2020 Subaru Legacy vs 2021 Acura TLX

The 2020 Subaru Legacy presented a pragmatic sensibility in its design, which made it difficult to be flashy. While it was a handsome car with sharp angles and details, it struggled to stand out compared to competitors like the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. The Legacy's front end appeared smaller, often leading to confusion with the compact Subaru Impreza. Despite Subaru's attempt to go mainstream with the Legacy, the design felt more like a sedan version of the Outback.

Inside, the Legacy featured a massive 11.6-inch touchscreen, but many functions were buried within the digital interface, complicating simple tasks like adjusting climate controls. The base trim was well-equipped with features like remote keyless entry, Bluetooth connectivity, and Subaru EyeSight. Higher trims added more luxury and convenience features, with the Premium trim being particularly recommended for its balance of features and value.

The 2021 Acura TLX, on the other hand, was a sporty sedan with an assertive stance, highlighted by a steeply raked windshield, fastback-style roofline, and integrated tail spoiler. The front grille and "jewel eye" LED headlights gave it a bold face, while twin trapezoidal tailpipes added to its sporty look. Inside, the TLX boasted high-quality materials and a well-thought-out design, with a 10.2-inch infotainment screen neatly integrated into the dash. The driver’s position was described as a “sport sedan cockpit,” with authentic materials and a visually appealing layout.

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 was paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and standard all-wheel drive (AWD). The Legacy was quick off the line, making it suitable for city driving, but it struggled to reach highway speeds without significant noise. A more powerful 2.4-liter turbocharged engine was available in the Limited XT and Touring XT trims, delivering 260 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque. The Legacy's chassis provided precise cornering and a refined ride quality, but the auto stop-start system was jarring and complicated to disable.

Fuel economy for the base engine was impressive at 27 mpg city, 35 highway, and 30 combined, while the turbocharged engine achieved 24 city, 32 highway, and 27 combined.

The 2021 Acura TLX featured a new 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine, producing 272 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. This engine was paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission, with front-wheel drive (FWD) standard and Acura’s Super-Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) available. The TLX offered distinct driving modes—Comfort, Normal, Sport, and Individual—thanks to its drive-by-wire and shift-by-wire systems. The Advance package added adaptive dampers for a customizable ride. The TLX felt nimble and balanced, with a solid and substantial feel over various road surfaces.

Fuel economy for the TLX was estimated at 22 mpg city, 31 highway, and 25 combined for FWD models, and 21/29/24 combined for AWD.

The 2020 Subaru Legacy had a trunk space of 15.1 cubic feet, which was solid for its class but still less than what crossovers offered. The backseat provided surprising head- and legroom, accommodating taller passengers comfortably. The front seats were supportive, with deep door pockets for storage. However, the center stack tray was small, making it difficult to plug in cables.

The 2021 Acura TLX benefited from its shift-by-wire transmission, allowing for a more streamlined center console design. The transmission controls were simple and easy to access, with paddle shifters on the steering wheel. The center console housed the infotainment interface, a mini touchpad, and two cupholders. The rear seat was comfortable for two adults, with adequate head- and legroom. The front seats were supportive sport buckets with available perforated Milano leather and 12-way power adjustability. The second row folded down in a 60/40 split, providing access to the 13.5 cubic feet of trunk space.

The 2020 Subaru Legacy featured an 11.6-inch Starlink infotainment system, but many functions were buried within the digital interface, complicating simple tasks. The system had large, easy-to-read icons and no lag-time, but its portrait orientation scrunched Apple CarPlay into a third of the screen. The base trim had a dual-screen setup with similar issues, making it difficult to avoid the system's drawbacks.

The 2021 Acura TLX was loaded with technology, including drive-by-wire, shift-by-wire, and SH-AWD. The 10-speed automatic transmission featured Grade Logic Control, Shift Hold Control, and Cornering G Shift Control. The TLX also offered multiple ambient lighting themes and the impressive ELS Studio 3D 17-speaker premium audio system. The infotainment system included Bluetooth, Siri Eyes Free, SMS Text Messaging, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. The Advance Package added a head-up display and a G-Meter and Turbo Boost Indicator.

The 2020 Subaru Legacy came standard with Subaru’s EyeSight suite, including forward-collision warning, lane-departure warning, and adaptive cruise control. Other standard safety features included a full array of airbags, traction control, a reversing camera, and a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS).

The 2021 Acura TLX included the AcuraWatch suite, with adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, and lane-keeping assist. Additional safety features included a pedestrian injury mitigation design, ACE body structure, ultra-high-strength steel front door stiffener rings, a full complement of airbags, and a multi-angle rear-view camera system. New for 2021 were a next-generation front-passenger airbag, passenger knee airbag, pedestrian sensing and autonomous emergency braking, traffic-sign recognition, traffic jam assist, and a driver attention monitor. Available features included rear cross-traffic alert, front and rear parking sensors, and a surround-view camera system.