2020 Subaru Legacy Touring Xt Turbo and 25i Sport Review
Pros
Attractive looks and enveloping, well-trimmed cabin
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Punchy turbo engine
Impressive steering and ride quality
Cons
Safety tech could use meliorate calibration
No handle inside trunk-hat
Still not loving that CVT
The Subaru Legacy has long been an anomaly amongst mid-size sedans. Its signature Boxer engine and AWD system have fix it autonomously from domestic and foreign rivals in North America. Its go-anywhere practicality has made it a pop choice in Canadian and U.s. markets with harsh winters, and with the outdoor oversupply.
For the 2020 model yr the Legacy is new from the ground up, joining its stablemates on the Subaru Global Platform (SGP) and bringing the latest connectivity and driver aid tech on board. The update comes not a moment besides shortly, with big-selling, mainstream rivals like the Toyota Camry and Nissan Altima testing the loyalty of Legacy buyers by introducing AWD options for the first time.
We tried a range-topping Legacy Premier GT to encounter how information technology measures upwards to the claiming.
Price: What Are The 2020 Legacy Trims And How Much For Each in the U.s. and Canada?
In Canada there are iv grades, running from the Convenience at C$26,395 via Touring and Limited to the Premier at C$36,295 (all prices MSRP). They all get the two.5-litre Boxer four-cylinder (182hp) and a Lineartronic CVT transmission. The two highest grades are as well available in GT form with a 260hp, turbocharged 2.iv-litre engine and loftier-torque CVT. The Premier GT we drove has an MSRP of C$39,095.
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The setup is similar in the US, but the model names are unlike. The regular Legacy starts at US$22,745, ascent through the Premium and Sport to the Limited (The states$29,745). There are as well XT-badged Limited and Touring versions available with the turbo motor; the closest to our examination car is the fully loaded Touring XT (US$35,895).
Exterior: Styling changes for 2020
Subaru hasn't messed with the Legacy's established look just to our eyes, the new model is a more attractive proposition than the approachable car. Information technology is a niggling more elegant but is even so substantial, with real curbside presence. The designers were plainly aiming for, "a sleek silhouette that appears to exist in motion, even when stopped".
There are wider fenders and a frameless hexagonal grille. The reworked side-mirror pattern is aimed at improving the appearance and lowering wind noise. On the Premier GT, the mirrors are finished in satin chrome. All GT/XT models become chrome-tipped exhausts.
The examination auto came finished in attractive Crystal White Pearl paint, 1 of half-dozen bachelor shades in Canada. The Tungsten and Ice Silver metal colours are not available in the US, but buyers there additionally have the selection of Crimson Ruby-red Pearl.
Interior and equipment: Here's what new inside the redesigned Legacy
The Outback and Legacy accept always had much in common. Like the Legacy, its crossover carriage cousin is all-new for 2020 and we encourage you take a look at our 2020 Outback review of that model also, as most of the comments there also utilise to the Legacy.
Specifying a Legacy is just as simple as it is for the Outback – no complicated packages or hidden charges to speak of, beyond regular dealer-fit accessories. Our top-of-the-line Premier GT test car had simply virtually everything you lot could wish for in equipment terms. Winningly, Apple CarPlay, Android Car and lots of rubber kit is standard across the range but the glitchy DriverFocus distraction mitigation arrangement and front-view camera are Premier-just.
We notwithstanding similar the brown Nappa leather-trimmed motel and the well-padded center console was appreciated past this long-legged commuter. With the Legacy'southward lower ride tiptop, the cockpit somehow feels seems more enveloping and homely than in the jacked-up Outback, yet it nevertheless feels roomy – rear-seat legroom is very skillful, for example.
The Legacy is therefore a comfy place to spend a journeying and has all the infotainment and connectivity options you'll need. In the Premier GT's case, that includes a 12-speaker Harman Kardon audio system. Just our ergonomic reservations from the Outback remain, especially the two-pace, screen-based front end seat warmer activation, which quickly becomes tiresome in the dead of winter.
Cargo capacity
You can fit 428L (15.i cu.ft) of cargo into the Legacy, without dropping the rear seats. We were happy with the access to the body and the space within but in that location's no handle on the inside to help you shut the lid after loading. It's an unnecessary inconvenience – you get your easily muddy when you shut the lid, especially in winter – and is just about the just characteristic on the auto that smacks of cost-cutting.
Engine and transmission: putting the turbo to the exam
The turbo engine has enough of punch. Peak torque is 277 lb-ft @ two,000-four,800rpm – a full 100 lb-ft more than the non-turbo motor can manage. Information technology contributes to making this Legacy the sportiest SGP-based Subaru we've yet driven – the step up from the normally aspirated two.five that we tried in the Outback is noticeable – and helps to offset the hurting induced past the whining CVT. We remain unconvinced of the transmission'south merits and it has no place in a car badged 'GT'.
The official combined fuel consumption is 8.7L/100km (32mpg), about 14% more than than the non-turbo engine in the Outback we tried. However, our real-world figure of 10.9L/100km (21.6mpg) was actually slightly meliorate than we managed in the crossover due to warmer atmospheric condition in the test week.
On the road: How does Subaru'south side by side-generation AWD sedan handle?
It's not just the flexible, torquey turbo engine (with its appealing exhaust note) that contributes to this Legacy'south winning driving feel. The steering is nicely weighted and accurate, with a much more connected feel than in the Outback. And despite the Premier GT's standard 18in alloy wheels, the ride was surprisingly compliant, albeit on 225/50 Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 wintertime tires, not all-seasons.
The steering is nicely weighted and accurate, with a much more than continued feel than in the Outback.
All of which makes the presence of the CVT more frustrating. Apologies for the repetition, but that transmission does not belong in this car. Aside from its unappealing whine, it does nil to heighten to GT's sporting pretensions by messing with your instinctive sense of which gear you should be in, when. Bold that a vehicle in this class is unlikely to be fitted with a manual, a well sorted automated would be a great addition, in our opinion.
Takeaway: our final thoughts on the 2020 Legacy Touring XT / Premier GT range-topping model
The Subaru Legacy is excellent at being a car. The Legacy Premier GT is roomy, comprehensively equipped and drives very well. Its major faults are few and you know that the Legacy volition accept care of yous in winter (on the correct tires) or during off-road driving. If aspects of the commuter help systems go as well annoying, they tin can exist switched off, which only leaves the CVT as the only real blemish.
Subaru'southward marketing calls the Legacy 'The SUV of sedans' merely it should exist celebrating its very car-ness. The Legacy is not an SUV and the fact that Toyota and Nissan accept joined Subaru in producing AWD cars with a trunk suggests that at that place continues to be a market for practical sedans, which near e'er weigh less, drive improve and utilise less fuel than their SUV siblings. Long may there proceed to exist ane. Learn more and cheque latest pricing here:
Source: https://tractionlife.com/2020-subaru-legacy-review/
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