2009 Subaru Legacy Spec. Ed.

From an owner's perspective, the best thing about Subarus is that they seem to last forever. From an auto dealer's perspective, the worst thing about Subarus is that they seem to last forever. Ninety-five percent of the Subarus registered in the last 10 years are still on the road, says Mark McClenahan, sales associate for Heuberger Subaru, 1080 Motor City Drive.

"You can't kill them. They drive forever,"

When people do get rid of their old Subarus, it's for a new Subaru, McClenahan says. As a sales associate at the No. 1 Subaru dealer in the country, McClenahan ought to know about customer loyalty. The main reason people trade in their Subarus, he says, is to get the latest, greatest safety equipment. Heuberger Subaru provided a Subaru Legacy Special Edition sedan for this test drive, and like all Subarus, this one was loaded with safety features.

The Legacy earns a five-star overall crash rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It gets five stars for front, frontside and rear-side impacts. And it receives a four-star rollover rating. The Legacy also earns top ratings in all three of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's crash tests.

Helping the Legacy earn those ratings are active and passive safety equipment. Active safety equipment - the features that help you avoid an accident - include all-wheel drive, fourwheel antilock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution, four-wheel independent suspension, vehicle dynamics control, traction control, tirepressure monitoring and daytime running lights, which the IIHS says significantly reduce multiplevehicle daytime crashes.

Passive safety - which keeps you and your passengers from getting hurt in the event of a collision - comes from equipment such as dual-stage-deployment driver and frontpassenger front airbags, side-curtain airbags, front seat-mounted side-impact airbags, heightadjustable active front-seat head restraints, height-adjustable three-point front seatbelts with pretensioners and force limiters, an energyabsorbing collapsible steering column and ringshaped-reinforcement frame/body structure.

"Safety is key," says McClenahan.

That's true, but talking about a car's safety isn't as much fun driving it and feeling its power. Equipped with a 2.5-liter single-overhead-cam, aluminum-alloy, 16-valve, horizontally opposed, four-cylinder Subaru Boxer engine, the Legacy Special Edition offers 170 horsepower and 170 foot-pounds of torque. An available 3.0-liter six-cylinder Boxer engine pumps out 245 horsepower and 215 foot-pounds of torque.

The flat, horizontally opposed configuration of the Boxer engine gives the Legacy a low center of gravity, delivering better handling and stability. It's the same engine configuration you'll find in super cars such as Ferrari and Porsche, McClenahan says.

Seven trim levels - ranging from $20,795 up to $29,895 - give you plenty of options for your dollar. You can choose the 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine paired with a five-speed manual or fourspeed automatic transmission; a turbocharged 2.5-liter, fourcylinder paired with a fivespeed manual or automatic or a six-speed The Legacy manual panion to transmission; or a beefy 3.0-liter, six-cylinder engine that gets paired with a five-speed automatic transmission.

The trim levels also determine suspension type - sportier models get sport-tuned Bilstein shocks.

Coming in at $22,960, the test vehicle - a Special Edition - is just above the base level. Although affordable, it is anything but basic. The Special Edition Legacy adds a 385-watt, nine-speaker Harman/Kardon audio system and a power moonroof to help make every drive you take a lush getaway.

The test vehicle was equipped with a four-speed automatic transmission with Sportshift manual control. This type of transmission helps end quarrels between couples when one wants a manual transmission for control and the other wants an automatic for convenience, says McClenahan. The vehicle operates as an automatic transmission until you put it in sport shift. It's ideal for steep grades and "for people who absolutely want that control."

I used the sport shift when merging into traffic and passing a couple of times, but the Legacy did just fine shifting on its own in all kinds of situations.

An eight-way power adjustable driver's seat combined with a tilting/ telescoping steering wheel allows you to get the perfect seating configuration for almost any physique. While you get comfortable in the seat, UVprotected glass keeps the sun from beating down on you. And when it's cold out, the Legacy's heater is powerful enough to heat a fiveroom house, according to McClenahan. Five adults fit easily in the Legacy, with 11.4 cubic feet of storage space in the trunk for their luggage. The ideal com- back seats fold roads. down to create even more cargo space, or the pass-through can be used for long items and still allow four to be seated.

Subaru accessories let you customize your car. From spoilers and splash guards to cargo organizers, from fog lights to remote starters and satellite radio, you can make your Subaru one of a kind.

The Legacy zips along with a quiet, comfortable ride. It handles twists and turns like a sure-footed Bighorn sheep. The Legacy - like a Bighorn - seems to have been built specifically for Colorado terrain and weather.

Every Subaru is equipped with allwheel drive, but because the Legacy is a sedan, you don't get the high profile that many all-wheel-drive vehicles exhibit. Its low stance and aggressive, attractive styling give it a sports car look and feel. With all-wheel drive thrown in, you get the ability to handle just about any kind of weather. When a car is so much fun to drive, you'll want to be able to take it out year-round and all over the place.

Technical specifications:

Base price/as tested: $20,995/$22,960

Layout: Five-passenger sedan Engine: 2.5-liter, SOHC, aluminum-alloy, 16-valve, horizontally opposed, four-cylinder Subaru Boxer

Horsepower: 170 @ 6,000 rpm

Torque: 170 foot-pounds @ 4,400 rpm

Drive system: All-wheel drive

Transmission: Four-speed adaptive electronic direct-control automatic with Sportshift manual control

Brake system: Four-wheel disc, ventilated front, four-channel, four-sensor antilock braking system with electronic brake-force distribution

Steering: Engine-speed-sensing variable power-assisted rack-and-pinion

Suspension: Four-wheel independent suspension; strut-type and stabilizer bar, front; multilink with stabilizer bar, rear

Wheels: 17-inch aluminum alloy

Tires: 205/50R17 all-season

Wheelbase: 105.1 inches

Height/Length: 56.1 inches/185 inches

Curb weight: 3,378 pounds

Cargo volume: 11.4 cubic feet

Fuel capacity: 16.9 gallons

Mileage: 20 mpg city/26 mpg highway