Second-hand sense: Despite blazing a trail in international rallying over the past few years, the Subaru brand remains about as unknown among the general motoring public as the star cluster in the constellation of Taurus from which it takes its name, writes Donal Byrne.
What makes this anonymity even more curious is the fact that the Subaru name has become a by-word for quality and reliability - Subarus consistently come near the top of reliability tables.
The world rally championship may also have given Subaru the wrong kind of profile - not everyone wants or needs sports wheels and a spoiler. The company still has much to offer the more conservative in the shape of the Legacy, of which we now have a new version.
The Legacy comes in three guises - the saloon, the estate and the more rugged Outback - and although they are thin on the ground they make for a very good second-hand choice.
None of the older models have much going for them in the looks department, with a very bland interior and exterior finish. The overall styling gives the car little appeal. However, all versions of the car drive very well and Subaru's pioneering work on its all wheel drive (AWD) system ensures that grip is excellent and the suspension layout very good. One might expect a very harsh ride but this is not the case.
My own favourite is the estate, which is probably the most practical and versatile estate of its generation. It's rugged, will take the kind of off-road treatment normally reserved for something much bigger and is limited only by low ground clearance.
There is a choice in the range of 2.0 litre and 2.5 petrol engines but another factor contributing to Subaru's low profile is the absence of a diesel engine in that generation. The cars are heavy on petrol and a diesel would have been an ideal alternative.
The Outback scored well in its Euro NCAP crash test. After frontal impact, the cabin remained intact, the driver's door opened normally and the footwell retained its shape. The risk of chest injury for the driver was relatively high, but children would have been well protected.
The side impact result was also good but pedestrian protection was judged to be poor, according to the testers.
There are not too many second-hand Legacies on the market but a four-year-old estate with 60,000 on the clock is on offer at €13,500, while a similar one-year-old 2.0 litre petrol estate with 13,000 miles has an asking price of 25,950.
At the right price and if well looked after, the Legacy is a good investment. The estate will take years of abuse. With its credentials for reliability now firmly established the car does not have any serious flaws.