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2009 Subaru Legacy

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Overview

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2009 Subaru Legacy Review

By KBB.com Editorial Staff

The 2009 Subaru Legacy offers buyers all the comforts of the finest sports sedan coupled with the sure-footedness afforded by Subaru's standard Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive. No longer associated mainly with snowbound Vermont drivers and die-hard ski fans, the Legacy has blossomed into a handsome and sporty mainstream vehicle, offering top-notch ratings in the areas of safety, comfort and resale value. The Legacy's horizontally-opposed engines provide good power and decent fuel economy, and the GT features a turbocharged version that cranks out an impressive 243 horsepower. While not as smooth or refined as the engines offered by Honda and Toyota, the Legacy's drivetrain is every bit as reliable and its low-slung design helps reduce the height of the Legacy's center of gravity.

You'll Like This Car If...

The 2009 Subaru Legacy occupies the sparsely-populated space between high-value family sedans and premium sports sedans, offering some of the best characteristics of both.

You May Not Like This Car If...

If you don't live in an area where slick roads are a regular concern, the premium price of all-wheel drive might seem unwarranted. Long legged drivers will find legroom only adequate, and with the front seats fully extended rear seat legroom is far from generous.

What's New for 2009

A new, lower priced Legacy 3.0R model is introduced for 2009, while the Legacy 3.0R Limited adds 18-inch alloy wheels to its standard equipment list. All trims but the base 2.5i Legacy receive a new harman/kardon audio system. Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC) and traction control are now standard on all but the 2.5 GT with the manual transmission).

Driving the Legacy

Driving Impressions We drove the turbocharged 2.5 GT Limited sedan with a five-speed manual transmission and enjoyed it very much. The engine's turbocharger comes on quickly, strongly and smoothly, the steering is...

also responsive and handling limits are high enough to promote outbursts of enthusiasm. Still, when driven at an everyday pace, the Legacy behaves not unlike its less-athletic competitors. With a light steering effort and small turning circle, the Legacy is pleasant around town and in a parking lot. Likewise, highway ride is well within the range of comfortable. We'd expect similar ride and handling from the less-powerful 2.5i models. For even sharper handling and sportier accessories, check out the limited-edition 2.5 GT spec.B and the 3.0 R Limited.

Favorite Features

Manual Shift Buttons
Steering wheel-mounted shift buttons provide handy manual control of the Legacy GT Limited's optional five-speed automatic transmission.

harman-kardon audio
With 385-watts, nine speakers including a subwoofer and available satellite radio, it's hard to imagine even the most ardent audiophile not loving this system.

2009 Subaru Legacy Details

Interior

Inside the Legacy, a decidedly sporty three-spoke steering wheel sets an athletic tone enhanced by supportive seats, straightforward gauges, metallic trim and crisp, contemporary styling. We do wish that steering-wheel mounted controls for audio were standard across the line, but as it is they are not available on the base 2.5i and 2.5i Special Edition trims. Combined with the liberal use of quality materials, the Legacy's passenger cabin conveys a solid sense of refinement. While it isn't the biggest midsize sedan out there, average-sized backseat passengers should find the Legacy adequate for trips across town and beyond. Notable standard safety features include front side-impact airbags and front and rear side-curtain airbags.

Exterior

Despite an aging platform, the Legacy is still fresh enough to compete with newer designs from Honda and Toyota, avoiding the trapezoidal grille and awkward styling that permeated much of the Subaru line over the last few years. We did notice the Legacy's frameless doors make it difficult to open or hold a door without touching the window. The turbocharged 2.5 GT Limited model is identifiable by a functional hood scoop and exterior mirror-integrated turn indicators, while all but the 3.0R Limited sport the same 17-inch wheels.

Notable Equipment

Standard Equipment

The base Legacy sedan includes a 170-horsepower four-cylinder engine, five-speed manual transmission, all-wheel drive, Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC), traction control, power windows/locks/mirrors, remote keyless entry, AM/FM/CD sound system, cruise control, trip computer, tilt and telescoping steering wheel, cloth seating and 17-inch alloy wheels. Standard safety equipment includes front, front-side and two-row side-curtain airbags, active front head restraints and anti-lock brakes (ABS). The Special Edition package adds to the base car a 385-watt harman/kardon audio system with six-disc CD player, eight-way power driver's seat and a power moonroof.

