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2008 Subaru Legacy 2.5 GT spec.B Road Test

I certainly do miss those blue suede seats. They're now charcoal, which is

It's a car that will always lurk in the shadows. (Photo: Steven James Day, American Auto Press)

just a fancy way of saying black. Last year when the spec.B was introduced, you would have been hard pressed to tell it from a run of the mill Legacy 2.5GT from the outside, save for the spec.B badge on the rear deck lid and larger multi-spoke wheels. Even the solitary color choice was a dark gray that assured its sleeper status. But then you took your seat in the cockpit, simultaneously sitting and gazing upon those stylish blue Alcantara inserts, complete with STI connotations, and it just seemed to push all the right buttons. As I lamented earlier, they're gone now, replaced by charcoal Alcantara suede inserts, which are still very nice, but black, sorry, charcoal is a bit too understated for this car. A new exterior color has been added though, Quartz Silver. Great. So, effectively, you can now opt for silver or darker silver, as Diamond Gray remains the other color option. What? I can get a Forester XT in World Rally Blue but not a spec.B? Hmmm... I'm not asking for an STI wing or anything, just make the spec.B stand out a bit more.

As you might have already figured out, the Legacy line's mild refreshing for

Updated, just like the rest of the Legacy range. (Photo: Steven James Day, American Auto Press)

2008 included the return of the Legacy 2.5GT spec.B. New front and rear end treatments across the line as well as other minor updates keep things interesting in an attempt to further stand out in the midsize sedan segment. It's a pleasing overall design with crisp lines, cut-into-the-front-bumper projector headlights, round fog lights and a scooped hood in the front. Swept back C pillars that dissolve into a short deck lid and dual tailpipes add to the sportiness out back. In addition to looking good, the spec.B (and all Legacys) earn an excellent 5-star safety rating in NHTSA's crash tests and an IIHS top safety pick. A full host of airbags, front, side and curtain, are standard equipment.

Also making a sophomore appearance in the spec.B (and for the first time on all Legacy 2.5GTs) is a curiously BMW iDrive–like controller knob named SI-Drive, which offers real-time remapping of the engine's ECU. Located between the seats and aft of the shifter, there are three settings. Dial to the left for Sport mode, dial to the right for Sport Sharp (#, like in

SI-Drive makes a big difference, more so than most "sport" buttons. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, American Auto Press)

music) and a little push down on it for Intelligent mode. You can't run the engine in Sport or Sport # all the time, as when the ignition is switched off the ECU switches back to Intelligent. When you start the spec.B after it has been idle for while, overnight for example, a blue light illuminates in the temperature gauge telling you to have some patience and that the engine is still cold. This prevents engine damage, and for regular, laid back driving, selecting Intelligent favors comfort, smoothness and economy while the Sport or Sport Sharp modes dial up boost and throttle sharpness to varying degrees. The difference is felt immediately between Intelligent and either of the two sport modes, but less so when you jump between Sport and Sport #. Since Intelligent mode, which is what I spent most of my time in, means economy, the throttle tip-in is a bit hesitant, yet very linear.

The payoff is an excellent average fuel economy rating of 24 miles per gallon, pretty good for a car making such impressive power and weighing as much as it does... the latter point exacerbated by full-time all-wheel drive which also adds drag to the driveline. For those times when you need the full 243 horsepower and choose Sport # in anger, there's a secondary button on the steering wheel that you can access with your right thumb to get things moving in a hurry. Throttle response quickens and the ECU dials up more boost from the turbocharger. It's not always the smoothest mode, though, and took a bit of getting use to, but it is great fun and helps produce the spec.B's hastiest 0–60 mph acceleration figures of less than 6 seconds.

The engine harnessed to the other end of the SI-Drive computer is Subaru's horizontally opposed four-cylinder that displaces 2.5 liters and utilizes a turbocharger and intercooler to deliver a healthy 243 horsepower and 241 pound feet of torque. AVCS, Subaru speak for variable valve timing, is also

A hearty unit indeed - flat 2.5 turbo makes 243-hp. (Photo: Steven James Day, American Auto Press)

present to assist with delivering maximum efficiency. It's worth noting that this is the same engine as the regular Legacy 2.5GT. Turbo lag is subtle at first, but once the turbo spools up the spec.B surges forward, helped in part by copious amounts of torque, which peaks at 3,600 rpm. Horsepower peaks at 6,000 rpm, but you don't have to worry about pushing the engine right to redline to make the most of it.

Bolted to the 2.5 liter is something you won't find in the regular Legacy 2.5GT, the STI's six-speed gearbox that is unfortunately controlled by a tall, rubbery shifter that is entirely unsatisfying, making it very difficult to hustle through the gears quickly. Thanks to this shifter and a springy clutch, pulling away from a stop can make you feel like you're inept at driving a manual as the car lurches forward. The transmission's gear ratios are well suited to the engine's powerband, but sixth is clearly overdrive as pushing down the throttle in this final gear on the highway results in nothing much at all

Interior is dressed up from the regular version... more in the way of materials and quality than colors. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, American Auto Press)

happening – any passing needs to be done in fifth or fourth depending on how many cars you need to pass at one time. Just don't try and downshift too quickly.

