The new Legacy Tourer is a smart, comfortable and very roomy estate car, with increased space for occupants in the front and in the rear, and luggage volume has also improved to 526 litres with the rear seats in place and 1677 litres if you fold the seats. That is big loadspace, a plus point for those seeking maximum practicality. The cabin is well laid out and offers good instrument visibility, user-friendly switches and a good driving position. The overall interior design looks premium level, and the standard of finish is excellent and suggests long-term durability.
The test model was powered by a 2.0 litre 148 hp diesel engine and in SE specification. Costing £25,820, this model comes with all the expected equipment, including power windows, air-con, alloys, remote locking, anti-lock brakes and much more. It comes across as very good value for money compared with its main German rivals. Top speed is 120 mph, the 0-60 mph time is 9.6 seconds, and the combined fuel figure is 46.3 mpg which is very good for a car of this size. In fact, I felt it was probably not achievable in normal day to day driving, yet despite a busy week of mixed journeys and with no attempt at economy, I still got 44 mpg, which was very pleasing.
The new Legacy Tourer handles superbly. The low centre of gravity of its flat-four engine, combined with a nicely balanced suspension set-up delivers reassuring handling and comfortable ride quality. Safety is a priority feature of the Legacy, which was given a five-star rating both by Euro NCAP and has also been selected as Japan's Safest Car in the highly-respected 2010 Japanese New Car Assessment Programme.
For those seeking a well-made roomy estate car, Subaru may not be the first marque to spring to mind, yet the Legacy is an outstanding contender that deserves much wider appreciation.
For: Skoda build-quality and reliability, trendy visual appearance, excellent fuel economy.
Against: Hard to fault for the money, though I would have liked a little more power under the bonnet.
