2022 Subaru Legacy vs. Subaru Impreza: What’s the Difference?

If you’re in the market for a new car, the 2022 Subaru Legacy and the 2022 Subaru Impreza are both strong contenders. Below, you can review their key differences to help you decide which is right for your next vehicle purchase.

Gas Mileage

Both the 2022 Subaru Legacy and the 2022 Subaru Impreza have great gas mileage. With the Legacy, you get up to 35 mpg if you stick to highway-only driving. If you find yourself primarily on back roads and city streets, you can still achieve an impressive 27 mpg. These two figures amount to a combined fuel efficiency of 30 mpg.

As fuel efficient as the Legacy is, the Impreza performs even better. You can get up to 36 mpg with highway-only driving and up to 28 mpg of city driving. This equates to a combined fuel efficiency of 31 mpg. With either vehicle, you’ll likely notice significant savings when it comes to gas money and the time you spend at the pump.

Handling

Both the Legacy and the Impreza offer comfortable handling that makes for smooth rides. The superior handling is largely thanks to Subaru’s inclusion of a boxer or flat-four engine on both of these vehicles. The design features two sets of cylinders that sit in horizontal pairs rather than four upright cylinders in a single progression. This design choice grants both vehicles a low center of gravity and greater stability, meaning that you can drive either with confidence. They can both handle tighter turns on winding roads, so you don’t have to worry about your vehicle swaying.

Performance & Engines

When it comes to performance, the Legacy and the Impreza pack quite the punch, even though they aren’t the largest vehicles on the market. The Legacy has a base 2.5-liter flat-four engine that offers 182 horsepower and 176 lb-ft of torque. If you get one of the two highest trim levels of the Legacy, you have the option of a 2.4-liter flat-four turbocharged engine that provides up to 260 horsepower. This extra power can help you achieve higher speeds faster and get where you need to go, all while still providing decent fuel economy.

The Impreza comes with a 2.0-liter flat-four engine that provides 152 horsepower and 145 lb-ft of torque. While it’s less powerful than the Legacy’s engine, it still offers great performance for its size, and it’s more than enough to get you where you need to go.

The Impreza is unique in that it comes with a five-speed manual transmission in its base model. While this inclusion of a manual transmission is becoming less common in modern vehicles, the manual transmission is beneficial to drivers who are looking for more control over their driving experience. If you’re hesitant to buy a vehicle with a manual transmission, you can opt for a version of the Impreza with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) for a slightly higher price.

The Legacy is a bit more standard in the sense that its base version comes with a CVT without the buyer having to pay a higher fee upfront. Both the Legacy and the Impreza come with all-wheel drive, which offers both vehicles greater grip on the road. You can drive on icy roads with more confidence that your vehicle won’t slide off track.

Cargo Space

The Impreza and the Legacy aren’t necessarily built for long road trips, but they still provide ample space for you to transport what you need for camping trips or other short adventures. In the Impreza, you can access up to 55 cubic feet of space when you fold down the back seats, and the trunk is 12.3 cubic feet in size. In the Legacy, you can get a similar amount of cargo space when you fold down the back seats, but the trunk is slightly bigger with 15.1 cubic feet available.

It’s easy to read about the cargo space, but you may have a hard time visualizing the available space without seeing the vehicles for yourself. If you’re ready to explore the Legacy’s and the Impreza’s cargo space and other selling points, you can stop by our dealership in Corinth. We have Legacy and Impreza models sitting in our new inventory, all ready for you to test-drive and purchase. If another new Subaru vehicle catches your eye, we can readily assist with that purchase as well.

Entertainment Features

Both the Legacy and the Impreza provide great entertainment features. In the base version of the Legacy, you’ll find the EyeSight array package that comes with various driver safety features like adaptive cruise control and forward-collision warning with automatic emergency braking. The Legacy also offers entertainment features like Android Auto and Apple CarPlay integration, satellite radio, and two 7-inch screens that display navigation maps and music selections. If you get the next trim level up, you can opt for a bigger infotainment screen.

Inside the Impreza, you’ll find similar entertainment features. For instance, you can hook up any Android or Apple device thanks to the integration technology that’s present. There’s also a 6.5-inch infotainment screen, satellite radio, a six-speaker audio system, and two USB ports for backseat passengers to use.

Style

One of the major differences between the Subaru Legacy and the Subaru Impreza is their styles. The Legacy is a spacious midsize sedan. On the other hand, the Impreza is a compact hatchback, but it also has the sedan option. Note that if you get the sedan version of the Impreza, it will be smaller than the Legacy. However, that’s not to say that the Impreza is holding back. It’s still a comfortable vehicle that you can use to commute or embark on other adventures you’ve planned.

After reviewing the differences between the 2022 Legacy and Impreza, you may feel more confident in which vehicle’s right for you. If you’re ready to see one of these vehicles for yourself in person, feel free to visit our dealership at Huffines Subaru Corinth. We’ll have one of our team members meet with you to discuss vehicle specifications and benefits. You can even take both vehicles for a test drive so that you can get a feel for how they drive and how they may fit with your lifestyle.

Photo by Jakob Rosen on Unsplash