2014 Subaru Legacy Expert Review

Vehicle Overview

The 2014 Subaru Legacy is the Japanese brand's midsize sedan offering, aiming to please customers who want a different kind of family sedan than the far more popular Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.

The Legacy is available in five trim levels, all with Subaru's symmetrical all-wheel-drive system as standard. A 2.5-liter flat-four producing 173 hp and 174 lb-ft of torque powers 2.5i, 2.5i Premium, 2.5i Sport, and 2.5i Limited models, mated to either a six-speed manual transmission or CVT. Models equipped with the CVT are EPA-rated at 24/32 mpg city/highway, while six-speed sedans are rated 21/29 mpg. The range-topping 3.6R gets a 256-hp, 247-lb-ft 3.6-liter flat-six mated to a five-speed automatic transmission, and is rated at 18/25 mpg.

In a 2010 seven-way midsize comparison testt, we ranked the Subaru Legacy 2.5i Limited fifth. Though the chassis was competent at taking a corner, the comfort-tuned suspension was easily unsettled by bumps and didn't help it steer any more precisely. We also found the interior to be less attractive and noisier than others in the comparison. We liked the 3.6R, however, for its powerful and smooth flat-six; the car recorded a 0-60 mph time of 6.9 seconds.

The 2014 Legacy gets such standard interior features as manually adjustable cloth front seats, 65/35 split folding and reclining rear seats, a tilt/telescoping steering wheel cruise control, manual air conditioning, a four-speaker CD audio system with USB port, and a digital trip computer. Leather upholstery, heated seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, Bluetooth, a rearview camera, nine-speaker Harman Kardon premium CD audio system, and voice-activated navigation system are available.

The 2014 Subaru Legacy was named a Top Safety Pick + by the IIHS, earning scores of "good" in three out of four tests, and a score of "acceptable" in the new small overlap front crash test. The NHTSA awarded the Legacy a five-star overall crash rating.

New for 2014

The Legacy 2.5i Premium receives new standard equipment for 2014, including heated seats and mirrors, an audio system with 4.3-inch display, and windshield wiper de-icers. The Legacy 3.6R Premium trim has been discontinued.

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