Legacy Spec B 0-62mph time and real world mpg economy

[cailean]

I am thinking about upgrading from my 2.0R Legacy and the obvious choice is a Spec B as I love the Legacy overall drive and quality. Subaru's website shows the 0-62mph time in their Spec B detailed specs as 8.4secs for the automatic but when you look at their used spec B's technical info the 0-62mph time is 7.9secs for 2009 cars and 6.5secs for 2007 cars (and one 2009 car has 6.5secs). Why the differences - they are all automatics with SI drive?

Also the combined economy is quoted at about 28mpg, I recently test drove a spec B and the economy over about 7k miles was showing in the car as 27mpg. My 2.0R's long term economy is about 28mpg. I was expecting the Spec B to be in the low 20's. Is the Spec B really almost as economical as the 2.0Rs if used in "intelligent" mode mostly?

There seems to be more 4 doors than tourers on the market, will a 4 door sedan be much harder to resell in the future?

Thanks for any input.

[rst99]

I am getting 27.3mpg over the last 9000 miles. Mixed driving, a lot of rush hour motorway, A roads and town driving. 30+ is achievable on a run. 54 plate Spec B manual.

0-60 for a manual is quoted at 6.5s or 6.9s, depending where you look.

Cheers

[rovermorris999]

I used to have 2006 manual saloon. 0-60 is 6.5, 0-62 is 6.9, hence the confusion there. I used to get 25-26mpg most of the time, 28mpg on a run, 21-22mpg if I drove it hard. I once managed over 30mpg but that was driving like a vicar and was tedious. The surge you get at 3-3500rpm all the way to the red line is lovely so you do tend to drive it like that. A wonderful car, I'd have another.

ETA: That was on Vpower or Tesco 99.

Edited by rovermorris999 on Tuesday 1st December 15:52

[rscott]

Autotrader listings seem to suggest the auto is much more economical than the manual. Does anyone's real world experience back this up?

(I'm considering a Spec B estate but am slightly put off by the mpg..).

[GravelBen]

Friend of my dads has seen 38mpg from his a run - 2006 3.0R (may not be a Spec.B, I forget)

[Mr Gearchange]

GravelBen said:

Friend of my dads has seen 38mpg from his a run - 2006 3.0R (may not be a Spec.B, I forget)

That sounds crazy. I have an 05 3.0R Spec B, I did Northamton - Bradford yesterday at between 50-80mph and the car did 27.8mpg over 370 miles.

I think that there is a such a disparity between 0-60 and 0-62 because 60 can be done in second whereas 62 needs third gear. It's quicker than it feels to be honest - you are so much more insulated and cosseted than in say, an Impreza

I've not hadc the car long but average consumption for me over last 2k miles has been 24mpg, in town driving from cold you will see 15-17, I've seen 9mpg on a good twenty minute B road blast.

Great cars though - swift, nimble and oh so discrete

ETA - Mine is an 05 Manual Tourer

Edited by Mr Gearchange on Saturday 5th December 22:01

[CatherineJ]

I had a 2006 manual and would get 24 mpg rom it.

[GravelBen]

Mr Gearchange said:

GravelBen said:

Friend of my dads has seen 38mpg from his a run - 2006 3.0R (may not be a Spec.B, I forget)

That sounds crazy. I have an 05 3.0R Spec B, I did Northamton - Bradford yesterday at between 50-80mph and the car did 27.8mpg over 370 miles.

I was impressed too! But he's not one to make such things up. Best average I've had over (most of) a tank from the GTB is 33, but that was still making reasonable progress on roads with no shortage of hills, corners and overtaking.

ETA: Actually just re-checked the L/100km -> mpg conversion and it was more like 37 than 38. Still impressive though!

[Mr Gearchange]

I drove mine with the wife and kids like a nun down to Kent at between 70-80mph. It averaged 28.5mpg but I couldn't have driven it any more sedately. Round town with me driving it is getting 12mpg.

On snow covered car parks - driven in circles I can confirm that it does 8mpg

3K of mainly motorway driving (plus some hoonage now and then) has retured an average of 23.2mpg

Edited by Mr Gearchange on Tuesday 5th January 14:15