Was just wondering if the OP (or anyone else) had an update to their thoughts on the new Legacy. My lease is up in a month, and I'm looking for my next car, which I'm planning on being more of a long-term (5+ years) car. I'm in Boston, so AWD is a prerequisite. I have been leaning towards a 2011 Lex GS350 w/ AWD, however I've been hearing raves about the new Legacy, and both my parents have newer Subaru's and LOVE them. I've had a TL, C-Class, and my current car is a G37XS, so I'm a little skeptical if I could be reasonably happy longterm with a Legacy (probably the 3.6R), but it looks like a tremendous value.

 

Welcome to CL as a new poster.

The Legacy will be fine for most snowstorms, but if you have to go through really deep stuff, you might want to consider an Outback instead. It uses the Legacy platform and drivetrains, but adds a few more inches of ground clearance for deep snow. It also makes the wheel wells easier to clean out with a hose or to remove pack-in snow.

 

Thanks so much mmarshall, for the advice and for the welcome! I think the Legacy would certainly give me what I'm looking for, and after researching the 2 cars' TCO's, it appears as though the Subaru will be roughly $6K cheaper over 5 years, based on 10K miles/yr. It's tough because I really like the GS, but I'm trying to make the best financial decision, which I never thought could be BUYING a new car (I've always been a huge believer of Leasing new or buying used), but I've also always historically been ok with a 3 year turnover...now with a house mortgage, things are different.

 

Subarus are great vehicles, no doubt. But, they aren't a vehicle that I personally would be happy with long term. Too utilitarian.

 

Have you sampled a new Legacy? While not quite a classic sport sedan, we're certainly not talking Forester-type utility here. The Legacy, in some versions, can provide quite a rewarding driving experience, although, granted, the turbo GT model is history.