Subaru has this knack for letting drivers have fun with their vehicles. Take their stability control systems for example: while some other manufacturers decrease engine power as soon as the vehicle slips a little off the intended line, Subaru programmers let the car slide a little, almost rally style, before the stability control intervenes to help keep occupants safe. Now Subaru is incorporating another driver-modifiable system into their vehicles to enhance driving performance and pleasure. They call it Subaru Intelligent Drive (SI-Drive).

Ottawa, Ontario - Are station wagons still cool?

Some of us think so. I certainly do, having professed my love for this body style when I sampled BMW's latest 3-series Touring last winter. But few automakers still offer traditional wagons, the thinking being that most buyers would rather have a "crossover" vehicle, one that combines wagon utility with the tall body and all-wheel drive functionality of an SUV.

Take a closer look at some examples of this latest breed of segment-busters, and something becomes apparent: while the swoopy bodywork of cars like the Subaru B9 Tribeca, Mazda CX-7 and Acura RDX are very attractive, the raked rooflines cut into cargo capacity. Need more space? Buy a bigger crossover!

The good thing about a traditional wagon roofline is that it stretches way back to an upright tailgate. Geeky maybe, but very useful.

The latest generation of the mid-sized Legacy, introduced in 2005, stays that course. Few could call this an ugly car, but its exterior looks come in second after function - specifically the usefulness of the large cargo area: 949 litres large with the rear seats in place, and 1,874 with the rear chairs folded down. While the seats don't fold perfectly flat, the seatbacks at least are level with the cargo floor when they're flopped. The result is a long, wide and flat cargo area. There's a handy, shallow stash space under the cargo floor, and a couple of cubbies in the sides, behind the rear wheel wells.

Along with 2005's styling update, Subaru opted to back up the GT trim level moniker with some substance, dropping a turbocharged version of its 2.5-litre flat-four engine under the hood. With 243 horsepower, the 2.5GT now has the balls to at least keep up with V6-equipped versions of other mid-size cars. A five-speed manual transmission is standard equipment, but our tester had the optional five-speed automatic. The 2.5GT also gets a limited slip rear differential to further augment Subaru's formidable all-wheel drive system.

The turbocharged motor is very strong, though it's not as smooth as some competitors' V6s, namely those with a Honda or Toyota badge on the engine cover. Subaru's done a good job, however, at muting the unconventional thrum of its horizontally-opposed engines, which in older Subies, was reminiscent of the Briggs and Stratton on your father's riding lawnmower.

Engine noise is minimal, but did Subaru go too far? Even at full scoot, the motor is barely audible. Maybe buyers who opt for the automatic tranny won't mind, but those who stick with a stickshift might appreciate more aural cues of what the engine is doing.

Throttle tip-in is very smooth, too. Subaru's new SI-Drive system, which allows the driver to change how the engine responds to throttle inputs, can be switched to a "Sport-sharp" mode that makes it possible to launch the car more aggressively. Forget to move the knob back to the default "Sport" mode, though, and you'll find it hard to pull away smoothly. There's also an "Intelligent" mode that dulls throttle response and makes it feel as though you're driving with the parking brake engaged. Subaru claims that this "may" help reduce fuel consumption, but a light foot is a much simpler tool to accomplish this.

Maybe that "Intelligent" mode is Subaru's way of trying to improve the Legacy's real-world fuel consumption: despite Natural Resources Canada ratings of about 12 L/100 km (city) and 8.3 L/100 km (highway), the best I was able to do was about 15 L/100 km in the city and 10 L/100 km on a highway road trip at speeds ranging from 110 to 120 km/h. With the GT's turbocharged motor, that's Premium fuel you're burning, too. Eeek.

There was an occasional stumble from the engine when pulling away from stoplights; once the car actually stalled, making me wonder if there was something wonky with the electronic throttle control.

Otherwise, the car performed wonderfully, with strong acceleration, solid handling and a very smooth ride, particularly on the highway. On rough city roads, the ride verged on being too harsh, though I imagine the non-GT model rides on softer suspenders. The GT's leather seats are very comfortable and perfectly suited to long drives, though this car isn't as roomy as others in the class. Blame the longitudinal engine and transmission layout, which cuts into driver and front passenger foot space. In the back, headroom is decent, but legroom isn't class-leading; one (quite) tall passenger found getting in and out of the rear seat to be an awkward procedure. Despite not being a little car, the Legacy's seats are very low; drivers who like the high-up seating of an SUV or minivan will likely be turned off by this, though it will no doubt appeal to drivers who have to store their low-slung sports car in the garage for the winter.

