Used 2020 Subaru Legacy

#4 in Best Midsize Cars of 2020

The sedan version of the recently redesigned 2020 Subaru Outback has bowed in the form of the all-new 2020 Subaru Legacy. Riding on the same all-new Subaru Global Platform, the Legacy boasts more interior room, a stiffer body and more responsive chassis, along with standard EyeSight safety and driver assists across all trim levels.

This all-new Legacy delivers on Subaru’s traditional values while elevating the brand with a revamped approach to infotainment with a large tablet-style touch screen, a more luxurious interior with high-grade materials and much improved sound insulation, which greatly lowers noise, vibration and harshness.

The 2020 Subaru Legacy is a mainstay in the midsize-car market competing with the likes of the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima, Chevrolet Malibu and Ford Fusion. As manufacturers turn their attention to building more crossover SUVs, the number of competitors in the formerly thriving segment is declining.

That Subaru continues to offer a 4-door sedan with standard all-wheel drive gives it a unique position in the market. The Japanese automaker could be satisfied with that alone, but with the all-new Legacy, it has really upped its game with a state-of-the-art infotainment system and making massive improvements on the interior with high-quality materials.

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The new Legacy takes a highly competent performer to the next level thanks to the addition of better insulation, a stiffer body and greater use of laminated glass. So now, the Legacy not only handles better, it also imparts a much quieter and more compliant ride. While the basic suspension setup is the same across the range, there are some differences due to the two different engines and the CVTs that are matched to their respective outputs.

Getting behind the wheel of the Sport model is fairly representative of what most Legacy buyers can expect when opting for the normally aspirated 2.5-liter engine. The 182 horsepower is more than adequate for this 4-door sedan. Improvements to the CVT make its operation fairly unobtrusive unless you’re really pushing the vehicle hard, where you’ll get a bit of droning especially when the engine is under load. However, all models have manual paddles to toggle through the eight steps on the CVT.

The Sport model does have blacked-out trim elements and a rear spoiler to give it a sportier look, which is also backed up by the increased grip from the larger 18-inch wheels. The only other concession to the Sport moniker is the SI button on the steering wheel, which sharpens throttle response and gives this trim level a bit livelier response.

The Legacy XT models with the turbocharged engine make great use of its 260 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque.  The CVT here is matched to the engine’s output and in manual mode, it’s fun to flick through the eight ratios at your disposal. There’s plenty of spirited performance to be hand from this model, but at the same time, I couldn’t help being even more impressed by how quiet and composed the Legacy has become as a result of the redesign. It’s an affordable compact car with all-wheel-drive grip that has a decidedly premium feel to it.

Although the exterior of the Subaru Legacy may not be a huge departure from previous models, the interior is. Brand loyalists and those new to Subaru will be impressed by the new cabin, which has an abundance of high-quality, soft-touch materials and a fresh, modern approach to the dash and controls. Base models are equipped with dual 7-inch touch screens to handle most infotainment and vehicle controls, while all Premium trim and higher models have a larger, vertical tablet-style 11.6-inch touch screen with high-definition graphics.

The touch screen itself is fairly intuitive to use and there are manual controls for things like audio volume and station select, while some other features like the heated seats are touch-only, which means you have to take your eyes off the road to find and use. Also, there are some vehicle functions, like being able to disable the engine stop/start feature, that are buried beneath several different menus. Still, the overall look and feel of the touch screen are on par with others offered by more upscale manufacturers, like Volvo’s, for instance.

Riding on a 108.3-inch wheelbase, the new Legacy is larger than the previous generation, offering a 1.4-inch gain in rear-seat legroom and over a cubic foot more space in the passenger cabin. The interior feels spacious and can comfortably seat up to five. The rear seat features a 60/40 split and when folded down, offers a large load space easily accessed through the rear decklid, which has a larger opening and lower liftover. When the rear seats are down, the Legacy sedan has a load floor that nearly rivals its Outback wagon sibling.

While the platform and mechanicals are essentially all-new, the 2020 Legacy’s styling is more evolutionary in nature. The proportions and shapes are similar to the model it replaces. The front design is a sleeker execution of the previous generation with a slightly wider and narrower grille opening with thinner, more tightly integrated headlight bezels.

Softer and rounder contour lines give the body sides a more flowing appearance, and the greenhouse retains a steep rake to the rear window. The slightly longer sedan looks fresher than the model it replaces, but it lacks the visual excitement of the new Accord, the handsome elegance of the Ford Fusion or even the interesting body contours of the Camry.

What the Legacy has going for it is a solid, understated shape that communicates familiarity. The design philosophy is one that eschews flash for a look that will wear well. Given the Legacy’s promise of all-wheel-drive surefootedness, it has an exterior design that is consistent with the vehicle’s function.

VERTICAL TOUCH SCREEN
The 11.6-inch infotainment touch screen has high-definition graphics, is fairly easy to use and adds to the upscale aura of the Legacy’s interior.

TURBOCHARGED 2.4-LITER ENGINE
The turbo flat-4 makes 260 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque and is a great replacement for the previous flat-6. In addition to being responsive, it also delivers good fuel economy.

Among the standard features on the new Legacy are all-wheel drive, active torque vectoring, EyeSight Driver Assist, adaptive cruise control with lane-centering, auto vehicle hold, automatic climate control, LED headlights with high-beam assist, remote keyless entry, auto start/stop, steering-wheel controls for audio, cruise control and Bluetooth connectivity, 60/40-split-folding rear seat with remote release, 4.2-inch LCD color display, and dual 7-inch center touch screens.

Among the available options are alloy wheels on the base model ($350). Blind-spot detection with rear cross-traffic alert, keyless entry with push-button start and LED fog lights total $1,000. Adding a power moonroof and 11.6-inch touch screen with navigation to the blind-spot and keyless entry raises the option package to $2,595 for a fully loaded example. Another package combining blind-spot detection, power moonroof, the nav touch screen and reverse automatic braking adds $2,245. An option combining the moonroof, nav, heated steering wheel and driver focus is priced at $2,045.

While the base 2.5-liter flat-4 would appear to be a carryover engine, Subaru has reworked it to make more fuel efficient, thanks to direct injection. All-new for 2020 is the turbocharged 2.4-liter flat-4, which helps propel the Legacy to 60 mph in 6.1 seconds. Both engines, which feature stop/start technology, are mated to CVT transmissions tuned specifically to the output characteristics of the normally aspirated and turbo engines. The CVT is equipped with a standard paddle-shift feature for the 8-step sequential-shift manual mode.

2.5-liter flat-4
182 horsepower @ 5,800 rpm
176 lb-ft of torque @ 4,400 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 27/35 mpg

2.4-liter turbocharged flat-4
260 horsepower @ 5,600 rpm
277 lb-ft of torque @ 2,000-4,800 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 24/32 mpg