Wanting to see more of the surrounding area of my new residence, I decided to take advantage again of Freedom rates and again did not succeed. I did however use a $10/day PC that AutoSlash told me about ^ and ended up spending less on a MCLE rate than I would have if I stuck with FRDM. I was expecting a Corolla, and almost decided not to make the trip to the airport until I got a text message saying a Subaru was waiting for me with NeverLost.

http://www.subaru.com/legacy

Car Description: 12 N/L LEGACY 4W S (2012 Legacy 2.5i Premium PZEV, with 4WD/AWD, equipped with NeverLost)
Class: Q4 (IFAR)

The 2.5i Premium is a step up from the base trim, and has the features and equipment to prove it. Hertz spoiled me with this $24,197 MSRP car. With its home in Denver and 14,976 miles on the odometer, I added 313 miles to the reading over the course of just under 24 hours.


Powertrain: The Legacy comes with a 2.5-liter horizontally oposed 4-cylinder "Boxer®" engine, capable of producing 170 horsepower and 170 lb-ft of torque. For a car this size, this isn't that bad, considering I've rented larger cars with less powerful engines. However, the Legacy is pretty heavy with a curb weight of 3,357 lbs. and took a full 9 seconds to reach 60 mph.

The Legacy is equipped with a Lineartronic® continuously variable transmission (CVT) with a simulated 6-speed manual mode operated via paddle shifters. This takes much getting used to, and I didn't realize it until around 200 miles in. Like other CVT-equipped vehicles, if you really step on the gas it just revs high without the anticipated acceleration. On the highway when going from 75 to my cruise speed of 80, the engine would kick up to around 3,000 RPM to make that final strech, which I stopped by going into a simulated 6th gear. Although I didn't like having to do that all the time, I did like that even when you were in D, you could simulate an upshift or downshift without going into manual mode.


An important feature of the Legacy, and perhaps the reason Hertz classifies it as an SUV, is that it has symmetrical all-wheel drive. The Legacy has an EPA-estimated fuel economy of 23 mpg city, 31 mpg highway; I did mostly highway driving and was happily surpised to have averaged 31.6 miles per gallon.

Ride/Handling:The Legacy handled well overall. The brakes were responsive and the steering was heavy. The suspension however was softer than I would have expected. Regardless, it did a great job both on highways and on salt. Wait, what?! (See the first reply to learn what I'm talking about!)


Interior: The interior, upholstered in Off Black cloth, has many surprises in store. It has plenty of room for 4 adults, with a surprising amount of legroom in the back. Black leather adorns the steering wheel, center storage console, and portions of the door panels and gear shift handle. No complaints about the plastic dashboard and center controls either. At the top of the dashboard is a slightly-recessed screen which displays the outside temperature, time, and either instant MPG, average MPG, or distance to empty; the orange color gets the job done but it's not my favorite. The gauges are large and well-illuminated, and the instant MPG gauge (something I've never seen in action before) is great. A screen in the center of the gauge cluster displays the odometer, trip computer, and the gear you are in (D if in automatic, and the number if you're in manual mode or decided to shift up or down in D).

If you open up the center storage console you'll discover that it has a small upper compartment to store papers and a wallet perhaps, before lifting that up to reveal the larger section; also hidden in there is a second DC outlet (the first being located below the dashboard), an auxiliary jack, and USB port. Bluetooth audio and phone connectivity controls, cruise control, and additional radio controls are all located on the steering wheel. You'll notice nearby the electronic parking brake, which when operated emits a brief whiny hum but really doesn't let the car roll at all, thanks to the hill-holder functionality. This is located below and to the left of the steering wheel, next to the trunk release, hill-climb, and traction control buttons. The trunk was larger than I thought, although the opening wasn't very big. Luckily, the rear seats split 65/35 and fold down for even more storage and better access.

Noise was not a major issue in this car by any stretch of the imagination. The flat-4 engine whines less than a more-common straight-4, and comes off as somewhat growly. The six speakers do a decent job, although I'm sure the Harman/Kardon sound system option would have sounded nicer.


Exterior/Design: Considering it's a sedan, it fails miserably at being a SUV. Nor does it look as cool as some of the newer FCARs and IFARs in the fleet -- although it's not the worst, and the Ice Silver Metallic paint job certainly helps. It looks like a more aggressive and exciting cousin of an Altima. However, I'm pretty sure that looks weren't Subaru's top priority when designing the Legacy, since it performs better than many other FCARs and even some IFARs in nearly every other category. There wasn't much special on the outside of this Legacy, but it was equipped with the 16×6.5-inch 8-spoke aluminum-alloy wheels. One note about the remote keyless entry system: rather than honking the horn at you when you lock, it beeps (i.e. electronic beeps) instead -- I appreciate this as it's much quieter. Of course once you hit "lock" several times it will honk to let you know it got the message.


Features: Standard features on the 2.5i Premium trim include an automatic up/down driver's power window, tilt & telescopic steering wheel, 10-way power driver's seat with power-adjustable lumbar support, an electronic parking brake with hill-holder functionality, 8 cup holders, and two DC power outlets. The sound system has 6 speakers and includes an AM/FM radio, single-CD player with USB/iPod control, auxiliary jack, as well Bluetooth audio and phone connectivity. This particular vehicle also included the PZEV engine option ($300), All Weather Package (Dual heated power mirrors, heated front seats, and windshield wiper de-icer - $500), Puddle Lights ($223), and Mud Guards ($129). This vehicle was also equipped with an older-generation NeverLost GPS; although the navigation and key entry is a complete pain, it interestingly did not emit the interference beeps that newer modules do near cell phones and other electronics.

Value: As I mentioned earlier, I tried to take advantage of the Freedom Rates but ended up using a PC on a MCLE rate with the USAA CDP, which ended up costing $22.49 all-in for a 24-hour period. I had not requested NeverLost and subsequently did not pay for it. I was also able to return it to a nearby HLE instead of the airport for free ^


Summary

• 2.5L flat 4-cylinder (170 hp, 170 ft-lbs. of torque)
• CVT with 6-speed manual mode w/ overdrive (?)
• AWD
• 23/31 mpg, averaged 31.6 mpg
• Second trim level, cloth seats, 10-way power driver's seat

PROS:

• Manual shifting mode
• Very comfortable, 10-way power-adjustable seat
• All wheel drive
• Engine growl sounds cool
• Bluetooth connectivity
• Awesome fuel economy, especially for an AWD vehicle

CONS:

• Softer suspension than I would have preferred
• Heavy car and needs a more powerful engine
• Manual mode only works via paddle shifters
• CVT (still not a fan )
• Small trunk opening

Final verdict: If you book a mid-size SUV and get this, you have every right to be upset as it's not an SUV. However, if you don't need the space or ground clearance, this is a great, sturdy, and fuel-efficient alternative. Lying somewhere between FCAR and IFAR, this is a real treat to have in the fleet.


I've never been a huge fan of imports (from either side of the world), 4-cylinder engines, or CVTs, and have always associated Subarus to be driven by certain stereotypes of drivers (which I won't elaborate on). After this rental though, as much as I hate to say it, I actually enjoyed the Legacy immensely and would gladly drive it again.

The 2013 model isn't too different; see Reply #13 for more information.

-J.