1996 Subaru Legacy

Funny how things end up. Last year Subaru tried to position itself as a mainstream Japanese car, just like Honda or Toyota. Buyers, however, refused to accept this notion, and the marketing plan fizzled. This year, Subaru is launching a new Legacy, the company's midsize bread-and-butter sedan. In the process, Subaru decided to focus on its traditional heritage: a specialized car with all-wheel drive (AWD) for folks who march to a slightly different drummer. Particularly, different drummers who live in real four-season climates. But darned if the new Legacy isn't more mainstream than anything Subaru has ever produced. The car is more re-fined and appealingly styled, with fewer quirks and rough edges. Consumers will profit from Subaru's back-to-basics strategy, too. To showcase its unique selling proposition - the only affordable passenger car with AWD - Subaru has slashed the price in half for the option package that includes AWD.