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A red 2020 Subaru Legacy Sport cruising down the highway.

The 2020 Subaru Legacy Is Reliable and Unattractive

The new Subaru Legacy seems to be one of the least talked about sedans of the year. Could it be its lackluster design that holds it back? Or maybe it’s just that Subaru isn’t as popular of a brand when it comes to daily drivers like sedans. Love the look or hate it, the Subaru …

The new Subaru Legacy seems to be one of the least talked about sedans of the year. Could it be its lackluster design that holds it back? Or maybe it’s just that Subaru isn’t as popular of a brand when it comes to daily drivers like sedans. Love the look or hate it, the Subaru Legacy has some pretty high scores according to Consumer Reports, and it hits the nail on the head for reliability and overall owner satisfaction.

Okay, so it isn’t that bad looking

There isn’t anything necessarily wrong with the way that the Subaru Legacy looks — it just doesn’t look very modern. The style of sedans is making a quick turn in a new direction, and it seems sedans are getting even sportier than we could have hoped while ditching the old boxy style we’ve grown used it. The Legacy hasn’t quite given up on the traditional sedan body lines, but it isn’t all bad.

A white Subaru Legacy on display at an auto show
Subaru Legacy | Raymond Boyd/Getty Images

The front fascia of the Legacy isn’t horrible, but it is modest and reminds me personally of a Ford with the way the grille is shaped and placed. The front bumper is slightly more aggressive than previous years and day running lights help to shape the headlights well, but the front isn’t where the car is lacking attractive qualities.

The interior of the Legacy isn’t as lackluster as the exterior might hint. The interior has a mixture of standard materials along with soft-touch fabrics that give it a more luxurious appeal. The dashboard features a large touch-screen infotainment system that is taller and wider than most competitors, though some owners complain it isn’t very user-friendly at times.

The Legacy still has a lot to offer

Just because the Legacy doesn’t have the latest and greatest design doesn’t mean it’s not a good car, and after all, some people do still love the classic sedan style. Appearances aside, the Legacy is still an overall great car. The engine isn’t overly powerful but it does offer enough ‘get up and go’ to keep you entertained without requiring all of the expensive maintenance of high-performance engines.

A red 2018 Subaru Legacy on display at an auto show
A Subaru Legacy on display | Raymond Boyd/Getty Images

The new Legacy offers decent gas mileage, with a reported average of 28mpg, and has enough space for your whole family to relax comfortably. The trunk space isn’t compromised either, with plenty of room for groceries, soccer bags, or everything you need for a day at the beach.

The Legacy is modestly priced, with the lower end base model priced at about $22,750 and going upwards. There are several standard safety features such as automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, and adaptive cruise control. While other features like blind-spot warning aren’t available in every Legacy they are at least offered as additional options.

Overall the Subaru Legacy is a reliable option for a new sedan if you don’t care about having something incredibly flashy. The interior of the car combined with its high-reliability ratings and ease of maintenance makes this one of the most underrated sedans of the year.

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