2022 Subaru Legacy

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Rating7.2

Ranked #9 in 

Midsize Sedan
Write Review
$23,495 - $36,695
Starting Price 
Nathan Dyer's image
Nathan Dyer 

Senior Editor,

Updated on January 31, 2024

ProsConsWhat's New

AWD as standard

Expensive turbocharged models

Sport trims and higher get moonroof, blind-spot monitoring,lane departure warning, and rear cross-traffic braking as standard

Active Safety features are standard

Bad mileage

Premium and higher trims have rear vents in the center console as standard

Good space on the inside

Not very sporty

Base trim Legacy comes standard with 17-inch alloy wheels in black with machine finish which was previously optional.

11.6” touchscreen

The shape does not have zest and enthusiasm

Big layout of the touchscreen

Specs & Features

$23,495

price

182 hp @ 5800 rpm

horsepower

176 lb.-ft. @ 4400 rpm

torque

8-speed CVT

transmission

2.5L 4cyl AWD CVT

engine

-

basic warranty

Overview

Subaru as a company needs no introduction as it is famous for the Wrx,the rally fame,the biggest rival of the favourite Lancer Evo series.The maker of the Outback SUV,etc. This maker has tried their hands on most segments offered among cars and the Legacy is one of their offerings in the sedans segment.It is powered by four cylinder engine specifically the Subaru Boxer as they are named.There is a choice of two engines with the 2.5L naturally aspirated four cylinder engine and the 2.4L turbocharged four cylinder engine and both seem really capable.

Buying Advice

There does not seem to be too much difference in terms of the mechanical components or specifications across the trim excluding the top two trims,there might be the rise and fall of features.Thus,if we see only the first four trims the choice as usual would be the ‘Limited’ trims considering that it has the most features on offer.If we take the full line up into consideration out pick would go up to one of the top two trims the Limited XT or the Touring and the major reason for that would be the shift from the Naturally aspirated engine to the turbocharged power unit and the features.The gearbox,dimensions,etc does not seem to change and are of thus a lesser consideration.

Comparative Analysis against Competition

The Legacy is a four door sedan starting from a price of $22,995 and goes all the way up to $36,195 for the fully loaded model. This price point puts the Legacy in contention with the likes of the Honda Accord and the Hyundai Sonata.

Features
8.0/10

The Legacy is offered from a price of $22,995 and the base model is what we get at that price point.The base model itself seems pretty well equipped and a good car,however there are better features offered at higher price points and the Limited XT and the Touring XT models are offered with Turbocharged engines for some more fun.There are plenty of features that add on to the existing list from the base model as the price goes up so do the features and in case of the two top trims the power too.

Model

CVT

Premium CVT

Sport CVT

Limited CVT

Limited XT

Touring XT

MSRP (2.5L naturally aspirated)

$22,995

$25,245

$28,790

$29,945

N/A

N/A

MSRP (2.4L turbocharged)

N/A

N/A 

N/A

N/A

$34,495

$36,195

Key Features

Black Side Mirrors and 2-speed intermittent windshield wipers

Adds/Upgrades from Base trim

Adds/Upgrades from Premium trim

Adds/Upgrades from Sport trim

Adds/Upgrades from Limited trim

Adds/Upgrades from Limited XT trim

 

Multifunction steering wheel with Steering Responsive LED Headlights

10-way power-adjustable driver seat with heating for front seats

Power windows with anti-pinch protection and Auto-dimming rearview mirror with HomeLink

Heated outboard rear seats

Power tilt/sliding glass moonroof

180-Degree Front View Monitor

 

Manually adjustable front seats with Cloth Upholstery

Windshield wiper de-icer and body-colored heated side mirrors

Sport cloth upholstery with red contrast stitching

Power Adjustable front seats with Leather-trimmed upholstery

Driver Focus Distraction Mitigation System

Nappa leather-trimmed upholstery

 

STARLINK Dual 7.0-inch Multimedia with 4-speakers

STARLINK 11.6-inch Multimedia Plus with 6-Speakers

Blind-Spot Detection with Lane Change Assist and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert

Harman Kardon premium audio system

STARLINK 11.6-inch Multimedia with Navigation

Console-mounted CD player

 

17-inch steel wheels with all-season tires

17-inch alloy wheels with all-season tires

18-inch black Aluminium Wheels with all-season tires

18-inch machined w/painted accents Aluminium Wheels

Dual stainless steel exhaust outlets

Ventilated front seats

 

Manually adjustable climate control settings

Leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter handle

LED fog lights

Body-color folding side mirrors with integrated turn signals

Heated steering wheel 

Satin chrome-finish power-folding side mirrors

 

 

Dual Zone Climate Control

Crystal Black Silica-finish side mirrors with integrated turn signals and Trunk Spoiler

 

 

 

We Recommend

There does not seem to be too much difference in terms of the mechanical components or specifications across the trim excluding the top two trims,there might be the rise and fall of features.Thus,if we see only the first four trims the choice as usual would be the ‘Limited’ trims considering that it has the most features on offer.If we take the full line up into consideration out pick would go up to one of the top two trims the Limited XT or the Touring and the major reason for that would be the shift from the Naturally aspirated engine to the turbocharged power unit and the features.The gearbox,dimensions,etc does not seem to change and are of thus a lesser consideration.

