Under the speedometer, there's a small gauge intended to provide useful information about instantaneous fuel mileage, but it's analog, which means there are no numbers to read, and it's too small to read at a glance. Plus, it's calibrated relative to recent driving; it tells you whether you're getting better or worse mileage than with the previous tank. It wasn't useful for us at all.

The aluminum pedals are neat but the brake and gas pedal are squeezed together, with the clutch pedal spaced farther to the left. This makes it difficult to blip the gas with the heel of your right foot for a downshift, while the toe of that foot is on the brake pedal, a technique that results in smooth downshifts when you're slowing down quickly.

We tuned into XM Satellite Radio a lot during our time in the GT Limited, hanging on the Bluesville station, and the 120-watt, sound system was rich and satisfying, using what Subaru calls SRS WOW technology. It's easy and intuitive to tune, and if we'd had an iPod, we could have plugged that in. The satellite radio antenna is a black box about three by four inches, mounted in the upper right corner of the windshield, which seems awkward but is probably better than somewhere outside the vehicle.

Interior storage is good. The center console is reasonably deep and there's a useful pocket on the driver's door. The glovebox has a convenient separate shelf inside, so small stuff can be better organized.

The power moonroof really lets the natural light in, and in the wagon it's a dual panel, panoramic job.

The Legacy is a roomy car up front. There's excellent legroom in front with 44.1 inches, although we found that our knees hit the steering wheel climbing in and out, unless the comfortable eight-way power seat was set rather low, or the steering wheel higher.

In the rear, for 2007 Subaru has returned to a previous idea, the 60/40 split seat with center armrest and pass-through to the trunk, for carrying long things like skis. The rear seat doesn't offer an abundance of legroom, with 33.9 inches, despite the two-inch stretch that came with the 2005 redesign.