The Legacy has always struck me more of a “niche” vehicle in this segment, the car that most people outside of the Subaru community don’t really think about when shopping for a midsize sedan. I was always genuinely curious about how the Legacy drove compared to some of the more mainstream offerings like the Camry and the Altima, especially considering that the Legacy has some unique attributes like standard AWD and a 2.5 liter H4 boxer engine. So, is the Legacy just another boring family sedan that blends in, or is it something that rivals the top contenders like the Honda Accord, Mazda 6, and Toyota Camry? Below are some of my impressions.
Upon getting the Legacy out on the road, I could immediately tell that it’s one of the more solid-driving midsize sedans on the market. Many cars in this segment feel somewhat boring in the driving experience, mainly the Sonata, Altima, and last generation Camry. However, the Legacy feels surprisingly buttoned down. It definitely reminds me of something a step above it’s own price point. The Legacy basically drives like a bigger and more grown up version of the Impreza, and the driving experience also reminded me of the Honda Accord in some ways. The Legacy also feels light and nimble, something I wasn’t quite expecting out of a car with all-wheel drive. Everything feels laser responsive and tuned in perfectly with your inputs. You get the sense that the car is really listening to what you’re telling it to do, and you always feel in complete control of the vehicle at all times. Overall, the driving dynamics of the Legacy are sharp and refined, and the chassis feels airy and nimble enough to compete with some of the sportier handling entries in the segment.
Probably the first unique thing I noticed about the Legacy was the sharp accelerator response. You tap the gas a little and the Legacy takes off without any dead zones or unpredictable feedback. I really like driving cars that respond quickly upon hitting the gas, and the Legacy fits that bill perfectly.
The 2.5 liter boxer engine is a little more agricultural sounding compared to your normal 4 cylinder, but the engine note remains quiet in the cabin. I was a little worried that the Legacy would feel slow, as it is about 400 pounds heavier than the base model Accord, however the power from this engine is really smooth and decently peppy off the line. You really don’t feel the extra weight at all. While the Legacy doesn’t really feel made for speeding or drag racing, it has good pickup for around town use. This car never feels slow or underpowered, it keeps up with traffic just fine. If you’re looking to beat the car next to you to the next red light, you don’t really have to push the engine that hard. Everything works fine, and even though 175 horsepower looks slow on paper, the Legacy’s continuously variable transmission keeps those RPMs where you want them to be at in order to deliver a quicker and more streamlined acceleration. Very easy to modulate your RPMs and control how hard you want to accelerate as well, and with all-wheel drive, you really don’t get any wheel spin at all. If you’ve ever driven a 4 cylinder 9th generation Honda Accord, the Legacy feels similar in its power delivery. You get a pleasant smooth wave of torque right off the bat, and the power band remains linear and consistent right up into the higher revs. The engine can get a little bit loud in the higher revs, but most of the time you hear “just enough” of the engine without it being loud or intrusive.
I’d also like to note that I thought the boxer engine would feel harsher and less refined compared to the other inline 4 cylinders commonly used in this segment, but this engine feels surprisingly normal in its power delivery. Besides the engine note, you really wouldn’t tell that this engine was drastically different in it’s layout and design compared to something like a Honda or a Mazda engine.
The CVT in this car performs fine as well. I would definitely rather have a normal automatic, but the Legacy still has the quick and snappy off the line response that you would associate with a traditional automatic. It is a tiny bit mushy and delayed sometimes when first starting out, but you don’t notice it nearly as much compared to some other CVTs on the market. Once you’re up and moving, the Legacy’s CVT has some artificial shifting characteristics. Personally I’m not a fan of CVTs that artificially shift, but the shift points seem to be executed well in the Legacy. They’re definitely noticeable, but they don’t seem as apparent or disruptive as certain Nissan CVTs I’ve driven. When you need some passing power, the transmission snaps into action and quickly raises the RPMs without any feeling of mushiness or delay, and those lower passing ratios are drawn out for the perfect amount of time. When you’re feathering the gas to save on fuel economy, the CVT works through its ratios in giving you a smooth, linear, decently peppy feel when accelerating. When you go harder on the gas, the CVT will artificially shift before hitting redline, and the simulated gearing becomes more apparent.
I think the Legacy’s CVT stands out more in the industry because it seems like it really listens to your throttle inputs and it works with you in planning out how you want to accelerate. Other CVT’s just feel kind of dead and mushy, and leave you practically flooring the gas just to get those RPMs up a little higher. The Legacy’s CVT has the snappiness and predictability of a regular automatic transmission.
