While not the largest Asian-Pacific automaker, Subaru has enjoyed a steady sales climb during the past decade here stateside thanks to multiple micro-targeted marketing campaigns, unique engine designs and a lineup top heavy with popular five-door crossovers of varying size.
Subaru also includes a sprinkling of traditional four-door sedans in its lineup, most notably the mid-size Legacy and slightly smaller Impreza.
All Subaru's feature horizontally-opposed, longitudinally-mounted 'Boxer' engines, also known as 'flat four' with pistons lying flat at 180 degrees, riding shallower in the upfront engine compartment. The result is a low center of gravity improving handling and agility. It's one of the few mainstream automakers utilizing this engineering feat. Porsche also tinkers with this intriguing design.
One of Subaru's most notable easy-to-digest marketing hooks over the decades centers around Mid-west friendly all-wheel drive capabilities. All Subaru's include symmetrical all-wheel drive all the time, an easy-to-remember, easy-to-visualize missive. That paradigm altered a bit in the 2013 model year when Subaru launched the two-door, rear drive BRZ in a joint effort with Toyota/Scion and its nearly identical Toyota 86/Scion FR-S twin. Both target to a specific audience with low-volume expectations and very wonky identifiers.
Our 2020, rather conservatively styled Legacy sedan tester included Active Torque Split, utilizing a front-biased 60/40 power distribution in normal driving situations. Active Torque Split is one of several different 'permanent' all-wheel drive configurations (all wheels are driven all the time) Subaru offers utilizing sensors which automatically send additional power to any wheel deemed necessary to maintain optimal grip. Permanent all-wheel drive teamed with the Boxer engine design keeps Legacy nicely balanced through inspired cornering.
Subaru assembles vehicles regionally at a facility in Lafayette Indiana churning out Legacy and Impreza sedans and Outback and Ascent crossovers. Subaru of Indiana Automotive (SIA) represents the automaker's sole manufacturing facility in the U.S. and the only one outside of its Japan home court. During a short five-door window (2012-2016), the plant also produced Camry sedans for Toyota. Until the Covid-19 interruption, approximately 390,000 vehicles got produced annually with the six-millionth unit crossing the finish line in 2019. The facility opened in 1989 with only 67,000 units built.
Those who partook in the Chicago Auto Show this past February (which may go down in the books as the only major auto show worldwide in 2020 compliments of Covid-19) saw first-hand the expanded 'Subaru Loves Pets' initiative, teaming up with area animal shelters for the benefit of deserving K9s seeking a forever dog house. Last year, only weekends served as adoption opportunities. This time around, interspecies love connections expanded to weekdays as well.
For those making the Chicago Auto Show an annual pilgrimage (as does this scribe), last year's 2019 edition promoted the debut of the seventh-generation, 2020 model year Legacy, incorporating Subaru's Global Platform. This architecture advances interior quietness, agility and stability; first introduced in 2017 Impreza sedans. All next-generation Subaru debuts now adopt these new underpinnings. It's now Legacy's turn.
Sales in the 2019 calendar year topped 700,000 in the U.S. for the first time ever. The 700,117 count represented a three percent rise from 2018.
This latest incarnation keeps the wheelbase (distance between front and rear axle) unchanged while increasing overall length by a little more than a half inch.
To keep pace with mid-size rivals, Subaru's high-tech suite of radar-enhanced driver assist technology (EyeSight in Subaru speak) come standard in all Legacy trims. This includes adaptive cruise control with lane centering, vehicle lane departure/sway warning and pre-collision braking.
Two internal combustion engine choices in 2020 include the standard, upgraded 2.5-liter naturally aspirated (non turbo) boxer four-cylinder cranking out a rather pedestrian 182 horsepower, but up seven horses from the 2019 2.5-liter version. If budgets dictate, opt for the newly available 2.4-liter twin-scroll turbocharged four bumping up horsepower to 260. This engine also appears in Subaru's three-row Ascent crossover.
This represents a notable shift from the sixth-generation's optional 3.6-liter, naturally-aspirated six cylinder providing 256 horses (and marks the return of a turbo option in Legacy). Several automakers, including Hyundai and Kia have also moved to four-cylinder engine exclusivity within their mid-size sedan portfolio.
Both provide average mileage estimates when evaluated against popular mid-size rivals. Standard all-wheel drive adds weight, inflicting pain into mpg results. No gas-electric hybrid or pure electric Legacies have yet to enter the U.S. lineup. The fuel tank holds a generous 18.5 gallons of regular, 87-octane unleaded fuel.
Engines link to a continuously variable transmission (CVT) which historically, provides a pleasant, smooth experience with minimal thrills and a bit of a whine. Instead of a finite number of forward gears (seven or eight), CVTs offer an infinite gear ratio. Utilizing the floor-mounted vertical shifter mimics the muscle memory of a traditional automatic transmission.
Trim level opportunities expand in 2020 with the arrival of XT trims, exclusive home to the 2.4-liter turbo engine. Six trims for 2020 include Base, Premium, Sport, Limited, Limited XT and Touring XT. All include sound-insulating windshield materials new for 2020. Back in 2019, Legacy included four trims: Base, Sport, Premium and Limited.
Pricing starts at a very competitive $22,745, only $200 more than a 2019 effort despite an upgraded redesign. The under $23,000 mark remains especially notable considering all-wheel drive comes standard, an extra in most mid-size sedans (if available at all) adding hundreds of dollars to end pricing. Our Limited trim tester included a $29,745 starting point with one $2,045 option package (heated steering wheel, in-dash navigation and moon roof) bringing the bottom line to $32,690 including a $900 destination charge.
When entering any of the Legacy's four doors, one immediately gets greeted with a pleasantly high seating position, helping egress and ingress for those on the not-so-sunny side of 50. The back seat provides enough spacing for three-adult travel and class-leading legroom. Be forewarned, the brave middle seater must content with the vertical floor hump prominent with all-wheel and rear-wheel drive products.
Further back, the conventional trunk occupies 15.1 cubic feet of space, better-than-decent for this segment with enough girth accommodating four large travel-type roller bags. Fold down the 60/40 split second-row backrest for greater cargo options. Subaru's constantly thinking one-step ahead, (and above) with standard roof-ready mounting brackets allowing for quick installation of aftermarket racks, boxes or trays.
Electronic push-start comes standard with the circular orb just right of the steering column. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, two popular applications allowing, Smartphone interaction with Legacy's all-new supersized center screen, comes standard.
This new portrait-configured, iPad-like touch screen measures in at a whopping 11.6 inches, a prominent in-dash anchor representing Subaru's latest generation of Starlink infotainment interface. It comes standard in all trims sans base which settles for a seven-inch format.
This screen includes large touch-sensitive icons while conveniently incorporating two traditional twist knobs monitoring volume and station selection. As with some multi-function screens, one must drill down to find updates to the digital clock and other functions. Most heating and air conditioning controls work from this screen with fan-speed adjustment slow to react to touch commands. The vertical screen creates a dashboard 'Y' theme with the bottom anchoring the alphabet's 25th letter while branching up and out to the sides.
2020 Subaru Legacy Limited
Price as tested: $32,690
Engine: 2.5-liter four-cylinder
Horsepower: 182
Wheelbase: 108.3 inches
Overall length: 190.6 inches
Overall width: 72.4 inches
Overall height: 59.1 inches
Curb weight: 3,581 pounds
Fuel economy: 27 mpg city/ 35 mpg highway
Drivetrain warranty: Five years, 60,000 miles
Assembly: Lafayette, Indiana