Think of any Subaru sold in the last ten years and full-time all-wheel drive should come immediately to mind. In the spec.B it's a mechanical system that features a viscous-coupling locking center differential, which aids in the 50/50 distribution of torque between the front and rear. If even a hint of wheel slip is detected, torque will be sent to the opposite end. As a complement to the spec.B's six-speed, a Torsen limited slip differential is housed in the rear end. A Torsen differs from the regular 2.5GT's viscous limited slip in that instead of using a slick goo to create friction between its clutch plates (which can break down and become less effective over time), a Torsen diff is a purely mechanical device; as one wheel starts to lose traction and spin faster, the torque difference causes the gears in the differential to bind together and transfers power to the wheel with the most traction. It is an excellent system that performed flawlessly (although it was dry the entire time I had with the car) with the only questionable bit being some minor albeit odd engine and powertrain noises, such as whooshing and whirring.

Despite the high-performance connotations, the spec.B is quite comfortable as a daily driver. (Photo: Steven James Day, American Auto Press)

As with any car wearing a performance banner, large four-wheel disc brakes with ABS reside behind the stylish 18-inch alloys and stop the spec.B quietly and quickly. The final upgrade under the spec.B is its footwear, which comes in the form of sticky Bridgestone RE050 summer maximum performance rubber, and a sport-tuned Bilstein suspension, both of which help contribute to the spec.B's handling prowess. There is a little more body roll than there should be, however, and the confidence inspiring grip from the AWD can make you a bit overzealous, making it very easy to overstep the bounds of the suspension and causing the car to push a bit, but a little less throttle and gentle steering inputs correct things quite easily. Ride doesn't suffer at the expense of handling either, as the Bilsteins are well damped to handle minor and major flaws in road surfaces without transmitting any harshness to the occupants inside the cabin.

Speaking of the spec.B's cabin, it's well appointed, everything feels nice to the touch and you know how I feel about the seats, which are

A regular map just might be more useful to you. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, American Auto Press)

heated and power adjustable in the front. A power sunroof is even standard equipment. The gauges are bright and easy to read and ergonomics are very good for the most part, although some of the stereo buttons on the standard 6-disc CD changer look the same at first glance. Satellite radio is optional and in a unique twist Subaru is one of the first automakers to offer both Sirius or XM, your choice depending on whether you prefer Oprah Winfrey or Howard Stern.

Navigation comes standard on the spec.B and in spite of having to always clean fingerprints off the screen, I usually prefer touchscreen navigation systems. While Subaru's system is intuitive, it wouldn't hurt to have a stylus, because you have to be really accurate where you touch as sometimes the system will just beep and then not zoom out (or in) at all. Then when it does zoom out (or in) the software is kind of slow to remap the next level. You won't want to zoom out (or in) too much anyway, as 1600 feet and above is pretty useless, only showing really major roads.

In testing the actual functionality of the system I found it odd in how it

Nice and powerful, but xenons - they aren't. (Photo: Steven James Day, American Auto Press)

calculates a route. To test any nav system, I usually pick a destination to which the quickest route can be somewhat complex, in order to see if the system takes me the most direct way. While trying to drive to a town about an hour away, the spec.B's nav attempted to take me 25 miles out of my way through the nearest major town! It was like a Boston cab driver trying to make some extra coin. On the way home I thought I would give the system a second chance and once again the navigation tried to convince me that the shortest route would be 57 miles with an estimated time of 1 hour and 41 minutes. Taking the route I prefer, the trip only took an hour, with a total distance of only 40 miles. All route preferences and restrictions were turned off. Also, when you change direction, it doesn't recalculate quickly and sometimes not at all.

At higher speeds the interior is susceptible to slight wind noise from around the A-pillar, which I ascribe to the frameless doors. When you open the door the windows don't lower themselves, and this worries me as the constant slamming of the glass against the weather strip can cause sealing (or worse yet, leaking) issues later on. To combat this, most newer cars with frameless doors automatically lower the window glass when

Spec.B is somewhat of a secret - you'd have to know about it, and truly desire its stealth to justify buying it. (Photo: Steven James Day, American Auto Press)

the door is opened, and then pop it up into a well-sealed slot when closed. At this price point I would expect such a window sealing system here.

And what exactly is the cost to park a spec.B in your driveway? $33,995. Not exactly pocket change to be sure, as the price is knocking on the door of heavyweights such as the Audi A4 2.0T quattro and BMW 328xi. However, Subaru has them beat in horsepower, interior room and only comes one way: fully loaded. There are a few options missing at this price point, and one glaring absence in my eyes is the lack of high-intensity xenon headlamps. It seems like an oversight, but the standard halogen projector bulbs are excellent at night, far-reaching and evenly lit.

While the Legacy 2.5GT spec.B might not be for everyone (you have to drive a manual), those that do opt for the flagship of the Legacy line will likely be very satisfied despite a couple of flaws, none more upsetting than that rubbery shifter. However, a new owner will be buying a car that is well put together, really fast and well appointed, not to mention boasting one of the best all-wheel drive systems in the business to cope with all weather road conditions. For those that get the Subaru brand, this spec.B will not disappoint, despite the fact that it's missing those blue suede seats.

Specifications (Subaru Legacy 2.5GT spec.B):

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