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2. Looks inside

It's more of the same inside, with a typically sober interior which, it has to be said, is a huge improvement over its predecessor. The controls are clearly labelled and are easy to use, apart from the stereo which packs a cacophony of buttons which is overly confusing. Compounding this was the intense red light which illuminates the controls at night, making them even harder to see. Two cup holders with a sliding cover can keep valubles out of sight, and a reasonably large storage bin between the seats could hold a mobile phone, MP3 player and other oddments. The heated leather seats were comfy, although the controls to turn up the heat were inconveniently placed next to the seat belt buckles.

7/10

3. Practicality

A cavernous boot is always worth a few extra marks, and unlike some modern estates with a sloping rear screen, the Legacy makes full use of the storage space. You can fit 843 litres of gear with the back seats up, and almost 2,000 litres with them folded flat. There's a false floor in the boot to store rarely-used tools without them rolling around and taking up extra space. Rear seat passengers were served with a reasonable amount of legroom

8/10

4. Ride and Handling

The big 18 inch wheels our Spec.B test car came with caused a mixed bag in the ride/handling department. Handling was very good - even better than previous models - and the permanent four wheel drive system would transfer the engine's power to the road without causing the traction control to cut in. It feels like Subaru have taken the Impreza, removed the bodykit and made it bigger (in fact it’s the other way round, with Legacys of yore passing skills on to the newer Impreza) Sadly, the ride was on the jarring side of comfortable, particularly on dodgy road surfaces.

7/10

5. Performance

The Legacy's styling may be restrained, but its performance is anything but. Our hot 3-litre Spec.B model boasts a 241bhp punch, with 219lb/ft of pulling power, making it a good choice for caravanners or anyone looking to tow up to 2 tonnes. On a clear (private) stretch of road, it'll reach 147mph, passing the 60mph marker in eight seconds dead. In gear acceleration was good, although we had concerns over the automatic gearbox, which seemed reluctant to shift gears in a hard acceleration, followed by steady cruise situation.

8/10

6. Running Costs

We struggled to keep the Legacy above 20mpg on a combination of urban and A-roads, which was well down on the official figure of 37.7mpg. Couple that with a 70 per cent drop in value over the first three years of its life and an average repair cost of £477 and it's a wallet draining experience.

6/10

7. Reliability

The good news is you won't have to pay a visit to the garage very often. Subaru has a huge reputation for reliability, which is why it sells well in rural areas - well, you wouldn't want to break down in the middle of a field. The Legacy comes with a three year/60,000 mile warranty, three years' paintwork guarantee and a 12 year anti-corrosion warranty. Owners are covered by a Europe-wide three year roadside breakdown and recovery policy, should the unlikely happen.

8/10

8. Safety

The Legacy scored a good four out of five stars in the EuroNCAP crash tests, and there have been a raft of improvements since the current model's introduction in 2003. Our Spec.B model came with whiplash-reducing front headrests and intelligent airbags which inflate according the severity of the impact. The brake and clutch pedals snap off in the event of a serious collision, helping to prevent injury to the driver's legs. The whole Legacy range now comes with curtain airbags, side airbags large enough to protect the head and chest. Naturally, ABS with electronic brake force distribution comes as standard.

8/10

9. Equipment

Our Spec.B car came with all the accoutrements you'd expect of a £30,000 car. A Kenwood touch screen navigation system-cum-trip computer performed well, although our 2005 test car had an out-of-date disc, failing to list roads built over the last few years. The heated leather seats came with small perforations to reduce the chances of a sweaty posterior and moved about electrically. The windows and mirrors were electrically operated, and the later were heated. The only glaring omission was rear park sensors.

8/10

10. X-Factor

Now Subaru have Europeanised the Legacy, it's even more of an appealing prospect. Cutting it with the executive car aristocracy, the Scooby brings its rugged rally heritage to the party; something its rivals can - if you can stomach the running costs. Hopefully Subaru will see the light and introduce a diesel soon.

7/10

Rivals
You might want to consider:

Saab 9-3 SportWagon
Volvo V70
Skoda Octavia 4x4 Estate

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