Fast facts
- Model: 2017 Subaru Legacy 2.5i Sport - Exterior color: Lapis Blue Pearl - Interior color: Two-tone gray cloth - Engine: 2.5-liter, four-cylinder boxer - Horsepower: 175 - Transmission: CVT - Fuel economy: 34 mpg highway, 25 mpg city - Local Dealer: Kelly Subaru - Price (as tested): $28,910
Staff Photo by Dan Henry / The Chattanooga Times Free Press- 9/1/16. Test drive of the 2017 Subaru Legacy Sport on September 1, 2016. Think of the Subaru Legacy sedan as an emergency bread truck.
Without an all-wheel-drive Subaru in your garage, there's a chance you'll have to eat chewy, stale bread for a couple of days if we get a big snowfall this winter in the Tennessee Valley.
Meanwhile, owning a snowmobile like the Legacy will give you peace of mind - on a lot of levels - when the snowflakes fly.
There are plenty of Chattanooga workers who absolutely, positively need to get to their jobs, no matter what the weather has in store. If you are in the hospital, say, and your heart surgeon is stuck on a mountain behind a snow drift, you'd better hope he or she owns a Subaru.
The adjective that best describes our 2017 Legacy Sport tester is "sensible." Subaru has spiced up the family sedan with 18-inch wheels, a dark gray grille and faux carbon fiber accents in the cabin, but the Subaru Legacy Sport is still, at its core, sure-footed family transportation.
Steve Marlin, general manager of the newly remodeled Kelly Subaru store in downtown Chattanooga, says the dealership has several of the new Legacy Sports in stock this week.
"I think [the Sport] adds a lot to the Legacy line and appeals to younger buyers who might not be looking for a traditional sedan, but something a little sportier," Marlin said.
Our Lapis Blue Pearl tester is equipped with Subaru's 2.5-liter flat four-cylinder engine, which makes 175 horsepower. A more muscular 3.6-liter V-6 with 256 horsepower is also available. Our tester lists for $28,910, including moon-roof, navigation and Subaru's EyeSight portfolio of safety-assist features.
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STYLING AND COMFORT
Stylistically, the Legacy is fairly generic, with no dramatic design flourishes that might go out of fashion before you finish paying off your car note. The basic body style is now three years old, but the Sport option package includes several cosmetic changes. Most noticeably, the Legacy Sport has sport-styled alloy wheels and the dark gray grille. Inside, there are carbon-fiber accents and two-tone cloth seats.
Toyota and Honda have had good luck decorating their Camry and Accord sport models respectively in recent years, and Subaru no doubt hopes to piggy-back on that success. The sport versions of the Camry and Accord have the advantage of occupying the middle rungs on the price ladder. Getting the most attractive copies of a car model at a mid-level price seems like a bargain.
Still, the Legacy Sport never gives up functionality for style. The upright design results in big windows, thin support pillars and excellent outward visibility. Seat width is generous, and the cloth seats seem rugged enough to withstand the Skittles brigade. While many families opt for Subaru crossovers, such as the Forester and Outback, the Legacy is an often-overlooked option for small broods.
Standard features on the Legacy Sport include symmetrical all-wheel-drive, a rear-vision camera, a seven-inch infotainment screen, SiriusXM satellite radio, heated front seats and a leather wrapped steering wheel. Options include a power moon roof, push-button start and navigation.
The EyeSight driver assist package has been expanded for 2017 and now encompasses a pre-collision braking system, blind-spot detection and rear-cross traffic alert. Adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist work in concert to help cut driver fatigue during long, cross-country journeys.
DRIVING IMPRESSIONS
The four-cylinder engine is competent, but the V-6 provides extra punch. Both engines come mated to continuously variable transmissions, which helps push the 2.5-liter engine's fuel economy figures to 34 mpg city and 25 mpg highway.
On a trip to Gatliburg on Labor Day weekend, the Legacy Sport was a willing companion for a driver and two sleepy soccer players. The adaptive cruise control helped settle the ride. Hard accelerations caused the four-cylinder engine to strain some, but it was ultimately up to the task.
Like all Subarus, the Legacy has somewhat heavy steering which makes it handle like a pricier European import - read Audi or BMW. Seating position and visibility combine to make touring a relaxing experience. Only opt for the V-6 if you really need the extra horsepower for, say, daily mountain climbing or aggressive passing on two-lane roads.
BOTTOM LINE
For its durability, functionality and, dare we say, style, the Subaru Legacy Sport is easy to recommend. Before automatically defaulting to Camrys, Accords and Ford Fusions, mid-size sedan shoppers would do themselves a favor by at least giving a Legacy Sport a shot.
Contact Mark Kennedy at mkennedy@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6645. Follow him on Twitter @TFPCOLUMNIST. Subscribe to his Facebook updates at www.facebook.com/mkennedycolumnist.