Optional Equipment

Trim-level, package and stand-alone options include a 243-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder engine, four- and five-speed manually-selectable automatic transmissions, a six-speed manual (Spec.B only) DVD touch-screen navigation system, a six-disc CD changer (standard on Limited trims), XM Satellite Radio, power glass moonroof, leather seating, power driver's seat, heated front seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, fog lights, heated side mirrors, wiper de-icer, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter, wood-look trim and front sport seats.

Under the Hood

Both turbo and non-turbo Legacy models feature a four-cylinder "boxer" engine in which the cylinders and pistons are arranged horizontally, with the two on one side opposing the two on the other side (thus, an "opposed" engine design), rather than being positioned vertically or in a "V" angle. One of the boxer's advantages is its lower center of gravity that promotes better handling. Depending on the model's engine/transmission configuration, each Legacy features one of three distinct all-wheel-drive systems designed to match the characteristics of the powertrain. The new 3.0R Limited differs from the four-cylinder models, with a non-turbocharged 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine good for 245 horsepower.

2.5-liter Boxer-4
170 horsepower @ 6000 rpm
170 lb.-ft. of torque @ 4400 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 20/27 (manual), 20/26 (automatic)

2.5-liter Boxer-4 Turbocharged
243 horsepower @ 6000 rpm
241 lb.-ft. of torque @ 3600 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 18/25 (manual), 17/24 (manual Spec B), 18/24 (automatic)

3.0-liter Boxer-6
245 horsepower @ 6600 rpm
215 lb.-ft. of torque @ 4200 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 17/24

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2009 Subaru Legacy Consumer Reviews

Overall Rating

4.5

Out of 5

Based on 227 Ratings for the 2005 - 2009 Subaru Legacy models.

Review this car

Value

4.5/5

Quality

4.4/5
Reliability

4.6/5

Performance

4.5/5
Comfort

4.2/5

Styling

4.5/5

Blast to drive with plenty of room for family!

By JohnB (MD) on Wednesday, February 08, 2012

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 134,000

5 5.0

overall rating 5 of 5rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 5/5
Value: 5/5
Reliability: 4/5
Quality: 5/5
Performance: 5/5
Styling: 5/5
Comfort: 5/5

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 8

"This has been a great car. It was the first year of this model and so it had a couple of issues but Subaru took care of everything. From a driving experience it's been fantastic. Great performance and goes pretty much anywhere in the snow with all season radials. The wagon form factor is a great compromise between needing more space than a sedan without having to go to an SUV. Can't think of anything about it I don't like."

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2005-2009 Yes 2010 No

By Steven (GA) on Sunday, January 29, 2012

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 73,000

5 5.0

overall rating 5 of 5rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 5/5
Value: 5/5
Reliability: 5/5
Quality: 4/5
Performance: 5/5
Styling: 4/5
Comfort: 4/5

Pros: "smiles per gallon, reliability."

Cons: "14 miles per gallon on premium fuel when racing"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"People buy this car because they want the handling and performance that can only come through Subaru’s boxer turbo four-cylinder and all-wheel-drive combination. There is a strong aftermarket community allowing an increase in Subaru performance only bound by the limits of your wallet. The Subaru powertrain will take years of abuse and even only then maybe start to burn oil. The Subaru Legacy GT from 2005 two 2009 really is a sports sedan only equivalent with cars $10,000 more in MSRP in price. Be prepared to pay at the pump. In utilizing this extra horsepower can yield is little as 14 miles per gallon in the city on premium. If however you are disciplined I've seen 31.5 miles per gallon in long trips in this car. This car is for those who do not want the flashy look of a sports car yet retain its power. It is possible to turn the Subaru Legacy GT into a sub 5 second rocketship. The smiles per gallon are tremendous in his vehicle and would recommend it to anyone. Sadly starting in 2010 Subaru change the spirit of this vehicle and from then onward is not the powerhouse it once was."

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