I really wasn’t looking forward to driving the 2022 Subaru Legacy Limited GT. Unlike the many Subaru enthusiasts out there, the rumble of a horizontally-opposed engine doesn’t conjure the images of Colin McRae’s Impreza tearing up the WRC scene. For me growing up in the suburbs of Toronto, the Subie rumble usually meant the imminent arrival of the friendly neighbourhood riffraff. After spending a week with this nicely trimmed though, daily driver Subaru, here are my thoughts.
One of the most iconic parts of a Subaru is the drivetrain. The 2022 Legacy offers two engine options, a base 2.5-liter Boxer four-cylinder engine producing a humble 182 horsepower. Our GT tester came equipped with a 2.4-liter turbocharged mill good for 260 horsepower at 5,600RPM, and a stout 277 lb-ft. from just 2,000RPM. Both engines are equipped with a CVT and all-wheel-drive as standard equipment.
In our testing, we found the FA24 engine in the Legacy surprised with excellent power and a wide torque band that made driving this sedan a treat both around town and on the highway, as power was never an issue. One strange issue we found was that when the idle start/stop was active and the engine would restart from a stop, the vehicle exhibited a pretty unsettling vibration. We think that it’s best to leave this feature turned off.
As much as we liked the engine in the 2022 Legacy, the same cannot be said about the transmission. We found that the CVT even with its simulated shift points and overall willingness to react quickly was frustrating as with any sudden acceleration, the engine would be allowed to rev freely without any real sensation of speeding up. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure with some practice and patience you can learn how to make the most of the transmission in the Legacy, but you shouldn’t have to. Although I wasn’t able to put the all-wheel drive system to test, I’m confident that the Subaru would stand out amongst the others in its class.
The rest of the driving experience is pretty much what you’d expect from this sedan. Being that it comes from a brand with a lot of motorsport heritage, it’s nice to see direct and well weighted steering. It also has a great ability to soak up any bumps and potholes while still managing to feel firm and planted. Overall, on the handling and chassis dynamics front the Legacy seems to strike a balance of comfort and positive road feel quite well.
When equipped with the base powerplant, you can expect 8.8L/100km city and 6.7L/100km highway. For the turbocharged engine tested here, Subaru Canada claims 9.9L/100km city and 7.3L/100km highway. Considering how much extra power the 2.4-liter brings, if the GT is in the budget, it seems like the obvious choice. In our real-world testing, we managed to match the advertised figures, and with a 70-litre tank road trips will be a breeze. Handily even the turbocharged GT model runs on regular fuel.
Moving into the 2022 Legacy, you’ll be greeted with an exceptionally comfortable cabin. The seats as standard are cloth, but on Limited trims onwards they will be leather. There are plenty of soft touch materials and the dash design and interior storage spaces are plentiful. The front seats are heated, along with the steering wheel. Cargo capacity for the Legacy’s trunk is 427 liters, down from the Honda Accord’s 472 liters.
The 2022 Subaru Legacy is packed with tech. The base infotainment system consists of two seven-inch displays, though stepping up to the Touring trim adds a 11.6-inch touchscreen. While the display looks cool at first, the user interface is infuriating. The graphics look outdated and the system overall is not as responsive as it should be. Luckily there is Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on deck here, and it makes the experience much better. Our tester also featured the premium 12-speaker Harman-Kardon sound system which proved to be lackluster.
The EyeSight suite of assisted driving tech in the Legacy is good, and there are unique features that help the Subaru stand out. On our Limited GT trim the highway driving assist, active cruise control and blind spot monitoring worked well to make highway driving a breeze. EyeSight uses sensors mounted in the dash to watch the driver ensuring a lack of distraction. It works well however it does seem a little ‘Big Brother’ at times, and if you want the system to be defeated, you’ll have to turn it off every time the car is started.
Base pricing for the 2022 Subaru Legacy is $26,795, and as tested our Limited GT model is $37,899. The one model above this model is the Premier GT, which offers Nappa leather for the seats which also become ventilated in the front, and the DriverFocus Distraction Mitigation system. For comparison, the 2022 Honda Accord Sport 2.0 comes in at $38,120, but even for that pricing the Accord is not available in all-wheel drive. Comparables offering all-wheel-drive are the Toyota Camry, Kia K5 and Nissan Altima.
Overall, we like the 2022 Subaru Legacy Limited GT for its torquey engine, comfortable cabin and compliant ride. If it’s cutting-edge technology you’re after, this may not be the car for you, but generally it remains a solid contender in this segment. This sedan proved me wrong by being an excellent choice for those that need all-wheel drive in a sedan, but don’t want to follow the trend of driving a bland crossover.
