2009 Subaru Legacy Trims and Specs

Subaru has instilled ample diversity among the trims of its Legacy model. The 2009 Subaru Legacy 2.5i is in many ways the base trim for this model, but not all the trims grow directly from this foundation, which has more than you might expect from a classic base, and it should, considering its $20,795 MSRP. The 2.5i gets, as the name suggests, a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with 170 horsepower and 170 lb-ft of torque. A five-speed manual transmission comes standard, though a four-speed automatic with SPORTSHIFT manual control is available. Both transmissions come with all-wheel drive, and both versions get 20 city/26 highway mpg.

The 2.5i trim's exterior package includes 17-inch, five-spoke, aluminum alloy wheels with a silver finish and 205/50 R17 88V M+S all-season tires, body-color door handles and side mirrors, and dual chrome exhausts. The interior features cruise control, CFC-free air conditioning, a tilt/telescoping steering wheel, power windows, cloth upholstery, titanium metallic trim on doors and console, a 100-watt, six-speaker audio system with MP3/WMA capability, a concealed storage area in the trunk, and a six-way manually adjustable driver’s seat with manually adjustable lumbar support and a four-way manually adjustable front passenger seat.

The 2009 Subaru Legacy 2.5 i Special Edition shares a drivetrain and many significant features with the 2.5 i – from dual chrome exhausts on the exterior to air conditioning and cruise control on the interior – and adds a few extra touches. The biggest upgrades are on the interior, especially concerning the audio system. The 100-watt, six-speaker stereo in the 2.5 i is replaced by a 385-watt 9-speaker Harman Kardon premium audio system with 7-channel amplifier/equalizer, subwoofer, digital signal processing, MP3/WMA capability, and speed-sensitive auto volume control. Other upgrades include a power tilt/sliding-glass moonroof, three-spoke steering wheel with cruise controls, eight-way power driver’s seat, and a 60/40-split, flat-folding rear seat.

The 2009 Subaru Legacy 2.5 i Limited is, in essence, at the top end of this tier of the Legacy trims. The 2.5 i Limited builds on the 2.5 i platform in terms of the base features and the drivetrain, with one notable exception for the drivetrain. While the 2.5 i and the 2.5 i Special Edition both come with the five-speed manual transmission standard, Subaru’s four-speed adaptive electronic direct-control automatic with SPORTSHIFT manual-control transmission is standard issue for the 2.5 i Limited.

Exterior upgrades include foglights, heated side mirrors, and a windshield wiper de-icer. The interior changes include a four-way power passenger seat to go along with the eight-way power driver’s seat; a dual-zone automatic digital climate control system with controls for temperature, a six-speed fan, airflow direction, automatic mode, and CFC-free air conditioning; an in-dash 6-CD changer with steering-wheel-mounted audio controls; and a leather-wrapped automatic transmission shifter handle with chestnut or elm grain-patterned inlay.

While the two 2.5 GT trims upgrade the engine from the Legacy’s base 2.5 i trim, the 2009 Subaru Legacy 3.0 R replaces it. A 3.0-liter, six-cylinder engine with 245 horsepower and a 6,600-rpm redline powers the 3.0 R and is mated to a five-speed adaptive electronic SPORTSHIFT automatic transmission with downshift rev-matching control (a manual is not available). This drivetrain gets 17 city/24 highway mpg. Otherwise, the 3.0 R has many of the same features as the 2.5 i – 17-inch wheels, body-color door handles and side mirrors, dual chrome exhausts, a tilt/telescoping steering wheel, and cloth upholstery. Other features include an eight-way power driver’s seat, a four-way manual passenger seat, a 60/40-split rear seat, and titanium metallic trim on doors and the console.

The 2009 Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT Limited may share some nomenclature with the 2.5 i trim levels, but this trim makes some major changes. First, the 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine gets turbocharged and intercooled, which ups its horsepower to 243 and torque to 241 lb-ft, although it bumps mileage down to 18 city/25 highway mpg for the manual transmission and 18/24 for the automatic. The 2.5 GT Limited also comes equipped with Subaru Intelligent Drive (SI-DRIVE), which allows for three performance modes by modifying the engine and transmission control units and the throttle. The suspension, brakes, and tires all get upgrades for this trim as well.

The exterior changes are a functional hood scoop that feeds the intercooler and turbocharger and integrated turn signals in the side mirrors. The interior upgrades include SI-Drive controls on the leather-wrapped steering wheel to go along with audio and cruise controls, a multifunction screen displaying trip computer and SI-DRIVE functions, leather-trimmed upholstery, and sport-design electroluminescent lighting.

The 2009 Subaru 3.0 R Limited shares a drivetrain with the 3.0 R – a 3.0-liter, six-cylinder engine with a five-speed electronic automatic transmission – but gets considerable performance, style, and convenience upgrades. The suspension is upgraded with sport-tuned Bilstein shocks, and the 18-inch wheels with silver finish get 215/45 R18 89W M+S all-season tires. The exterior upgrades include integrated turn signals on the body-color, heated side mirrors, a windshield wiper de-icer, and chrome trim on the ground effects. The interior features a four-way power passenger seat to go along with the eight-way power driver’s seat; heated performance front seats; a leather-wrapped three-spoke steering wheel with audio system, cruise control, SI-DRIVE and multifunction screen controls; a leather-wrapped automatic transmission shifter handle with chestnut or elm grain-patterned inlay; titanium metallic trim with chestnut or elm grain-patterned accents; leather-trimmed upholstery; and a dual-zone automatic digital climate control system with controls for temperature, six-speed fan, airflow direction, automatic mode, and CFC-free air conditioning.

The 2009 Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT Special B sits at the top of the Legacy food chain with its $34,595 MSRP. It shares the turbocharged, intercooled engine in the 2.5 GT (2.5 liters, four cylinders, 243 horsepower, 241 lb-ft of torque), but gets its own fully synchronized six-speed manual transmission with no option for an automatic. And its suspension gets upgraded with sport-tuned Bilstein shocks and inverted, sturt-type aluminum alloy stabilizer bars. The 18-inch, 10-spoke wheels are aluminum alloy with a high-luster gray finish and come with 215/45 R18 89Y summer performance tires.

The exterior features a functional hood scoop, body-color side mirrors with integrated turn signals, and chrome trim on the aerodynamic side ground effects. The interior upgrades include heated and performance-designed front seats, two-position memory for the driver’s seat, leather-trimmed upholstery with Alcantara seat inserts, and titanium metallic trim on the doors and console.