Used 2018 Subaru Legacy Consumer Reviews
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Fast and gorgeous Subaru!
Andi, 02/05/2018
2018 Subaru Legacy 3.6R Limited 4dr Sedan AWD (3.6L 6cyl CVT)
23 of 23 people found this review helpful
I bought this car two weeks ago. I was hesitant to buy a Subaru because they are all over the roads here. I test drive the car, and the dealership treated me very well. After this, I knew that the Legacy V6, was the right car for me! I’m loving this car more every day that I drive it! I make excuses to drive this car as much as possible. Pros: -fast and instant acceleration. -quiet inside even with V6. - absolutely beautiful loaded interior with comfortable seats and pretty blue lights. -infotainment Center is easy to use and has STARLINK . -security system included. -elegant exterior -AWD included. -Subaru is a great company and very customer service orientated. Cons: -Remote start only runs for 15 minutes then shuts off. Haven’t figured out if I can change this. -CarPlay skips on occasion. Both cons are not faults with the vehicle itself, which is why it gets 5 stars.
After 9 Volkswagens, I switched...I'm glad I did.
Chris A, 09/06/2018
updated 03/08/2022
2018 Subaru Legacy 2.5i Limited 4dr Sedan AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
20 of 20 people found this review helpful
After a disappointing experience with a $33K Volkswagen, I decided to change brands. Not an easy decision, as I had been a VW loyalist for over 30 years. I've always liked Subarus, and nearly bought a Legacy in 2010. I did research before going to drive the car. I knew all about the supposedly annoying CVT and underwhelming 2.5 boxer four. My initial test drive impression made me doubt what the reviewers had said on these two topics. The CVT is exceptional. The smoothness and the programmed "shifts" that mimic a conventional automatic really do make the transmission a pleasant experience. After six months and 12K miles, I prefer it because of the smoothness. When I need power to pass or merge, I use the paddle shifters and instantly have the power I need. On the subject of power, it is true that the 2.5 boxer four is slower than most other cars. But power is not the reason that I bought this car. Because I drive around 20K per year, I needed a car that was comfortable. A car that would not leave me with a sore back or feeling tired after driving a long distance. It had to be safe, reliable and able to cope with bad weather. It had to deliver good economy. The Subaru Legacy fits all of those criteria when bought in the 2.5i Limited trim with Eyesight. Much has been written by other owners about the space, comfort and safety of the Legacy, so I'll just say that I agree with them. It's fantastic. The economy has been a huge surprise. My last VW, which was lighter than the Legacy and did not feature AWD, got lower mileage on the same routes. The EPA mileage estimates are very realistic. 36mpg on the highway is very possible. My only complaint is with the interface on the new Starlink entertainment system. There are well documented bugs in the system that cause random lock ups, loss of functionality and other issues. Internet forums for Subaru owners have multiple posts describing them. While I have not had the same amount of issues as someone that I know who purchased an Outback with the same system, I have had the navigation fail during a trip to inner city Philadelphia. Not fun. I have since obtained a software update from my Subaru dealer and it seems to have fixed the issues. But again, that is my only complaint. I went so far as to email Subaru after driving through some pretty heavy rains and discovering just how well AWD works on wet roads (if you've never experienced it, you'll be amazed). I told them how pleased I was with the car. Not only did I receive an email reply thanking me, but Subaru sent me a $50 roadside assistance kit with a hand written note saying "Welcome to the family." Now that's service! I spoke to my salesman about this, and he has heard similar stories from other owners. There is a reason why Subaru has outstanding satisfaction scores and owner loyalty. You owe it to yourself to look at the Legacy instead of just giving consideration to the Accord, Sonata, Camry and Passat. None of them can match the uniqueness of the Legacy and the Subaru experience. UPDATE: I have had the Legacy for four years now. The car has been completely reliable. It now has 80000 miles on it. Service costs have been very reasonable.Drivability in bad weather continues to be outstanding.Average mileage in mixed driving usually falls around 30 to 31MPG. On longer trips the car can still achieve 36MPG. I bought an extended warranty that has only been used twice. The driver's seat frame broke, causing a terrible squeak. I am an average sized person person so this was curious.. More recently, the blower motor in the ventilation system failed. The warranty fixed that at no charge as well. The materials in the interior have worn very well despite the high mileage.On the exterior the only item that seems to be aging is the headlight covers. The tops of the the lenses are beginning to get cloudy. I continue to be very pleased with the car, and I plan to put even more miles on it. I recommend Subaru's regularly regularly to my friends and family.
