2020 Subaru Legacy vs 2021 Volkswagen Golf GTI

The 2020 Subaru Legacy presented a conundrum with its styling. While it was a handsome car, it 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 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 features were buried within the digital interface, complicating simple tasks like adjusting climate controls. The base trim was well-equipped, but the Premium trim, which we drove, offered additional features like 17-inch alloy wheels, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and a power moonroof. Higher trims added more luxury and performance features, with the Touring XT topping the range with a turbocharged engine and Nappa leather upholstery.

The 2021 Volkswagen Golf GTI, on the other hand, carried the legacy of the original 1983 Rabbit GTI, defining the hot hatch genre. The GTI shared most basics with a regular Golf but included subtle enhancements like red GTI badges, a red horizontal strip on the grille, and painted brake calipers. The GTI's lowered stance, stainless-steel exhaust tips, and sporty suspension bits elevated it to a performance category. Inside, the GTI featured red ambient lighting, a race-inspired flat-bottomed steering wheel, and heated front sport seats. The quality feel extended to the paintwork and interior materials, making the GTI a well-rounded package.

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 all-wheel drive (AWD). The Legacy's powertrain was responsive, making it suitable for city driving, but it struggled to reach highway speeds without significant 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. This engine also used a CVT with manual mode and paddle shifters. The Legacy's chassis offered precise cornering and refined ride quality, but the auto stop-start system was jarring. 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 Volkswagen Golf GTI was all about performance, featuring a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 228 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. Our test model had a DSG seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, but a six-speed manual was also available. The GTI's handling was a highlight, with four-wheel independent suspension, DCC adaptive damping, and variable-ratio steering. However, the performance-oriented setup resulted in a rough ride on ordinary roads. The GTI's fuel economy was 23 mpg city, 30 highway, and 26 combined with the manual transmission, and 24 city, 32 highway, and 27 combined with the dual-clutch transmission. The GTI only required regular unleaded fuel, but premium unleaded was needed to match its stated horsepower and torque figures.

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 surprising head- and legroom, accommodating taller passengers comfortably. The front seats were supportive, and the cabin featured deep door pockets and rear USB ports. However, the center stack's tray was small, making it difficult to plug in cables.

The 2021 Volkswagen Golf GTI excelled in form and function, with its hatchback design offering 17.4 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats and 24.8 cubic feet with the seats folded flat. The GTI's compact dimensions made it easy to maneuver in tight spaces, and its sharp steering and great outward visibility aided parking. Inside, the GTI featured clever storage options, including large front door pockets and grippy cupholders. The mechanical handbrake felt like a throwback but interfered slightly with the cupholders.

The 2020 Subaru Legacy featured a massive 11.6-inch touchscreen with the Starlink infotainment system. However, many basic functions required multiple steps, making it frustrating to use. The system's portrait orientation also scrunched Apple CarPlay, and the base trim's dual-screen setup had similar issues. While the icons were large and easy to read, the overall experience was overshadowed by the negatives.

The 2021 Volkswagen Golf GTI included the VW MIB touchscreen infotainment system, with S models using a 6.5-inch screen and SE and Autobahn models getting an 8-inch screen with navigation. The system supported Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and MirrorLink, with Bluetooth hands-free and streaming audio standard. Volkswagen Car-Net offered additional features like Remote Access and Hotspot portals. The GTI also came with LED daytime running lights, fog lights, and taillights, with higher trims adding adaptive front lighting and dynamic cornering lights.

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 an alert for 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 Volkswagen Golf GTI received a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA and top “Good” scores from the IIHS, except for an “Acceptable” score in small overlap front; passenger side, and headlights. The GTI included forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitor, rear cross-traffic alert, and more. The Autobahn trim added adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, park distance control, park assist, and high-beam control. The GTI's sharp handling could help avoid collisions, adding to its safety credentials.