In everyday driving, the 3.6R's greater torque down low makes it feel like the refined beast of the lineup, powering us up the continuously undulating roadways without complaint, although its five-speed automatic is a gear less than the notably more fuel-efficient Camry V6.
After a princely lunch in the quaint little town of Brigus that included local delicacies such as cod tongue, the majority of our afternoon was spent in a 2.5-litre, four-cylinder Legacy equipped with a new continuously variable transmission, which will likely be the most common drivetrain pairing.
The CVT helps to improve fuel economy that's hurt by the relatively large four-cylinder engine size, as well as the standard symmetrical all-wheel-drive that's a trademark of Subarus in North America, although there are some FWD Subes sold in Japan.
In overall operation, the CVT was relatively invisible, although the hilly roads often kept the engine revving higher than one would expect, making for occasionally unnatural sounds - keep the stereo on, and it's much tougher to notice.
Like the five-speed auto, it also came with shift paddles, where six pre-programmed ratios allow a little more driver control over engine speed, but loses the ability to tip the floor-mounted shift lever up and down for such "shifts."
Subaru folk like to say the CVT provides the fuel economy of a regular FWD mid-size car, with the inherent safety and handling advantages of power going to both axles all the time.
The fuel economy numbers support this, with the CVT giving the Legacy ratings of 9.2 litres/100 km city and 6.2 highway; both figures are lower than both Camry and Ford's Fusion AWD, which only comes with the 3.0-litre V6.
Yet what they don't mention is that this advanced transmission, AWD, and even PZEV equipment on the PZEV four-cylinder model has brought about some noticeable cost cuts in other areas, such as a wagon version of the Legacy, power windows without an express-down function for anyone but the driver and the five-speed auto.
It stills feels like a refined and substantial vehicle, with a confidence-inspiring "thunk" when closing the door thanks to framed windows (finally).
But when various 20-grand cars offer a keyless go system that unlocks the door and lets you pull away with the key fob still in your pocket or purse, it makes you wonder where such items are on your top-line Legacy GT, which starts at $38,395.
Speaking of price, this is where Subaru makes the biggest push to go mainstream: by lowering the Legacy's price by thousands of dollars through all trim levels, and specifically by $3,000 on the base Legacy, which now starts at $23,995.
The 265-hp Legacy GT's starting price sounds incredibly high, and it is, likely because it's only going to be available fully loaded with a navi system and a six-speed manual, which almost guarantees that the 2.5-litre turbocharged four will be sold in very low volumes.
When the 2010 Subaru Legacy arrives in dealers across the country by mid-August, it deserves the consideration of any mid-size sedan buyer, whether they hanker for all-wheel drive or not.
2010 SUBARU LEGACY 3.6R
Type: Mid-size family sedan
Base price: $23,995, as tested $31,585
Engine: 3.6-litre, boxer six, DOHC
Horsepower/torque:
256 hp/247 lb-ft
Transmission: Five-speed automatic
Drive: Full-time, symmetrical all-wheel drive
Fuel economy (litres/100 km):
11.8 city/8.2 highway; regular
Alternatives: Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Chevrolet Malibu, Ford Fusion AWD, Mazda6
Like
Healthy stoplight grunt at low rpm for six-cylinder; super-clean PZEV four-cylinder available
Larger rear doors frame a roomy rear seat that will make mounting a baby seat easy
Prices lower than last year's models
The six uses regular fuel
Don't like
The priciest GT model's turbocharged four feels less powerful than the six
With Legacy going more mainstream, it loses some of its quirky charm
CVT saves fuel, but still occasionally sounds unnatural
Evidence of cost-cutting
