hoffmeister_fan
Kraftwagen König
I had a go at the 3.6 sedan a few months ago, as you said Martin, it isn't half bad, but it has lost its sportiness, it almost felt like I was driving a Toyota Camry. The steering is very light, but still accurate, the suspension setting is definitely on the soft side. There are plenty of body roll around corners, and the sensation is amplified by the high seating position. The car is bigger, and you can feel it when you are driving it, even though the actual weight increase isn't that much, I can't exactly remember, I think it is about 30 to 50kg?
The engine is the highlight of the entire driving experience, the engine and gearbox response is extremely quick, there is noticeably more low end torque than the 3.0L, but it rev just as quickly. The gearshifts are quicker, smoother and the box is more willing to kick down than before. It is a bit unfortunate because the engine and the gearbox are a miss match with the chassis. Oh the brakes a better now, there is less dead travel from the pedal, and they felt more powerful than the ones on my 3.0.
The ride is very comfortable, I say it is very close to the E-class. General refinement is good as well, it is a lot quieter than the previous generation. The doors felt heavier in fact the entire car felt more substantial than before.
It is a pity Subaru as gone this way for this generation of Legacy/Liberty, because IMO the new car has lost it character, now it is almost as bland as a Toyota to drive.
The exterior styling is horrendous, it looks even worse in person. I will let the photos do the talking. The interior has lost its European inspired design, it has also lost some of the tactile materials that were used in the previous generation. The dashboard is made from hard and hallow sounding plastics, and the fake wood really looks nasty. The location of the frequently used buttons are ok, however the cluster of small buttons positioned right of the steering wheel is confusing to look at, and use.
Overall, it isn't a bad car, but it just doesn't feel the same anymore. As a current Legacy/Liberty owner, I won't be considering this as my next car. If only I can get that 3.6L engine into my current car.
The rear looks so basic and boring. It's like they took the absolute first gen Legacy and just gave it a once over. Honestly, it's like the designers were not even trying. At least with the previous gen it was sport yet understated...it's a design that has aged well. That goes with the side profile and the front, it was under-stated but distinctly Japanese. And not wacky kei-car Japanese design either, but lightly aggressive and confident. Some may argue that Subies' strong suit has never been design but its engineering robustness, reliability, safety, and AWD-ness, but why can't it also have 'well-designed' as one of its defining descriptors? To me the new Legacy is a hodge-podge of different design elements...design elements the designers thought were trendy, i.e. flared fenders. Then they finished the car of with such a basic rear design. It's a mess. I'll give Subaru a bit more credit wagon's rear though, it is much more resolved. Alas in the States, we only get the Outback, not a regular wagon, let alone a wagon in GT-guise.
As much as I love Bimmers, MBs, and all the other exoticas out there, I probably wouldn't buy them unless I had money to burn. My innate frugalness wouldn't allow me to rationalize such a purchase even if I had the means. The Legacy, especially the previous gen, had to offer the right amount of sportiness, style, reliability, amenities, features and capability coupled with a respectable depreciation rate where I'd been a happy camper everyday.
BTW, since Toyota bought a piece of FHI, do you think their presence has led to such "chintziness" with Subie's current offerings? The Impreza and the Legacy just seem cheaper compared to the more robust previous gens. If I remember off the top of my head, ToyoMoCo owns somwhere between 3-5% of FHI. How much pull/influence do you think would they have on such matters?
EDIT: I just re-read your post and I must of overlooked the part where you found it to be "more substantial" than the previous gen. When I mean chintziness, I'm referring to the instrument panel. I have yet to sit in and test drive the new Legacy (something I may have to do this weekend), but with the current Impreza and the previous generation, I noticed a difference.