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20 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday July 30, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com Subaru matches up nicely with its European AWD sport sedan rivals By Jim Robinson METROLAND MEDIA GROUP You wouldn't think it at first, but the similarities between Porsche and Subaru are striking. They both have staked their core automotive business on the horizontally opposed or "boxer" engine. They both have entered motor racing at the highest level (Subaru in the World Rally Championship and Porsche in long-distance racing) and dominated. Primarily engineers run both firms, not marketing mavens, thus their products are tough and long lasting. For instance, a Subaru Loyale I bought in 1990 was still soldiering on until 2004 as a farm vehicle. But the real similarity is they have both taken a sound drivetrian and honed here, improved there, in effect, taking a good thing and making better year after year. Porsche and Subaru have both perfected turbos and all-wheel-drive and made these attributes synonymous with their brands. The latest product of Subaru's "boxer" revolution is the 2009 Legacy 3.0R. The Legacy started out in the 1990s as a compact sedan and wagon, but it has grown to mid-size now and actually approaches full-size based on interior dimensions. The Legacy comes in a variety of models with a choice of a 2.5-litre, and 2.5-litre turbo, 2.5-litre PZEV (Partial Zero Emission Vehicle) four-cylinder engines and a 3.0-litre six-cylinder all based on the Subaru boxer principal. The 3.0-litre DOHC engine produces 245 hp and 215 lb/ft of torque. Fuel numbers are 12.1L/100 km city, 8.3L/100 km highway. The 3.0R comes in two models, the Limited, and the new for 2009, Premier Package. At $36,995 and $38,995 respectively they are priced at almost two-thirds of its main competitors. For instance, the Audi A6 with quattro permanent all-wheel-drive is about the same size as the Subaru inside and out. With the 3.2-litre sixcylinder engine it produces 10 more hp and costs $59,900 (audi.ca). The similarly sized BMW 528Xi with X-Drive all-wheel-drive has a 2.8-litre sixcylinder engine with 15 less hp and costs $68,900 (BMWgroup.ca). Even the smaller BMW 328Xi with the same 230-hp six-cylinder engine is $43,600. The Audi and BMW are magnificent road cars, but what they don't have is Subaru Si-Drive. Continued on Page 21 Looking very much like a European sports sedan, the 2009 Subaru 3.0R boasts all-wheel-drive and the similar interior room but is almost two-thirds the price of its German all-wheel-drive rivals.