Subaru's blue prince
Unless you're a pur et dur minimalist, the top model in a lineup has special appeal.
The Subaru Legacy 2.5GT spec.B is no exception.
The junior Legacy is the 2.5i, then comes the 2.5GT, followed by the lordly spec.B.
The first is powered by a SOHC, 2.5-litre flat-four (175 hp), the other two by a turbocharged, DOHC version of that motor (243 hp).
Legacy also comes as a station wagon, but not in spec.B dress.
The B in specification B stands for Bilstein, the German shock absorber and suspension specialist that is now part of ThyssenKrupp Automotive.
(The original Herr B was August Bilstein, a German entrepreneur who started it all by opening a foundry in 1873.)
So this premium sports sedan is blessed with a state-of-the-art suspension that delivers an athletic ride and flat cornering.
The spec.B package, bowing for 2007, comes only with a supple six-speed manual gearbox.
Reverse has a fun liftup ring to lock out the adjacent sixth gear.
The B gets Subaru Intelligent Drive, also standard on the 2.5GT and the Outback 2.5XT station wagon.
SI-Drive obligingly offers three engine settings for rising degrees of performance: I for intelligent, fuel-thrifty motoring; S for sporty fun; S# (sport sharp) for serious juice. Y`ou dial up your choice via a silver knob on the centre console.
The setting appears in a display under the tach, along with a little graph plotting the selected torque curve.
Math majors will go wild.
You also get the six-star brand's proven all-wheel-drive system, plus an arsenal of electronic and safety aids, such as stability and traction control.
Spec.Bs come only in Diamond Grey Metallic, with a charcoal leather interior enhanced by Dusk Blue Alcantara inserts.
Suede-like Alcantara (from al-kantar, Arabic for bridge) is a Japanese-Italian fabric whose development goes back to the '70s. It holds you in the seat better than leather and wears well.
Legacy sedan base prices: 2.5i, $26,995; 2.5GT, $40,295; 2.5GT spec.B, $44,995. Legacys are built in Lafayette, Ind.
Subaru, incidentally, is rethinking its strategy to transform itself into a luxury brand.
The idea now is to focus more on what most shoppers want as well as on markets receptive to all-wheel drive virtues, such as Canada. Sounds like a plan.
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