Release Date

Both the good and populars from Subaru the Legacy and the Outback are set to hit the showroom floors by the summer.

Fuel Economy
6.0/10

Despite having a turbocharger the Subaru returns a good mileage in the city when compared to the Honda and returns 32mpg on the highway which the Honda manages to match.The 24mpg in the city and the 32mpg on the highway join up to return a combined mileage of 27mpg which is complimented by the big 18.5 gallon fuel tank as it is the highest in the list. 

Models

2021 Honda Accord

2022 Subaru Legacy

2021 Hyundai Sonata

MPG (City)

22

24

45

MPG (Highway)

32

32

51

MPG (Combined)

26

27

47

Fuel Capacity (Gallons)

14.8

18.5

13.2

Range (City/Highway/Combined, in Miles)

-

-

-

The Hyundai returns mileage figures that are almost like a dream,it seems to be one of the most efficient car of the segment and the meager 13.2 gallon fuel tank makes no difference as the sonata clearly matches the range of the other two or maybe even outdo them with those mileage figures.The Accord in the city offers just 22 mpg and on the highway returns 32 mpg but even with the same engine as the Hyundai.

Interior
8.0/10

The Interior has not been changed much from the previous year.The interior feels good and justifies the price you pay for the car.There is a lot of soft touch plastic used on the interior and there is weather upholstery for the higher trims.The lower trims are given cloth upholstery and the Sport trim is done in red contrast stitching to add a bit of sporty feeling.

The Limited trim and Limited XT trims get premium leather upholstery and the flagship Touring XT trim gets the top-of-the-line Nappa Leather upholstery. The front seats are heated, cozy, and comfortable offering lots of headroom and legroom,There is optional power-adjustability for the driver seat in the lower trims although this is standard for the sport trim and above.The car feels comfortable and spacious even when full.

Models

2021 Honda Accord

2022 Subaru Legacy

2021 Hyundai Sonata

Seating Capacity

5

5

5

Front Row (Headroom/Shoulder Room/Leg Room, in inches)

39.5 /58.3/ 42.3

39.4/58.1/ 42.8

40/57.9/46.1

Rear Row (Headroom/Shoulder Room/Leg Room, in inches)

37.3/56.5/ 40.4

37.2/ 57.4/ 39.5

37.8/56.1/34.8

Trunk Capacity (cubic feet)

16.7

15.1 

16

When compared the Sonata offers more headroom in the front and rear,however the most shoulder room is offered by the Accord even with the trunk capacity the Honda seems to offer the most while the Subaru offers the least at 15.1c.ft.the Subaru seems to sit between the bigger Honda and the smaller Hyundai in a sweet spot of its own making.

The other highlight features of the car are expected to be

  • Heated and Power adjustable front seats with driver seat memory
  • Leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter handle
  • Sport Cloth/Leather/Nappa Leather upholstery for seats
  • Keyless Access with Push-Button Start and PIN-code vehicle access 
  • Auto-dimming rearview compass mirror with HomeLink
  • Multifunction 3-spoke steering wheel with tilt/telescopic adjustment
  • Dual front and rear USB input ports 
  • Dual-zone climate control with CFC-free air conditioning system

How intuitive is the car’s infotainment unit?

The infotainment system on the 2022 Subaru Legacy will mostly remain the same as last year and not change.Offered on the base trim,is a barebones 7-inch Subaru Starlink Touchscreen infotainment system and the other trims get the bigger and better feature-rich 11.6-inch Multimedia Subaru Starlink Touchscreen.The smaller system is mated to a 4-speaker setup is available which can be upgraded to 6-speakers in all the trims up to Premium. 

From the Limited trim onwards, the 10-speaker Harman Kardon Surround Sound System is offered. Both of the systems are good and user friendly, and offer all of the basic connectivity techs like Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, USB, and AUX. As we move up the trim ladder, the features keep getting added to justify the surge in price.

The highlight features of the infotainment system are:

  • STARLINK 11.6-inch Multimedia Touchscreen
  • Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
  • 4G LTE Wi-Fi capability
  • HomeLink
  • Satellite Navigation
  • Bluetooth
  • AM/FM Stereo
  • USB Ports and AUX
  • SiriusXM Satellite Radio
  • 4/6 speakers

Exterior
5.0/10

The 2022 Legacy gets no changes on how it looks and has been noted to be looking bland,the car received updates on the 2021 models to make it look more elegant and with muscular lines but there is no such styling talks heard about the 2022 models.

