2020 Subaru Legacy vs 2020 Mazda MAZDA3

The 2020 Subaru Legacy presented a conundrum with its styling. It was a handsome car but struggled to stand out among competitors like the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. The Legacy had sharp angles and details, but its design felt smaller and less bold. The front end, in particular, looked compact, making it easy to mistake for a smaller Subaru Impreza. Inside, the Legacy featured a massive 11.6-inch touchscreen, but many features were buried within the digital interface, complicating simple tasks like adjusting climate controls. The base trim came well-equipped with features like remote keyless entry, Bluetooth connectivity, and Subaru EyeSight. Higher trims added more luxury and tech features, with the Premium trim being particularly recommended for its balance of features and price.

The 2020 Mazda MAZDA3, available in both sedan and hatchback body styles, stood out with its unique and curvaceous design. The hatchback, in particular, looked special and was often featured in press materials. The sedan, while more traditional, still exuded a premium feel. Our test vehicle, a sedan with the Premium Package and AWD, featured 18-inch alloy wheels, a blacked-out mesh front grille, and round running lamps. The interior design was minimalist and premium, with creamy white leather and a driver-focused layout. However, the sheet metal felt low rent, and the trunk and doors lacked a satisfying thud when closed.

The 2020 Subaru Legacy offered two engine options. The base, Premium, Sport, and Limited trims came with a 2.5-liter boxer 4-cylinder engine, producing 182 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque. This engine was paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and standard AWD. The Legacy was quick off the line, making it suitable for city driving, but it struggled to reach highway speeds without making a lot of noise. For those needing more power, the Limited XT and Touring XT trims featured a 2.4-liter turbocharged boxer 4-cylinder engine, delivering 260 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque. The Legacy's chassis was impressive, offering precise cornering and refined ride quality. However, the auto stop-start system was jarring and required multiple steps to disable via the infotainment system. 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 Mazda MAZDA3, on the other hand, employed a 2.5-liter SkyActiv four-cylinder engine across all trims, producing 186 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque. This was an improvement over the previous generation's 2.0-liter engine. The Mazda3's engine was predictable but lacked the immediate punch of a turbocharged motor. Mazda announced a turbocharged version for 2021. The Mazda3 offered a six-speed manual transmission, but only in the FWD hatchback model with the preferred or premium package. Most models came with a six-speed automatic transmission. The switch from a multi-link rear suspension to a torsion beam setup in the 2020 model was a cost-cutting decision that affected ride quality, but the precise steering and minimal body roll remained.

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 taller passengers comfortably. The front seats were supportive, and the cabin featured deep door pockets and a fold-down center armrest with cupholders. However, the center stack tray was small, making it difficult to plug in USB cables.

The 2020 Mazda MAZDA3 sedan measured 183.5 inches in length with a 107.3-inch wheelbase, while the hatchback was more compact at 175.6 inches. Despite its compact dimensions, the Mazda3 offered plenty of room for the driver, with supportive front seats and high-quality materials. The back seat was tight on legroom, but the soft front seatbacks mitigated discomfort. The sedan's trunk provided 13.2 cubic feet of cargo space, and the hatchback offered 20.1 cubic feet, both on the smaller side for the segment.

The 2020 Subaru Legacy featured a massive 11.6-inch touchscreen with the Starlink infotainment system. However, many basic functions like adjusting heated seats and climate controls required multiple steps, making the system cumbersome. The screen's portrait orientation also scrunched Apple CarPlay into a third of the display. While the system had large, easy-to-read icons and no lag, the overall user experience was frustrating. The base trim had a dual-screen setup with similar issues, leaving no escape from the Legacy's poor infotainment system.

The 2020 Mazda MAZDA3's 8.8-inch infotainment display was positioned high on the dashboard, blending seamlessly into the design. Mazda eliminated touch functionality, opting for a rotary dial controller between the front seats. This system, while initially surprising, was easy to master. Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth connectivity, and Sirius XM satellite radio were included. The new infotainment software was faster and featured sharp graphics, complementing the minimalist cabin design. The head-up display now reflected off the windshield, enhancing the premium feel.

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 system for alerts and included a helpful feature that alerted drivers when the car in front started moving. Other standard safety features included front- and side-impact airbags, traction control, a reversing camera, and a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS).

The 2020 Mazda MAZDA3 was labeled a Top Safety Pick+ by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and received a five-star overall safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It scored top marks in all crash tests and offered advanced driver assistance systems like forward-collision warning, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and dynamic brake support. These features were standard, making the Mazda3 a strong choice for safety-conscious buyers.