Overview
If Subaru’s lifted Outback station wagon doesn’t appeal to you, the brand’s mechanically similar Legacy sedan might do the trick. Like the Outback, the Legacy offers standard all-wheel drive and your choice of either a 2.5-liter four-cylinder or a turbocharged 2.4-liter mill, but it forgoes the illusion of ruggedness in favor of traditional family-sedan styling. The Legacy’s cabin is spacious, well-built, and comfortable, but its trunk won’t hold as much as the Outback wagon’s cargo hold. It shares the same marketplace with some of our favorite sedans, including the Honda Accord, the Mazda 6, and the Toyota Camry—all of which offer similar practicality, more driving verve, and sharper styling.
What’s New for 2021?
Like the Outback station wagon, the Legacy receives only three updates for 2021. Adaptive headlamps are now standard, and Subaru has added both a passenger’s seatbelt warning and a rear-seat alert feature.
Pricing and Which One to Buy
- Base: $ 23,820
- Premium: $ 26,070
- Sport: $ 28,020
- Limited: $ 30,820
- Limited XT: $ 35,370
- Touring XT: $ 37,070
Although we’d love to spring for the more powerful turbocharged engine, it comes only in Limited XT and Touring XT models. The mid-range Sport offers a better balance between price and features. It includes 18-inch wheels, LED fog lamps, a rear spoiler, keyless entry with push-button start, an auto-dimming rearview mirror with compass, and cloth upholstery with red contrast stitching.
Engine, Transmission, and Performance
A 2.5-liter horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine is standard and makes 182 horsepower. Limited XT and Touring XT models come with a 260-hp turbocharged 2.4-liter engine. All Legacy models have all-wheel drive and a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). We’ve tested both engines now and what a difference a turbo makes: The Touring XT managed to hit 60 mph in just 6.1 seconds while the non-turbo Sport required a lackluster 8.0 seconds. Regardless of which engine is under the hood, the new Legacy boasts slightly improved handling dynamics over the last generation and a similarly compliant ride.
Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG
The non-turbo cars achieve higher fuel-economy estimates from the EPA—27 mpg city, 35 mpg highway, and 30 mpg combined—but the turbocharged models aren’t far behind, at 24 mpg city, 32 mpg highway, and 27 mpg combined. In our real-world 200-mile highway fuel-economy tests, both powertrains delivered 34 mpg, 1 mpg short of the Accord 2.0T’s result. That said, the Subaru and Honda pale in comparison with the 2.5-liter-equipped Camry SE, which delivered an impressive 45 mpg.
Interior, Comfort, and Cargo
Though the measurements may not show it, the Legacy’s cabin feels way bigger than the last generation model, particularly in the back. While its design is still on the dowdy side, the Legacy’s interior is functional, with well-chosen materials throughout. Cloth upholstery is standard, but the high-end Limited and Touring models have leather. The front seats are well sculpted and comfortable, and on the upper trims, they feature a manual thigh extension for the driver’s seat—a boon to long-legged buyers. The trunk is generously sized and held eight carry-on suitcases in our testing, one more than the Accord and two more than the Camry.
Infotainment and Connectivity
Base models use a version of Subaru’s Starlink infotainment system that features dual 7.0-inch displays. The one-rung-up Premium model has the company’s latest 11.6-inch vertically oriented infotainment display that looks as if it had been borrowed from a Volvo. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration come standard; while in-dash navigation is only standard on the Limited XT and Touring XT models, it’s optional on all but the base Legacy. A four-speaker stereo is standard, Premium and Sport models come with a six-speaker setup, and anything above that gets a 12-speaker Harman/Kardon audio system.
Safety and Driver-Assistance Features
The Legacy is a great choice when it comes to safety. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave it five stars, and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) named it a Top Safety Pick+ after analyzing its crashworthiness. All Legacy models come with Subaru’s EyeSight suite of driver-assistance features. Key safety features include:
- Standard automated emergency braking
- Standard lane-departure warning with lane-keeping assist
- Standard adaptive cruise control with lane-centering capability
Warranty and Maintenance Coverage
Subaru’s standard warranty package is pretty basic but matches what most rivals in this class offer. The Hyundai Sonata and the Kia K5 both provide longer warranty terms, and the Camry comes with two years of complimentary scheduled maintenance.
- Limited warranty covers three years or 36,000 miles
- Powertrain warranty covers five years or 60,000 miles
- No complimentary scheduled maintenance