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I <3 my 50th Anniversary Legacy
tony.teano@mac.com, 02/23/2018
updated 03/11/2019
2018 Subaru Legacy 2.5i Limited 4dr Sedan AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
20 of 20 people found this review helpful
I thought I wanted a Premium, but I hated it when I test drove it. I wanted to check out the 50th Anniversary Legacy model, which most closely compares to the Limited models. One may intuitively think that the Premium is better than the Limited based on the name, but when one takes note of the differences, it is clear that the Limited is superior to the Premium. Compared to the Premium, the Limited handles better and it is a quieter ride. Additionally, the Limited's interior has finer appointments for passenger comfort that rival a Camry or and Accord. Also, the Limited offers more safety features than a Premium. Compared to other brands' mid-size sedans, the AWD and Eyesight technology make this car worth it! While the engine's horsepower is frequently criticized by speedway motorists, really... what do you need more than 170 horse power for when driving in suburbs and cities during rush hour? It works for me in all weather conditions and promises a safe ride. If love is what makes a Subaru a Subaru, try the Limited models and fall in love with a Subaru! Update 1 Year from purchase follows: so a little more pickup and go acceleration would be nice; there were recall issues with the radio that took too long to resolve; gas mileage could be a tad better—wish they had hybrids. Moreover I still love it.
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Get the 3.6r!!!
George, 05/28/2018
2018 Subaru Legacy 3.6R Limited 4dr Sedan AWD (3.6L 6cyl CVT)
19 of 19 people found this review helpful
Three words: engine, engine, engine! My 2015 Outback was a refined and capable truck that was let down by its asthmatic 4-pot. It was loud, slow, unresponsive, barely drivable in the winter before the engine warmed up, burnt/leaked half its expensive synthetic oil every 3000 miles and had a cylinder knock at around 2500 rpm. Junk! The six-cylinder engine transforms the car into a luxury experience. Honestly it drives like a Lexus or Audi in the limited trim. It feels twice as fast and twice and responsive as the 2.5 legacy/outback (better transmission with the 3.6), and all the while the engine is whisper quiet at cruise and around town. When you do goose it, you get a nice low-end burble from the boxer H6 engine where any v6 would sound coarse and raspy. This engine is Subaru’s best kept secret in my opinion, one of the last delicious holdovers from the company's pre-recession push to be Japan's BMW and make crazy performance trims of their family cars. It will be sad day when they discontinue it and stick their loud, laggy “two-point-O-tee” engine from the Ascent in the next generation. Apart from the 3.6 engine there are many other reasons this Subaru is the best-kept secret of the midsize sedan market. First, it’s a slow seller for a company used to chronic supply shortages, so dealers are willing to let these go cheap to score more SUV allotments from the factory. Second, the full time all-wheel-drive is a godsend even if you never go off road or in snow. I have never screeched the front tires…ever…even when flooring it to make fast left turns across oncoming traffic; this car takes fast corners and abrupt maneuvers like it’s on rails. The all-wheel-drive also gives the car criminally smooth acceleration. I’ve driven much more expensive cars whose designers need to sit in this sedan and take notes because it advances from a standstill like a magic carpet. Drive this and then drive the v6 Camry/Accord/etc. and they will feel like porpoising wrecks that want to torque-steer you into a bush. Third, the Legacy has the best midsize-sedan interior and certainly the best Subaru interior. The designers took a page from the Volkswagen playbook and created a clean, symmetrical, timeless aesthetic out of materials that feel solid and don’t rattle/creak, all without copying VW’s tiny infotainment screen and bad UI. The front seats are comfortable enough for road trips yet easy to shift around in when navigating busy cities. The back seat headroom is admittedly not the best, but people under about 6’2” will be fine and Subaru makes up for it with tons of legroom, heated rear seats and rear USB charging ports. The doors are also well laid out for taller people like me, even with the seat back almost all the way the B pillar is never an obstruction to entry, nor does it impact the rear passengers like in other cars. Complaints? Apart from personal preferences there are just a few niggles that everyone will find annoying. First and foremost is the music auto-play, the radio starts blasting every time you turn the car on OR off