun off to become its own separate model line.
The 2.2-liter engine was dropped; so all Legacy models had a minimum of 165 horsepower. Five-speed manual and four speed automatic transmissions routed power to all four wheels. A limited slip rear differential was offered as part of an all weather package.
Going into 2001, the Brighton model was discontinued; standard equipment on the base L models included an ambient temperature gauge, a dual-mode digital trip odometer and a fixed intermittent rear wiper with a washer feature for the wagons. GT models had a power moonroof, a six-way power-actuated driver’s seat, a limited-slip rear differential, and halogen foglights.
Subaru’s all-weather package was added to the GT Limited’s offerings for 2002, gaining that car heated front seats, heated outside mirrors and a windshield wiper de-icer.
The last year of 3rd Generation Legacy production saw Legacy GT and GT Limited combined into the 2.5GT. Thus all GT Limited equipment became standard across the trim level. The optional four-speed automatic gained a Sportshift manual mode. The L Special Edition Package inherited some of the niceties of the GT and came with a CD player and keyless entry as standard equipment. An upgraded sound system with an in-dash six-disc CD changer pumped up the volume in the 2.5 GTs.
Subaru Legacy: 2004 – 2009This generation of the Legacy ushered in new styling, a redesigned chassis, Subaru’s first five-speed automatic transmission, and the return of the turbocharged engine to the U.S. Additionally, 4th Generation marked the demise of the Legacy Wagon in the U.S. market (although it was still available in Canada).
The car went on sale in 2004, as a 2005 model for the U.S. market. At introduction the trim levels were, 2.5i, 2.5i Limited, 2.5GT, and 2.5GT Limited. The GT was dropped in 2006 to make room for a 2.5i Special Edition. Also that year, the Legacy 2.5GT spec.B was offered in a limited edition of only 500 units for the 2006 model year in America. The spec.B was equipped with a six-disc CD player with MP3, a navigation system, an eight-way power driver's seat, four-way passenger seat, and aluminum look trim. The production number (xx out of 500) was engraved on a plate residing behind the shifter. Bilstein shock absorbers and 18-inch alloy wheels with summer performance tires ensured better handling.
The 2.5i models were powered by a 168-horsepower version of Subaru’s 2.5-liter flat four. GT models got a turbocharged version of the engine making 250 horsepower. Five-speed manual and five-speed automatic transmissions were available for both engines. The GT models also featured center and rear limited slip differentials.
For model year 2008, Subaru brought the 3.0-liter flat six it had introduced in 2000 for the Outback to the Legacy. Easily the most luxury oriented Legacy to date, it featured a premium leather interior, heated seats, power adjustable driver and passenger seats and a number of other features typically found only on premium cars.
For 2009, all Legacy models except GTs with manual transmissions got stability control as standard equipment. The 2.5i Special Edition and the 3.0R model lowered the price on some of the most popular option groups to make those cars more attainable for a broader spectrum of the market.
Subaru Legacy: Current ModelThe Subaru Legacy is currently offered in seven different trim levels; 2.5i, 2.5i Premium, 2.5i Limited, 2.5GT Limited, 3.6R, 3.6R Premium and 3.6R Limited; with the primary defining characteristic between each being the engine. The base 2.5-liter four makes 170 horsepower and can be had with either a six-speed manual transmission or a continuously variable automatic. The turbocharged GT models run a 265-horsepower, 2.5-liter engine with a six-speed manual transmission. Those looking for the ultimate in smoothness, can opt for the 3.6-liter flat six-cylinder’s 256 horsepower and five speed automatic transmission.
Subaru Legacy: SummaryHaving evolved into one of the more desirable, yet still somewhat eclectic mid-size sedan offerings, in many ways the Subaru Legacy mimics its rivals from Honda, Nissan and Toyota. However, with its emphasis on all-wheel drive and the horizontally opposed engine, the Subaru is a car you either get or you don’t. Nice enough to appeal to almost anyone, yet quirky enough to have cult-like status, the Subaru Legacy is a singularly unique offering.
Because of their unique powertrains, it is important to find a mechanic well versed in the quirks of the horizontally opposed engines Subaru prefers. Happily, they are highly robust and not prone to undue failure. That said, one is still well advised to have a professional Subaru mechanic conduct a pre-purchase inspection before taking delivery.
