Nissan Altima vs Subaru Legacy

The 2021 Subaru Legacy was a midsize sedan that often flew under the radar, competing with popular models like the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. Available in six trim levels—Base, Premium, Sport, Limited, Limited XT, and Touring XT—the Legacy carried over much of the body and mechanics from the Subaru Outback wagon. This included a matching fascia, headlight design, windscreen angle, and dashboard setup. For 2021, Subaru added standard low-beam and high-beam steering-responsive LED headlights and high-beam assist. While not particularly stylish, the Legacy's design stayed true to Subaru's branding, offering a safe and reassuring look with high-gloss stainless steel side-window and shoulder-line moldings for a bit of flash. The Legacy featured 17-inch steel wheels as standard, with options to upgrade to 17-inch alloy or 18-inch black- or machine-finished wheels.

Inside, the Legacy had a subdued interior with a blend of high-quality materials and piano black plastic. Cloth upholstery was standard, but leather was available at an extra cost. The cabin was functional and comfortable, though it lacked the flashy extras found in more premium vehicles. The tester, a Legacy Limited XT, had some fit-and-finish issues, particularly with the tightness of leather in the corners of the doors. Options included Nappa leather upholstery, contrasting stitching, perforated leather, a gloss black center dashboard panel, a leather-wrapped shifter, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and chrome interior door handles.

The 2022 Nissan Altima continued to build on its sporty design, a formula that had been successful since the third-generation model launched in 2002. Available in five trim levels—S, SV, SR, SL, and Platinum—the Altima featured Nissan's hallmark V-Motion grille, a low, wide stance, tall doors, creased body lines, and a sharply sloped "floating" roofline. The Midnight Edition package, available on the SR trim, added a gloss black painted sport grille, LED fog lights, 19-inch gloss black-painted aluminum-alloy wheels, a single panel moonroof, and other blacked-out elements, enhancing the Altima's sporty look.

Inside, the Altima offered comfortable Zero Gravity front seats, a well-laid-out instrument panel, and high-quality materials that gave it a premium feel. However, lower trims did not look or feel as nice. The rear shelf was high, compromising rear visibility, and the trunk's metal bar supports could crush items if not packed carefully. Despite these minor complaints, the Altima provided a competent and comfortable ride, making it a popular choice for commuters and families.

The 2021 Subaru Legacy offered two engine options: a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 182 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque, and a turbocharged 2.4-liter engine in the Limited XT and Touring XT trims, delivering 260 horsepower and 277 pound-feet of torque. Both engines were paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The Legacy's standard all-wheel drive (AWD) set it apart from competitors, providing excellent traction and stability. The 2.5-liter engine achieved an EPA-estimated 27 mpg in the city, 35 mpg on the highway, and 30 mpg combined, while the turbocharged engine earned 24 mpg in the city, 32 mpg on the highway, and 27 mpg combined.

The 2022 Nissan Altima came with two engine options: a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 188 horsepower and 180 pound-feet of torque, and a 2.0-liter variable-compression turbo (VC-Turbo) engine making 248 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque. The base engine was available with either front-wheel drive (FWD) or AWD, while the VC-Turbo was only available on the SR trim with FWD. Both engines featured direct injection and were paired with Nissan's Xtronic CVT. The VC-Turbo engine could actively change its compression ratio for high performance or high efficiency. The base 2.5-liter engine provided mediocre acceleration, but the Altima's suspension and Active Ride Control offered a smooth and composed ride. The cabin was quiet, and the car's road manners were impressive.

The 2021 Subaru Legacy improved comfort with a sound-insulation windshield and better seat positioning. The Base model had manually adjustable front seats, while other trims offered a 10-way power-adjustable driver's seat and either a four-way or eight-way power-adjustable front passenger seat. The Legacy provided ample back seat room for adults, making it comfortable for extended periods. Heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, and a heated steering wheel were available. However, the Legacy's 15.1 cubic feet of trunk space was limited due to the extra legroom in the second row.

The 2022 Nissan Altima offered comfortable seating for four (five for short distances), easy-to-use controls, an accessible back seat, and a decent-sized trunk. The Altima's dimensions were average compared to its main competitors. The trunk had 15.4 cubic feet of space, smaller than the Accord and Sonata but larger than the Camry. The Altima's rear shelf was high, compromising rear visibility, and the trunk's metal bar supports could crush items if not packed carefully. Despite these minor complaints, the Altima provided a competent and comfortable ride, making it a popular choice for commuters and families.

The 2021 Subaru Legacy featured dual 7-inch infotainment and climate/vehicle system/safety feature control displays on the base model, while other trims had an 11.6-inch infotainment screen. Standard features included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, a 12-volt power outlet, two USB ports, a 3.5-millimeter auxiliary jack, automatic climate control, and a 4.2-inch meter display. Upmarket trims added more power outlets, USB ports, Subaru Starlink Connected Services, navigation, a 180-degree front-view monitor, Sirius XM Traffic, keyless entry, a Harman Kardon premium audio system, and an auto-dimming rearview compass mirror with Homelink. The 11.6-inch infotainment screen had an unsophisticated appearance, but menus were easy to navigate.

The 2022 Nissan Altima's entry-level S trim came with a 5-inch multi-function information display and a 7-inch color touchscreen audio display with Bluetooth, voice recognition, Siri Eyes Free, a hands-free text-messaging assistant, an AM/FM radio with six speakers, and a single USB port. Other trims had a 7-inch advanced drive-assist display and an 8-inch color touchscreen infotainment system with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, and two USB ports. The SL trim and above featured a nine-speaker Bose premium audio system, navigation, connected services powered by SiriusXM, and remote engine start with intelligent climate control. The advanced drive-assist display offered convenient features, and active noise cancellation was available on the SR VC-Turbo trim. ProPilot Assist, available on higher trims, assisted with acceleration, steering, and braking tasks.

The 2021 Subaru Legacy earned top scores from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and a five-star overall rating from the National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA). Standard safety features included Subaru EyeSight technology, adaptive cruise control with lane centering, pre-collision automatic emergency braking, throttle management, vehicle lane departure and sway warning, and EyeSight Assist Monitor. Optional features included reverse automatic braking and blind-spot monitoring. The Legacy came with a three-year/36,000-mile new car limited warranty and a five-year/60,000-mile powertrain limited warranty.

The 2022 Nissan Altima came with standard driver-assist tech, including automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, forward-collision warning, automatic high-beam headlights, driver-attention warning, Rear View Monitor, rear door alert, and hill-start assist. The SV trim and above featured Nissan's Safety Shield 360, adding rear automatic braking, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic warning, and a rear sonar system. The NHTSA gave the FWD Altima five stars for overall crash protection, and the IIHS named it a Top Safety Pick+ with high ratings in crash tests and crash avoidance and mitigation.