2011 Subaru Legacy Overview Change Vehicle

This 2011 Subaru Legacy review explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2011 Legacy, and includes Subaru Legacy safety, reliability, and fuel economy information.

Minor changes accompany the Subaru Legacy into 2011. The 2.5GT Premium model is discontinued, leaving the 2.5GT Limited which is now equipped with standard fog lights and power sunroof. All Legacy models get folding side mirrors this year, and cars equipped with the optional Harmon Kardon premium sound system are equipped with satellite radio and a free three-month trial subscription to XM service. One new color is available; Caramel Bronze Pearl replaces Harvest Gold for 2011.

Legacy buyers can select from 2.5i, 2.5GT, or 3.6R models for 2011. The 2.5i and 3.6R can be equipped in standard, Premium and Limited trim, while the 2.5GT is offered only as a loaded Limited model.

Every 2011 Legacy includes power door locks with remote keyless entry, power windows, power side mirrors, cruise control, a tilt and telescopic steering wheel with stereo controls, a CD player and an auxiliary audio input jack. Air conditioning, a height-adjustable driver’s seat, a 60/40-split folding rear seat, automatic headlights, and a trip computer are also standard. The 2.5i model rides on 16-inch steel wheels with plastic wheel covers, while the 3.6R model receives a set of handsome 17-inch alloys.

Add Premium trim for its ambient interior lighting, leather-wrapped steering wheel, automatic up/down driver’s window operation, covered in-dash storage bin, and 10-way power driver’s seat. The 2.5i Premium also adds 16-inch alloy wheels. Choosing the Premium model makes several options available to buyers, including heated front seats, heated side mirrors, and a heated wiper de-icer. The Legacy Premium can also be equipped with a power moonroof and a premium Harmon Kardon sound system with satellite radio.

The Limited model is outfitted like an entry luxury sedan, complete with the upgraded Harmon Kardon audio package, dual-zone automatic climate control, perforated leather seats, and a power front passenger’s seat. The 2.5i Limited also gets a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT) in place of the manual gearbox, and the 2.5GT Limited includes fog lights and a power sunroof. Options offered only for the Limited include a reversing camera, a navigation system, and Bluetooth hands-free calling and streaming audio technology. A power sunroof can also be added to the 2.5i Limited and 3.6R Limited.

There’s no lack of variety with the 2011 Subaru Legacy, and that’s true when it comes to the drivetrain offerings, too. Buyers have three different engines, three different transmissions, and three different Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel-Drive systems to choose from, but the company makes it easy by limiting the way things are packaged.

The Legacy 2.5i has a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine making 170 horsepower. This is no normal four-cylinder engine, however, as it uses a horizontally opposed cylinder design commonly referred to as a “boxer” engine for the way the pistons jab outward like a fighter. This type of design is also referred to as a “flat-four” because the cylinders lay flat, allowing for a lower center of gravity and more compact packaging. Subaru and Porsche are the only car companies to employ this type of engine architecture.

Getting back to that 2.5-cylinder engine in the 2.5i, it is matched to a six-speed manual gearbox or a continuously variable transmission (CVT). With the manual, power is delivered to all four wheels through a continuous all-wheel-drive system with a viscous-coupling locking differential that produces a 50/50 power split until wheel slippage is detected. With the CVT, the AWD system employs Active Torque Split technology that automatically distributes power depending on driving conditions. Fuel economy is rated 19 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway with the manual or 23 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway with the CVT. In certain states, Legacy 2.5i models equipped with this engine are rated as a Partial Zero Emission Vehicle (PZEV).

The 2.5GT model is equipped with a 265-horsepower, turbocharged version of the 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine. What’s great about the 2.5GT model is its 258 pound-feet of torque available between 2,000 to 5,200 rpm, which helps the car accelerate to 60 mph in less than six seconds. Another benefit is that at higher altitudes a turbocharged engine retains more of its performance potential compared to a non-turbo engine. Unfortunately, the 2.5GT is available only with a six-speed manual transmission; there is no CVT or automatic transmission option. The turbo motor also requires premium fuel, and consumes it at the rate of 18 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway. It has the same Symmetrical All-Wheel-Drive system as the 2.5i with a manual transmission.

