2008 SUBARU Legacy 2.5L GT 5MT AWD (243 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Subaru made a final facelift for the Legacy in 2008, which introduced new engines and slightly different exterior details.

In 2007, the world was crumbled in a financial crisis, and the automotive industry took a bad hit. Subaru tried to dodge the bullet and postponed the launch of the Legacy’s fifth generation. It chose to refresh the fourth generation instead, and for some reason, that was the smart thing to do. But it wasn’t easy. The carmaker still had to improve the engines.

The most efficient way to make a facelift is to reshape the bumpers and the headlights. Subaru went a little bit more over that and included new front fenders and new alloy wheels. There was nothing extraordinary, but the car offered a better, sportier look. The wider grille in the lower side of the bumper featured an aggressive styling inspired by the world of rallying.

Inside, there was the same layout from the non-facelifted version. The Legacy was available with a sat-nav infotainment system mounted on the sloped center stack. The dashboard used the same materials and the same color, regardless of the rest of the cabin’s upholstery.

Subaru made a big improvement for the engine and the drivetrain. It introduced the 3.0-liter flat-six engine that complied with the new emissions regulations. Its re-worked 2.5-liter flat-four was good even for California’s pollution norms. In Europe, Subaru brought the Euro 5 engines and, since the Europeans were mad about oil-burners, it introduced a 2.0-liter flat-four turbodiesel.