2015 Subaru Legacy Road Test

Edmunds.com

2015 Subaru Legacy Road Test

With a full redesign from top to bottom, the 2015 Subaru Legacy sedan is looking to carve out a larger chunk of the midsize sedan market. We took a test-drive to see if it has what it takes to battle industry stalwarts like the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry.

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bankerdanny

Subaru has done a stellar job of making sure the Legacy will not appear on my personal shopping list anytime soon.

The 2.5 is hopelessly underpowered, it was barely adequate in my 2007 Forester and by 2014 standards is pathetic. And I have zero interest in owning a vehicle with a CVT.

Fortuately there are a lot of really good mid sized sedans out there offering a wide range of decent engines and transmissions as well as AWD.

lions208487

Mild redesign, no 2.0T GT model, and no manual option, no longer interested.

Plenty of what if's prior to being released, and unlike the new Forester, this Subaru did not come close to delivering on speculation.

tacomamudpit

Interesting article - The title heading for the article says ALL-NEW? dunno about that. No GT/Turbo or performace model (small nitch market for this type 4DR vehicle, but still... just say'in). I have "Test" driven a few CVT vehicles (not subies) and have no interest in any of them. The 2014 Legacy 5-speed auto with the 6 cyl felt well "under powered" for 256HP. Sad for 2015 you have to buy a LIMITED ($35K +) to get the 6 cyl. I would like to see 300HP with the 6 cylinder. I'm not sure why anyone would compare AWD to FWD (i.e, Camary or Accord as stated in article, total different driving dynamics).

dkells

Interesting that the of the three comments here - none have driven a recent CVT Legacy (or did I misunderstand). A Forester never drove like a Legacy so you can't really compare a 2007 Forester with either the 2010-2014 Legacy generation or the 2015. Non Subaru CVTs are not equal. All the same, I too miss the GT in the family, it was the 'cool cousin' - although I'd never buy one anyway (so it makes sense to me that Subaru stopped making them. They have the WRX and STI which looks like it's on the previous gen Legacy platform). I love my current Legacy and am interested enough to test the new one. Will it be enough of a change for me to want to trade immediately? Maybe, maybe not. But they will sell just fine and it will be my next car in a year or two. Passengers often assume mine is a 6cyl. (it's not) because the pickup is good. Most people only think they want a 6cyl. Go to a gathering or even just the grocery store - people will stop and take a look ("good looking car", "nice") and make a mental note to check out Subaru next time they're in the market. Oh, and on the highway mine gets 34.5MPG fully loaded. Did I already say I love my Legacy?

lions208487

@dkells - From my understanding the CVT in the Forester is the same CVT in the Legacy, which I indicated was fine with the higher torque 2.0T. I have driven a couple Maxima's with CVT which is manufactured by Jatco. According to Car & Driver Audi, H

darthbimmer

Ho-hum styling, features, and performance. This is at best a "me too" entry in the midsize sedan category populated with an increasing number of excellent choices. It's embarrassing when a vehicle with a supposed complete redesign starts as an also-ran.

emajor

Anonymous sheet metal, anonymous and dated dashboard design, 4 cylinder slipping behind the competition in power, no manual transmission. There is nothing other than AWD to distinguish this from the competition, just like the last generation. It's not a bad car, but very little in the midsize sedan field is. I wouldn't expect this to sell much better than the last one. Subaru's bread is buttered by the Outback and Forester. If the Legacy didn't share platforms with the Outback, it probably wouldn't exist.

canddmeyer

Nice review. Thank you.

Good to know it is quieter, has a better Nav interface, and rides nice enough to not generate complaints.

piredon

They really need to update their engines. Neither has changed in what seems like 10 years. They should really take the Volvo route and spread their 2.0 liter turbo across the whole range of vehicles with various boost levels. Maybe leave the NA 2.0 as a base engine in the Impreza / XV. Get rid of the flat 6 if you're not going to develop it. I understand they are a small manufacturer, and engines are an expensive development item, but the fuel econ and power on the 3.6 is just abysmal. Seems like they build it just to have a midsized sedan on the lot alongside hot selling outbacks and foresters.

As a former Legacy GT owner, it's sad how backwards this vehicle has gone in the past 10 years. Remember when Subaru advertised that a Legacy GT could out-scoot a Porsche Boxter to 60? That was an interesting car. This thing does nothing to distinguish itself from a Toyota Camry.

patinthecity

For the masses. For sure.

pommah

As a Subie owner and fan, it is disappointing to see the enthusiast version of the Legacy sedan dropped - to get an AWD sports sedan you have to go German now.

