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" The Specs Available in three powertrain tiers--2.5i, 3.6R, and 2.5GT--and eight trim levels, the 2010 Legacy looks and feels markedly more grown up than its predecessor. And, yes, it&amp;#039;s much bigger too. It has expanded in virtually in every direction; externally, it&amp;#039;s longer, wider and taller, and on the inside there is greater head, hip and shoulder room. Notably, there&amp;#039;s also 3.9 inches more rear leg room, and 9.5 cubic feet more trunk capacity. And increasing those two figures alone should help it compete more directly with the major midsize sedan players. A more aggressive stance also translates to wider front and rear track, not to mention shorter overhangs at both ends. Subaru says that weight gains across all models do not exceed 65 pounds. The 2.5i lineup starts at $19,995 (pre-destination charge) and is powered by a 2.5-liter boxer four-cylinder engine available with PZEV certification. Though output ratings of 170 hp and 170 lb-ft of torque are carried over from their previous generation, the power and torque now peak 400 rpm earlier, at 5600 rpm and 4000 rpm, respectively. The 2.5i can be equipped with a six-speed manual gearbox (with an EPA rating of 19 mpg city/27 mpg highway or 5.3 gallons per 100 miles city and 3.7 g/100m highway*) or a Subaru&amp;#039;s new Lineartronic CVT, which boosts fuel economy to 23 city mpg and 31 on the highway (4.3 g/100m city and 3.2 g/100m highway). Thanks to the larger 18.5-gallon tank, estimated cruising range with the CVT is 482 miles. The 2.5i Premium adds 16-inch alloy wheels and a few other goodies, while the Limited adds the CVT transmission standard as well as an all-weather package, a new voice-activated navigation system with backup camera, and more. The 3.6R starts at $24,995, a $1600 drop from the 2009 model&amp;#039;s MSRP. The 3.6-liter, boxer-style six-cylinder powerplant is a bored and stroked version of the outgoing sedan&amp;#039;s 3.0-liter engine, and offers more power from regular-grade fuel: 256 hp at 6000 rpm, and 247 lb-ft of torque at 4400 rpm. The 3.6R comes with a five-speed automatic gearbox, larger brakes than the 2.5i and a few trim details. Premium and Limited packages are also available for the 3.6R, and fuel-economy numbers come in at 18 mpg city and 25 mpg highway (5.6 g/100m city and 4 g/100m highway). The top of Legacy&amp;#039;s performance pyramid is the $27,300 turbocharged 2.5GT model, which squeezes 265 hp at 5600 rpm, and 258 lb-ft of torque from its four-cylinder engine. The 2.5GT is only available with a six-speed manual gearbox and requires premium fuel, but yields fuel-economy numbers identical to the six-cylinder&amp;#039;s. A revised platform features a new engine cradle designed to drop the engine during frontal collisions. Rear suspension is now a double-wishbone configuration, replacing the predecessor&amp;#039;s multilink setup. And brake assist, stability and traction control comes standard on all models. A new electronic parking brake also comes standard, along with a Hill Holder system on models equipped with manual gearboxes. *Gallons per 100 miles, or gal/100m, can be an easier way to compare fuel economy than miles per gallon. For example, if you were asked to compare the fuel savings of replacing an 18-mpg car with a 28-mpg ride with replacing a 34-mpg car to one that gets 50 mpg, the calculation is not intuitive. However, calculated as gal/100m, 18 mpg versus 28 mpg becomes 5.5 gal/100m versus 3.6 gal/100m, for a savings of 2 gallons every 100 miles. Going from 34 mpg to 50 mpg is the same as switching from 2.9 gal/100m to 2 gal/100m--only half as big a savings. Such ratings are already common in Europe.     RELATED STORIES * PLUS: 2010 Subaru Legacy @ NYC Auto Show  * EARLIER: 2009 Subaru Forester Test Drive  * VIDEO: 10 MPG-Friendly Cars You Can&amp;#039;t Buy in U.S.  * FOLLOW US: Popular Mechanics is on Twitter  * FRIEND US: Find PM on Facebook   The Drive Climb inside a 2010 Legacy, and you&amp;#039;ll find a no-nonsense, well-constructed interior that feels noticeably more spacious than its predecessor, especially in the rear seats. Finishes range from a convincing faux metal surface to a &amp;quot;woodgrain pattern&amp;quot; trim, and all models receive a four-dial instrument panel with a trip computer positioned at the center of the dashboard. A quicker steering ratio across all models offers more responsive handling, though the glassy, smooth surfaces we encountered made it difficult to gauge ride quality objectively. It&amp;#039;s interesting that Subaru offers such a varied choice in powerplants. We sampled all three on the highways snaking along Bainbridge Island, Wash., and each engine lent a dramatically different personality to the Legacy. Our manual-transmission-equipped 2.5i model felt somewhat gutless, requiring a bit of throttle off the line and considerable revs for passing maneuvers, but the powertrain was smooth and quiet, with very little road noise seeping into the cabin. The optional CVT makes a positive difference, allowing high revs, which tap more readily into the engine&amp;#039;s power peak.  The automatic-equipped 3.6-liter offers a whopping 86 more horsepower and 77 more lb-ft of torque than the base models, and that difference makes for a dramatic increase in its punch. Subaru says 0 to 60 mph can be achieved in 7.8 seconds, a 0.6-second improvement over last year&amp;#039;s model. Overriding the automatic via the paddle shifters offered more satisfaction, delivering an intuitive interface and reasonably responsive shifts.  But our heart belonged to the hot-rod 2.5GT model. Its tweaked internals and 25 percent larger intercooler core help reduce turbo lag and increase performance for a 0-to-60-mph time of 5.9 seconds, a 1.6-second improvement over the 2009 model. Externally differentiated by its hood scoop, the 2.5GT is a blast to drive at almost any speed, offering smooth power with a torque peak that plateaus between 2000 rpm and 5200 rpm. Nice. It still may not match the tire-scorching capabilities of the Subaru&amp;#039;s hottest model--the WRX STi--but hey, this is a family sedan, right? And it&amp;#039;s cool that Subaru keeps that spunky personality cloaked beneath its Q-ship sheet metal. The Bottom Line Styling is certainly subjective, and though the new Legacy&amp;#039;s mainstream metal helps it to blend more with the midsize sedan traffic than it ever did before, its mechanical underpinnings stay true to the brand&amp;#039;s core identity. Apart from the painfully slow manual-transmission-equipped base model, there isn&amp;#039;t a Subaru Legacy we wouldn&amp;#039;t enjoy driving at length--especially the lively 2.5GT. All three variants are quiet, civilized and spacious, with enough utility to feel worthy of the Subaru name. All three offer a unique alternative to those more common 800-pound sedan gorillas.  RELATED STORIES * PLUS: 2010 Subaru Legacy @ NYC Auto Show  * EARLIER: 2009 Subaru Forester Test Drive  * VIDEO: 10 MPG-Friendly Cars You Can&amp;#039;t Buy in U.S.  * FOLLOW US: Popular Mechanics is on Twitter  * FRIEND US: Find PM on Facebook   "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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