2020 Honda Civic vs 2020 Subaru Legacy

The 2020 Subaru Legacy embodied a sense of pragmatic sensibility. It was a handsome car, but it often struggled to stand out in a sea of mid-size sedans. Its styling was characterized by sharp angles and details, which paradoxically might have contributed to its inability to make a bold statement. When lined up against competitors like the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, both of which possessed rakish styling and a grander presence, the Legacy seemed to shrink in comparison. It almost looked like a compact Subaru Impreza upon first glance, emphasizing a smaller front-end design which might have been a better choice if Subaru aimed solely for pragmatism. Inside, the Legacy featured a massive 11.6-inch touchscreen but buried many essential controls within this digital interface, complicating simple adjustments. With six trims ranging from the well-equipped base to the luxury-laden Touring XT, the Legacy offered a variety of upgrades in wheels, interior materials, and technological features.

In contrast, the 2020 Honda Civic was a standout in Honda's lineup, despite being a $20,000 compact car. Its sharp design was noticeable, with three body styles—sedan, coupe, and hatchback—that attracted attention due to their elegant and elongated proportions. The sedan mirrored the sleek roofline of the coupe but with a more refined and sophisticated body. The Civic's low and wide stance was accentuated by arcing headlights and large LED taillights. Unlike the Legacy, the Civic's styling was stimulating without appearing cheap. Updates for the 2019 model year, like new grilles, bumpers, and wheels, carried over to 2020, with specific upgrades such as matte-black 18-inch wheels and LED fog lights on the Si variant. The interior offered high-quality materials, a narrow center stack, and pleasing refinements such as gloss-black trim and metal shift knobs.

The 2020 Subaru Legacy was powered by a 2.5-liter boxer 4-cylinder engine on its lower trims (base, Premium, Sport, and Limited), producing 182 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque. The power was sent to all four wheels via a continuously variable transmission (CVT) with a manual mode and paddle shifters. While it excelled in city driving with a responsive jump off the line, it required more effort to reach highway speeds, resulting in noticeable noise. The turbocharged 2.4-liter boxer 4-cylinder engine, available in the Limited XT and Touring XT trims, offered a more robust 260 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque, promising better performance. Despite an auto stop-start system designed to conserve fuel, it was generally jarring. Fuel economy for the base engine was commendable at 27 mpg city, 35 highway, and 30 combined, while the turbocharged engine offered 24 city, 32 highway, and 27 combined.

The 2020 Honda Civic featured a range of engines and transmissions, all with front-wheel drive (FWD). The base LX and Sport trims had a 2.0-liter inline 4-cylinder engine with 158 horsepower and 138 pound-feet of torque. They came with a 6-speed manual transmission as standard, while the CVT was optional. The EX trims and above used a 1.5-liter turbocharged inline-4, generating 174 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque, boosted to 180 horsepower in higher hatchback variants. The Civic Si and Type R were performance-centric, with the Si offering 205 horsepower and 192 pound-feet and the Type R delivering a potent 306 horsepower and 295 pound-feet. The Civic's powertrains were responsive and smooth, and the manual transmission provided a tight and enjoyable shifting experience. The CVT responded well without excessive high-revving. Fuel economy ratings were strong, with most CVT-equipped models achieving up to 42 mpg highway, while the Civic Si managed 26 mpg city, 36 highway, and 30 combined.

The 2020 Subaru Legacy, though overshadowed in cargo space by crossovers, offered a respectable 15.1 cubic feet of trunk space. This was an improvement over the previous model but still less than what most crossovers and hatchbacks provided. Backseat space was surprisingly generous, accommodating even taller passengers comfortably. The Legacy also featured thoughtful in-door cupholders, a fold-down center armrest with additional cupholders, and rear USB ports in certain trims. The front seats were supportive, and door pockets provided adequate storage, although the center stack's tray was a bit cramped.

On the flip side, the 2020 Honda Civic excelled in interior space and usability. The 2019 updates included improved cupholders and sound insulation, and EX hatchback models now featured an eight-way power-adjustable driver's seat. The Civic’s interior boasted a narrow center stack and quality switchgear, with configurable storage in the center console. Rear passengers enjoyed ample space, though the lack of rear air vents was a noted oversight. The trunk offered 15 cubic feet of cargo space in the sedan, 12 cubic feet in the coupe, and an impressive 26 cubic feet in the hatchback, expanding to 46 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down.

The 2020 Subaru Legacy's tech revolved around its massive 11.6-inch Starlink infotainment system. While the system was visually impressive, it was cumbersome to use, with functions like heated seat adjustments and climate control requiring multiple steps. Despite large, easy-to-read icons and the absence of lag or bugs, the system's portrait orientation limited the usability of Apple CarPlay. The extensive tech integration across trims eliminated the option of bypassing this system in lower trims.

Conversely, the 2020 Honda Civic’s 7-inch touchscreen, although graphically dated and slower, offered simpler operation with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto available in all trims except the base LX. The higher trims featured Garmin-based navigation with accurate voice recognition. The Civic Si included Active Sound Control, push-button start, keyless entry, power moonroof, and heated front seats. Honda Sensing, a suite of safety features, was standard across all trims, further complementing the Civic’s tech offerings.

The 2020 Subaru Legacy came standard with Subaru’s EyeSight system, offering forward-collision warning, lane-departure warning, and adaptive cruise control. The system used an intuitive head-up light display on the windshield for various alerts and included a helpful notification when the car ahead moved. Standard safety features also included front- and side-impact airbags, traction control, a reversing camera, and a tire pressure monitoring system.

The 2020 Honda Civic featured Honda Sensing, which included forward-collision warning, emergency forward braking, lane-keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control. Improvements to the optional LED headlights earned the Civic a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS, with top ratings in all crash tests. The NHTSA awarded the Civic five stars in all categories except for a four-star rating in the passenger frontal crash test for the coupe.