The more I look at this gen's Legacy, the more I'd want the previous gen. To me that was the closest to family-midsize perfection. I'll even admit, for a run-of-the-mill kind of car, it'd get an extra second or two worth of admiration from me. The only complaint was that rear legroom was somewhat cramped. The interior ergonomics were sound, and felt well-pu together. A Legacy GT wagon with a bit more rear legroom would have been a car I'd be happy to drive for 10-15 years.
I understand exactly where you're coming from. I have the same sentimental attachment to the previous generation Legacy and Outback, both of which not only looked better from the outside but also had far nicer, touchy-feely interiors. The previous generation Outback 3.0R was a car of exquisite class - it was elegant and sleek and more than capable of tackling gravel roads. It was not without its drawbacks however, as you say, rear leg-room was tight, fuel consumption on the 3.0R was heavy - especially when pressing on - and the four speed auto on the 2.5 was simply archaic.
What we're seeing here is an improvement in product and a diminishment of
character. Character is a wonderful thing; it woos journalists and appeals to enthusiasts but character doesn't sell to the masses. Good product does. The new Legacy and Outback are better overall products compared to their forebears - they're much more spacious, more fuel efficient, more comfortable and, as a whole, cleverer. The new CVT Lineartronic transmission in the 2.5 naturally aspirated cars is a revelation and it makes a massive contribution toward giving an otherwise underendowed engine meaningful pep at any given speed. It surely is the best of its kind on the market.
As a long-time Forester owner, I immediately noticed the reduction in character of the current car vs. our previous two models. But, what I also noticed was the improved space, comfort, fuel economy, child-friendliness, safety, convenience and overall versatility. The product simply has more mass appeal and the same goes for these new Legacy and Outback models. Interestingly, this heightened appeal has not gone unnoticed. Subaru sales have increased year-on-year - especially in the US - as a result of Subaru's focus on the mainstream.
It's not all good news for the afficionado, of course, dashtop tactile and perceived quality is down from previous models and owners can feel short-changed in this department - I know I do at least. Some of the sportiness that made Subarus so appealing to the enthusiast has certainly been diluted too but the new Legacy isn't half bad at all when you dig deeper. [Now, isn't this a common observation with just about any new generation out there nowadays?]
Well, now that I've said my piece, is Subaru ever going to develop and implement a double-clutch transmission?
I've said it time and again but, at the risk of sounding like a stuck record, I have to say that Subaru have engineered themselves into a quandry with their resolute - or should that read obsessive - pursuit of symmetrical AWD. In order to keep the whole drivetrain system as light, balanced and compact as possible, Subaru engineers the gearbox and front-wheel drivetrain as a whole - the propshaft powering the front wheels passes directly below the actual gearbox itself, within the same casing.
If you look at any current implementation of the dual-clutch transmission incorporated within an AWD system you'll notice that the front-drive propshaft is offset to the side and out of the way of the gearbox mechanicals whether it's S4 or Panamera or 335xi. A dual clutch gearbox with its two output shafts would give Subaru engineers even more grey hairs. It would make packaging of the gearbox a nightmare - particularly if Subaru were to pursue the symmetrical layout.
So, I don't foresee any earth-shattering developments on the transmission front for Subaru. The phasing out of the four speed auto (it still is offered on turbo'd Foresters!) will free up capacity for Subaru to focus on 5 or even 6 speed torque convertor autos for high torque engines. I'm quietly hoping that Subaru will beef up the CVT to handle 350 Nm but this is a long shot as this represents the limit of torque that modern CVTs are capable of handling.
If a DCT transmission is released by FHI then I, for one, will fall off my chair.
