2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class vs 2020 Subaru Legacy

The 2020 Subaru Legacy was all about pragmatic sensibility, which made it hard for the car to be flashy. Its styling was handsome but struggled to stand out, with sharp angles and details that made it feel smaller compared to competitors like the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. The front end of the Legacy looked so compact that it could be mistaken for a Subaru Impreza. Inside, the Legacy featured a massive 11.6-inch touchscreen, but many features were buried deep within the digital interface, complicating simple tasks like adjusting climate controls. The base trim came well-equipped with features like remote keyless entry and Subaru EyeSight, while higher trims added more luxurious touches and advanced tech.

In contrast, the 2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class maintained a classic, understated exterior design, but its aerodynamic efficiency was impressive, boasting a drag coefficient of 0.22. The new S-Class was slightly larger than its predecessor, with a longer wheelbase and more imposing presence. The interior was designed around a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 12.8-inch OLED central touchscreen, with a minimalist approach that eliminated many analog controls. Ambient lighting with 250 LED elements and high-quality materials like Nappa leather and open-pore wood trim added to the luxurious feel. However, some elements like the piano-black trim were prone to smudging and seemed out of place in such a high-end vehicle.

The 2020 Subaru Legacy offered two engine options. The base, Premium, Sport, and Limited trims featured a 2.5-liter boxer 4-cylinder engine producing 182 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque, paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and standard all-wheel drive. This setup provided responsive city driving but struggled at highway speeds. The Limited XT and Touring XT trims came with a more powerful 2.4-liter turbocharged boxer 4-cylinder engine, delivering 260 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque. Despite the power increase, the turbo engine's fuel economy dropped to 24 mpg city and 32 mpg highway. The Legacy's chassis offered precise cornering and refined ride quality, but the auto stop-start system was jarring and complicated to disable.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class came in two main variants: the S500 4Matic with a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six engine producing 429 horsepower and 384 pound-feet of torque, and the S580 4Matic with a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 generating 496 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. Both engines featured EQ Boost, a mild-hybrid system that added 21 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque for short bursts. The S500 accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds, while the S580 did it in 4.4 seconds. Both models used a nine-speed automatic transmission and had a top speed limited to 130 mph. The S-Class also featured standard air suspension and optional E-Active Body Control, along with rear-wheel steering for improved maneuverability. Despite some wind noise at highway speeds, the S-Class offered a comfortable and composed ride, with precise steering and effective driving modes.

The 2020 Subaru Legacy offered 15.1 cubic feet of trunk space, which was decent for a sedan but less than what crossovers and hatchbacks provided. The backseat was surprisingly spacious, with ample head- and legroom even for taller passengers. The front seats were supportive, and the cabin featured practical storage solutions like deep door pockets and a fold-down center armrest with cupholders. However, the center stack's small tray made plugging in USB cables a bit cumbersome.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class improved on its predecessor with more front and rear headroom and increased rear legroom. The trunk space grew to 12.9 cubic feet, but it was still less than other luxury sedans. The front seats were exceptionally comfortable, featuring 19 motors for adjustment, heating, ventilation, and massage functions. The removal of many analog controls freed up storage space in the center console, which included a large storage bin and a wireless phone charger. Rear-seat passengers enjoyed a large console with cupholders and climate controls, and the optional Executive Line package added power-adjustable rear seats and four-zone climate control.

The 2020 Subaru Legacy featured an 11.6-inch touchscreen with the Starlink infotainment system, but the interface was cumbersome. Basic functions like adjusting heated seats or climate controls required multiple steps, making it less user-friendly. The system's portrait orientation also limited the display area for Apple CarPlay, which was scrunched into a third of the screen. While the system had no lag and featured large, easy-to-read icons, the overall 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 2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class boasted a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 12.8-inch OLED central touchscreen, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The updated MBUX infotainment system offered 50% more computing power and relied heavily on the touchscreen. Despite this, Mercedes retained hard buttons for essential functions like audio volume and drive modes. The S-Class also featured an augmented-reality head-up display and a 30-speaker Burmester audio system. However, the digital instrument cluster's touchpads were small and difficult to use, and the ambient lighting's reactive features felt gimmicky. The S-Class allowed drivers to set up personal profiles with biometric or facial recognition, and rear-seat passengers could send navigation directions to the main screen.

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 front- and side-impact airbags, traction control, a reversing camera, and a tire pressure monitoring system.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class lacked crash-test ratings from the NHTSA and IIHS, but it came with a comprehensive array of safety features. These included an industry-first rear-passenger airbag, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality, automated lane centering, automatic emergency braking, forward-collision warning, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, lane-change assist, traffic-sign recognition, a driver-attention monitor, and a 360-degree camera system. Mercedes claimed improvements in these features, such as enhanced traffic-sign recognition and lane-keep assist. The S-Class also featured a new steering wheel with capacitive sensors to detect if the driver was holding the wheel.