That said,this car did not need too many or any styling changes at all,the car can hold itself pretty well against even the radically styled rivals it goes up against. 

Models

2021 Honda Accord

2022 Subaru Legacy

2021 Hyundai Sonata

Curb Weight (lbs)

3430

3790

3505

Length (inches)

196.1

190.6

192.9

Width (inches)

73.3

72.4

73.2

Height (inches)

57.1

59.1

56.9

Ground Clearance (inches)

-

5.9

5.9

Wheelbase (inches)

111.4

108.3

111.8

The Honda is the lightest,longest, the widest and in stark contrast to the Subaru which stands as the heaviest,narrower and the shortest car,however it is the tallest and has the shortest wheelbase making it the better handling car here.The Hyundai has the longest wheelbase amd shares the ground clearance with the Legacy but otherwise has its sweet spot to settle.

The other features of the exteriors are:

  • 17/18-inch aluminum-alloy wheels with all-season tires
  • LED Steering Responsive Headlights (SRH)
  • LED fog lights
  • LED Tail Lights 
  • Crystal Black/Body-Colored/Satin Chrome finish side mirrors with integrated turn signals
  • Power tilt/sliding glass moonroof 
  • Two-speed windshield wipers with variable-intermittent mode and mist feature
  • Dual stainless steel exhaust outlet

Safety
9.9/10

The car and the maker are pretty reputed for the safety and the safety features they offer across their line-up and this model is no exception,this in fact has an upgrade from the previous year’s model with certain optional features being offered as standard,the car is also said to have active safety features offered as standard.

The highlight safety features would be:

  • automatic emergency braking
  • adaptive cruise control
  • active lane control
  • Blind-spot monitors
  • rear automatic emergency braking
  • front-facing camera
  • Eye Assist

Competition
5.0/10

2022 Subaru Legacy vs 2021 Honda Accord

The Honda is a pretty tempting choice considering the space it offers and there is no denying that it is a company with lost of heritage and some really good offerings,the Honda however fails to make an impression or rather a statement against the new 2022 Legacy as the Subaru’s offering is clearly more powerful and feature rich and even better in a lot if ways.

The Subaru clearly has the upper hand over the Accord at least until the time that Honda introduces their 2022 Accord and actually make it better than the Legacy 

2022 Subaru Legacy vs 2021 Hyundai Sonata

The Legacy had a sense of competition and close call with the Honda but in here the new model clearly outclasses the Sonata,the Hyundai clearly is not too much of a challenge to the Subaru in terms of performance,but although is the better car for fuel efficiency.

The Legacy proves its dominance in terms of size,safety and the features it offers and is really a good pick.

Final Verdict

The Subaru clearly has gone considerable steps and distance ahead from its rivals and has become a much much better car than it already was.It is a even better car to live with now and offers more and has become a comfortable place to be in.The Legacy also looks really good and not embarrassing if these aren’t enough the makers rally racing pedigree and experience is tied to this car,and what is more satisfying for a petrolhead than to be given a racing tool as a daily?

The New Legacy even though a bit more expensive than the 2021 model is worth the price and quite a good buy.

Trims

    Base
    $23,495 onwards
    • 17-Inch alloy wheels
    • Four-Speaker sound system
    • LED steering-responsive headlights
    Premium
    $25,745 onwards
    • Bind-spot monitoring
    • Harman Kardon 12-speaker sound system
    • Sport cloth upholstery
    • Starlink 11.6-inch Multimedia
    Sport
    $29,290 onwards
    • 18-Inch alloy wheels
    • Bind-spot monitoring
    • Power moonroof
    • Sport cloth upholstery
    • Trunk spoiler
    Limited
    $30,445 onwards
    • Driver seat memory function
    • Eight-way power-adjustable front passenger seat
    • Harman Kardon 12-speaker sound system
    • Heated front/rear seats
    • Leather-trimmed seats
    Limited XT
    $34,995 onwards
    • Dual tailpipe outlets
    • Heated steering wheel
    • Navigation system
    • Power moonroof
    XT Touring
    $36,695 onwards
    • Engine: 2.4L 4cyl AWD CVT
    • Horsepower: 260 hp @ 5600 rpm hp
    • Torque: 277 lb.-ft. @ 2000 rpm
    • 0-60 mph: 6.6 sec
    • Top Speed: TBD mph
    • Fuel Economy Combined: 27 mpg

