2025 Subaru Legacy Final Drive: Past, Present, and Future

Present

I’ll start with the present because that’s more relevant. I tested a 2025 Touring XT model during a late winter blizzard in suburban Detroit. The top trim of the Legacy lineup, my tester came in at $39,481. A base Legacy starts at $26,380.

There’s a lot to like here, and the Subaru’s Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive and turbo 2.4-liter direct-injected four-cylinder (260 hp) powered me through multiple heavy snowfalls. I went from “it’s pretty bad out” to “I’ll go pick up the pizza” fairly quickly. It reminded me of why driving with confidence in the snow is fun.

The brown leather interior looked and felt premium. I have mixed feelings about Subaru’s Starlink multimedia navigation system housed in an 11.6-inch touchscreen. It’s a little dense, but after enough time I found it reasonable to use. The buttons on the screen are small, and I found myself stabbing at it to change the radio. It is sensitive once you do engage, and my golden retriever was able to zoom out on the three-dimensional map screen with her nose.

The trunk easily swallowed groceries, travel bags for a weekend getaway, and other daily goods, and the backseat is comfortable enough for a small family to use. The all-weather floor mats are a nice option if you live in a climate where there’s salt in the water or on the roads.

I enjoyed the Legacy, but unlike the Forester and Outback, it doesn’t offer the compelling reason to think Subaru that it did in the past (see below). I prefer the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and Kia K5 ahead of the Legacy. In the car world, you’re not aiming for fourth, so I’d guess Subaru reached the same conclusion and decided more Forester production is a smarter bet.

Past: The Legacy’s, Legacy

Before Americans fell in love with crossovers (or even grasped what one was), they were devoted to sedans, and the Legacy gave Subaru traction and identity in a crowded market. Subaru sold more than 1.3 million Legacy models over six generations as it carved a niche as a value-oriented all-wheel-drive sedan with character. It looked and felt different from Honda, Toyota, and Detroit’s four-doors. The Legacy’s underpinnings gave us the Outback, which resonated even deeper and brought in new buyers to Subaru.

I go back with the Legacy, so indulge me for a moment here. The Legacy hits differently, and I think that gives me a similar mindset to its legions of owners. I tested it on a memorable launch in the Seattle area in 2009 after covering the ‘concept’ reveal at the Detroit Auto Show that year, which was actually a gussied-up production car with different wheels and trim.

The fifth-generation was launched as a 2010 model and represented Subaru’s broader ambitions for the Legacy, as it grew larger and had a considerably nicer interior than its predecessors. Having reviewed many Legacy models in the last decade-plus, I always felt the car fit properly with Subaru’s identity. Whereas some brands rolled out a four-door to fill a gap, the Legacy was authentic.

Future

Let’s have some fun here. Subaru hasn’t confirmed anything as to what’s next for the Legacy name, but I highly doubt it’s gone forever. Good names—especially ones with brand equity and a bit of ubiquity—generally resurface. Look at the Honda Prologue, Chevy TrailBlazer, and Ford Maverick. None of the modern vehicles is anything like its namesake. The Legacy badge would make a ton of sense on a crossover/wagon/hatch in between the CrossTrek and Outback, recapturing the ethos of the Legacy Outback.

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