Introduced to the UK market in October 2009, the fifth-generation Subaru Legacy Tourer is markedly different from previous models in many ways, but in some ways it would also be reassuringly familiar to a Subaru enthusiast who had just woken from a 15-year sleep.Compared with its immediate predecessor, the current Legacy looks a little edgier (though personally I preferred the previous appearance and may need some time to get used to this one) and has considerably more front headroom and rear legroom. Having briefly sat in the back of a Legacy which contained three other adults of at least six feet in height, I can happily say that we would have had no problem travelling from one end of the country to the other rather than, as was the actual case, a distance of about two hundred yards.Luggage volume has also increased to 526 litres with the rear seats in place and an impressive 1677 litres if you fold the seats and load the car up to the roof lining.What distinguishes this Legacy from all the others we have tested, though, is the fact that it has a two-litre diesel engine. It took Subaru a long time to bring this to production (it insists on a "boxer" cylinder layout, could not buy in a diesel of this type from anyone else, and had to create its own from scratch), but now that it's here it certainly seems worth the effort, being naturally much more economical than a similarly-sized petrol unit though not a great deal noisier.(If your soul is revolted at the idea of a diesel Subaru, tough luck. The company intends to become known predominantly as a manufacturer of diesel cars, even to the extent of preferring the public to forget its magnificent but definitely not to be continued motorsport heritage.)So much for the differences. Other things remain pretty much as they are, and mostly in a good way. The exception to the "good way" bit concerns the interior design. This has never been a compelling reason to buy any Subaru, with the possible exception of the Tribeca SUV, but the fourth-generation Legacy was some way above the company's average in this respect. The new Legacy, however, does not represent a further step forward, and its cabin is less attractive than that of most other cars costing around £25,000.On the other hand, few modern cars of any price handle as well as the best cars Subaru was building in the mid to late 1990s, and the Legacy feels exactly like those. The low centre of gravity of that flat-four engine, combined with the trademark soft but well-damped suspension, provide the familiar and delightful result of massive grip (because the tyres, which are not particularly special in themselves, are given so little work to do), brilliant front/rear balance and a general feeling that there is almost nothing you could do to make the Legacy behave badly in a corner.Active safety (the unlikelihood of the car crashing) is by all accounts backed up by passive safety (its ability to protect people if the worst happens). The Legacy has been given a five-star rating both by Euro NCAP and its Australian equivalent, along with a Top Safety Pick award by the American Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. It has also recently been named Japan's safest car in the 2010 Japanese New Car Assessment Programme.As is often the case with Subarus, the ride quality is generally of a standard that few other manufacturers operating below luxury level (and even some operating at that level) can match. The exception to this is a chattering effect over small but sharp bumps, which may have something to do with the tyre construction. It's not evident in the apparently more compromised Outback semi-offroad version, which in defiance of all logic actually rides even better. Engine 1998cc, 4 cylinders Power 150bhp Transmission 6 speed manual Fuel/CO2 44.1mpg / 168g/km Acceleration 0-62mph: 9.6 seconds Top speed 126 mph Details correct at publication date
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