Subaru Legacy

Subaru Legacy Tourer 3.0R Spec B

My son Connor is desperate to follow in daddy's footsteps when it comes to earning a living. But as you can see, he's got a while to go before he can apply for his licence. Still, the Subaru Legacy Sports Tourer 3.0R Spec B (does the full name really have to be so wordy?) is giving fine service as a family runabout.

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May 2005

My son Connor is desperate to follow in daddy's footsteps when it comes to earning a living. But as you can see, he's got a while to go before he can apply for his licence. Still, the Subaru Legacy Sports Tourer 3.0R Spec B (does the full name really have to be so wordy?) is giving fine service as a family runabout.
Being two years old, Connor's not the most discerning assessor of a vehicle, but he's already helped in his own small way. With his car seat in place, his muddy footprints on the back of the front passenger chair are an indication that - compared with its rivals - the interior isn't too spacious.
That's been brought home to me since our last report (issue 843). While in the garden recently, I stood up awkwardly and put my back out. A painful trip to the doctor resulted in some anti-inflammatory pills and a week at home doing very little. I passed the time by helping research the Inside Story feature in issue 854 about drivers with back problems. Oh, the irony...
In it, chiropractor Tim Hutchful told one reader: "Your knee should be the same height as your hip." Sitting in the Subaru, I realised mine were nearer my navel, so I fiddled with the electric seat adjusters to bring the base up. That was easily done, but the flawed driving position meant that there was now no room for my head!
Other niggles include the lack of reach adjustability on the steering wheel and the dim interior light - the large sunroof means there's no illumination above the driver's seat. Meanwhile, in the boot the roller-style cover is great, but it doesn't pull right to the rear door. The flimsy clip-on section that fills the gap falls off when you slam the tailgate.
As reported in our Fleet Update in issue 852, I had trouble putting the clock forward an hour at Easter. Thanks to the sat-nav's GPS system, it should change automatically, but several minutes with the handbook left me on GMT rather than BST, and I wasn't the only one. When I told Subaru's PR boss, he started laughing - his Spec B had the same trouble! In the end I changed the clock manually.
That said, the Legacy is a great driver's car. If you can forgive its faults, you're not too tall, don't have a bad back and can afford the hefty fuel bills, it's worth considering. Connor certainly has no complaints. Richard Yarrow
Second Opinion
You really have to be a Subaru fan to appreciate the Spec B's talents. It looks good, the flat-six motor sounds like a muted Porsche unit and the handling is exemplary. However I really can't get on with the frustrating sat-nav, sharp clutch, short gearing and woeful driving position. It's harder work on the daily commute than it should be. Oliver Marriage, Road Test Editor