Cockpit control knobs are all the rage. Now come the Subaru Legacy performance models (August 1), with SI-Drive, which has a much different purpose than BMW's iDrive or Audi's MMI. You choose economy or performance driving, and the SI-Drive remaps the engine management computer.
The SI-Drive comes with the 2007 Legacy 2.5 GT Limited and Legacy 2.5 GT spec.B, which are the performance and high-performance variants of the mainstream Subaru Legacy. The Legacy is the larger of the two Subaru sedan lines; the smaller is the Impreza. The Legacy models should appeal especially to drivers who are fascinated by the ultra-quick Impreza WRX STI but are looking for more room, a better ride, more technology, and a lot less visual gimmickry on the outside; a J.D. Power VP once said the WRX STI looks like it was driven through Pep Boys with a magnet attached.
SI-Drive Technology
SI-Drive stands for Subaru Intelligent Drive. The rotary dial controller on the center console, just behind the gearshift, has three driver settings: Intelligent, Sport, and Sport Sharp. Rough translation: economy, performance, and more performance, respectively. SI-Drive remaps the engine management computer, throttle, and transmission to suit your driving tastes of the moment. It doesn't adjust the suspension because the suspension parts are mechanical.
In Intelligent mode, you can save up to 10 percent on fuel. But because there's no such thing as a free lunch, intelligence comes at the cost of performance. The controller reduces engine torque and maximum power while it relaxes throttle response. The transmission upshifts sooner; or if you have manual transmission, an upshift light illuminates. You might use this in stop-and-go traffic or on slippery roads.
Sport is closest to a normal mode, with quicker throttle response. Sport Sharp is serious performance for twisty roads or the quickest passing with the quickest throttle response. Just so you don't become addicted, Sport Sharp defaults back to Sport mode when you turn the car off. Most drivers will notice differences among the three and appreciate the options—for example, the Intelligent mode is useful when you're driving the parents or in-laws who don't like quick starts. That's one advantage of an electronic, or drive-by-wire, throttle: An array of microprocessors, rather than a cable that may or may not be sticking, intuits what you want to do and allows for smooth or jack-rabbit starts.
Small Engine, Big Output
For years, the gold standard for race cars, then for pricy sports cars, was producing 100 horsepower per liter (about 61 cubic inches). The Legacy comes rounding-error close here, with 243 horsepower from 2.457 liters. The four-cylinder boxer engine (the cylinders are horizontally opposed, as in a Porsche) uses variable valve timing (Active Valve Control, as Subaru calls it) and a turbocharger with up to 13.5 psi of boost. Normal air pressure is 14.7 psi, so at 6,000 rpm, the turbocharger is forcing nearly twice the normal amount of air (and fuel) through the engine. In plain English, that will get you to 60 mph in around 6 seconds.
In Subaru cars, the power goes to all four wheels and in the proper proportions using microprocessors and a host of TLAs (three-letter acronyms): vehicle dynamics control (VDC, sometimes referred to as stability control), traction control system (TCS), variable torque distribution (VTD), and (depending on whether the hyphen makes it three or four words) symmetrical all-wheel drive (SAD, or more likely, SAWD). VDC is new to the Legacy line. TCS keeps the car wheels from spinning on slick surfaces. VTD varies the typical 50-50 split of power going to front and rear wheels; if one end slips, more power goes to the other.
In a nutshell: SOA (Subaru of America)'s implementation of VDC uses VTD, not TCS, for stability control. And to Subaru that's a BFD.
In contrast, employing traction control as the first line of defense in assisting stability control applies the brakes to individually slipping wheels, which to Subaru's way of thinking costs the driver forward momentum, potentially overheats the brakes, and burns a bit more fuel. Only if Subaru's sophisticated continuously variable locking center differential (don't ask) encounters a serious stability problem does it call on traction control for further assistance. All this happens in microseconds, and in real-world driving conditions on hilly, potholed, rain-slicked roads north of Montreal, it worked like a charm.
Cockpit Technology
Subaru keeps pace with the state of technology in the cockpit, though it breaks no new ground beyond the SI-Drive. The center stack (the console area between the driver and front-seat passenger) holds from top to bottom a Kenwood navigation system ($2,000), climate controls, and a six-disc CD changer. The 2007 models, will have SRS WOW surround sound capabilities with MP3 and WMA playback, plus prewiring for XM Satellite Radio. There's a line-in jack for music players but no Subaru option for direct control of iPods. There is no Bluetooth option for U.S. models.
The leather-wrapped Momo steering wheel has buttons for audio and cruise control. Automatic-transmission models have steering-wheel shifter buttons. The Legacy has six airbags, and halogen headlights are standard; xenon headlights aren't available.
For those who want to come closest to the WRX in a bigger package, the Legacy 2.5 GT spec.B adds bigger tires and 18-inch wheels, a six-speed manual transmission (only), aerodynamic side moldings (but not the WRX's big rear spoiler), and seat inserts of dark blue Alcantara, a man-made suede-like material.
Buying Advice
Subaru cars are easy to like but, at the high end, a bit harder to want to buy. The base-model Legacy with its non-turbocharged engine starts at $22,320; a turbocharged Legacy GT is $29,430; and the turbocharged 2.5 GT Limited reviewed here and the 2.5 G spec.B will be in the $30,000 to $35,000 range. There they run into the low end of the BMW, Audi, and Lexus lines, plus a range of Volkswagens and Nissans, most with all-wheel drive options. Subaru will likely travel better through snow and mud; the others may be more at home pulling up in front of the country club.
While there are three models within the Legacy line, plus station-wagon variants, the options list is quite short in the upper reaches: five-speed manual or five-speed automatic for $1,200, a navigation system for $2,000, and satellite radio as a dealer option.
Subaru's audience is an eclectic mix of Vermonters who want to drive in snow, boy racers in love with the WRX, and practical types who don't require a prestige nameplate such as Lexus. In the Legacy, they'll get a midsize sedan (and wagon) with five-star crash-test ratings, a design that is pleasant but not distinct from several other brands, and four-wheel drive all the time, on all models. Subaru is trying to tie it all together with Sheryl Crow ("Every day is a winding road") and the tagline, "It's what makes a Subaru a Subaru."
The 2007 Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT Limited has a cockpit controller, SI-Drive, which lets you add economy, performance, and even more performance. This could be the perfect car for people who found the Impreza WRX too small and boy-racerish.
A cockpit control knob that adjusts for economy versus performance; powerful turbocharged engine with variable valve timing; SRS surround sound audio. Standard all-wheel drive.
None that are major. The price pushes into low-end BMW territory. Pleasant but unmemorable styling. No Bluetooth.
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