2009 Subaru Legacy User Reviews

Pros

Great handling, AWD!

Cons

Speaker vibration

Purchased As New

Owned for 3 months, absolutely love the 5spd power. AWD goes through anything with ease. City 22-24mpg. Highway 29-31mpg. We love it we drive it over our Honda Accord all the time! I will buy another Subaru. I was able to get a great deal on a new car!

Pros

Sporty performance and appearance, reliable, safe, fun to drive, good value for money

Cons

Gas milage could be better, little more trunk space next time

Purchased As New

Got my Legacy few weeks ago and can't wait to find a reason to get into it to drive it. Feels and looks sporty compared to Camry or Accord which are so boring to drive and be seen in. Very safe and reliable car and just feels right. This is my first Subaru but I'm definitely a Subaru man from now on. 3rd day after I got it I had to drive in heavy snow and was passing cars on highway left and right driving 60 mph while everyone else was driving 30 mph. Feels very stable on snow, better than an SUV. I'll never buy a car without 4 wheel drive again. I'd love to get into WRX at some point but Legacy is just awesome. Special Ed is a really good deal with power seat, moonroof and Harman Kardon sound system....read morehide

Pros

awd, inside looks are reminiscent of a bmw, sleek outer style

Cons

room is very limited and power is just shy of being an awesome car.

Purchased As New

I just bought my Subaru about a month ago and I like the inside and outside style of the car. The only negatives I can see is the mpg are much less of those larger sedans like the Altima and Camry. Plus the room is also much less. But the interior is much more stylish and quality in the material is much better than the other two. So overall your trading off just a little for a better quality car that has awd which when winter arrives you'll be two steps above the competition....read morehide

Pros

Very quick, high qualtiy interior, stable ride.

Cons

MPG suffers when in city.

Purchased As New

The best car I have ever owned. Fast, handsome, comfortable and very reliable. Value seems to be holding well also. WInter weather is not an issue anymore with the AWD which works great with the limited slip rear differential.

Pros

Outstanding traction from symetrical all-wheel drive. Nice appearance. A driver's car. Great stereo

Cons

Somewhat noisy. Ride is a bit rough. Could use more power.

Purchased As New

This is my wife's car. She wanted something a bit smaller than her 2001 Avalon. She also hoped for a bit better fuel economy. The Legacy is no Avalon. It doesn't ride as nice, nor is it as quiet, by any means. Where it really shines is inclement weather. Slippery roads and snowy conditions do not phase it at all. It is also very fun to drive. The fit and finish are good, and the appearnce is great. It could use a bit more room, and some more horsepower in a normally aspirated engine. The interior is european: somewhat remeniscent of earlier Audis. The seats are very comfortable, and most of the controls are well-placed. The stereo is outstanding. Overall a very solid, dependable car....read morehide

Pros

AWD, AWD, AWD, nice interior, great handling and ride.

Cons

Fuel economy a little less than Accord and Camry.

Purchased As New

I recently got a lease on a Legacy and absolutely love it. The car is a little smaller and feels less bloated than some of its competitors translating into a sportier ride. The handling and steering are superb. The interior is refined and has all the amenities you need as standard, without 8 different add on packages like a camry. The best part is the AWD. On a recent day with about 8" of fresh snowfall I was literally able to floor the gas and take off as if it were on dry pavement. I've had 4WD SUVs in the past and nothing in handles in bad weather like the legacy. AWD isn't even available in the competition, and in more premium sedans is usually like a $3000 option. It's more or less free in the legacy and you'll notice the difference immediately if you push the gas a little on a snowy or rainy day.

Add to that top notch safety and decent gas mileage (anticipate around 28-30 MPG), the Legacy is a no-brainer choice among mid-sized sedans....read morehide

Pros

Gas mileage much higher than sticker says, very good handling and traction, peppy!