As an Edmunds fan, it is disappointing to see this car touted as "all new" when it is clearly just a refresh.

metalmania

I think it IS actually all new (except the engines), it's just not radically different from the old one. I have to agree with the sentiment that it's not a "bad" design, there's just nothing enticing about it. They'll be practically invisible on the road - nothing wrong with that but in today's world of Ford Fusions and Mazda 6's you don't need to be boring to be a player in the mid-size family sedan market. I even think the new Accords look pretty good. I'll probably still consider this car when it's time to replace mine, but I have a feeling it'll be hard to win me over against the competition unless I decide I need to have AWD. I'd consider the 3.6 if its power and efficiency were in line with other similarly sized 6's, but it doesn't seem that way. The current 2.5 actually is a relatively new engine, but it's barely more powerful than the old one. Mileage for AWD with this engine is good, but "barely adequate" power isn't appealing to me. I don't want to fear having to make a pass on the highway or merge onto a fast moving road from a stop.

gearhead8

I can agree that the Subaru Legacy is not for everyone, but I like this new Legacy.
The engine was upgraded last year with a slight increase in it's stroke that increased its displacement and added a little torque.
Will the Accord out accelerate the Legacy. Yes. So what? It's good enough. The CVT was also upgraded last year. There is no smoother automatic transmission anywhere. It's always picks the exact right gear ratio for the current demand.
Whats new is the sheet metal and interior. Last years sheetmetal was a little extreme and the interior was too plasticky. Subaru has addressed both shortcomings.
But Subaru please give us the following: A Legacy wagon that sits lower than the Outback. Simplify the radio and heater controls. No touch screens, no automatic climate controls, no electric parking brake. Remember when these were called emergency brakes? You could actually use it to help stop a car in an emergency. The electric parking brake cannot be engaged while the vehicle is moving!
Having said all this, I will be placing my order for a 2015 Legacy Wagon (OK, Outback) as soon as pricing is announced.

mortar1

Am I missing something. It doesn't seem that this road test including taking the car on any road.

incognito4

I briefly drove a 2014 2.5 Outback (no Legacy was available) because of the MPG & resale value, ingress/egress, and felt it was more than adequate, but I did not try it extensively on the highway or with additional passengers. If the 2015 is even marginally better, I believe the Legacy could be a viable solution for the North East, and I liked the paddle shifters. Better performers R either more $ and/or suck gas

slavuta

"The standard CVT that comes with either engine does an excellent job of getting the most out of the two power plants." Actually, 2.5 and 3.6 engines coupled to a different CVTs. 3.6 uses same as Impresa WRX STI.

illyakuriachen

I just bought a 2015 Subaru Legacy Premium (2.5L). I live 8 miles in on a dirt road, it snows, there is ice on the road and highways frequently in the winter and occasionally in the spring and fall. I have owned a variety of vehicles in this environment (1980's Saab Turbo was by far the best driving experience), and had not even considered a Subaru. I owned a 1990's Outback and it was a horrible car for the money, after everything was said and done. This year I drove 5 different Volkswagens (gas and diesel), and was disappointed with almost everything about them except the price and the engines. The Camry, Altima and Optima were similar driving experiences, well appointed and dull, but did everything well and had very good trim and accessories. The Accord drove best of that lot. Very good cars on the average. Drove the Legacy last. Bought one right after doing a bit more research.

1. Engine and power. Engine is incredibly smooth, wish it had at least 10 more hp. But, I am very conservative in how I drive, so acceleration is not a big thing right now. In the "manual" mode, it does fine, downshift and it gives enough. Not great, not as good as the competition (especially the Accord), but good enough.
2. Ride. Better than the others, period. Handling is very good on uneven surfaces, better than the Camry, Altima and Optima.
3. Interior is very well appointed (in the Premium, Standard model not so much), the electronics are a snap.
4. Price. Got a great deal and resale is better on the Legacy than most of the others.

Overall, its a compromise, but it is a very nice compromise. Comparable in quality, not quite as peppy, but with all wheel drive at almost exactly the same price as its competitors (better than 2, slightly higher than two others).

paulem

Too much conflicting information, a problem I find in trying to research anything on line, but especially cars where good and bad reviews cancel each other out. There are lots of way to evaluate cars, safety, reliability, comfort, etc., but we all understand the basics. In the first place cars are much too expensive, rarely worth the asking price, and downright ridiculous in some cases. Robots don't need vacations, so auto worker wages should not drive up the prices. But, I digress. Every time I go car shopping, I finally just give up in frustration and get back in my old GM, V-8, rear wheel drive, and motor off. I dislike front wheel drive (let me count the ways), and four cylinder engines that work their little guts out in order to perform, likewise the sixes, although less so. Turbo charging to get more power is simply asking for maintenance headaches. Electric cars don't go far enough on a charge, and hybrids are not worth the price. So where does one go for transportation. At my age safety, comfort and reliability are the key factors in choosing a car. Avalons come close to the mark, but they're vastly overpriced. Anybody got a '78 Buick for sale?