Subaru calls its lineup of 1994 Legacy station wagons "active-lifestyle" cars, and there is evidence that the description is an apt one. Our test vehicle, the 1994 Subaru Legacy Outdoor TI Wagon Limited Edition, sported a luggage rack with both ski and bicycle attachments, flexible rear-seat storage, front and rear mud flaps and a removable cargo net. To further set the mood for traversing into the great outdoors, There is even a decal on the side of the vehicle featuring pine-tree graphics.
And it's all reasonably priced. Our Legacy Outdoor Wagon's MSRP was $18,750. For another $2,250, we got an option package that included air suspension, a rear stabilizer bar and the aforementioned luggage rack. Subtract the factory savings and we ended up with a final price of $19,445.
Upon first inspection, we found a vehicle that was built for people on the go. But would the vehicle itself go-in terms of acceleration? Not really, especially when it came to highway passing. And while we could perhaps forgive the lack of zip-it's a station wagon, after all-there were other areas that couldn't be as easily dismissed, most notably a cumbersome steering wheel assembly and limited entry through all four doors.
Our White Pearl Legacy Outdoor Wagon was certainly a low rider, sitting barely six inches off the ground. This low stance, along with a protruding front bumper, slightly beveled sides and a windshield that swept back at a 45-degree angle, gave our wagon a sporty appearance to complement its owner's presumably active lifestyle.
Fit, finish and trim match were good, but the rugged-styled wheel covers that were part of the option package were a disappointment. They appeared to be made of a high-grade aluminum, but upon closer inspection we found they were just plastic.
The functionality of our Legacy Outdoor Wagon's external features was a mixed bag. The radio antenna was angled with the windshield, keeping it safely out of the way of cargo being transported on top of the car. However, the side molding offered little in the way of parking-lot protection due to the curve of the doors. And the rear doors extended over the wheel wells, further reducing the molding's effectiveness.
Things didn't seem to get much better-initially, anyway-when we opened the hood of our Legacy. We found it to be unusually heavy. Looking inside, though, we were happy to see that the battery, oil dipstick, coolant receptacle and wiper fluid reservoir were all easily accessible.
