Junkyard Gem: 1994 Subaru Legacy Ls 4wd Sedan

April 10, 2020

I live in Denver, where Subarus rule the roads, and that means that all my local car graveyards are packed with worn-out vehicles displaying the Pleiades logo on their battered grilles. These days, most of those discarded Subarus will be second- and third-generation Legacies of the 1995-2005 period, mostly Outback wagons, so I'll be making an effort to document some of the 1990-1994 first-gen cars before they become junkyard rarities. Here's an optioned-up 1994 Legacy sedan, looking very outdoorsy in a yard located near the Dakota Hogback south of Denver.

Subaru went 100% all-wheel-drive in North America for the 1996 model year, though most (but not quite all) Colorado Subaru shoppers had been avoiding the front-wheel-drive cars for quite a while before that time. The AWD-versus-4WD nomenclature hadn't been fully agreed-upon by everybody in 1994, so this car has "4WD" badging despite being equipped with a true full-time all-wheel-drive system. Come to think of it, the "4" in this badge looks enough like an "A" that perhaps it's an attempt at a fudge that splits the difference between the two symbols.

This odd-looking break in the beltline helped distinguish the Legacy from its Accord and Camry competitors, which were very sensible cars. The next-generation Legacy blended in with the crowd more effectively.

It was sold new in Denver, presumably spent most of its life in the region, and will be crushed here.

This 2.2-liter boxer-four made 135 horsepower. An optional turbocharged version generating 160 horses was available.

While manual transmissions weren't as rare in 1994 as they are now, most of these cars came equipped with two pedals. I'm not sure what happens when you push the "MANUAL" button on the shifter; is it an overdrive lockout or something more interesting?

While not equipped with weather band on the radio (a feature that became very popular on later Subarus), this factory Panasonic audio system does boast both cassette and CD, with a futuristic "Multi Monitor Display." Sadly, the "Auto Metal Sensor" on the cassette deck just detects Type IV tapes, not the voice of Udo Dirkschneider.

We can be fairly certain, though, that the final owner of this car dug Drums/Space more than Teutonic-inflected metal, if we are to judge by the presence of the top-selling sticker at every Shakedown Street marketplace of the 1980s and 1990s. Jerry Garcia was still alive when this car was new, though not for much longer.

The Rocky Mountain Rollergirls and Denver Roller Dolls get shoutouts on the bumper. The Roller Dolls have some great nicknames, including "Slamsonite" and "Juno It'll Hurt."

Not as many miles as I'd have expected on a 26-year-old Subaru.

You no longer have to own a Subaru ten years before you think it's beautiful.

The home-market advertising for this generation of Legacy had more grandeur than its American counterpart, though not as much as the Hyundai Grandeur got in South Korea.