1 of 5Some notable features of the 2013 Subaru Legacy 2.5i Limited are Harman/Kardon premium audio system with Bluetooth and a driver-assist system.
2 of 5The 2013 Subaru Legacy 2.5i Limited features a continuously variable transmission.
3 of 5The 2013 Subaru Legacy 2.5i Limited features a 2.5-liter 173-hp engine.
4 of 5The 2013 Subaru Legacy 2.5i Limited offers a luxury feel with perforated leather seats.
NEWS EDITOR GREG MIGLIORE: I took the lead-off slot in this 2013 Subaru Legacy 2.5i Limited. It measures up well in this midsize segment. The car offers most of the standard stuff one expects for a Ford Fusion-fighter, but it adds a definite Subaru flavor. The company has its symmetrical all-wheel-drive system down cold, the cabin is basic and taut, and the appearance on the outside has a degree of class.
A few aspects of the option package struck me, including the navigation system and lane-departure warnings. The nav is one of the clearest systems I've seen, returning detailed information about location and surroundings. At one point, it even showed the signs on the screen for Interstate 75 where the expressway was about to split. That's pretty slick. I found the electronic nannies to be a touch intrusive, as it seemed every time I put a wheel wrong I was flagged by the system for not perfectly maintaining lane position. It also kept me on my toes of a potential forward collision.
The cabin is nicely appointed, and this example is done up in black with handsome faux-wood trim and other elements. I actually found the seats to be a little too rigid, but still generally comfy and well-shaped. Maybe it was just one of those mornings.
The boxer four is reasonable, and for a modest rating of 173 hp, it offers enough punch. The CVT was fine. It's not my gearbox of choice, but it worked in this iteration.
For $30k, the Legacy is a solid value. It has a different character (slightly) in a rather crowded segment.
ASSOCIATE EDITOR JAKE LINGEMAN: I think the Legacy is moving the wrong way on the fun-to-drive scale. They've installed a CVT transmission, which ensures that no enthusiast would ever buy this car, the styling is blander than the outgoing model, and those damn beeps from the lane-departure and forward-collision sensors drives me crazy.
There must be a way to turn them off, but I couldn't find it. Every time you touch the white line, it beeps. If the Subie doesn't think you're slowing down fast enough, it beeps. I don't think I tried to merge into anyone, but I'd bet it would beep at that too. And I understand the theory, beep at someone when they're doing something wrong. I just thing the execution is bad.
The beeps do more harm than good. They are quite unsettling and if you yank the steering wheel back off the line you usually hit the opposite side. The forward collision stuff, again I get it, but at a stop sign, if you begin to accelerate before the car crosses your path, it beeps.
The CVT does its thing fine with no excitement or drama. It's not annoyingly slow, and that's all non-enthusiasts care about.
I will give credit to a solidly designed chassis, with all-wheel drive, that gets more than 30 mpg on the highway. That is a true feat.
DIGITAL EDITOR ANDREW STOY: Found 'em, Lingeman. The EyeSight and collision warning off buttons are near the moonroof controls on the overhead console. If I hadn't found them, I would have parked the car and driven the Triumph all weekend despite the rain.
E-nannies aside, I came out of a weekend in the Legacy with mixed feelings. I'll never love CVT powertrains, but Subaru has programmed this particular unit to work well with the company's ubiquitous flat-four. The cabin is attractive and comfortable with lots of rear-seat legroom for the kids. But ride-and-handling -- usually a pleasure in Subaru models -- is where the Legacy really fell flat.
Twitchy steering at highway speeds made it difficult to keep the Subaru in its lane without frequent corrections, made worse by surprising susceptibility to minor crosswinds. That means, of course, that if the driver hasn't found the off button for EyeSight, he or she gets bombarded by high-pitched beeping sounds every time the Legacy wanders off-course, resulting in a punishing feedback loop where the car audibly notifies the driver of its own shortcomings.
On smooth surfaces the Subaru was quiet and comfortable, but as soon as expansion joints, pothole patches or any other imperfections showed up, the Legacy got loud. Thuds and thunks over even minor flaws resonated throughout the cabin making a Detroit freeway drive unbearably percussive.
One wonders how many of these flaws are tire-related: After all, each of the major issues I noted could be attributed to a poor choice in rolling stock -- Bridgestones, in this case. But even in that case, I'm not sure which is worse: Questionable suspension design or equipping a decent car with terrible tires to save a few bucks.
Either way, all but the most die-hard Subaru aficionados will continue to look elsewhere for a midsize sedan, and they'll be better off for it.