AVO's newest office is a warehouse and distribution center in America. Based in the city of Seattle, located in Washington State, this will enhance our customer support and distributor support. Office hours are 9am to 5pm Pacific Time, Monday through Friday. We can be reached at 425-835-0475.
Ross in Japan got a chance to drive the new Legacy GT 6-speed. Response was fantastic - there was no lag on the 2.5-liter. 4th gear, from 1500 revs it just pulls. It wasn't the most exciting pull (ahem) he's had in 4th gear, but enough to be interesting. 4th gear/1500 rpm was about 40km/h. Doesn't feel like there is any lag at all, but really needs some opening up of the intake and exhaust. While it gives an impression of being heavier, it does not feel heavier on the road. Steering, reflexes felt lighter than his 08 WRX. It feels like a really well-balanced car.
Suspension feels a bit like the 08 WRX, but far more refined. Brakes are fairly average, nothing special about them, nothing bad about them. Ross really didn't get a chance to push it hard, so cannot really comment about body roll. The front suspension has been redone. One of the areas of complaint on the earlier Legacy, the somewhat wobbly steering response in corners, feels like it has been eliminated. Sort of like an older legacy with the lower arm bushings replaced with AVO upgrades.
The interior of the car is much better than the previous 05 Legacy that he owns. And according to Ross, when he was getting out of his 08 WRX he was driving that day, and moving into the new 2010 Legacy, it felt like he was hopping out of a 1987 Honda Civic into a modern Audi. Ross gives Toyota a big thank you for the good influence there. The center console feels like suede leather, is very comfortable. The seats felt like you are sitting in the seat instead of on top of it. Interior space is much better, you don't feel like you are sitting in the lap of the person next to you. The biggest downfall for Ross is he could not do handbrake turns anymore as Subaru moved that to the dash area via an electric button. But it did add a lot of room to the center console. There was no road noise at all compared to his 08 WRX.
When it comes to long distance trips across the United States, this the best Subaru yet. It is a bit big for Japan, but the perfect sizing for the United States. For Japanese buyers, expect to get door dings, because it's going to take up the entire parking space generally available in Japan. The rear seat is so large now, the cute Japanese saleslady looked like a midget back there.
At idle, there was no engine vibration at all. The new engine mounting system is much better, with the mounts pushed further out from the engine. They moved the engine mounts back further, which shifts the weight of the engine to the back of the car. That's shifted the weight transfer back, and improved the overall handling.
Looked pretty good in person. It definitely needs to be dropped two inches and have bigger wheels on it. Not a fan of the chrome accents on the sedan, but would be getting a wagon anyways. Photos still don't do this car justice.
