Error parsing XSLT file: \xslt\FacebookOpenGraph.xslt Our Fleet Test Drive: Subaru Legacy Sports Tourer - 3rd Report
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Our Fleet Test Drive: Subaru Legacy Sports Tourer - 3rd Report

Date: 27 August 2008   |   Author: Tristan Young

[3] ... to keep the boot floor up while you're loading

We're just six weeks into a six-month test of the new diesel-engined Subaru Legacy and the car already has well over 3000 miles on the clock.

With this kind of mileage piling on, we're really getting to know the Subaru.

For instance, I now know the fuel gauge's characteristic of staying on full for what seems like ages [1], then slowly falling to half, then plummeting to about a quarter, then only very slowly falling after that. I also know you can confidently get 500 miles per tank of diesel. And that the car is averaging just more than 41mpg, although this figure hasn't improved as we expected despite the engine, in theory, being well run-in now. Maybe even more miles are needed.

Subaru Legacy_Page 16.gif

One of the other aspects we're enjoying given the typically wet British summer we're having at the moment is the security of grip the four-wheel drive affords, either on streaming wet motorways or just surprisingly muddy corners. If we'd have had a two-wheel drive car in similar conditions, at best the ESP anti-skid control warning light would have been flashing and the worst doesn't bare thinking about.

There are also some little touches that I love about our Legacy estate. The boot floor lifts to reveal a useful hiding area for smaller items, but not forgetting that you'll probably use both hands to put things in the boot, Subaru has provided a hook [2] to keep the boot floor up [3] while you're loading - neat. I've discovered, too, that if you're only carrying a few smaller items in the big boot, you can put them in the under-floor compartment and gently lower the floor back down to keep them in place. I'm sure that's not what it's meant for, and it would crush very fragile items, but it works a treat for stopping your week's shopping ending up all over the boot.

Despite being well kitted-out and cleverly appointed, there are still two things our Subaru could do with. The first is rear parking sensors - something that's been discussed at length with one of our other long termers, the Mazda 6 (see www.businesscar.co.uk/mazda6) - and the other is an auxiliary socket so that we can connect an iPod, which given the mileage we're doing is almost essential.



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