WE had a new arrival the other day – a car that perhaps would go unnoticed in most car parks but one that has caused a buzz among colleagues.

Writing before the forecast snow, I have already had two requests to swap keys as other drivers have long journeys after a potential covering.

The car in question is the new Subaru Legacy 3.0R saloon, which has permanent four-wheel drive and looks quite seducing in its Obsidian Black metallic paint.

The Legacy saloon has almost no profile in the UK compared with the estate. The saloon/estate mix is 15%/85% – exactly the opposite of most large cars.

Our 3.0-litre model weighs in at £24,263, but is loaded for the price. It has a standard five-speed automatic transmission with sport and manual modes, leather seats, cruise control, an electric sunroof, automatic climate control and a list of other features as long as your arm.

The engine develops a healthy 245bhp at 6,600rpm and 219lb-ft of torque at 4,200rpm, with combined economy of 29.4, but this figure is not being reached as the engine is just being run in. On the horizon is the Legacy's 1,000-mile oil change – an irritating inconvenience for someone just taking delivery of a new car.

Apparently all Subarus are delivered with a thin running-in oil which should be changed. This will have been carried out by the next time the Legacy is reported on and hopefully will not take long and will not be too expensive.

However, I'm sure the Legacy will have begun to prove its worth by then, particularly in the snowy weather.

Company car tax bill 2004/05 (40% tax-payer): £249 per month