“Subaru Newbee” from Denver has been pleased with her Subaru purchase. The 2010 Legacy delivers in all the requisite areas, and while it may not be a “hot rod,” it’s certainly getting the job done for her. Read Subaru Newbee’s full Legacy review to find out the car’s strengths. Then take a moment to post a review of your own ride here.
The Subaru Legacy competes in a crowded segment where names like Camry, Accord, Fusion and Malibu already vie for attention. Even with all-wheel drive standard, can the Legacy hold its own amongst those already popular names? Cars.com reviewer Kelsey Mays takes you through the 2010 Legacy in this video review.
2010|Subaru|Legacy
The 2010 Subaru Outback and Legacy both received the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s highest rating of Top Safety Pick.
Vehicles are only named a Top Safety Pick if they receive front, side and rear crash test ratings of “Good,” which is the highest rating in IIHS testing. They must now also come equipped with electronic stability control.
The Legacy has boasted a “Good” rating for a few years now, but the all-new Outback managed to earn the top prize its first time out.
Kelsey Mays has already turned in a full review of the 2010 Subaru Legacy, but a black Premier model with a moonroof and Harman Kardon stereo recently wound up in my hands for a follow-up. Because Kelsey had already taken on the particulars in his review, I figured I could expand on how the redesigned car handled life in a dad’s hands.
A midsize family sedan that does a lot of things well can still find room for improvement, especially when its competition is the “suburb-infesting” Honda Accord. Or so says Cars.com reviewer Kelsey Mays, who found that Subaru made some key improvements in the new Legacy while retaining everything he liked about the previous version. Still, Mays explains why he thinks the Legacy is not quite ready to go head-to-head with either the Accord or Toyota Camry.
2010|Subaru|Legacy
I just spent all week driving Subaru’s redesigned 2010 Legacy around the Seattle area, a region whose consummate splendor in July and August very nearly makes the remaining 10 months of overcast yuck seem tolerable. (I know; I grew up here. Nirvana never gets old.)
Unlike summertime ‘round these parts, the new Legacy is nothing to write home about. Apart from having all-wheel drive and, considering that, pretty decent gas mileage, it doesn’t offer any compelling reason to look past the litany of Camrys, Accords, Fusions, Altimas and Malibus vying for that spot in your driveway. It’s also a value choice, starting under $20,000 with that all-wheel drive.
No doubt Subaru will position its contender as a unique choice; press materials already claim the car’s styling “stands apart with a bold, high-tech look.”
Alas, unique doesn’t always mean better.
The 2010 Subaru Legacy will get more power, but also manages to increase its fuel economy with a new transmission. The EPA rated the 2010 Subaru Legacy 2.5i model with a continuously variable automatic transmission 23/31 mpg city/highway. That’s a pretty significant improvement over the 2009 model’s top rating of 20/27 mpg city/highway, which was for a four-cylinder manual.
Fuel economy with the six-speed manual decreases to 19/27, and if you opt for the more powerful 2.5 GT or the 3.6R with a five-speed automatic, the EPA rates mileage at 18/25 mpg.
The four-cylinder 2010 Legacy starts at $19,995, which is pretty impressive for an all-wheel-drive midsize sedan. The 2009 model started at $20,795. Even with Subaru's vaunted reliability and this low price, we wonder if the car's questionable looks will prevent buyers from putting it on their short list when shopping in the segment.
The 2010 Subaru Legacy will start with a base MSRP of $19,995, plus an additional $695 destination fee. That MSRP is $800 less than the 2009 Legacy's.
The all-wheel-drive sedan is available in a number of trim levels. The base is called the 2.5i, but another $1,000 will bump you up to the 2.5i Premium, which adds 16-inch alloy wheels, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a 10-way power driver’s seat and some other creature comforts.
If you’re looking to go all out, the Legacy can get all the way up to $30,690 for the Limited model, which includes a 265-hp engine and a Harman Kardon audio system.
Kelsey Mays checks out the 2010 Subaru Legacy at the New York auto show and shows how much utility Subaru packaged into its new midsize sedan. While the controversial styling will surely be love-it or hate-it, Kelsey finds a lot of improvements on the inside versus the previous-generation Legacy.
Subaru ads tout the unique appeal of the brand — what makes a Subaru a Subaru — that others ostensibly lack. What Subarus offer is roll-up-your-sleeves utility, and that aspect translates even to the redesigned, midsize Legacy sedan. It gains a lot of utility to help it compete with the big boys — Toyota Camry and Honda Accord — but it doesn't do enough to completely win out.
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