2023 Subaru Legacy Review: Selling Sensible

Subaru may be best known for its generous approach to all-wheel drive, but you could equally build a case that the automaker is a hold-out for affordability when it comes to new cars. The 2023 Subaru Legacy is an excellent example. While not quite the cheapest model in Subaru's range — the 2024 Impreza starts at a diminutive $22,995 — the Legacy midsize sedan line-up kicks off at just $24,895 (plus $1,020 destination).

Even when you reach the second-from-the-top Legacy Sport trim seen here, the four-door still comes in under $35k before destination. Not bad at all for a well-equipped model with standard all-wheel drive, even if you're probably going to have to remind your friends what, exactly, a Subaru Legacy is.

Chris Davies/SlashGear

Indeed, arguably the biggest complaint you could level at the Legacy is a lack of personality. That's not something most cars in Subaru's range suffer — the Crosstrek is a punchy little crossover, particularly in Wilderness spec, while the BRZ is positively giddying — but perhaps it's a sign of the times that sedans simply aren't as memorable these days as perennially-popular SUVs. In the case of the Legacy Sport, though, a reminder is worth the effort.

Subaru's design for the Legacy isn't really helping things: this is not a sedan that stands out. It's not ugly, just forgettable. Like the generic cars they put in adverts, so as not to have to pay an appearance fee.

Sensible seems to be the watchword, here. 18-inch alloy wheels are standard on the Sport trim, leaving plenty of tire sidewall. Considering the trend for oversized rims shod in the barest scrape of rubber, and the (negative) impact that has on ride quality and puncture resilience, Subaru's restraint is probably for the best. The LED headlights are steering-responsive, and the Cosmic Blue Pearl paint — while far from striking — is a no-cost option.

Chris Davies/SlashGear

Inside, there's no choice at all, with Sport trim getting two-tone cloth upholstery. It's dark, even with the red contrast stitching, but feels sturdy. Legacy Base and Premium trims get regular cloth; Legacy Limited steps up to leather, and the flagship Legacy Touring XT (from $38,195 plus destination) gets fancier Nappa leather.

As we've seen on other recent Subaru models, the dashboard is dominated by an outsized portrait touchscreen. While the Base trim gets two 7-inch screens, Premium and above step up to Subaru's 11.6-inch Starlink Multimedia Plus system (despite the name, there's no SpaceX satellite internet here, just a baked-in 4G LTE WiFi hotspot).

Dual-zone climate control is standard on Premium trim and above, while Limited and above get a Harman Kardon audio system that still sounds fairly pedestrian. All but Base get both USB Type-A and Type-C ports for the first and second rows. Heated front seats are standard on Premium up, and the Limited and Touring XT get heated rear outboard seats, too; a heated steering wheel is optional on Limited and standard on Sport and Touring XT. Only the top-trim Legacy gets ventilated front seats.

Chris Davies/SlashGear

Space in both rows is ample, with comfortable room for four adults. The trunk is 15.1 cu-ft, with remote release though not power-opening. It can be expanded with the 60/40 split rear bench.

Subaru's technology does everything you'd want it to on paper, though the implementation can be a little brutal. The touchscreen UI errs on the side of busy and a little overwhelming, though thankfully the key HVAC controls get physical buttons flanking the display. In contrast, the tiny digital display sandwiched between the Legacy's analog dials feels dated.

Chris Davies/SlashGear

EyeSight, Subaru's driver assistance package, is standard across all Legacy trims. It includes lane-keep assistance, pre-collision braking, and adaptive cruise control. Blind-spot warnings and rear cross-traffic alerts are standard on Limited, Sport, and Touring XT trims, and available on the Legacy Premium. Reverse automatic braking is standard on Limited, Sport, and Touring XT.

Subaru relies on a stereo color camera array to do its forward-facing driver assistance, but it can be a little finicky at times. Road markings proved to be a particular issue on occasion, with the Legacy getting confused by join-lines of road surfaces.

The Legacy range offers two engines. Base, Premium, and Limited trims get Subaru's 2.5-liter naturally-aspirated 4-cylinder Boxer engine, mustering 182 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 179 lb-ft of torque at 4,400 rpm. Sport and Touring XT trims step up to the 2.4-liter turbocharged engine, with 260 horsepower at a slightly earlier 5,600 rpm, and 227 lb-ft of torque arriving between 2,000 and 4,800 rpm. 

Neither engine is electrified in any way, which seems a missed opportunity given that rivals like Honda and Toyota have been pushing their mild hybrids hard. Indeed, right now the only splash of EVs in Subaru's line-up is the Solterra (the automaker's version of the Toyota bZ4X). 

Chris Davies/SlashGear

Regardless of turbo or not, there's Subaru's Lineartronic continuously variable transmission (CVT) which can emulate eight traditional gears, plus paddle shifters on the steering wheel. The Legacy has two drive modes — Intelligent and Sport Sharp — accessed via buttons on the wheel. The former maximizes efficiency in everyday driving; the latter massages the throttle response and CVT behavior for more aggression.

Even in its cranked-up SI-DRIVE mode, nobody is going to mistake the Legacy for a Subaru WRX. Then again, perhaps that's asking too much from a sensible sedan. Restrained cruising feels far more in the Legacy's wheelhouse.

A suspension setup that errs on the side of compliant is evidence enough that this is not the Subaru for backroad mayhem. On the flip side, this makes for a comfortable — if unmemorable — way to chomp through highway miles. Just be sure to switch off the stop-start system when you finally pull off the interstate: it's woefully lumpy, car-shuddering on both shutdown and startup.

Chris Davies/SlashGear

Its presence is to help achieve the 2023 Legacy's 23 mpg city, 31 mpg highway, and 26 mpg combined EPA fuel economy ratings. That's four miles per gallon down in each category versus the lesser-powered base engine, though I'd wager all but the most frugal owners would err on the side of a slightly perkier drive. In practice, Subaru's numbers are readily achievable.

It's a common refrain in the automotive world that sedans are on the way out. Not for nothing has Ford ousted them from its lineup, while the Malibu clings on as the sole example in Chevrolet's range. The truth of the matter is, however, that those not looking for a crossover, truck, or SUV do still have some three-box options.

Sadly for the Legacy, the competition is also pretty compelling. Honda's latest Accord is refined and comes in a far more frugal hybrid form that's rated for a hefty 48 mpg combined; Toyota's Camry boasts memorable styling and can also be had with all-wheel drive. The Kia K5 (previously known as the Optima) deserves plaudits, too, not least for its competitive pricing and high levels of equipment.

In comparison, the Legacy feels like it's playing things a little too safe. Standard all-wheel drive is great, and it all feels as solid as you'd expect from a Subaru, but rivals counter with personalty that — critically — doesn't also demand compromise on things like fuel economy or price. Viewed in isolation the 2023 Subaru Legacy nails the essentials, but while the sedan market may have shrunk, that only means what's left has to raise its game to justify its existence.