2015 Subaru Legacy
The Subaru Legacy has been around long enough to actually have a legacy. That’s 26 years and counting as a comfortable, affordable, reliable family sedan choice. It’s also mirrored the legacy of the Subaru brand itself: delivering all-weather capabilities in a slightly quirky package. Well, an all-new Legacy is looking to update both histories, while also going a bit more mainstream.
The Subaru Legacy sedan has always labored in the popularity shadow of the Outback Sport Utility Wagon with which it once again shares a platform. So, what does the 2015 Legacy bring to the table to warrant more of the spotlight?
Well, for one thing, smoother, more mainstream styling. It looks like Subaru is taking a page out of the Honda Accord book by making the Legacy silkier, if also more conservative.
And that’s OK if, like the Accord, you design the car to be appealing as an entire package, and not just a shiny object of great desire that lacks good practicality and purpose. And, without a doubt, the Legacy has come a long way towards becoming that type of very desirable car.
And perhaps that’s why they didn’t stretch too much on the powertrains as both engines carry over from last year. The 2.5-liter flat-4 sees a minor 2-horsepower gain to 175, and will still be the choice for most buyers. Our car’s very robust 3.6-liter flat-6 carries over unchanged with 256-horsepower and 247 lb-ft. of torque
No manual or traditional automatics are offered, as a CVT is the only transmission. And it works surprisingly well this go around, being smoother with fewer…quirks!
Plus, it has helped raise the 6’s fuel economy numbers, though they still aren’t stellar; perhaps that‘s because all-wheel-drive is still standard. Government Fuel Economy Ratings are 20-City, 29-Highway, and 23-Combined for the six. We averaged 25.5 miles-per-gallon of Regular in a mixed loop of driving. If you don’t mind sluggish acceleration the 2.5 four has 30% better fuel economy.
At our test track, Subaru’s CVT performed quite well when combined with our snappy 3.6-six. The simulated shifting was strong and accompanied by a nice surge of power as the RPMs dipped ever so slightly. 0 to 60 was dispatched in a reasonable 7.3 seconds, and we ended the quarter-mile in 15.7-seconds at 92 miles-per-hour.
A much stiffer chassis and some honest to goodness heft to the wheel helps the Legacy also perform with more composure and sportiness than most rivals. Things are way more fun to drive than last year, with a definite hike in chassis feedback, and an overall demeanor that’s more Mazda6 than Camry.
Steering is quick and precise for both inputs and corrections, and handling prowess is aided by brake intervention Active Torque Vectoring. Overall braking performance fell back to about average, however, with some minor fade. Stops of 125-feet from 60 were smooth and straight.
Things are well above average inside, particularly in Limited trim……and now we pause from this road test to say thank you, thank you, thank you to Subaru for finally putting in a non-frustrating navigation system. With this latest infotainment system, they’ve went from absolutely one of the worst units to one of the best.
Everything is clear, the colors really pop, and the street names are highly legible. Even the variable touch buttons work well. It’s a huge improvement both visually and functionally, and as much grief as we’ve given them over the years, we’d better spend some time praising, now that they’ve gotten it right.
Gauges are also both more informative and clearer, and again, thank you Subaru, for bringing back a real coolant temperature gauge. A backup camera is now standard on all Legacy’s too, but the feature packed Limited also gets leather heated seating front and rear, a 576-watt Harmon Kardon audio system, and blind spot detection.
Seats all-around deliver great comfort and most interior measurements are up just slightly; even trunk capacity climbs a little to 15.0 cubic-ft before you fold the split rear seats.
Legacy base pricing also climbs slightly to $22,490 for the 2.5i. The 3.6R comes in top tier Limited trim only, and stickers for $30,390.
It’s clear to us that Subaru has listened to current owners and changed only what needed to be changed. The new Legacy may be less quirky, but in it stead is a high quality car that’s not nearly as sedate as it looks. Plus, even though it’s more mainstream, it still offers standard all-wheel drive, something still unique to the affordable mid-size family sedan segment. The 2015 Subaru Legacy deserves it’s time in the spotlight. We’re very favorably impressed with the result.
Specifications
- Horsepower: 256
- Engine: 3.6 liter
- Torque: 247 lb-ft.
- 0-60 mph: 7.3 seconds
- 1/4 mile: 15.7 seconds @ 92 mph
- EPA: 20 mpg city/ 29 mpg highway
2025 Genesis G80
New Interior And New Tech Elevates G80 Sedan
Talk about bad timing. This second-generation G80 debuted at the height of a global pandemic. But that hasn’t stopped Genesis or this Bentley-on-a-budget sedan. In fact, since then, Genesis has unveiled a spectacular all-electric version and now given all G80s a makeover. So, let’s find out what a better and better-timed new G80 is ready to deliver.
