2020 Subaru Legacy vs 2021 Subaru WRX

The 2020 Subaru Legacy presented a pragmatic sensibility in its design, which, while handsome, struggled to stand out among its competitors. Its styling featured sharp angles and details, yet it lacked the boldness seen in rivals like the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. The Legacy's front end appeared smaller, often leading to confusion with the compact Subaru Impreza. Inside, the Legacy boasted a massive 11.6-inch touchscreen, but many features were buried within the digital interface, complicating simple controls. The Legacy offered six trims, with the Premium trim being particularly recommended for its features like the All-Weather Package and 10-way power front seats.

In contrast, the 2021 Subaru WRX was often seen as having an adolescent aesthetic, with a wedge-like front end and a short trunk lid that gave it a speedy appearance. The WRX's interior, however, felt dated, with a function-first cockpit that sacrificed fit and finish. Hard plastics contributed to its immature reputation compared to the refined cabins of competitors like the VW GTI and Honda Civic Si. The WRX came in three trims: Base, Premium, and Limited. The Limited trim added leather upholstery, a 10-way power-adjustable driver's seat, and adaptive LED headlights, with an options package available for navigation and a premium stereo.

The 2020 Subaru Legacy featured 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 CVT and standard AWD, offering a responsive transmission with a manual mode and paddle shifters. The Legacy's powertrain was well-suited for city driving but required effort to reach highway speeds. For those seeking more power, the Limited XT and Touring XT trims offered a 2.4-liter turbocharged engine with 260 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque. The Legacy's chassis provided precise cornering and refined ride quality, though the auto stop-start system was jarring and required navigating the infotainment system to disable.

The 2021 Subaru WRX came equipped with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder boxer engine, delivering 268 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. Buyers could choose between a six-speed manual transmission or a CVT. Despite being the most powerful among its rivals, the WRX required mastering the revs to fully utilize its power. The CVT, while not ideal for enthusiasts, kept the revs in the powerband effectively. The WRX featured Vehicle Dynamics Control with Active Torque Vectoring, enhancing cornering precision. However, its stiff ride was less comfortable compared to the Civic Si and GTI.

The 2020 Subaru Legacy offered solid trunk space for its class at 15.1 cubic feet, though it couldn't compete with crossovers. Its backseat provided impressive head- and legroom, accommodating taller passengers comfortably. The front seats were supportive, with deep door pockets for storage. However, the center stack's tray was small, making it difficult to access USB ports.

The 2021 Subaru WRX had a conventional sedan layout with a trunk offering up to 12 cubic feet of cargo space. While it surpassed the Civic Si coupe, it fell short of the sedan and the VW GTI's cargo capacity. The WRX's interior packaging felt dated, with limited in-door bottle-holders. The driving position was commanding and comfortable, with decent rear seat space for four adults.

The 2020 Subaru Legacy featured an 11.6-inch touchscreen with the Starlink infotainment system, but its interface was cumbersome, requiring multiple steps for simple adjustments. While the icons were large and easy to read, the portrait orientation limited Apple CarPlay's display. The system was present in all trims except the base, which had its own dual-screen setup with similar issues.

The 2021 Subaru WRX came standard with a 6.5-inch touchscreen, with a 7-inch option on higher trims. Both screens supported Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, offering a sensible layout despite dated graphics. The Limited trim's option package included navigation and a Harman Kardon stereo, providing solid sound quality. However, the WRX's tech felt outdated compared to newer models.

The 2020 Subaru Legacy came standard with Subaru’s EyeSight suite, including forward-collision warning, lane-departure warning, and adaptive cruise control. The system used intuitive head-up light alerts and included a helpful feature for when the car in front moved forward. Standard safety features also included airbags, traction control, a reversing camera, and TPMS.

The 2021 Subaru WRX lacked standard advanced safety features, with EyeSight available only on Premium and Limited trims with the CVT. Adaptive high beams, blind-spot monitoring, and other features were optional on the Limited trim. All WRX trims included a tire-pressure monitoring system and traction control.