Subaru Legacy (third generation)
Third generation (1998-2004)
| Third generation | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Production | 1998-2004 |
| Body and chassis | |
| Body style | "B" pillar Hardtop and Wagon |
| Layout | All-wheel drive |
| Related | Subaru Outback Subaru Baja |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 2.0 L DOHC 165 hp (123 kW) H4 2.0 L DOHC 260 hp (190 kW) twin turbo H4 manual |
| Transmission | 4-speed automatic 5-speed manual |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 104.3 in (2,650 mm) |
| Length | 187.4 in (4,760 mm) (wagon) 184.4 in (4,680 mm) (sedan) |
| Width | 68.7 in (1,740 mm) |
| Height | 55.7 in (1,410 mm) (sedan) 59.6 in (1,510 mm) (wagon) 56.5 in (1,440 mm) (Brighton wagon) |
| Curb weight | 3,400 lb (1,500 kg) max |
- Chassis code
- BE - sedan
- BH - wagon (extended roof)
Subaru launched the third generation Japanese and world-market Legacy in June 1998, while the North American model was introduced in 2000. All models were equipped with standard, symmetrical all wheel drive. World-market and Japanese models ranged from a normally-aspirated 2.0 liter flat-4 to the EZ30 in the 3.0R model.
Flat roof wagons are no longer manufactured worldwide, and instead the raised roof is used for both the Legacy wagon and Legacy Outback.
In 2001 the EZ30, a newly designed 3.0 L H6 was offered in the Outbacks.
The Legacy is the only vehicle in this class that provides AWD as standard equipment.
The 4 speed automatic transmission, had a feature where the transmission could be instructed to ignore 1st gear from a standing stop to assist driving on traction limited situations, such as ice and snow. The system was activated by moving the gearshift from the "D" position down to "2nd". The car would then start in 2nd gear, and not 1st. The transmission also splits the delivered torque 50-50 between the front and rear wheels. Once the car stopped, the transmission would start back in 2nd and not 1st, until the system was upshifted to 4th.
The automatic transmission also has the ability to change the shift points, and hold the gears longer when the engine is operating at higher RPM's. This is achieved by pressing the accelerator pedal rapidly, which causes the transmission to hold the gear until 5000 rpm before shifting to the next gear. No indicator light appears in the instrument cluster, unlike previous generations. The transmission also has engine over-rev protection by shifting the transmission to the next available gear once 6500 rpm has been achieved, even if the gear selector is in a low gear position.
Japanese-spec vehicles with the twin turbo had a Semi-automatic transmission, that allowed the driver to push the automatic gearshift selector to the left, and then allow the driver to shift the automatic like a manual transmission.
B4
The B4 model carries over from the second generation and is a sedan-only model. The RSK featured the familiar DOHC, twin-turbo 2.0l outputting 280 hp (210 kW) in manual guise, 265 pr in automatic Tiptronic form. This results in a 0-60 mph time of 5.7 s for the Manual and 6.7 s for the automatic.
The models exported to Australia were detuned to run on lower octane (98ron) fuel and as a result had a lower power output of 190 kW (258 PS; 255 hp) for the manual and 176 kW (239 PS; 236 hp) for the automatic models. This results in a 0-60 mph time of 6.3 s for the Manual and 7.1 s for the automatic.[1] [2] The downside about the B4 was the turbo lag between each turbo but with todays technology can be easily fixed.The manual B4 had a power split of 50/50 to the front and rear wheels, the automatic has a 35/65 split, while technically a luxury sedan, the new Liberty was designed for both casual driver and hoon. But first you must understand that this impressive piece of machinery runs twin-turbos. At low revs, the car uses just one of the two available turbos. To spool both up, all the time, would be overkill (but still lots of fun!). So when cruising below 4,000rpm, the B4 uses just the primary turbo. Give it some stick, rev above 4,500 and the secondary turbo kicks in - and we really mean kick. Taking off from standstill in the B4 is both exciting and intriguing at the same time. Naturally, it's quick. 0-100km/h in just 6.5 seconds. But the feel is very different to most cars. Clutch out, throttle down, the car lurches forward. With plenty of acceleration, the car levels out after about 1.0 second. Then, just when you think you can't be squeezed into your plush leather seat any harder, an even more intense rush of speed occurs as the needle passes 4,500rpm and stetches up past 7,000rpms. Now the turbos are working in tandem and this 'after-shock' occurs because the exhaust pressure is switching from one tubro to two - hence providing more power. The B4 runs a relatively small 2.0-litre block. Compare this to a sports-model VX Commodore's all-alloy engine and there would be about 3,700 extra cubic centimetres of displacement in the latter vehicle. Yet when you think about it, if the two were to race, it would be very close to call. The horizontally-opposed, or 'boxer', 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder engine has had the twin-turbos bolted on, as well as an intercooler. Together with double-overhead cams and a neat sodium-filled exhaust system (allowing better transfer of heat), the Liberty B4 pushes out a whopping 190kW @ 6,400rpm. That's 26kW more than the WRX. Peak torque is 320Nm @ 4,800 - more than enough to get you around in a hurry. There is even a 206kW Liberty B4, but this is only for sale in Japan. Because they have access to 100 RON fuel this is possible, but here we only have a maximum of 98 RON fuel - the lower octane level means the car needed to be de-tuned to be reliable. Due to the increased power, braking and handling have been upgraded as compared to the standard Liberty. With Blistein inverted front struts and rear dampers, the B4 has been set up for high rigidity, but a smooth ride, too. The braking package comprises discs all round and an anti-lock braking system. Up front, mated to two-piston calipers, are whopping 16-inch vented discs. At the rear 15-inch discs have been fitted with single-piston calipers with the end result a nice, predictable feel with plenty of stopping power. Inside the new Subaru you get a funky leather Momo steering wheel and even a seven-speaker McIntosh audio system, replete with rear-mounted 60W sub-woofer! The black leather trim looks excellent with the blue leather inserts and the driver's seat comes with a six-way electrical adjuster, ensuring perfect lumbar support no matter what your body size. From the outside, the Liberty B4 doesn't look too racy, but the subtle bonnet scoop is a dead give away as to the car's turbocharged nature. The revised headlight cluster looks very nice, particularly the new indicator design. New fog lights and a larger front apron also lend an air of 'go-faster' to the car. As far as footwear goes, the Subaru comes with 17-inch BBS alloys, only just containing the disc brakes hidden beneath. These after-market mags help reduce the overall weight of the car, which comes to 1495kg with a full tank of fuel (64-litres). Low side skirts and a rear-spoiler round out the package and offer slightly better aerodynamics. On the whole, the Liberty B4 isn't drastically different from its precursor, but this the subtle changes made definitely improve the overall image. A B4 RS model was equipped with a less powerful, normally aspirated 2.0 L DOHC engine, but shared many of the body and suspension components of the more powerful RSK.
In 2001, a B4 RS25 model was introduced with a normally aspirated 2.5 L DOHC engine.
In 2002, the B4 RS30 was introduced with a normally aspirated 3.0 L EZ30 DOHC flat-six engine.
GT-B
The GT-B is a tuned version of the Legacy Wagon, the "B" in the name referring to the Bilstein struts that the car was equipped with. The E-Tune II was introduced in 2001 as a 2002 model. Vehicles with the Bilstein shocks had a small Bilstein badge attached to the rear of the vehicle, below the "GT" badge.