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Used 2018 Subaru Legacy Consumer Reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
46 reviews

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4 out of 5 stars

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)
22 of 22 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.

Safety
5 out of 5 stars
Technology
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Interior
5 out of 5 stars
Comfort
5 out of 5 stars
Reliability
4 out of 5 stars
Value
4 out of 5 stars
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4 out of 5 stars

2nd Legacy...probably not my last

Bill M., 01/15/2018
2018 Subaru Legacy 2.5i Limited 4dr Sedan AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
33 of 34 people found this review helpful

So my first Legacy was a 2015. Leased that one since I never had a Subaru before and wasn’t sure I would like it. Well I did and decided to buy my next one (can’t beat 0% financing). On paper this is the perfect car for me. Live in North Idaho now and needed AWD. For the price and features I don’t think there is a better value out there.For a fully loaded 2.5 Limited Legacy with Eye Sight Pkg for around $30k....is not bad at all. They did enough with 2018 Legacy compared to 2015 Legacy to make me feel I got a better car than the 2015 I traded in. Some of the new features I like in the 2018.... LED lighting (including headlights), auto high beams, lane keep assist, 8” screen, Tom Tom navigation, new multimedia interface, CarPlay, 2 usb power ports in the rear, rear braking assist, predictive guide lines on the reversing camera, better blindside notification, tire pressure monitor showing each individual tire’s air pressure, stitching on dash, smaller steering wheel with updated controls, overall updating of interior and exterior. Some things that I didn’t like in the 2015 that they didn’t change in 2018.... the tires that come on this car still suck (especially in the snow), location of front usb power ports can be a pain to hook up a power cable, seats could use some more padding. I am getting a over 30 mpg in mixed spirited driving...not bad for an AWD car in my opinion. Handles pretty good but is better with better tires. Acceleration is surprising decent for a four liter. Safety wise, I don’t know of a car with more safety features at this price point. If you are looking for an AWD car with pretty much every safety feature available today, that gets good gas mileage, is a great value with a pretty decent look to it.....this is your car in my opinion, just change out the tires.

Safety
5 out of 5 stars
Technology
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Interior
5 out of 5 stars
Comfort
5 out of 5 stars
Reliability
5 out of 5 stars
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5 out of 5 stars

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)
14 of 14 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.

Safety
5 out of 5 stars
Technology
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Interior
5 out of 5 stars
Comfort
5 out of 5 stars
Reliability
5 out of 5 stars
Value
5 out of 5 stars
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5 out of 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)
21 of 22 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.

Safety
5 out of 5 stars
Technology
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Interior
5 out of 5 stars
Comfort
5 out of 5 stars
Reliability
5 out of 5 stars
Value
5 out of 5 stars
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5 out of 5 stars

Great Car at a Great Price Point!

Justin V, 10/30/2017
2018 Subaru Legacy 2.5i Limited 4dr Sedan AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
29 of 31 people found this review helpful

If you are looking for a well-optioned, all-wheel drive vehicle with a good amount of technology and safety features for under $30,000, you should seriously consider the Subaru Legacy 2.5i Limited with the EyeSight and Navigation package. The safety features are extraordinary as demonstrated by our salesman during the test drive with the forward collision braking and rear brake assist. The options are competitive with higher tier brands plus this model has REAR HEATED seats--not many mid-level luxury brands offer this until you pass the $55k price point.

Safety
5 out of 5 stars
Technology
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Interior
5 out of 5 stars
Comfort
5 out of 5 stars
Reliability
5 out of 5 stars
Value
5 out of 5 stars
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