Cons

A little less room than an Altima or Accord

This car handles like a much more expensive car. It is well constructed and feels very solid. I love the leather and dual zone climate control. I do wish they would release a manual though. You have to get the turbo or H-6 to get a manual transmission option in a leather appointed trim. So far I am averaging 33 MPG in pure 62 MPH highway driving. When I drive half city (lights, stop signs and such) and half highway, I average 27.0 MPG. I never drive pure city, so I am not sure what it would get. Sometimes I wished I waited till 2010, because I hear a diesel version (in Europe doing very well) or a hybrid is coming soon. Maybe they will do a Diesel Hybrid and get 50+ MPG with AWD. I have owned an Audi A4 quattro and a BMW 325xi, and this car, considering the price, is a better value. The other makes have more power and react ever so slightly faster when traction disappears, but cost 10,000 more and use premium fuel only. Over all, the best valuse in its size class if you intend to keep the car for a long time. Change the oil every 3000, because it only holds 4.5 quarts (non-synthetic comes in it), where the BMW holds 7 or more. That is how BMW extends the oil change interval, by using synthetic and nearly doubling the amount of oil per change.

See you at the top of the mountain in the winter!...read morehide

Pros

stability in cornering, rev-matching with automatic, everyday comfort

Cons

upshift is slow, slight turbo lag, some body roll

My previous car was a 2003 accord v6, what it had in a marvelous engine and auto transmission it lacked in being able to use it well on anything other than a straight road. The legacy GT on the other hand, makes roughly the same power, but routes the power through all 4 wheels, a LSD, and decently grippy tires (comparatively). What this translates into driving is more rewarding than in the FWD accord where braking control is the only real option to cornering, the AWD legacy can brake, downshift, turn in, then gas out much earlier and more stably than the accord ever could and it feels fundamentally different and better. Credit the AWD and LSD for making great use of that turbo boxer. With many FWD sedans toting near 300 hp nowadays, it's nice to see that some cars make sure you can use that power in many scenarios.

The automatic transmission handles daily driving chores efficiently and quietly, but downshifts amazingly quickly for an automatic transmission at the flip of a paddle in any driving mode, upshifts on the other hand are not so immediate, my one complaint.

The suspension seems to be a good compromise between handling and real daily-driver comfort, a very important factor for me, but hardcore enthusiasts will note there is a lot of body roll going on. I'm willing to forgive a little body roll but I may revise the suspension with aftermarket components in the future.

The interior is a bit low-tech comparatively but the fit and finish is high quality, especially the thick steering wheel, and soft leather seats. Although I think I would prefer slightly grippier seats since I seem to need to brace my left leg against the door when the roads gets fun, but I guess that's a testament to how fun the car is.

Overall as a package I am impressed with the maturity and capability of this relatively unknown sedan. No car is perfect, but this car seems like it was made with a lot of thought and by guys who like driving to fun places. With winter coming up I can't wait to hit the mountains again....read morehide

Pros

29-31 MPG in the 2.5i, great handling, nice looks

Anyone thinking of jumping into a sedan should look at the Legacy. This is by far the one of the best buys out there. It's one of the nicest handling car I've ever driven, snow or not. The car has gotten 29mpg average since new. In reality you're getting the same MPG you'd get in a Camry or Accord only in a slightly cheaper, better looking AWD car.

The car has a lot of class inside and out. Features are great - power everything, iPod connection, Sportshift on automatic, folding rear seat. I've had 2 different people think it's a 3 series when getting into the car in the dark.

I have no idea what the person is talking about with the trunk/ back seat being cramped. I can fit a 3.5' x 3.5' speaker cabinet in there with room to spare. There is plenty of legroom for full size adults in the back seat.

It seems like the Legacy is overlooked with the popularity of the Impreza but if you pair up a WRX against the Legacy GT but in driving both I'd pick the Legacy any day for its performance, looks, and refinement....read morehide

Pros

This is the most enjoyable drive I have experienced. Quickness and agility to spare.

Cons

Sport and sport sharp modes tend to thirst for the required premium fuel.

This car is more fun than I even imagined. It is extremely quick, especially in the "sport sharp" throttle and turbo response mode. Cornering is superb. The three drive modes allow for a trade-off between fuel economy and fun. I got nearly 30 MPG on the one long highway trip I have taken, and otherwise average about 24 in mixed, spirited driving. I can't say enough about this car....read morehide