Car Reviws |
| 2011 Subaru Legacy 2.5i Limited, an AW Drivers Log: Posted: 12 Jan 2011 07:01 AM PST         
NEWS EDITOR GREG MIGLIORE: This Legacy is a solid piece of work by Subaru and scores well in appearance and drivability. There is nothing overwhelming here, just simple yet sharp looks inside and out and plenty of all-wheel function. The car handled some flurries with ease on my drive to a remote village to check out holiday lights, and it warms up quickly and proficiently. Inside are pleasing leather and soft materials, with a harder dash sitting back in contrast. It looks and feels nice. Steering has a satisfying weight and response to it and is a little better than what's found in competitors in this segment. The 170-hp output is a bit weak, but fuel economy is decent considering the all-wheel capability. The chassis and body have a lightweight feel, with the 3,379-pound curb weight well distributed for an even drive experience. The suspension is taut yet still comfortable. All of this makes for reasonable passing and revs that are smoothly channeled via this respectable CVT. This is a nice car for all seasons. But enthusiasts simply must sample the turbo and the six-speed. EDITOR WES RAYNAL: A couple of things: This price is a little steep for a four-cylinder-powered car, and the mpg isn't quite up to what I'd expect from a four-cylinder--even a Subaru boxer four. The car could use more guts--the CVT doesn't help in the least--so I'd at least like to see better mpg. That said, the Legacy is a solid piece of midsize-sedan work. The ride is smooth (lots of roll in corners though), the car soaks up potholes nicely, the standard all-wheel drive is handy and the interior is a pleasant place to spend time with decent-quality materials and comfortable seats. EXECUTIVE EDITOR--AUTOWEEK.COM BOB GRITZINGER: If you like the current midsize-market darling Hyundai Sonata, you'd be doing yourself a disservice if you don't cross-shop the Legacy 2.5i. The cars, at least to my eye, share many styling attributes, with the Hyundai having the overall edge in appearance, while the Subaru has the all-wheel-drive advantage. Both cars' interiors are excellent, with the Legacy offering plenty of little cubbies for stuffing your stuff. I thought the car drove well, and though I'd prefer a manual tranny, when you want to get up to speed in a hurry, this CVT is a good box. This one works well, with clearly delineated steps when you used the paddle shifters, so it is possible to get the most out of the tranny when you want to and to not even notice it when you're just flogging your way through the daily commute. There's plenty of fun in the powertrain, really. My complaint mostly centers on the odd steering feel, which seemed to apply turning in “steps” or blocks as you turn from on-center, rather than in a smooth, linear fashion. Based on my research, this Legacy as equipped and running the four-cylinder with CVT powertrain is fairly comparable on the sticker with a lot of the front-drive, four-cylinder automatic-transmission competition, including the Sonata, the Ford Fusion, the Chevrolet Malibu, the Toyota Camry and the Honda Accord (you can get AWD in a Fusion, but you have to upgrade to a V6 and spend a few thousand more). So what you get is a solid, handsome package with competitive pricing and all-wheel drive. No downside there. MOTORSPORTS EDITOR MAC MORRISON: This car is definitely not impressive from a fuel-economy standpoint, especially considering that I did not flog the stuffing out of the Legacy. But I like this car. As Bob noted, it is competitive with others in the segment, and while Wes is correct that the suspension setup is soft, the AWD was a very, very welcome feature after six inches of snow fell overnight and absolutely wreaked havoc with the early Monday-morning commute. Like all Subarus, the Legacy simply powered its way through it all with little drama, as I witnessed countless SUVs and cars spinning off into roadside ditches. Mostly that's driver error and not the fault of the car, but what I'm sure was a white-knuckle affair for many wasn't remotely stressful for me. In normal conditions, though, I know I would find faults here that the snow and corresponding low-speed driving masked, such as the aforementioned suspension, the CVT transmission and the average engine. Still, I like the Legacy's design very much, and the interior looks sharp and clean, with every control a cinch to use and a very good driving position behind the wheel. I did not have any issues with the steering as Bob did, and there is plenty of interior room front and back to make for a nice driving and riding experience. Enthusiasts will definitely need to check out the turbo or H6-powered models that Subaru offers, but if you're looking for a solid, practical player in this segment, the Legacy 2.5 should absolutely be on your list and a lot closer to the top than the bottom. ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR CHERYL L. BLAHNIK: I had this car for four days, and I could definitely live with this car. I like the exterior of the car with its simple appearance that doesn't shout “look at me.” It's simple but still pulls off a nice, slick look that's easy on the eyes. On the inside, Subaru also kept it nice and simple. The leather seats felt great and the center stack looked good with just the right amount of accents. There's plenty of room on the inside as well. I had a tall person in the front passenger seat and another adult behind him, and they had plenty of room. The car was much roomier than I expected. Another big plus was the size of the trunk, which was spacious for shopping expeditions. I see colleagues above seem to be disappointed in the power of this car. I agree that it could use more oomph or maybe a manual to help make extracting all of this H4's power easier. The ride is smooth and fun in the snow with AWD. The car feels good and grounded and had no problem with the slick road conditions I encountered. I recommended this vehicle to my parents a year ago when they were in the market, and if I were to buy a car today, this would certainly be on my shopping list. 2011 Subaru Legacy 2.5i Limited Base Price: $26,320 As-Tested Price: $27,315 Drivetrain: 2.5-liter H4; AWD, continuously variable transmission Output: 170 hp @ 5,600 rpm, 170 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm Curb Weight: 3,379 lb Fuel Economy (EPA/AW): 26/23.0 mpg Options: Power moonroof ($995) |
| 2010 Mazda Mazdaspeed 3, a Long-Term Update : Posted: 12 Jan 2011 07:41 AM PST       
The last couple months in the Mazdaspeed 3 were spent galloping around in new winter shoes to airports, family homes and press events. In preparation for a Midwest winter season, we equipped our resident hot hatchback with a set of Blizzak LM-60s. To maintain our Mazdaspeed 3's appearance, we mounted the Blizzaks in the stock 225/40 R-18 sizing on our stock rims in place of the high-performance Dunlop SP Sport 2050 summer tires. Even though the LM-60s are categorized as performance winter tires, the ride is still noticeably softer compared with that on the Dunlops, but dry grip is still pretty high, allowing our Mazdaspeed to still cut corners with the best of 'em. But when the first big winter storm hit southeastern Michigan, we were glad to have the Blizzaks for their high silica compound and directional tread design with zigzag sipes for good grip through snow and slush. The only other service issue we had was for a windshield, which needed to be replaced because of an unnoticed chip that spread. It started out low on the windshield, out of sight. After a few weeks of freezing Michigan temps, it cracked all the way across the windshield. A call to a local auto-glass shop and $306.50 later, we were as good as new. Fuel economy for the period remained near 21 mpg, even with our heavy-footed staffers. Our Mazdaspeed 3 has developed some rattles during its time in the AutoWeek fleet. The back of the gauge cluster is now very noisy, even after a creative staffer jammed some paper in between the loud parts. A few creaks emanate from the hatch as well. We treat our cars hard here, and the roads in and around metro Detroit don't do them any favors. But the noisiness has grown quite annoying after 20,000 miles. Small complaints aside, there's really too much to like about the Speed to be disappointed by a few rattles. The seats get high marks for comfort and stability during cornering. The super-tight clutch is getting easier, and even the sloppy shifter seems to be clicking, once you get the hang of it. All in all, it's been mostly praise for the Mazdaspeed 3 around these parts. It's still one of the most fun-to-drive cars in our long-term fleet. The utility quotient remains high, and when clean, the velocity red mica hot hatch is downright striking against the winter snow. 2010 Mazda Mazdaspeed 3
Base Price: $23,945 As-Tested: $25,840 Drivetrain: 2.3-liter, 263-hp, 280-lb-ft turbocharged I4; FWD, six-speed manual Curb Weight: 3,245 lb Fuel Economy (EPA): 21 mpg |
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