Subaru matches up nicely with its European AWD sport sedan rivals.

You wouldn’t think it at first, but the similarities between Porsche and Subaru are striking.

They both have staked their core automotive business on the horizontally opposed or “boxer” engine. They both have entered motor racing at the highest level (Subaru in the World Rally Championship and Porsche in long-distance racing) and dominated.

Primarily engineers run both firms, not marketing mavens, thus their products are tough and long lasting. For instance, a Subaru Loyale I bought in 1990 was still soldiering on until 2004 as a farm vehicle.

But the real similarity is they have both taken a sound drivetrian and honed here, improved there, in effect, taking a good thing and making it better year after year. Porsche and Subaru have both perfected turbos and all-wheel-drive and made these attributes synonymous with their brands.

The latest product of Subaru’s “boxer” revolution is the 2009 Legacy 3.0R. The Legacy started out in the 1990s as a compact sedan and wagon, but it has grown to mid-size now and actually approaches full-size based on interior dimensions.

The Legacy comes in a variety of models with a choice of a 2.5-litre, and 2.5-litre turbo, 2.5-litre PZEV (Partial Zero Emission Vehicle) four-cylinder engines and a 3.0-litre six-cylinder all based on the Subaru boxer principal. The 3.0-litre DOHC engine produces 245 hp and 215 lb/ft of torque. Fuel numbers are 12.1L/100 km city, 8.3L/100 km highway.

The 3.0R comes in two models, the Limited, and the new for 2009, Premier Package. At $36,995 and $38,995 respectively they are priced at almost two-thirds of its main competitors.

For instance, the Audi A6 with quattro permanent all-wheel-drive is about the same size as the Subaru inside and out. With the 3.2-litre six-cylinder engine it produces 10 more hp and costs $59,900 (audi.ca). The similarly sized BMW 528Xi with X-Drive all-wheel-drive has a 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine with 15 less hp and costs $68,900 (BMWgroup.ca). Even the smaller BMW 328Xi with the same 230-hp six-cylinder engine is $43,600.

The Audi and BMW are magnificent road cars, but what they don’t have is Subaru Si-Drive.

There is a rotary knob on the transmission tunnel marked as Intelligent, Sport and Sport Sharp. By twisting the knob, the response from the engine and transmission can be changed to best suit one of three driving modes.

Intelligent smoothes out the engine and improves fuel economy by as much as 10 per cent for highway and in-town daily cruising. Sport is more for general use giving more linear throttle response and extra punch when passing. Sport Sharp changes the engine mapping plus holds lower gears longer for more power plus instantaneous shifts.

The 3.0R comes with a five-speed automatic Sportshift transmission with manual shift mode. It is one of the fastest shifting units in the industry taking 0.2 seconds (literally the blink of an eye) controlled by big paddle shifters mounted to the steering wheel or by the shift handle on the transmission tunnel.

It also has a “blipping” mode that matches engine speed on downshifts making for smoother and lurch-free gear changes.

With a long wheelbase and wide stance, the engine, transmission and Si-Drive are mated to Subaru’s patented symmetrical full-time all-wheel-drive.

Developed from the lessons learned in three outright World Rally Championship wins, the Subaru system is at once simple, but very effective, in routing torque back and forth so seamlessly that you don’t notice it. For the 3.0R, a limited slip differential is added for more precise torque splitting.

Because the boxer engine layout allows it to sit lower, it lets the driveshaft to the rear travel in a straight line and that makes for a lower overall centre of gravity and less power loss in universal joints.

The result is a sedan that feels very substantial overall. In the 3.0R the build-up of speed is deceptive in that it’s so smooth that you don’t get a sense of how fast you are going.

Entering and exiting a corner in a Subaru demonstrates the level of grip the AWD system has such is the competency of the pitch and yaw system (Subaru calls it Vehicle Dynamic Control) with traction control, ABS and electronic brake force distribution.

In Sport Sharp mode, braking and then accelerating is done in one sweeping motion. With the paddle shifters going and the engine blipping matched gears with engine speeds, it’s a lot of fun to feel the car respond so fully.

It’s a luxury car, but it also lets you enjoy motoring without breaking any laws.

And speaking of luxury, the 3.0R shows how Subaru has comes from the days when you could have any interior color as long as it was gray.

The 3.0R Premier tested here was finished in a warming two-tone blend with wood and aluminum accents.

With heated front seats with dual-zone climate control, the Limited and Premier have a nine-speaker Harman Kardon, 385-watt sound system. The Premier adds a GPS DVD-based navigation system with touch-screen monitor.

The 3.0R is in its element as a highway cruiser. Sticking it on the cruise and picking your favorite tunes on the Sirius satellite radio (three-month trial period) while putting 400 or 500 km behind you can be taken in stride.

But for our weather and driving conditions, especially after last winter, having Subaru AWD is a serious buying consideration.

I know my next vehicle will have AWD, and having owned one Subaru already, it is high on my list.