Despite a host of changes to its appearance, the 2005 Legacy is clearly a Subaru. The new Legacy looks sleeker and more contemporary than previous models.

The lower corners of the grille have been tucked inward, yielding an elongated, more elegant hexagonal shape. Bold, projector-type headlights dominate sculpted, BMW-like openings, which also house the turn indicators and running lights. Small, intense foglamps bracket a wide air intake molded into the lower fascia below the front bumper. Rounder sides give the body a fuller-looking shape. More deeply etched character lines in the hood add perceived motion and emphasize the 2005's slightly wider track. The hood scoop feeding air to the turbocharger is understated, but obviously functional.

The 2005 Legacy's incrementally longer wheelbase and 2 inches of added overall length allow more of a wedge shape, led by a lower, more sloping hood. The horizontally opposed, or boxer, engine is mounted low, allowing for a low hood and low center of gravity. A-pillars rise smoothly out of the front fenders over a nicely arched glasshouse, trailing down into BMW-like C-pillars. Bustle-like hindquarters finish with a gradual taper inward, easing the passage of air into the car's wake. Body-colored door handles hinge upward and are more tightly styled into the door panels.

The back end is seriously concave, with a better-integrated bumper fascia. Taillights are larger, more than mildly reminiscent of the Honda Civic, and now bracket the trunk lid, which houses a less angular license plate opening. Chrome dual exhaust tips on the GT models poke out beneath arched cutouts at each corner, hyping the Legacy's sporty aspirations.

Interior Features

The interior of the 2005 Legacy has been completely redesigned. It's quieter, less busy, with more expanse of unbroken, softly textured dash. The center stack, housing the stereo and climate control panels, is finished in a rich, matte metallic look, with the stereo controls properly positioned above the climate control knobs. Our only complaint is with the stereo's tuning function: Where there should be a tuning knob is a round, PDA-type rocker button dedicated to selecting the sound source, while tuning must be done by depressing either end of a rocker lever beneath the volume knob and waiting while the tuner dutifully scrolls its way through the frequencies. At the top of the center stack is a covered storage bin between two, well-proportioned air registers. The large, round, easy-to-read speedometer and tachometer are braced by fuel and water temperature gauges.

Door panels are accented by the same matte metallic trim surrounding longitudinal insets housing door pulls and window buttons below bright metal-finished door handles.

The GT's front seats are easily up to the capability of the car, with decent bottom and side bolsters to contain occupants during rambunctious motoring. The seats in the 2.5i are more in tune with commutes and long-distance drives. Head and hip room is accommodating, but adjusting the front seats for six-footers leaves rear seat legroom cramped. The rear seats in Legacy models are adequate, with relatively flat seat bottoms and a low seating position without a lot of leg room. The center head restraint on the rear seat is fixed in the sedan and adjustable in the wagon.

Pedals are well placed, if not especially conducive to heel-and-toe downshifts. The steering wheel rim is thick and contoured for comfortable and confident grip at the recommended 9-and-3 positions. The shift lever falls readily to hand. Shifts in the manual, while not exactly rubbery, could be a bit more precise, and downshifting with confidence takes some practice. The Sportshift gate is where it should be, toward the driver; push the shifter forward for upshifts, pull back for downshifts.

The sloping hood makes for improved forward visibility. Good-sized rear quarter windows minimize the blindage from the C-pillars. Thin sails leave room for an expansive backlight (rear windscreen) that fills the rearview mirror.

The bottom portions of the door panels hold fixed map pockets, limiting flexibility of use. Front and rear seats get two cup holders. There's a net for magazines attached to the front seatback. The center console isn't especially commodious, but it has an auxiliary power outlet for cell phones, leaving the lighter outlet in the base of the C-stack for a radar detector. The sedan's trunk is fully finished, with its gooseneck hinges enclosed to prevent inadvertently smashed groceries. The station wagon cargo area boasts two covered storage bins.

Driving Impressions

Driving the new Legacy is enjoyable. It's more agile than last year's model. No, it's not a sports car, but it is the most responsive, best handling Legacy yet, sufficiently so to keep up with and sometimes embarrass many an aspirational sports sedan on winding roads. Driving the turbocharged Legacy GT on a mountain road brought out the racer in us, accelerating hard out of the corners, down the straightaways, braking hard for the next corner as we set up for the next apex. Throw in some rain and the Legacy GT is unbeatable by anything in its class.