Subaru Legacy Pros and Cons: What To Know When Weighing Your Decision
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The Subaru Legacy is a mid-size vehicle from the iconic Subaru name and one of their few designs that isn’t an SUV. It’s a winning sedan in the all-wheel-drive category and has been around for several decades. Despite this legacy, no car is perfect. It’s critical to consider the Subaru Legacy pros and cons before purchasing the vehicle.
If you’re interested in the Subaru Legacy for your life, carefully ponder the benefits and disadvantages before making your final decision. There’s much to love about the vehicle but just as much to hate if you’re the right person. Read on to get our take on the Legacy to determine if you’re making the right choice.
What We Love: Subaru Legacy Pros
There’s much to love about the Subaru Legacy. From the top-of-the-line safety technology to the spaciousness in the front and back, there are several benefits to consider in the Subaru Legacy pros and cons.
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Top-Of-The-Line Safety Tech
One of the best parts of the Subaru Legacy is the top-of-the-line safety tech installed inside the system. You get access to incredible features, all made to keep you and your passengers in one piece. Subaru is well-known for its safety features. These appear in the Subaru Legacy.
Here are a few of the safety features, according to caranddriver.com:
- Standard automated emergency braking
- Standard lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist
- Standard adaptive cruise control and lane-centering
These are just a few tactics Subaru uses to keep everyone safe inside.
The Legacy is an incredible choice if safety features are one of your top concerns in a vehicle. They all come with the Subaru EyeSight suite of features and have solid crash results from the IIHS and the NHTSA.
Standard All-Wheel-Drive
All Subaru Legacys come equipped with standard all-wheel drive, which is a rarity for most vehicles nowadays. This feature is added to the car along with a continuously variable transmission, keeping things smooth and secure for everyone inside. The Subaru Legacy is always ready for action with its equipped all-wheel drive.
All-wheel drive allows ample traction for the Subaru, providing the driver more control over the experience and confidence behind the wheel. It helps vastly improve the handling dynamics of the Subaru Legacy and ensure it’s a fun and easy car to drive, even in situations where the weather impacts the stability of the road.
Spacious in the Front and Back
Finally, we love that there is plenty of room in the front and back of the Subaru Legacy for passengers and beyond. It’s also much roomier than previous iterations of the Legacy, which means those who have owned a Legacy before will notice a significant difference in their experience. It’s far better for road trips and carpool scenarios.
According to edmunds.com, the headroom in the Subaru Legacy is 39.4 inches in the front and 37.3 in the back. When it comes to legroom, front-seat passengers will get 42.8 inches, and those in the rear will find 39.5 inches. That’s more than enough room to get comfortable in the front or back of the Subaru Legacy.
THE SUBARU LEGACY YEARS TO AVOID
If reliability is at the top of your list, there are some years that you may want to avoid. We give some of the worst Subaru Legacy years to avoid and some models that are safe to buy used.
What We Dislike: Subaru Legacy Cons
Of course, some items can be frustrating in the Subaru Legacy pros and cons. These include errors like a lack of manual transmission and an irritating driving attitude from the car.
Lack of Manual Transmission
There’s no manual transmission inside the Subaru Legacy. It isn’t a necessity, but we do feel that an optional manual transmission would improve the driving experience on the Subaru Legacy. It would add a fun kick that would improve the entire driving endeavor for those who want a little more speed on their side.
Unfortunately, the Subaru Legacy only comes with an automatic transmission, which can tone down the overall driving experience significantly. If you’re looking for something a little less boring and a little more exciting, we recommend going with another selection other than the Subaru Legacy. Maybe in the future, they’ll consider returning the manual transmission.
Underpowered Entry Engine
Another issue with the Subaru Legacy is the seriously underpowered nature of the entry engine in the lineup. The base models come with a 2.5-liter horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine, which is much less powerful than the option you get with the Sport and Touring XT trims - a 260-hp turbocharged 2.4-liter engine.
In the base engine, you get 0-60 mph in a slow 8 seconds, compared to 6.1 seconds offered by the upgraded engine system. The standard engine is much slower than what you’ll get if you pay a little more - so it makes more sense with the Legacy to upgrade than to stick with the lowest trim.
Troublesome Driving Attitude
Finally, we dislike the troublesome driving attitude that comes with the Subaru Legacy. It’s a comfortable car and it offers average styling. However, if you want anything more than that, you’re not going to find it in the Subaru Legacy. It is what it is and nothing more, which is a benefit and a disadvantage for the car.
Unfortunately, there just isn’t anything wildly memorable about the performance, interior, or exterior of the Subaru Legacy. If you’re looking for something incredible to boost your driving experience, you’ll either need to upgrade your Legacy or find a different vehicle to suit your needs.
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Final Thoughts
There are ample Subaru Legacy pros and cons to consider. The car comes with the best safety technology, standard all-wheel drive, and tons of room in the front and back. However, it also lacks a manual transmission, a seriously underpowered entry engine option, and a troublesome driving attitude.
There are things to love about the Subaru Legacy, but there are also some areas where it struggles. No car is without its flaws, and ultimately, it’s up to you to determine whether or not the worst aspects of the Legacy outweigh the best. This vehicle might be your dream car - or it might be for someone else.
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