without setting the volume at zero. This is a feature in all new Subarus that nobody I have talked to likes and it should be axed accordingly. Second, even the closest setting on the adaptive cruise control leaves a gaping chasm of space, which every manic rhode island driver proceeds to fling his or her Nissan Maxima into without warning and make my car hit its own brakes to make room for the next guy. Third, in a similar vein, the warning lights and correlated bings and chimes are a hazard because they come on prematurely and usually mean nothing. Let some air out of the tires because the dealer inflated them way over the recommended psi? Tire warning light. It’s cold outside? Cold weather warning light (not kidding). Quarter tank of gas left? Fuel warning light. I actually ran the car out of gas once partly because I was an idiot, but also because the warning light usually means nothing and is ignored accordingly. These are small grievances though in a fantastic sedan that I will buy again in a heartbeat if given a chance. H6 engine or not, I hope Subaru doesn’t follow Ford off a cliff and kill off the Legacy because of the current crossover fad. Even if it isn’t as popular as the Outback, the Legacy is an important brand ambassador because it makes a compelling feature and value proposition to midsize-sedan shoppers who would not otherwise consider buying a Subaru.
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Wow! - but one or two very minor additions
Mark, 06/20/2018
2018 Subaru Legacy 2.5i Limited 4dr Sedan AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
13 of 13 people found this review helpful
I can't say that I planned on buying a Subaru. I've enjoyed my Hondas and Toyotas and even a couple of Hyundai Sonatas over the years. To say I was excited about the new Camry re-design was an understatement. My only hesitancy was my love of the new Civic design. Then, after reading, and reading, and reading all ABOUT the cars, I went an looked at them. I don't want to knock the other guys, but my excitement about the Camry had a wet blanket thrown on it. The Hondas were still in the running, but on a whim, I decided I should "look" at the Legacy. I always viewed it as a rather boring and mundane design. Nothing special to attract me to it on the outside. My nephew had bought an SDI and "tripped" it out. My niece a Legacy. The exterior did not attract my attention. Reviews concerning the acceleration concerned me because, even though I'm in my late 50s, I like acceleration. Instantly! So, turbos with their turbo lag were not the panacea they claimed to be. Plus, living in New England, AWD was an added benefit (though an impact on gas mileage). So what about the review!! Well, I test drove a Legacy (Limited mind you) and loved it!! The fit and finish were superb for a non-luxury sedan. The interior materials are superb. The layout of the instrumentation is nearly flawless. Apple Play, Android Auto...nice - get the hint Toyota. Roomy cabin and trunk. Naturally aspirated engine. Great sound system (Limited). Like the Eyesight. I've never been this pleased after a purchase. I ALWAYs find something wrong that makes me wonder if I made the right choice. Not this time. My only nits. 1) Be nice to have a USB port up by the Eyesight console so I could cable to a dash cam on the passenger window. Or...have a built in dash cam (front and rear). You have the cameras already. Store the images and make available to the user. 2) Have a "mute" button on the steering column for the radio so I don't have to listen to 1-800-KARS4KIDS - and one that takes me back to live broadcast 3) maybe I'm missing something but is there an "off" for the radio?? If I push the power switch, radio shuts off but when I turn it back on, it resumes from where it left off in the broadcast. So I DO have to listen to 1800-KARS4KIDS unless I hit the fast forward!! 4) I might suggest somehow moving the tuning knob to the left side along with the power knob. Why? So driver doesn't have to reach so far. Also, with touchscreen next to knob and with the "reach", I often find my knuckles hitting one of the touchscreen buttons while I am trying to tune with the knob. 5) And finally, I did "ding" my new car by backing into my truck (placed in a different place by my wife). I backed into it from an angle. My alert sounded last second and did NOT stop me :-( like it did one other occasion when I approached a 3 inch patch of snow on the ground. Argh. Not sure if this "angled" backup sensitivity can be improved upon but I now have a small crack in my bumper. These "nits" are very small indeed. I love this car. Handles well. Audio is great. Tight finish. Perfect suspension. Decent gas mileage. Average acceleration but not sluggish. I would highly recommend it.
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