Breaking into the luxury sedan scene requires going up against traditional brands with long pedigrees and legions of loyal buyers. But Hyundai has never shied away from a challenge, and has made steady progress with their Genesis brand, and hopes that a revised 2025 G80 midsize sedan will be their next step up.
Styling matters more when you’re the upstart, and the Genesis Athletic Elegance theme changes very little for ’25; just a new grille, slightly reshaped bumpers, new wheels ranging from 18 to 20 inches, and an updated color palette. The G80’s unique two-line LED headlamps get revised Micro Lens Array technology that boosts performance while minimizing the brightness for oncoming drivers.
Changes inside are much more significant with an entirely new dash and console, eliminating both the hooded gauge panel and dashtop wide info screen. Merging them together into one 27-inch wide LG panoramic display than runs from behind the steering wheel to over the center stack. There’s a bigger and more comprehensive control panel in the center stack; while the console gets less armrest coverage, more space for storage, and reshaped cupholders. The wider display is still a touchscreen, but there is also a console mounted controller if you prefer to keep it fingerprint free. Both options work well, but the controller is still too easy to confuse with the dial-like shifter.
Materials are on par if not a notch above most European luxury rivals, and there are 18 speakers to crank out 1,400 watts of premium sound from Bang & Olufsen. Top Sport Prestige trim comes with Nappa leather seats, carbon fiber trim, micro-suede materials for the headliner and pillar covers, heated armrests, head-up display, and upgraded active safety features. Front seats are immensely comfortable without feeling overly soft, and there’s plenty of comfort and room for adults in the back seat.
More Bentley than Benz; streaking down the track with European-style solidity that gives you very little indication of the high speed you’re traveling at.
Same powertrains as last year. Base power comes from a 300-horsepower 2.5-liter turbo-four; the upgrade is this 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 that outputs 375 horsepower and 391 lb-ft of torque. Both are hitched to standard all-wheel drive. At our Mason Dixon Dragway test track, the AWD delivered enough grip for consistent slip-free launches. We hit 60 in 5.0 seconds flat. Run after run, the 3.5T pulled as strong as it sounds. All G80s work with the same paddle-shift eight-speed automatic transmission, and while shifting was silky smooth on the street, here on the track with Sport Mode and wide-open throttle they were noticeably firmer and quicker.
It was a very surreal experience in the cabin. More Bentley than Benz; streaking down the track with European-style solidity that gives you very little indication of the high speed you’re traveling at. For us, that was 105 mph in 13.4 seconds at the quarter. In addition to the G80’s Sport Mode that tightens steering, improves throttle response, adjusts shifting points, firms up the suspension, and reconfigures stability system parameters; Sport Prestige trim adds rear-wheel steering and an electronic limited slip differential. But, even with all of that, it didn’t feel overly sporty in our handling course. Now, we were able to comfortably carry quite a bit of speed through the cones, but there was just an overall soft, somewhat disconnected and heavy presence that had us unsure of how hard we could push. Sport Prestige also adds upgraded performance brakes. They were plenty capable, bringing this 4,600-lbs. luxury liner consistently down from 60 in just 104 feet with little fade.
Government Fuel Economy Ratings for the six-cylinder are 16 City, 24 Highway, and 19 Combined. We averaged a good 21.3 mpg of Premium. Still, that’s a slightly below average Energy Impact Score, using 15.7 barrels of oil annually with 7.8 tons of CO2 emissions.
Considering the amount of luxury packed into the G80, its $58,350 starting price, even though slightly higher than last year, remains pretty remarkable. It’s a substantial step up to the 3.5T though, as it begins at $70,850.
Genesis has existed as a standalone luxury brand for just less than a decade, and it has indeed been making steady progress into what is surely the hardest segment of all to master. The 2025 Genesis G80 sedan continues to impress and is a great option for luxury-minded buyers who prioritize true value over badges.
Specifications
As Tested
- Engine: 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6
- Transmission: eight-speed automatic
- Horsepower: 375
- Torque: 391 lb-ft
- EPA: 16 City | 24 Highway | 19 Combined
- 0-60 mph: 5.0 seconds
- 1/4 Mile: 13.4 seconds at 105 mph
- Braking, 60-0 (avg.): 104 feet
- MW Fuel Economy: 21.3 mpg (Premium)