The Legacy and Outback have different names and different engines, but are essentially the same vehicle otherwise. The Legacy is Subaru's midsize car, and the Outback is a version of the Legacy that offers a 6-cylinder engine and a raised suspension. Both cars here barely fit into the price range for this group, almost coming in too inexpensive for inclusion here. Which would have made more sense anyway, for even a Legacy or Outback with every available option still seems similar in price and in feature content to a leather-equipped Accord or Camry than to the others here. Their standard all-wheel-drive systems and unique engine options separate them from the mainstream, but did not make these cars true premium vehicles. But they are solid, capable, and rather fun-to-drive vehicles that offer decent interior space by this group's standards.

         Neither the Outback nor the Legacy has an especially comfortable ride, as the Outback's is compromised by its higher ride height and the Legacy's because of its sport-oriented suspension. The Outback has a generally, smooth, soft, and comfortable ride, marred somewhat by a jittery feel on uneven pavement. The firmer-riding Legacy doesn't absorb bumps as well. The Outback's rather soft suspension and high ride height hurt its handling prowess, so while it still feels reasonably agile overall, body roll is a bit excessive. The Legacy feels even more nimble, and its body roll is much better controlled. The Outback's steering is quick to respond, but provides little feedback. The Legacy's is more precise and communicative. The Outback features a 3.0-liter six cylinder engine, and the Legacy makes use of a turbocharged 2.5-liter turbocharged I4. The Outback's engine is quicker from a stop, lacking the Legacy's annoying turbo lag, but the Legacy builds speed quickly after its initial delay. The six-cylinder engine is smooth and refined, the four-cylinder is less so. Both vehicles have well-suppressed wind and road noise. The Outback returns better fuel economy than the turbocharged Legacy, but the standard all-wheel-drive system weighs both down.

       Inside, both the Outback and the Legacy have firm, well-shaped, and quite comfortable front seats, but headroom disappears with the sunroof standard on the versions of the cars tested here. The Legacy's sport-style seats offer more-prominent side bolstering. The rear seat is well-shaped, but too low and firm, and somewhat lacking in legroom. The interior is very nice for a mainstream car, but some plastics on the center stack feel a bit flimsy and cheap compared to the cars in this price range. The Outback adds tasteful amounts of false wood trim. The gauges are very clear, and the instruments are logically placed and easy to use, despite some lack of contrast. Drivers sit comfortably, despite the cars' lack of a telescoping steering wheel, and have very good visibility. The Outback's higher ride height leads to no appreciable difference from the driver's seat. Though they are far from the smallest cars here, the Outback and Legacy share the smallest trunk volume in this group, though it is at least shaped properly to make the best use of the available space.

          The Legacy and Outback did well in crash testing. A Legacy sedan earned a Best Pick rating in the IIHS offset crash test, but a Marginal rating in its side crash test. And an Outback wagon earned five stars for both the driver and for the front passenger in the NHTSA frontal crash test, as well as five stars for both the driver and for the rear passenger in the NHTSA side crash test.

      The Legacy and the Outback reviewed here came almost equally-equipped (the only difference being the Outback's tire pressure monitor) and for similar prices (a $700 total difference). Neither vehicle came poorly equipped by mainstream standards, with heated leather seats, sunroofs, side airbags protecting the head and torso, and all-wheel-drive. But such luxury features as power seats with memory or a navigation system, and such safety features as traction and stability control are absent even from the fully-loaded vehicles reviewed here leaving them with very low prices but very low feature content compared to the others in this group.

       Overall, the Outback's smoother and quieter driving experience outweighs the Legacy's nimbler handling to give it the 13th-place spot ahead of it, but both are good vehicles. But they aren't especially good premium vehicles, coming off as more-expensive alternatives to sporty family sedans like the Mazda6 than to the entry-luxes here, but they are worth a look from value-oriented shoppers looking for civilized driving fun and/or all weather traction. For in those areas, these cars do not disappoint. But don't expect the level of luxury found in most of the other cars here.

Pros:

-Acceleration

-All-Wheel-Drive

-Refinement (Outback)

-Agility (Legacy)

Cons:

-Feature Content

Overall:

Quick and quirky, the Legacy and Outback are mainstreamers, not the premium cars that their prices, power, and styling suggest.

Versions Reviewed:

Legacy 2.5GT Limited

Outback 3.0R

Price of Version Reviewed:

Legacy: $29,136

Outback: $29,809

Powertrain:

Legacy: 2.5-liter I4

Outback: 3.0-liter H6