Compare to similar cars

Price

$23,495- $36,695

Engine

Gasoline

Rating

7.18

Horsepower

260 hp @ 5600 rpm

Torque

277 lb.-ft. @ 2000 rpm

Capacity

5

Read Review

$36,290- $38,490

Gasoline

8.05

300 hp @ 5800 rpm

311 lb.-ft. @ 1650 rpm

5

Read Review

$20,200- $33,650

Gasoline

7.05

147 hp @ 6200 rpm

132 lb.-ft. @ 4500 rpm

5

Read Review

$20,425- $28,710

Gasoline

6.93

139 hp @ 6100 rpm

126 lb.-ft. @ 3900 rpm

5

Read Review

$25,845- $36,270

Gasoline

7.93

203 hp @ 6600 rpm

184 lb.-ft. @ 5000 rpm

5

Read Review

$23,790- $31,190

Gasoline

7.62

180 hp @ 5500 rpm

195 lb.-ft. @ 1500 rpm

5

Read Review

$38,900- $54,500

Gasoline

7.44

272 hp @ 6500 rpm

280 lb.-ft. @ 1600 rpm

5

Read Review

$26,520- $38,450

Gasoline

8.34

192 hp @ 5500 rpm

192 lb.-ft. @ 1600 rpm

5

Read Review

$22,550- $30,050

Gasoline

7.66

158 hp @ 6500 rpm

138 lb.-ft. @ 4200 rpm

5

Read Review

$24,150- $34,750

Gasoline

8.16

191 hp @ 6100 rpm

181 lb.-ft. @ 4000 rpm

5

Read Review

2022 Subaru Legacy vs competitor's 0-60

    Car Name
    0-60 MPH
    Quarter Mile
    Top Speed
    SourceCompare
    9.1 sec--
    5.7 sec14.1 sec130 mph
    6.1 sec14.2 sec131 mph
    6.2 sec14.6 sec-
    2022 Kia K5

    Ranked #4

    7 sec15.5 sec128 mph
    7.2 sec15.4 sec122 mph

    2022 Subaru Legacy vs competitor's MPG

      Car Name
      MPG City
      MPG Highway
      MPG Combined
      Fuel Tank Capacity
      Range (C/H)
      SourceCompare
      27 mpg35 mpg30 mpg18.5 gal.499.5/647.5 mi.
      31 mpg43 mpg37 mpg14 gal.409.2/533.2 mi.
      31 mpg40 mpg35 mpg12.4 gal.384.4/496 mi.
      29 mpg43 mpg34 mpg13.2 gal.382.8/567.6 mi.
      29 mpg39 mpg33 mpg12.4 gal.359.6/483.6 mi.
      30 mpg38 mpg33 mpg14.8 gal.444/562.4 mi.

      2022 Subaru Legacy vs competitor's dimensions

        Car Name
        Length
        Width
        Height
        Ground Clearance
        Wheelbase
        SourceCompare
        190.6 in.72.4 in.59.1 in.5.9 in.108.3 in. -
        196.1 in.73.3 in.57.1 in.6.7 in.111.4 in. -
        194.6 in.75.2 in.56.4 in.5.3 in.113 in. -
        194.2 in.73 in.57.9 in.4.6 in.111.4 in.
        193.6 in.72.6 in.58.7 in.5.7 in.110.4 in. -
        2022 Kia K5

        Ranked #5

        193.1 in.73.2 in.56.9 in.5.3 in.112.2 in. -

        2022 Subaru Legacy vs competitor's trunk space

          Car Name
          Trunk Capacity
          Passenger Volume
          Max Trunk Volume
          SourceCompare
          15.1 cu.ft.105.5 cu.ft.71.7 cu.ft.
          15.7 cu.ft.102.9 cu.ft.12.4 cu.ft.
          13.5 cu.ft.93.4 cu.ft.53.1 cu.ft.
          2022 Kia K5

          Ranked #1

          16 cu.ft.105.3 cu.ft.21.7 cu.ft.
          14.8 cu.ft.99 cu.ft.80.3 cu.ft.
          23.3 cu.ft.93.8 cu.ft.83.1 cu.ft.

          2022 Subaru Legacy vs competitor's cargo space

            Car Name
            Cargo Volume
            Cargo Volume w/ Seat Area
            Max Cargo Volume
            Bed Length
            SourceCompare
            83.1 cu.ft.15.1 cu.ft.71.7 cu.ft.-
            16.7 cu.ft.16.7 cu.ft.16.7 cu.ft.-
            13.1 cu.ft.15.9 cu.ft.13.3 cu.ft.183 ft.
            44.4 cu.ft.14.2 cu.ft.45 cu.ft.152 ft.
            -14.3 cu.ft.--
            83.1 cu.ft.14.1 cu.ft.53.4 cu.ft.-

            2022 Subaru Legacy vs competitor's towing capacity

              Car Name
              Towing Capacity
              Payload Capacity
              Weight
              SourceCompare
              --3489 lbs.
              1000 lbs.937 lbs.3369 lbs.
              -915 lbs.2915 lbs.
              --3709 lbs.
              --2877 lbs.
              -1133 lbs.2868 lbs.

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