LOOKS

Outside the vehicle, you get a mostly basic sedan look -- nothing to write home about. But Subaru is not about flash; it’s about what the car can do. Interior is comfortable and roomy, though definitely not flashy.

You can upgrade your trim level to get features like leather-trimmed seats and steering wheel, a 12-speaker HarmanKardon system with 576 watts and 12 speakers, heated seats and more.

ENGINE, HORSEPOWER

Under the hood, options are a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, or upgrading to a 3.6-liter V6; Both feature an automatic transmission (CVT) with manual mode; The V6 offers 256 horsepower, with 175 hp on the four-cylinder version.

All wheel drive is standard on the Legacy, good news for folks who live anywhere inclement weather can be counted on to arrive every year.

I was pretty surprised from the first time I took the wheel how much I enjoyed driving the Legacy (I had a V6 in my test vehicle).
I was prepared for a boring old family sedan experience, but what I found was a super smooth ride that was even fun at times. Plenty of power, plus it handles well and takes corners nice and snug. Color me impressed at the driving experience, and I would definitely recommend the V6 over the base engine.

TECHNOLOGY, SAFETY

Subaru offers the safest line of cars on the road in some people’s minds, and they may be right. Government safety ratings for the Legacy are literally five out of five stars -- frontal crash, side crash and rollover. The Legacy features a rear camera, anti-lock brakes, optional blind spot detection and rear cross-traffic alert, and more. Eight airbags are included on the Legacy, and will deploy based on how sensors determine they are needed.

Subaru’s optional EyeSight system helps make the Legacy even safer, as it uses cameras located in the windshield to detect pedestrians or vehicles in your path, and can self-brake in case of an impending wreck. Adaptive cruise control and lane-departure warning are part of this system too.

On the tech side, the Subaru Starlink infotainment system in the Legacy was pretty simple to master and featured voice controls, but the look and feel/intuitiveness of it don’t match its competitors’ systems. If getting the best infotainment system is near the top of your muist list, Subaru may get passed over for others in this popular category, but for most Subaru fans this won’t be a dealbreaker.

MPG
Official numbers on the Legacy are 20 city/29 highway/23 combined, an improvement over previous years.

PRICE, BOTTOM LINE
My test vehicle was  just over $32,585, but the base Legacy is available for under $22,000.
It’s hard to stand out in this midsize sedan category (Camry/Accord/Fusion and many other heavy-hitters make that hard), but standard all-wheel-drive and a generally sporty feel, plus the solid reputation for safety, mean the Legacy has a good case to make for itself.

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Matt Myftiu can be found on Twitter @MattMyftiu.