For music lovers, another annoying rear-seat aspect is the placement of the rear speakers. They're mounted in the rear doors, way down where they wind up being obscured by passengers' legs and can't sing as loud as we would have liked. Otherwise, the stereo is terrific, even if steering wheel audio controls were conspicuous by their absence in a car with a starting MSRP of just under $42,000 (my tester came out to $45,289 including the automatic transmission, XM radio and freight charges).

Another thing I thought Subaru could have thrown in for all that cash is stability control, like the Vehicle Dynamic Control available in the top-end Outback. At least ABS is included (as it is in all Subarus) and side and side-curtain airbags are standard, too. But not even Subaru's all-wheel drive system can prevent a major skid on slippery winter roads if the driver doesn't know how to correct it themselves.

The Legacy is a great car in many ways, but I'm not sure that this car is worth more than $45,000; a Mazda6 Sport Wagon, albeit it a bit less cargo space and a 215-horsepower V6, goes for $37,795 with automatic transmission and a navigation system.

It seems clear that Subaru isn't quite ready to ditch its unconventional ways just to achieve the mainstream status enjoyed by most of its competitors. Or maybe it simply hasn't yet figured out how.

Driving the World's First Boxer Diesel

By Alistair Weaver, European Editor Email
Date posted: 01-29-2008


We're driving the 2008 Subaru Legacy Boxer Diesel in Malaga, Spain, but we might as well be in Southern California.

Everything looks like Southern California already, right down to the Spanish on the street signs. And while you might think of the distinctive clatter of diesel from beneath the Legacy's hood as the signature sound of European traffic these days, we promise you that it will be heard on the streets of Orange County soon enough.

This 2008 Subaru Legacy Boxer Diesel is a European model meant to go on sale this spring, but we think it's surely coming to America. A wave of diesel technology is headed toward the United States, and Subaru clearly wants to be riding the crest.

10 Years in the Making
Kenichi Yamamoto, the man in charge of the development of this car, makes no secret of Subaru's lofty ambitions for the 2008 Subaru Legacy Boxer Diesel, which features the world's first horizontally opposed diesel engine for passenger cars.

"The benchmark cars were the BMW 320d, the Audi A4 and the Honda Accord turbodiesel," he says. Yamamoto admits that research started on the project nine years ago, but it was impossible at that stage to build a business case for the engine. "Now the situation is different," he notes. "In Europe we need to reduce our carbon-dioxide emissions; we cannot survive without diesel."

The new engine was given the green light for production just two years ago, prompting an engineering scramble to turn a promising concept into a reality. It was a tough challenge, but Subaru has not skimped on the technology.

Practical Reengineering
The basic lump is familiar, a turbocharged, DOHC 1,998cc horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine. To convert this architecture to diesel, the first significant change is a dramatic 6mm reduction in the cylinder bore and an 11mm increase in the length of the stroke. Now the bore and stroke are symmetrical at 86.0mm. One of the results is a much shorter crankshaft that measures 13.9 inches, some 2.4 inches shorter than before.

To minimize weight, the block as well as the cylinder heads are made from aluminum. Subaru tells us that the structural integrity of the boxer configuration helps make this measure possible. As with almost every European turbodiesel, the Subaru employs common-rail technology for the new engine. The turbocharger is mounted below the engine and connected directly to the catalytic converter, an installation that's becoming more common in all kinds of engines because it promotes quicker light-off for the catalyst.

The power figures are impressive. The boxer diesel produces 148 horsepower at 3,600 rpm and 258 pound-feet of torque at just 1,800 rpm. The engine is capable of 60.5 mpg. This compares with the 320d's turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-4 diesel that produces 174 hp and 271 lb-ft of torque, while the Honda Accord's turbocharged, 2.2-liter inline-4 diesel delivers 138 hp and 251 lb-ft of torque. Meanwhile, the gasoline version of Subaru's 2.0-liter four-cylinder boxer also manages 148 hp, but just 144 lb-ft of torque.

Driving in the Real World
The new engine will appear first in the 2008 Subaru Legacy Boxer Diesel and the 2008 Subaru Outback Boxer Diesel, both of which are scheduled to be introduced in Europe this spring. The badge on the Legacy sedan's trunk reads, "Boxer Diesel" and the car is also set apart by the scoop on the hood that directs air to the air-to-air intercooler on top of the engine. Prod the starter button and you'll hear an unmistakable diesel rattle. It's not loud or especially intrusive, but it's there all the same.

