2020 Subaru Legacy vs 2020 Acura TLX

The 2020 Subaru Legacy presented a conundrum with its styling. It was a handsome car, but it struggled to stand out. Despite its sharp angles and details, it felt smaller compared to competitors like the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. The front end looked so compact that it was easy to mistake it for a Subaru Impreza. Inside, the Legacy featured a massive 11.6-inch touchscreen, but many controls were buried within the digital interface, complicating simple tasks like adjusting the climate or radio. The base trim was well-equipped, but the Premium trim, which we drove, offered additional features like 17-inch alloy wheels, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and a power moonroof. Higher trims added more luxurious touches and a more powerful turbocharged engine.

The 2020 Acura TLX, after a design overhaul, became a handsome but somewhat anonymous car. The A-Spec option package improved its styling with visual upgrades like 19-inch wheels and revised bumpers. The limited-edition PMC Edition, hand-built in Ohio, featured a dazzling Valencia Red Pearl paint and unique exterior accents. Priced at $50,945, the PMC Edition was the top of the TLX lineup, but non-PMC models started at $33,995. CarGurus recommended upgrading with the Technology and A-Spec Packages for a good-looking TLX under $40,000. However, this price point did not include the powerful 3.5-liter V6 engine and SH-AWD.

The 2020 Subaru Legacy offered a 2.5-liter boxer 4-cylinder engine in its base, Premium, Sport, and Limited trims, producing 182 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque. This engine, paired with a CVT, provided responsive performance, especially in city driving. However, it struggled to deliver power smoothly at highway speeds. For those needing more power, the Limited XT and Touring XT trims featured a 2.4-liter turbocharged boxer 4-cylinder engine, generating 260 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque. Despite the Legacy's impressive handling and refined ride quality, the auto stop-start system was jarring and complicated to disable. Fuel economy for the base engine was 27 mpg city, 35 highway, and 30 combined, while the turbocharged engine achieved 24 city, 32 highway, and 27 combined.

The 2020 Acura TLX PMC Edition came with the top-performing powertrain, featuring a 290-horsepower, 3.5-liter V6 engine, a 9-speed automatic transmission, and a torque-vectoring SH-AWD system. This setup provided a steady build-up of power, transforming the TLX into a thrill ride in Sport or Sport+ mode. The SH-AWD system enhanced driving dynamics by distributing up to 70% of engine output to a single rear wheel, improving cornering and acceleration. The TLX's automatic transmission was well-behaved, and the paddle shifters were satisfying to use. Despite its performance capabilities, the TLX remained comfortable and quiet for daily driving. The car returned 23 mpg in combined driving, matching the EPA's estimate.

The 2020 Subaru Legacy offered solid trunk space for its class at 15.1 cubic feet, though it couldn't compete with crossovers. The backseat provided impressive head- and legroom, accommodating even tall passengers comfortably. The front seats were supportive, and the cabin featured practical storage solutions, though the center stack tray was a bit small.

The 2020 Acura TLX exuded quality and comfort, with supple leather, heated and ventilated front seats, and ample room for front passengers. Rear occupants also enjoyed favorable accommodations, including air-conditioning vents and available heated seats. However, the trunk space was limited to 14.3 cubic feet, which was more in line with compact cars than midsize sedans.

The 2020 Subaru Legacy's 11.6-inch Starlink infotainment system was a mixed bag. While the icons were large and easy to read, the system required multiple steps for simple tasks like adjusting the climate controls or heated seats. The portrait orientation of the screen also scrunched Apple CarPlay into a third of the display. Despite these issues, the system was responsive and free of lag. Unfortunately, this tech setup was present in all trims except the base, which had its own set of problems with a dual-screen setup.

The 2020 Acura TLX's dual-screen infotainment system was problematic. The top display was not a touchscreen, while the bottom one was, leading to confusion and frustration. Climate controls were split between physical buttons and the touchscreen, and the navigation graphics were outdated. The voice-recognition system was also subpar. Despite these issues, the Acura/ELS premium audio system sounded good, and the car featured Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The 2020 Subaru Legacy came standard with Subaru’s EyeSight suite of driver-assistance features, including forward-collision warning, lane-departure warning, and adaptive cruise control. The system used a head-up light display for alerts and included a helpful feature that notified drivers when the car in front started moving. Other standard safety features included a full array of airbags, traction control, a reversing camera, and a tire pressure monitoring system.

The 2020 Acura TLX, designed in the early 2010s, showed its age in safety ratings. It received an Acceptable rating in the IIHS small overlap frontal-impact test but earned 5-star ratings in all NHTSA tests. Standard safety features included adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, and road-departure mitigation. Higher trims added a blind-spot monitoring system with rear cross-traffic alert. However, these systems lacked the smoothness and sophistication of more modern vehicles.