Subaru Legacy Is One Of The Most Reliable New Sedans But No One Is Buying It

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Is the 2022 Subaru Legacy a reliable new sedan? A new report says it's the second most reliable new sedan, but why isn't anyone buying it?

According to Consumer Reports (by subscription), the 2022 Subaru Legacy sedan is the best new midsize sedan you can buy now for reliability. CR says the Legacy delivers an excellent combination of passenger space, fuel economy, and it's affordable. The Legacy comes with all-wheel drive for winter weather, and it's a compelling alternative to an SUV.

The Legacy is one of the six most reliable midsize luxury and mainstream sedans in CR's testing. Legacy ranks the number two overall of eleven mainstream midsize sedans. CR says, "The Legacy provides a super-comfortable ride that outshines that of some luxury cars."

The six most reliable and recommended new midsize sedans

Consumer Reports ranks the 2022 Honda Accord #1 with 88 points and the 2022 Legacy is the second-best mainstream model with 87 points. They are followed by the Audi A6 luxury sedan (87), Toyota Camry (86), Hyundai Sonata (83), and Lexus ES (83).

Why isn't the all-wheel-drive sedan selling better with the Legacy's excellent reliability record, top safety scores, and affordable price? Subaru reported just 1,315 Legacy sales in October compared with 2,490 sedans delivered to customers in October 2020, a 47.2 percent decrease.

Subaru has delivered 22,526 Legacy models year-to-date, the fewest of all its mainline vehicles. Subaru dealers have a few new Legacy models on their lots, but the demand is not there for the sedan.

A used Legacy is the slowest-selling model in one state

According to a recent study by iSeeCars, a used Legacy is a slowest-selling model in one state. The average used car takes 34.5 days to move off dealers' lots, while the Subaru Legacy sedan took 78.8 days to sell in Mississippi, where sedans typically sell well.

One primary online car shopping website lists 156 new Legacy models for sale in the entire United States. They are available even with limited supplies, and customers can still order the color and trim level they want and wait for delivery.

What is the price of the 2022 Subaru Legacy?

The 2022 Legacy sedan comes in six trim levels. The 2022 midsize sedan starts at $23,955 for the base trim, Premium ($26,205), Sport ($29,750), Limited ($30,905), Limited XT ($35,455), and Touring XT ($37,155). Destination and delivery fees are included in the pricing above ($960).

The 2022 Subaru Legacy is an excellent example of why sedans are not selling no matter how good a reliability record they have, as most customers today want the utility and room offered by an SUV. Legacy sales will likely continue to fall as most buyers want a 2022 Forester, Outback, or Crosstrek small SUV over a sedan body style.

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Denis Flierl has invested over 30 years in the automotive industry in a consulting role working with every major car brand. He is an accredited member of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press. Check out Subaru Report where he covers all of the Japanese automaker's models. More stories can be found on the Torque News Subaru page. Follow Denis on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Photo credit: Subaru USA

Submitted by brady rock (not verified) on November 29, 2021 - 11:45PM

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I am happy to find this post Very useful for me, as it contains lot of information about Engines. A very amazing post thanks for sharing with us.

Submitted by Pamla Jamieson (not verified) on November 30, 2021 - 8:44AM

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Replaced my 2001 Subaru Legacy GT Limited with a 2022 Legacy Limited on July 30th 2021. Built the 2022 on the Subaru website with all the options I wanted. I then contacted my local Subaru dealer. 6 weeks later I took delivery of my new Subaru. I never considered another Subaru model & the car is beautiful.

Submitted by Jesse (not verified) on November 30, 2021 - 3:17PM

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Sedans are on the way out, no matter who makes them. As a baby boomer, I look for vehicles that are easy to get in/out of and have good outward visibility. For me, neither of these boxes are checked on a sedan. In March of 2021 I finally decided on a replacement for my 2009 Toyota Corolla. It had 197,000 miles on it when I got rid of it. The only warranty issue was a water pump replacement. The other visits to the dealer was for recalls.......lots of recalls. I looked a foreign and domestic sedans. Nothing for me there. So onward to SUVs. No stop/start, turbo, or CVT transmission. I finally settled on a 2020 Buick Envision with the Essence package. The stop/start feature has a defeat button which checked that box. The 2.5L four-cylinder non-turbo provides more than sufficient power that gets to the road through a 6-speed transmission. I got to give Buick its due. This Envision is a solid, quiet, squeak-free SUV. I am really enjoying this new ride.

Submitted by Bobby bob (not verified) on December 1, 2021 - 7:23PM

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The Legacy has become an appliance. There was a time it was seen as a sporty alternative to other Japanese sedans but the made it too big and removed the sport. The Legacy has been replaced in the rest of the world by the Levorg. The Levorg is a smaller sportier vehicle and not based off a crossover(Outback). If you're going to build a sedan nowadays, it better be appealing to performance buyers.

Submitted by Nmk (not verified) on December 3, 2021 - 6:56PM

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Legacy is a great car. But eyesight sill causes dead batteries and lets not forget anyone who knows anything about cars wont buy a vehicle with a CVT transmission. Maybe some day these manufacturers will learn.

Submitted by Matt Gaboury (not verified) on December 3, 2021 - 11:47PM

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The CVT is what kills it for me. If it came with a proper auto or even better, a manual transmission I'd strongly consider it.

Submitted by Mary (not verified) on December 7, 2021 - 1:50PM

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So in other words, people want larger vehicles, The cost at the pump goes up with the larger vehicle, I like my Impreza premium. MK

Submitted by Dillon Wagner (not verified) on December 10, 2021 - 10:10PM

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I love my base 2017 Legacy. 78,000 miles and counting.

It's a solid car. I have a lot of fun memories. I've driven mine across the country (including the Rocky Mountains) and have visited multiple National Parks. I've slept in the back seat multiple times in below freezing temperatures.

cold weather sleeping bags - (Sold Separately)

I've driven 1300 miles in a single day from Grand Junction, CO to Lafayette, IN only stopping for food, gas/nature calls with no mechanical issues. (Around 21 hours through 2 time zones)

Reading the comments above; it sounds like the Legacy doesn't check the boxes for many people and that's fine.

If you want to drive fast enough to go to prison by 3rd gear, buy a sports car. (Camaro SS is a nice option)

If you want a millennial anti theft device; there are plenty of alternatives. (Jeep, Toyota, etc.)

If you're afraid of Skynet; you'll need to find an older Subaru like mine that was built before the Eyesight system became standard for all trims.

If you've been diagnosed with Napoleon Complex; there are some pretty nice setups you can purchase from ADF or LP Aventure for the Legacy that will suck less life out of your wallet than buying a new Legacy Wagon; ehem. (Outback)

(My Legacy has factory 5.3 inches of ground clearance and serves me well)

Bottom Line: A car is what you make it.

*Written by someone with way too much time on their hands.

Submitted by Sgt Slaughter (not verified) on December 12, 2021 - 8:23AM

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I remember when the Legacy was basically a Japanese 3 series. The current car is fine but it's not something that is enjoyable to drive anymore. This was the car that Colin McRae rallied and still owns a FIA speed world record that hasn't been beaten in decades. Now it's just a big car with AWD that no one cares about and just exists. Just existing is not a formula for sales and doesn't inspire enthusiasm for your product.