bang for the buck

When I was shopping for new cars last November, my brother suggested I test drive a Subaru Legacy. I decided to humor him, even though I was sure I was going to buy another Toyota. I had a Toyota Paseo, which I had bought right out of college, which had served me well; but now that I was older, I needed something a little more luxurious, with four doors. I had resigned myself to buying a Toyota Camry. I say resigned, because Camrys are so boring! But it was a Toyota, and dependability is very important to me.

The morning of my test drive, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the Subaru Legacy is a good-looking car. Stylish and sporty, especially with the spoiler. Then I sat in the car. I have to say that these seats are the most comfortable seats I have ever sat in, in a car that I could afford: firm and contoured to the back. Seats are very important to me because I drive a lot for work, somtimes long distances, and I have a dodgy back. The car handles great (AWD) and the controls and gauges were placed well in the dashboard. I also loved the sunroof, leather accents and faux burled wood finish.

Even though I really liked the car, after test driving the Subaru, I went to the Toyota dealership to compare a Camry. I got into the Camry, and sunk into the soft seat--too soft, with no back support. Also, I have long legs, and I felt like I had to reach far for the steering wheel, unlike in the Subaru Legacy. The ride was also very "floaty", like in my grandparents' old Cadillac, and I didn't feel like I had as much control as in the Subaru Legacy.

After my test drive, but before I bought the car, I scoured the internet for opinions and research on the Subaru Legacy. What convinced me to buy the car was the compare page on edmunds.com. Edmunds put the Subaru Legacy in the same class as Volkswagen Passat and Volvo S40, but where those cars start at 22,000 and quickly go higher with each option added, the Subaru Legacy came loaded with the same options for $20,000. The reviews on Edmunds.com were also favorable for safety, dependability and performance.

I've been living with the car for eight months now, and I still love it. The control I have while driving, especially in the rain, makes me wonder how I ever drove without all wheel drive. It gets pretty good gas mileage, about 300 miles on full tank of mostly city, some highway driving. The CD/am/fm stereo sounds great. The cup holders are placed well, in the console between the seats. The trunk fits my huge golf bag easily, and I've used the ski slot, that goes from the trunk into the back seat as well. I can fit a lot into this car.

One caveat: the car is long. I had to rearrange my garage shelving to fit it in the garage. Also, Subarus do not have door rims; the windows are "bare". So after I start my car, I usually have to quickly put the driver's window down and inch and back up, to get a closer fit to the trim, to quiet the wind noise. I only notice this in the winter, not the summer. Also, I did have to take the car in for service, something with the transmission that was covered by the warranty, and the problem has not recurred again.