If you want extra power and performance but don’t know how to operate a clutch pedal, the 3.6R model is the solution. It is equipped with a 256-horsepower, 3.6-liter, six-cylinder engine and comes only with a conventional five-speed automatic transmission. The 3.6R’s torque curve is also relatively flat, like that of the 2.5GT, with a minimum of 225 lb-ft available between 2,000 and 6,000 rpm. A Variable Torque Distribution AWD system sends a greater amount of power to the rear wheels for a more entertaining driving character, but re-distributes the power forward as conditions warrant. Fuel economy with regular unleaded gas is 18 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway.

To help ensure its customers are kept safe, Subaru constructs the Legacy using a Ring-Shaped Frame Reinforcement frame structure, designed to distribute crash energy in such a way as to help reduce occupant injury. Subaru also makes sure every 2011 Legacy gets a standard safety equipment package that includes four-wheel-disc antilock brakes with brake assist and electronic brake-force distribution, traction control, stability control, and a front seat structure built to reduce the chance for injury when the Legacy is struck from the rear.

Perhaps it is not surprising, then, to learn that the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) calls the 2011 Legacy a Top Safety Pick for its top-rated performance in all IIHS crash-test evaluation measures, including for roof crush strength which is important in a rollover accident. Results from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are not as impressive, though it must be noted that the NHTSA changed test procedures for 2011, making it much harder to achieve 5-Star crash-test ratings. For 2011, the Legacy receives a 4-Star frontal impact rating, a 4-Star side impact rating, and a 5-Star rating for its ability to resist rollover.

As far as durability is concerned, Consumer Reports is bullish on the Legacy, giving the car the highest possible rating for predicted reliability. J.D. Power and Associates is not quite as optimistic, but there’s no cause for alarm. Power says the Legacy will return slightly above average levels of dependability in the long run.

Most people categorize Subaru drivers as either rosy-cheeked Patriots fans bundled up in their thickest Eddie Bauer fleecewear complaining about the wicked Nor’easter, or as tatted-up punks surreptitiously gathering to rev their nitrogen-fed WRX STIs in the dark, dangerous night. Hardly anyone imagines the stereotypical Subaru driver as an urbane head of a young family who just happens to enjoy a faster-than-advised romp through the sinuous curves of the local canyon roads. That’s too bad, because the 2011 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT seems ready made for just this constituency.

Remarkably, the Legacy’s rally-bred chassis encourages swift runs through the twisties while still delivering mellow compliancy on ugly roads for comfortable jaunts through town. When hustling, the standard all-wheel-drive system and evenly balanced weight transfer characteristics deliver a great deal of confidence while the car claws the macadam and traverses corners with impressive speed, and we’re certain these traits help to ensure grip during inclement weather as well. The 2.5GT’s steering is direct and precise, with a nice amount of heft, and the turbocharged engine delivers an admirable swell of propulsion that leaves us searching for extra on-ramps upon which to exercise our right foot.

Last year’s Legacy redesign made the sedan’s rear accommodations friendlier towards space-loving American butts, and also bodes well for those needing to transport bulky car seats. And the Legacy, like most Subarus, gets top-notch safety scores, which should be important on anyone’s shopping list. Few consumers consider the Subaru Legacy when searching for a family sedan, but it would definitely be on our list of recommendations for friends and family alike.

If you try to come up with a reason not to buy a 2011 Subaru Legacy, whatever you use as the excuse won’t be a very good one. This is an excellent car, and in our opinion, the only things that we think need improvement are the styling details. Affordable, dependable, crashworthy, roomy, comfortable, fun to drive, and even fuel efficient if you stick with the 2.5i model, the 2011 Subaru Legacy is one of the best family sedans on the market.

By Christian Wardlaw and Liz Kim