2011 Subaru Legacy Reviews, Pricing & Specs

A reliable all-weather vehicle in any of its configurations, the 2011 Subaru Legacy can be an economically viable family four door or a...

A reliable all-weather vehicle in any of its configurations, the 2011 Subaru Legacy can be an economically viable family four door or a turbocharged, road-gripping sports sedan. It all depends on what you want from your Legacy.

Subaru fully redesigned the Legacy last year, bulking up the exterior lines with bulging fender flares, oversize headlights and a brawny front end. The vehicle didn’t actually get much bigger (just 1.4 inches longer than the 2009 version), but there were notable gains in interior passenger room to go along with the significantly, and sleekly, updated cabin.

Some critics aren’t crazy about the Legacy’s new appearance, although most love what comes beneath the exterior, but apparently Subaru is satisfied for now, because the Legacy receives only minor tweaks for 2011. The 2.5GT Premium trim has been dropped from the lineup, leaving just one turbocharged model – the 2.5GT Limited – which now comes with a standard moonroof, aluminum pedals, off-black leather upholstery and simulated carbon-fiber dashboard trim. Other changes include standard XM Satellite radio with the audio package upgrade, fold-in exterior mirrors for all trims, and options for chrome trunk trim, body-side moldings, and rain deflector moldings for the windows.

The Legacy is available in seven trims for 2011 – the base 2.5i, 2.5i Premium, 2.5i Limited, 3.6R, 3.6R Premium, 3.6R Limited, and 2.5GT Limited. The three 2.5i trims are powered by a 2.5-liter, 16-valve, horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine that produces 170 horsepower and 170 lb-ft of torque. The 2.5i and 2.5i Premium come standard with a fully synchronized six-speed manual transmission, and they get 19 city/27 highway mpg. The 2.5i Limited comes standard with Subaru’s highly acclaimed Continuously Variable Transmission, which is optional for the 2.5i and 2.5i Premium, and gets 23/31 mpg.

The 3.6R trims receive a power boost from a 3.6-liter, 24-valve, horizontally opposed six-cylinder that churns out 256 horsepower and 247 lb-ft of torque. It gets 18 city/25 highway mpg. This bigger engine is mated to a five-speed automatic transmission with manual mode, paddle shifters, and downshift rev-matching control in all three trims.

The 2.5GT Limited comes with a 2.5-liter, intercooled, turbocharged 16-valve, horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine with an Active Valve Control System that produces 265 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 258 lb-ft of torque between 2,000 and 5,200 rpm. It comes with a fully synchronized six-speed manual transmission, gets 18 city/25 highway mpg, and requires premium unleaded (93 octane) gasoline.

All Legacy trims come standard with Subaru’s Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive, Vehicle Dynamics Control, traction control, speed-sensing power steering, a four-wheel independent suspension, and four-channel, four-sensor antilock disc brakes. All this mechanical technology is built to last and provides drivers with both added safety and performance.

Its all-wheel drive practically glues the Legacy to the road, whether you’re commuting through a snowstorm or tearing around a mountain curve. The 2.5-liter engine delivers ample power for most situations when paired with the manual transmission, but the CVT is definitely the transmission of choice for this engine, due to its silky smooth shifts and optimum power usage. The 3.6-liter engine doesn’t just sound like a more powerful engine choice - the added juice is very noticeable from behind the wheel.

The Legacy interior design gained some sophistication with the last redesign, and that remains for 2011. Silver is the dominant color theme for the Legacy, which uses many hard plastics that don’t actually look like hard plastics.

The 2.5i trim is hardly a stripped-down base. It gives you air conditioning, cruise control, keyless entry, a six-way manually adjustable driver’s seat, 60/40-split flat-folding rear seatback, cloth upholstery, and a four-speaker stereo with CD, auxiliary input jack, and MP3/WMA/AAC playback capability. For about $1,000 more, the 2.5i Premium offers a 10-way power driver’s seat, leather-wrapped steering wheel, body-color mirrors, and a single chrome exhaust. The 2.5i Limited upgrades with heated front seats, heated mirrors, digital dual-zone climate control, woodgrain-patterned accent trim, a four-way power passenger seat, and a 440-watt, nine-speaker Harman Kardon stereo system. The 2.5GT Limited adds to the 2.5i Limited’s features with foglights, a power moonroof, dual chrome exhaust, leather-wrapped shift handle, high-performance summer tires, and aluminum-alloy pedals.

Distribution of features varies a bit from the 2.5i trims to the 3.6R trims. The 3.6R base trim has standard air conditioning, cruise control, steering-wheel-mounted audio and cruise controls, electronic parking brake, dual chrome exhaust, six-way manual driver’s seat, 60/40-split flat-folding rear seatback and the four-speaker stereo with CD, auxiliary input jack, and MP3/WMA/AAC playback capability. The 3.6R Premium adds heated front seats, a 10-way power driver’s seat, heated mirrors, windshield wiper de-icer, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. The 3.6R Limited gets a four-way power passenger seat, leather upholstery, woodgrain-patterned accent trim, and the 440-watt, nine-speaker Harman Kardon stereo system.