2006 Subaru Legacy 3.0L R 6MT AWD (245 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Subaru introduced a facelift for the Legacy’s fourth generation in 2006, and while at first sight, it was identical, the subtle differences made the overall design feel more composed.

While the Impreza had already gone through its second facelift and started to look more appealing, the Legacy was well-designed. That made Subaru think about what it could change to improve, but not spoil, the car’s exterior. In addition, it ditched the base engine, which was sporty enough for the vehicle.

At first sight, the car’s front fascia looked identical to the one offered in the 2004 model year. But it wasn’t. It featured softer corners and edges, thus reducing the car’s aggressive look. In addition, the bumper was completely changed, and sported a new air dam on the lower side with a center air intake flanked by individual scoops for the fog lamps. At the same time, at the back, the reversing lights were moved down in the midsection. Like its predecessor, the 2006 Legacy featured twin exhausts for specific engine versions.

Since customers complained about the sound system, Subaru changed it with an in-dash CD-changer unit. Furthermore, that led to a redesigned center stack. In addition, a sat-nav system was placed between the center vents in an easy-to-reach position. Like its predecessor, it featured bolstered bucket seats at the front, which proved useful during high-speed cornering maneuvers. But the rear bench remained the same, good for two and without enough legroom for a third, middle-seated passenger.

Subaru dropped the base 135 hp (137 PS) engine from the lineup since customers didn’t buy it. Thus, the entry-level version came fitted with a 162 hp (165 PS) flat-four, while the top-spec Legacy had a 3.0-liter flat-six powerplant. As expected for Subaru, all versions sported all-wheel-drive systems.