Throttle control, Leg 2.5i Limited Wag Manual

One thing I have noticed is that the throttle does not seem to decrease smoothly when you slowing take you foot off the gas. When I am going along in a gear and slowly let up on the throttle there seems to be a sudden increase in engine braking just as you get to completely take your foot off the throttle. When you apply a little throttle (after having taken your foot completely off), the engine seems to surge - there may also be some slop / play in the drive train that compounds the problem. Net effect is that is almost impossible to drive the car smoothly when in a gear and you take you foot off / on the throttle. The problem is more noticable in lower gears, however it can be felt in 5th - cruse control has the same problem; control becomes jerky when going slightly down hill - it can't find the needed throttle setting, so it jerks on / off. Anyone else notice this? I have driven other manual transmssion, drive by wire cars with AWD and havn't had this problem (VWs, Audi's). I havn't talked to my dealer let, but will after I hear if this is a general problem or unique to my car.

Doesn't anyone with a Leg manual transmission have a comment on this question of throttle smoothness?????

I have noticed it a little bit but it becomes less noticeable as the car breaks in. I'm at about 1400 miles..

I'd venture to say that this is the computer controlled throttle (drive by wire) feathering the throttle to keep emissions low. Most non-drive by wire manual transmission fuel injected vehicles I have driven also do similar things upon coasting and re-applying throttle. All engines do it, it's just that you feel it more on a direct manual trans driveline.

My other car is a Audi TT and it is absolutely smooth as you slowly take off and re-apply the throttle. If Subaru wants to move up and compete with lux / near-lux brands, this is the kind of thing they will have to improve - to make things work right. Of course an automatic trans will cover this up.