If you say you want a sleeper sedan, something with power and handling but without the looks to match, people will send you in any number of directions. The Chevy SS, the Ford Taurus SHO, even bolder takes like the Toyota Camry XSE. The problem with all those recommendations, though, is that there’s something even better out there: The 2005-2009 Subaru Legacy GT. It has the drivetrain of an Impreza WRX shoved into the body of a comfortable, grown-up sedan (or wagon), and you can get them dirt cheap. Case in point, here’s one for just six grand.
The Legacy GT runs on the turbocharged 2.5-liter EJ255 boxer four-cylinder, which we got in 20024 in the Forester XT and Baja Turbo and which the WRX graduated up to in 2006. It’s technically distinct from the EJ257 in the STi — don’t expect turbos to swap over nicely, you’d have to swap piping — but there’s no shortage of power-adding mods for the slightly humbler EJ25. An up-pipe, downpipe, intercooler, and tune will boost these cars to some truly hilarious wheel horsepower numbers to hide under such subtle looks. How do I know? I owned one as a wagon, back in college, and it remains one of the best cars I’ve ever had.
It’s a good, cheap car
My Legacy GT had an up-pipe, a downpipe, full suspension, and a set of sporty tires, and it would absolutely stun passengers who didn’t expect such power from a humble station wagon. Understated though its looks may be, though, they’re not unattractive — in fact, I’d take the looks of the fourth-generation Legacy over any SS, Taurus, or Camry. It’s a pretty car, a fast car, a car with a wealth of mods just waiting to be applied. All that for six grand. What more could you want?
If you’re in the market for a sleeper, the fourth-generation Subaru Legacy GT is the car for you. Just remember to keep it topped up with Rotella T6 every thousand miles or so, watch for boost leaks from the plastic intercooler end caps, and pull the filter out of the banjo bolt on the turbo’s oil feed line. Keep those in mind, and you’ll have a fantastic sleeper-tuner car for the cost of an entry-level motorcycle.
