Inside Story: 2010 Subaru Legacy PZEV

2010 Subaru Legacy PZEV. Click image to enlarge

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Inside Story is a review of interior comfort features, cabin controls, storage options, trunk space and under-hood accessibility based on a seven-day evaluation. For driving impressions, please see our Test Drives section.

Review and photos by Michael Clark

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2010 Subaru Legacy

You can breathe clearly now, the guilt is gone.

That’s what the Subie gang is hoping for with the PZEV edition of the Legacy clan; interesting angle, considering that all of the 2.5-litre normally-aspirated boxer fours in the Legacy gang emit the same amount of carbon dioxide, according to the Fed’s EnerGuide. Well, at least the green leaf logo on the deck lid is capable of a warm and fuzzy. This week, Inside Story takes a peek at the Legacy PZEV, with an MSRP of $26,395. (Prices shown do not include freight, taxes, regional or promotional incentives.)

A real-time fuel economy sweep is found on the left-hand side of the instrument panel quadrant, which is somewhat overkill in this day of simple Eco lamps. Note to Subaru; replace it with an engine temperature gauge. Above the fuel gauge is the toggle for the fuel economy averages, housed in the digital display atop the centre stack. Audio and cruise control tabs are found on the three-spoke tilt/telescoping wheel. Should an eco-savvy edition sport such sacrilege? We’re speaking of the robust steering wheel-mounted shift paddles, the likes of which should have been in last week’s Taurus SHO tester. There’s even a manual gate at floor level for the CVT.

2010 Subaru Legacy PZEV. Click image to enlarge

To the left of the driver is a busy little switch bank, holding the power exterior heated mirror controls, Hill Holder, traction control, trunk release, dimmer switch, and the electric parking brake, with the expected mondo label for actuation. The manual HVAC controls of the centre stack are still suffering from a lack of legibility. The audio head unit sports a single-CD slot, with satellite radio capability. The driver’s door pod gets an auto-descent pane for the pilot. Propaganda states it should be auto up/down, so this could be an early production model that snuck through. Peek below that door pod, and you’ll find a courtesy lamp that makes sense, cascading light downwards from the door bottom. What doesn’t make sense is the lack of breakaway-style side-view exterior mirrors. Headlamps are equipped with an Auto detent. Wipers are noteworthy, with an EZ-grip intermittent sweep dial that will make winter gloved-hands smile, in a weird hand-puppet kind of way.

The locking glovebox conceals a valet lock-out switch for the dash-mount trunk release. Space is respectable, even with the literature lump. The centre console dual cupholder uses a removable spring-cincher biscuit. Stage One of the centre console lid looks destined for iPods on the underbelly of the armrest. The larger inner cubby is equipped with an auxiliary audio input, and a 12-volt DC powerpoint.

Like the front doors, the rear doors are bottle holder-ready, with a surprisingly large storage compartment for additional items. A rear flip-down armrest holds a dual cupholder, with rubber tab cinchers. An open compartment is found on the rear of the console, with a see-through mesh pocket on the passenger front seatback.

Here we find a sunglasses holder, sunblocker sliders for the visors, even dual backlit vanity mirrors.