Move away and the rattle subsides immediately. Subaru has increased the quantity of acoustic insulation in this car, but there can still be no denying that this is an exceptionally (and unexpectedly) quiet engine, an aspect of the horizontally opposed configuration, Subaru claims. At full throttle, you can hear the characteristic growl of a Subaru boxer, although it's deeper than the gasoline equivalent. Really, you have to listen hard for it, and the engine noise at highway speed is notable only by its absence.

The engine pulls cleanly and easily from as low as 1,700 rpm, although its best work is done by the time the tach needle reaches 4,000 rpm. The power flexibility through the midrange is impressive. In top gear, the diesel takes 23.4 seconds to accelerate from 50 to 100 mph, a veritable sprint compared with the 37.0 seconds it takes a Legacy with a normally aspirated 2.0-liter gasoline engine to accomplish the same feat.

Our only criticism of the Legacy Boxer Diesel has to do with the transmission. First, the shift lever is farther forward than before. But more important, the wide-ratio five-speed doesn't seem to make the best use of the wide power band, and surprisingly enough a six-speed would be a better match. Yamamoto admits that a six-speeder is under development and will be ready by the end of the year, together with an automatic version.

The Business Case for Diesel
At present, Subaru's new diesel engine is destined only for Europe, but Subaru is taking a wait-and-see approach to its introduction in Japan and the U.S. At present, the engine will not meet California's stringent air emissions regulations. "We would only introduce the car in the U.S. if it was legal in every state," says Yamamoto. "Meeting the California legislation is very hard and very expensive. We are researching it, but there is no timetable." Subaru estimates that fitting the particulate filter needed to make the engine fully compliant would add around $1,500 to the price of the car.

Nevertheless, Hirofumi Senoo, the general manager of Subaru's European test center tells us, "Diesel is the main focus for the U.S. market. It has more potential than hybrid gasoline engines because hybrids are only good for the city." Subaru will let others take the lead in the introduction of diesel to the U.S., but will be ready to strike if the market becomes receptive.

Only the Beginning
This engine is really only the start of Subaru's diesel strategy. In addition to the 2008 Legacy Boxer Diesel and 2008 Outback Boxer Diesel, the Impreza will feature the new engine toward the end of the year.

And, having proven the technology, Subaru is confident that it can produce versions with as much as 161 hp without any risk to its durability, although such a power output would increase fuel consumption and air emissions. There is even talk of an STI version or even a rally special. "It is my personal opinion that it would be good to see a motorsport version," Senoo says. "A WRC engine has lots of torque but not much power."

Europe has been deluged with a wide range of brilliant turbodiesels in recent years. BMW in particular has led the way with the development of diesels that are quieter, more frugal, less polluting and, in most cases, more powerful than their gasoline equivalents. Subaru is late to the party but its entrance is impressive.

Once on the move, this is one of the most refined diesels on the market today. This is a boxer that can punch above its weight.

Subaru is taunting us again with yet another limited-edition model that we'll likely never see Stateside. The Legacy STI S402 will be limited to (appropriately) 402 units in both sedan and wagon trim, featuring the STI's turbocharged, 2.5-liter flat-four. Unlike some of the other "special" Subies, the S402 Legacy means business. To begin with, the front fenders have been widened by 20mm, the steering ratio has been reduced to 13:1 and Bilstein shocks are fitted at all four corners, along with 18-inch BBS wheels wrapped in Bridgestone Potenza RE050A rubber. The brakes have been upgraded to units from Brembo, with six-piston calipers up front and two-pot calipers in the rear gripping upgraded rotors. Aside from all the required badging, Subaru has fitted new gauges to the IP, along with a MOMO steering wheel and aluminum shift knob.

Sales begin in Japan on June 27th, with prices starting ¥5,491,500 for the wagon and ¥5,355,000 for the sedan. We'll take one of each, thank you very much.

Subaru takes the Legacy to new heights with a new limited-edition STI model that will never be available in the States.

When another batch of spy photos of the upcoming Subaru Exiga surfaced yesterday, we didn't give it much thought. We pretty much know the styling direction and dimensions of Subaru's new people mover, but one portion of AutoExpress' article caught our attention. In addition to the Exiga joining a new Legacy sedan and Outback wagon in 2009, Subaru's future drivetrain plans include dropping the 3.0-liter boxer and reworking the 2.0- and 2.5-liter engines to increase efficiency and power. The naturally aspirated 2.0-liter will supposedly produce 200 hp, while the current turbocharged 2.5-liter will exceed 300 hp. While neither of which is huge news, AE also mentions that a Legacy STI is on the way with a turbo'd 3.7-liter producing close to 450 hp. Whether or not such a beast will actually come about is open to debate, but when it does, we hope that Subaru has the foresight to make it available in the U.S.