Mother Proof's view

The 2010 Subaru Legacy’s redesign has been long overdue. Its sophisticated new look is sleek, but as Mom always says it’s what’s on the inside that counts. The sedan’s redesign added nearly 4 inches of legroom for the second row, and the car’s now wider across, which increases shoulder and hip room in the front and rear seats. The redesigned Legacy isn’t a head-turner per se, but it’s sharp enough to get you through any valet station with your head held high.

My test car, a Legacy 2.5i, had a standard six-speed manual transmission; it’s not often that I get a chance to drive a sedan with a stick shift. It provided an element of sportiness. Add to this the loud engine and road noise and the Legacy seemed like a much sportier car than your typical family sedan.

However, the Legacy’s 170-horsepower four-cylinder engine felt underpowered at times. Starting from a stop was OK, but it didn’t accelerate with as much oomph as I’d have liked. The Legacy got from Point A to Point B, but I had to readjust my driving style somewhat to help it along.

Exterior

The redesigned Legacy gets a modern, aggressive look. Subaru’s well-known grille with a wing-shaped crossbar and constellation symbol looks fresh when applied to the new body. The halogen headlights are angled toward the hood, and the front end itself is beefier. The old Legacy had a pointier front end; this new look is sporty and smart.

A lot of thought went into the sedan’s rear, which makes me happy. I hate it when automakers don’t pay attention to a car’s backside. There are thoughtful creases and folds in the body to blend the trunk with the bumper and the rest of the car. Thank you, Subaru.

The doors were easy for my kids to open and close. Even though they’re 5 and 7, doors can still be a problem with some cars. The trunk space is ample; it can easily hold a ton of groceries or a major haul from a trip to the mall. The trunk’s opening is tapered a little on the sides, so if your stroller’s long when folded you may want to bring it along on a test drive to ensure it’ll fit back there. There are levers in the trunk that fold the 60/40-split rear seats into the cabin. Nice touch!

The 2010 Legacy doesn’t have any backup sensors, and I’m actually happy about that. While it might seem hypocritical given our penchant for safety here at MotherProof.com, I find that I usually tune out the hyperactive, overzealous sensing systems. Without the annoying beeps and chimes, I just go slow and pay extra attention when in Reverse. I do like backup cameras, but the Legacy doesn’t even offer one as an option. I missed having that extra insurance on the Legacy.

IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS THAT COUNT

Storage Compartments (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Fair

Cargo/Trunk Space (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Ample

Interior

While the exterior brings the Legacy cruising into 2010, the interior has me a little worried. It’s a nice interior, but the seat upholstery’s pattern, which looks like small flames, reminds me of the 1980s. Leather seats are available, and they’d keep the interior from looking dated too quickly.

While the fabric is weird-looking, the seats’ comfort level is indisputable; they’re wonderfully supportive. The center stack is a visual buffet of plastic that looks like brushed metal. It was a bit too much for me, but others might like it. What I really liked about the center stack is there weren’t too many buttons. While that might seem like a backhanded compliment, I assure you it’s not. I’m on the verge of becoming a Luddite because constantly changing technology is killing me. I loved getting into the Subaru without having to memorize new commands, input locations, navigational procedures or key-insertion processes. Everything was simple and straightforward.

Typical of most sedans, there’s a lot of in-cabin storage for little things like cell phones. The center console has a top shelf and a deep bin below. The glove box is good for holding a pair of gloves and the owner’s manual but not much else. There’s a modicum of door storage; a water bottle and small pack of wipes are right at home there. There’s an overhead storage area for sunglasses, just not your glam, oversized sunglasses.

In the backseat, the kids had plenty of legroom. In the front row, my husband and I had our seats in our preferred positions and our kids never complained about a lack of space.

SENSE AND STYLE

Family Friendly (Not Really, Fair, Great, Excellent): Great

Fun-Factor (None, Some, Good Times, Groove-On): Some

Safety

The 2010 Legacy is one of 27 cars to be named a 2010 Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. To earn this award, a car must earn the top score of Good in crash tests and have stability control. This year, IIHS added a roof-strength test to its stable of crash tests. The additional test, which simulates a rollover crash, tightened criteria and greatly reduced the number of cars that qualified for the award.

In addition to stability control, the Legacy has standard antilock brakes and traction control. It also has six airbags, including side-impact airbags for the front seats and side curtain airbags for both rows.

While my kids were happy with all of the legroom in the backseat, one aspect of the second row was frustrating to me. The Latch connectors aren’t easy to access; they’re buried under a fabric flap that makes it a bit tricky to get at them. Once you do, a rear-facing infant-safety seat should fit in the second row without any problems. My kids’ booster seats fit easily into the backseat because there weren’t any bolsters to get in the way.

FAMILY LIFESTAGE

In Diapers: There’s lots of room in the backseat for rear-facing infant-safety seats.

In School: There’s enough real estate for everyone to be happy.

Teens: This is a good-looking first car with great safety ratings.