2001 Subaru Legacy B4 RS25 review from Australia and New Zealand

Nothing.

I loved this car; it’s low on power compared to a RSK, but if you don’t want to tow a gas tanker around, the RS25 is the next best thing. The RS25 is the same as an RSK, except for the motor which is a reworked 2.5L Boxer Phasell AVCS (variable valve timing) engine. The max engine output is (170bhp) 126.7kw @ 6000rpm and 238 Nm @ 2800 rpm. It uses the same tiptronic gearbox and Bilstein suspension as the RSK.

The handing is superb; it is inclined to under steer when pushed hard, but it has better balance than the RS30. I am 185cm tall and I find the driving position very comfortable, and have done many 6hr + drives, and arrived feeling great.

The peak torque comes in much lower than other 2.5L Subaru engines. I think that makes all the difference as you don’t have to rev the engine to accelerate away. This also this helps with the fuel consumption, which is rated at 8.4 Litres/100km combined. At 100km per hour, the engine ticks over at 2400rpm. On the trips I have done, it used around 620-630kms for 50 litres; that includes overtaking and cruising at 130-140kms per hour for periods of time.

It looked mint as well; they started producing this model in 2001 and it comes in a facelift. If you want a RSK, but don’t want to pay the fuel or insurance bill, this could be the car for you! (Previous car was a 1996 Subaru Legacy GTB)