Shed of the Week: Subaru Legacy

A stout and reliable workhorse that likes a drink. That's the Subaru Legacy, not Shed.

Most of us fancy the idea of a large estate. In Shed's case, the size of such an estate would be less important than the massiveness of its distance from the current Shed property, wherein dwells the awful Mrs Shed.

Yes, definitely has an engine

But this is a motoring website, so let's stick to what you're expecting to see - an estate with four wheels. If your bent is for a brilliantly capable load-carrying machine with a touch of luxury and a sprinkling of driver involvement, this top-spec third-gen Subaru Legacy should tick your box.

Some say this particular model of Legacy was screwed together in the United States, a land of folk not known for pernicketiness when it comes to build quality, and where many will swear on their children's lives that Subaru is actually a Scandinavian marque.

Be that as it may, Legacy owners everywhere tend to rave about its reliability, a claim that's pretty well backed up by its JD Power results over the years. And that's just as well because spare parts can be heinously expensive. If a light comes up on the dash and it turns out to be sensor failure, the bill can easily run up into the mid hundreds. You should never approach a Subaru main dealer for servicing work without first ensuring the ready availability of strong sedatives or an elephant gun, or ideally both.

Comes with plenty of fuel. You'll need that

You don't need to honour dealers with your custom for engine work, really, because the four-cam flat-four is pleasingly straightforward to strip down and shouldn't get your local grease monkey swearing in an untoward manner. It did have a rep for munching head gaskets, but that was mainly on the gen two car. Here it's naturally aspirated, so there's no turbo to blow and less stress on your big end.

Even without a puffer, the uniquely characterful Subaru motor churns out a chunky 154hp, enough for most modern bargemen even in a relatively heavy beast like the Legacy. The manual transmission on this one is also a desirable thing if you believe in keeping things simple, but you'll still be developing an unnaturally large flexor muscle in your forearm from pumping gas. Expect 30mpg and you will most likely be disappointed. Do what Shed does on a daily basis and expect the worst. If you aim for 20mpg, you'll be pleased when you get 25.

We marvel at the hill-start technology on today's 4x4s but Subaru was in there before most of them with its own Hill Holder device, a gravity-based valve affair from the mid-'90s that uses a ball in a tube to modulate brake pressure when the Legga is on an incline and the clutch is pressed. Quite clever actually as long as the valve release cable from the clutch is working correctly. In the worst case scenario the brakes can seize on.

Tow bar fitted if this isn't sufficient

This '02 model should benefit from factory mods to the chassis that were brought in that year to improve the handling. Our Shed's leather seats look like they've been polished by a hundred bums, which is not that great a mental image but you do have to admit they look nice and pillowy (the seats). Perhaps not so perfectly contoured for hip-pincering location in high-g corners, but just the ticket for nodding off on as you burble along the Autoroute du Soleil in high summer with your homeys, hauling dangerous amounts of Calais-bought alcohol in the boot and a selection of outdoorsy equipment on the trailer that's dangling off your towbar - always a welcome sight on any wagon. Especially a Legacy, which has won more towing awards from caravan magazines than you can shake an intolerant fist at.

The ad is rather light on detail, but Shed detects no shimmering undercurrent of intrigue or whiff of unspoken disasters about to happen. Legacies have thinnish paint and an appetite for headlight bulbs, and sure, this one has got some miles up, but have you seen Raquel Welch lately?

Mrs Shed likes the idea of a legacy. Unfortunately, the one she's thinking of begins with a small 'l' and requires the sudden and permanent disappearance of Mr Shed. Something she could quite easily achieve with a chipped cattle prod and a wagon like this. But let's not go putting ideas into her warty old head.

Here's the ad.

MOT for 10 months and can be taxed. Runs great and has all the top spec options: climate control, leather seats, heated seats, gold subaru alloys, xenon headlights etc...

If interested call or text Chris on 07764345000

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