I also really like the steering feel in the Legacy. It feels chunky, solid, and precise. The steering feels quick to respond at initial turn in, but at the same time the Legacy rounds corners with a certain kind of smoothness and refinement that you don’t see very often in this segment. I was a little worried that the Legacy would drive more like a mundane family car, but thankfully the steering still feels unmistakably like a Subaru product. It feels laser precise, and you feel like you can point the front tires exactly where you want them. Whether you’re going around a corner or exiting a corner back onto a straightaway, it feels super easy to plant the vehicle where you need it to be, and the Legacy overall feels sharp and controlled. When the steering is on center you get a really nice weighty feeling, and you barely have to move the steering wheel to keep the vehicle on a steady course. For an electric power steering setup, it’s easy to tell where the front tires are and you get a good sense of the vehicle’s inertia through the steering wheel. The steering can feel a little bit loose when rounding some harder corners, so it isn’t like an M5 where that’s concerned, however the steering in this car has some good premium undertones to it that aren’t easy to find in this class of vehicle.
As for handling, the Legacy feels light and nimble for a midsize sedan. It confuses me why this car doesn’t receive as much credibility compared to the Mazda 6 or the Honda Accord, because the Legacy’s handling and chassis dynamics feel right up to par with those sportier handling entries. As I mentioned above, the steering is quick to respond, and the chassis feels flat and airy around the corners. It’s a fun midsize sedan to drive, but at the same time it feels premium and higher in quality compared to many other offerings in this segment. I think the new Camry feels flatter and might handle better than the Legacy, but in my opinion, the Legacy just feels a little bit lighter, more playful, and you just get a better feeling of communication and predictability in its transmission and accelerator response compared to the new Camry.
As for ride quality in the Legacy, it’s extremely smooth and you barely feel any road imperfections. The Legacy really just glides down the road and it isn’t shaken at all by bumps or potholes. It’s one of the most premium feeling sedans that I’ve driven in terms of the ride quality, although I think the new Camry performs a little better in this category. That said, I prefer the ride quality in the Legacy over the Accord, Altima, and the Sonata. Possibly due to the Legacy’s AWD setup, the chassis can feel a little “busy” at times, and it does get slightly more bouncy compared to your normal FWD sedan, but this car still feels stable and assured in just about every situation you’re likely to encounter.
Road noise is also really well muted. The Legacy has really good sound deadening, which is something I wasn’t quite expecting. Definitely quieter than most other entires in this segment. Build quality is another resounding trait, with clean, elegant, and classy design features. You get smooth leather on the steering wheel and arm rests, stunning infotainment graphics with quick touch response, sporty steering wheel design with chunky bolsters, and solid buttons with clear font. The Legacy’s interior looks a little boring in pictures, but after seeing it in person I can say that the interior design feels really well executed and everything blends in together nicely.
Visibility in the Legacy is great, just as you would expect with most Subaru products. The front hood looks a little curvy and blocky from the driver’s seat, but it doesn’t hamper your outward sight lines at all. The windows are nice and tall, and the rear window is massive and shows you everything happening behind you. Side mirrors are easy to see out of as well, with clear blind spot indicators.
As for the general response of this car, the accelerator pedal has a sharp and immediate response, as I mentioned above. It’s pretty light in resistance and you never really need to go hard on the gas to get a decent amount of power. Very linear in its feel and easy to predict where the tachometer is going to end up. The brakes in the Legacy stop the car smoothly, and they provide you with good control and stopping power. That said, the brake pedal is definitely on the lighter and more hollow side of things, which is something I wasn’t quite expecting. The bite is crisp and the brakes are easy to modulate, but I would like a more stiffer and more solid feel from the brake pedal.
Overall, I was really impressed with the Legacy. Pretty much the second you start moving, you’re greeted with solid steering feel, sharp accelerator response, smooth and crisp body motions in the handling, and a light and agile chassis. The Legacy excels in ride quality and hushed road noise as well. This car basically hits all those key points that make for a solid, luxurious, and sporty feeling midsize sedan. The only thing I was iffy about was the artificial shifting characteristics from the CVT, and the lighter feeling brake pedal. I think the artificial shifts could be toned down a little bit, but thankfully the shift points feel more natural and intuitive compared to your typical Nissan CVT. The CVT in this car also feels more eager and responsive compared to the last Honda CR-V that I drove, so I still rate this as one of the best CVTs in the business. The interior looks great in person, and overall you really can’t go wrong with the Legacy. It’s not quite as sporty as the Impreza, but this car still feels near the top of the class in terms of driving dynamics. There really wasn’t much of anything that I didn’t like about it. If you want something a little different compared to your typical Honda Accord or Toyota Camry, definitely take the Legacy out for a test drive.
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