2023 Subaru Legacy Returns With a Facelift, More Safety Tech

As the pool of available sedans shrinks, all-wheel-drive options are even harder to come by. The 2023 Subaru Legacy bucks these trends as it returns with a refreshed front end, plus driver-assist and tech improvements. Subaru’s mid-size sedan soldiers on with a comfortable and roomy interior, a generous spread of safety tech and standard AWD across all trims. The updates for 2023 will help the Legacy compete against rivals like the Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata, Nissan Altima and Toyota Camry (only the Altima and Camry offer AWD).

Related: Subaru Legacy: Which Should You Buy, 2021 or 2022?

A Fresh Face

Shoppers familiar with the 2022 Legacy will find the 2023 model’s exterior is mostly unchanged apart from its new front end. The 2023 Legacy gets a larger grille, a new front bumper cover and redesigned LED headlights and foglights. The mid-level Legacy Sport gets unique exterior elements like a trunk spoiler, gray 18-inch alloy wheels and a red accent on the grille. A new 360-degree heated steering wheel comes standard on the Sport and Touring XT models.

Expanded Safety and Wireless Connectivity

The updated Legacy sees several enhancements to its Subaru Eyesight driver-assist suite that includes standard features like adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking and lane keep assist. According to Subaru, the system operates more smoothly and in a broader range of conditions thanks to a widened view, software updates and a new electric brake booster.

The range-topping Touring XT gains a wide-angle mono camera that offers an expanded view to recognize pedestrians and bicyclists sooner when entering an intersection at low speeds. All models equipped with a blind spot monitor and lane change assist now come with automatic emergency steering that works at speeds under 50 mph.

2023 Legacy models that feature the 11.6-inch tablet-style center touchscreen now come with standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The base model retains its smaller 7-inch touchscreen and wired connectivity as the only option, however. According to Subaru, the multimedia system also gets improved onscreen controls for audio and climate and a new what3words feature that integrates with the navigation system to make finding destinations simpler.

Turbo Engine Trickles Down

Most Legacy models are powered by a standard 182-horsepower, 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, which Cars.com editors found sluggish and unresponsive in a 2020 Legacy review. The 2022 model required shoppers to upgrade to the top Limited XT or Touring XT models to get a more potent 260-hp, turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. That changes for 2023 with the Sport trim now using the 2.4-liter as its standard engine; the turbo will once again come standard on the Touring XT. The base engine is more efficient with a 30 mpg combined rating from the EPA compared to the 2.4-liter’s 27 mpg combined. All Legacy models come with a standard continuously variable automatic transmission and standard AWD with active torque vectoring.

Release Date

The 2023 Subaru Legacy will arrive in the fall and will once again offer six trims from the base model to the top-tier Touring XL. Pricing for the updated sedan will be announced closer to its arrival, but the 2022 Legacy has a starting price of $24,490 for the base model and $30,285 for the Legacy Sport.

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• 2020 Subaru Legacy: 5 Pros and 4 Cons

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