Subaru Legacy Touring Wagon 2009-2014 used car review

From the front, the wagon looks largely the same as the sedan with its angular raked nose, projector-style headlamps and a large chrome grille. From the side, the roofline is higher and continues to the rear, which is more angular and hatchback-like than in previous Legacy wagons. Tinted windows and alloy wheels give the car a sporty look.

Four engines are available in New Zealand-new Legacy models: a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol, 3.6-litre six-cylinder petrol, 2-litre four-cylinder turbo-charged petrol and 2-litre four-cylinder turbocharged diesel. Our review vehicle features the 2.5-litre engine, which produces 127kW and 229Nm. 

The six-cylinder model gets a six-speed automatic and the diesel and turbocharged petrol six-speed manual, but our review car came standard with a CVT automatic which can be shifted manually. The transmission is very smooth and efficient. Performance is good and there’s plenty of power for open-road touring. The engine can be a little rowdy under heavy acceleration.

This generation Legacy has developed a reputation for solid reliability, more so than previous versions. Vehicles built from late 2012 use a timing chain rather than a cambelt. Spending extra for a later model could be worth it because the cost of a replacement cambelt can often be more than $2,000.

Overseas reports mention piston failure from this engine, but that doesn’t seem to be a significant issue in New Zealand - perhaps because cars here are well-serviced.

A rare failure of the main airbag module (not related to the well-known Takata airbag recall) can be spotted via the “SRS” warning light on the dashboard. It needs a specialised technician to fix it with the correct Subaru scanning tool, which costs up to $1,000.

Check under the car for signs of corrosion since Subarus are popular for visiting skifields and snowy areas both here and in Japan (where our used import review vehicle came from). Subaru’s corrosion protection is usually very good but look for discolouring and bubbling of metal surfaces around the suspension and rear differential. Avoid the vehicle if you see that.

New Zealand-new models carry a five-star ANCAP rating (2009-2014), with a high rating for side impacts and a good rating for frontal impacts. Standard safety features are high and include driver, passenger, knee, side and curtain airbags, electronic brake force distribution and electronic stability control.

There are ISOFIX child seat mounts in the window positions in the rear seat and seat tether points on the parcel shelf below the rear window. The back seat centre position features a proper three-point seatbelt, a positive if you want to seat three people.

The 3.6R and Premium models from 2010 feature “Eyesight”, Subaru's camera-based safety assistant which includes autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist. It is obvious if a car has this feature because a camera is visible either side of the rear-vision mirror when looking through the windscreen.

The Legacy requires a service every year or every 15,000km. A local Subaru dealer quoted $300 for each service. Cars built before mid-2012 might need to have their cambelts replaced every 100,000km at the cost of around $2,000.

RightCar estimates that over 14,000km of driving a year, a Legacy with the 2.5-litre engine and CVT automatic will cost $2,240 a year to fuel. This is low for a car of this size. At $2 a litre the 70-litre tank costs $140 to fill and will take you up to 810km before the fuel light comes on.

A vehicle licence for a 2014 Subaru Legacy costs $76.92 a year, with the car in the cheapest ACC levy group.

Trade Me Insurance estimates insurance for a car worth $24,180 will cost $61.11 per month. That’s $6 a month more than the Mazda 6.

Prices for the Legacy on Trade Me range from $8,000 to $28,000 - late-model New Zealand-new cars are worth the most. Wagons are also more popular and are worth a little more.

• 2.5i Sport and 2.0D Euro - Features 17-inch alloy wheels, fog lights, separate temperature settings for driver and passenger, CD player stereo and cruise control.
• 2.5i B-Spec - Adds 18-inch alloy wheels, body kit, sports suspension, Xenon headlights with washers and sports interior trim.
• 2.5i Premium (Called X from 2013) - Adds electric driver's seat, leather trim, sunroof and rear air vents.
• 3.6R (Called 3.6X from 2013) - Adds keyless entry and start, automatic headlamps, automatic wipers, electric passenger seat and Subaru Intelligent Drive System.
• GT Spec-B (Premium from 2013) - As per 3.6R.

• 2009 - Launched globally
• 2010 - EyeSight system becomes available in wagon
• 2012 - Given slight update and revised line-up
• 2012 - Engine updated to model with timing chain
• 2014 - Replaced by a new model