If a comfortable family car with all-wheel drive is on your shopping list, the 2022 Subaru Legacy and the 2022 Subaru Impreza have you covered. Here’s how they compare.
2022 Subaru Legacy
2022 Subaru Legacy Starting Price $23,955 | Price yours or View listings near you
Above Average: Standard all-wheel-drive; affordable; great safety scores; turbocharged engine in higher trims.
Below Average: CVT transmission is the only option; understated styling.
Consensus: For 2022 Subaru now offers more standard equipment on the lower trims of the Legacy and since it’s an eminently sensible midsize sedan, it offers plenty of practicality.
2022 Subaru Impreza
2022 Subaru Impreza Starting Price: $18,795 | Price yours or View listings near you
Above Average: All-wheel drive standard; affordable; strong resale value; comes as sedan or hatchback; driver’s aids are standard with automatic transmission.
Below Average: Modest power; no hybrid; no driver’s aids with the manual transmission; dated styling.
Consensus: The 2022 Subaru Impreza is available as a sedan or hatchback and comes with all-wheel drive as standard. It’s the most affordable Subaru and the cheapest sedan with all-wheel drive. It is getting a bit old, however. The Impreza hasn’t been updated since 2017.
Legacy vs. Impreza: Sedans of a Certain Size
Subaru Legacy
The Subaru Legacy is a popular midsize sedan from Subaru, that offers all-wheel drive as standard, plenty of safety features, and solid resale values. It gets a turbocharged engine (that we really like) in the XT trim, and optional Nappa leather upholstery too. Overall, we think that the Legacy is a safe choice for families and college students, though its styling is rather understated.
The newest generation debuted in 2020 with a stiffer body and tauter suspension. It comes standard with Subaru’s EyeSight suite of safety features, which includes forward-collision warning with automatic emergency braking (which we kind of expect in new cars these days), and adaptive cruise control with stop/go as well as a lane-centering function.
Our biggest complaint about the Legacy is its CVT transmission. While the vehicle is quiet on the road, the transmission leaves something to be desired even though it does simulate an 8-speed automatic. You also get active torque vectoring on the Legacy which allows the outside wheels to spin slightly faster than the inside ones on a fast turn. It makes the Legacy a bit more fun to drive on the road.
In every new Legacy except the base model, the infotainment touchscreen measures 11.6 inches on the diagonal and is oriented vertically, which seems to be a bit of a trend. It certainly adds something of an upscale vibe to the Legacy’s already pleasant cabin.
Subaru Impreza
While the Impreza is one of the few cars that offers all-wheel drive as standard, the vehicle is aging and due for an update. The only real alternative with AWD is the Mazda3.
Engine output of 152 horsepower, combined with the added weight of all-wheel-drive hardware and the slow responses of that humblest of transmissions — the continuously variable transmission, or CVT — all conspire to keep the 2022 Impreza from quickening your pulse.
While we love the standard all-wheel drive, if you need more than just 5.1 inches of ground clearance, you’ll need to opt for something else, such as the Subaru Crosstrek, which is based on the Impreza 5-door.
Materials inside are of decent quality and the occupant space is ample in both body styles. For maximum versatility, we’d choose the hatchback, which has a bit more rear headroom. Moreover, the 5-door hatchback boasts nearly 21 cubic feet of cargo space behind the 60/40 split-folding rear seats, with 55 cubic feet in total. The sedan’s trunk measures 12.3 cubic feet and also is practical thanks to 60/40 rear seats.
The top-line Limited trim (which we prefer) comes in hatchback only this year.
Similarities
Affordable pricing; seating for five; CVT transmissions; all-wheel drive standard; NHTSA 5-star safety.
2022 Subaru Legacy Advantages
Quiet and comfortable cabin; nice interior; more horsepower; optional turbocharged engine.
2022 Subaru Impreza Advantages
Hatchback or sedan body styles; optional manual transmission.
Which is Right for Me?
The 2022 Subaru Legacy offers plenty of solid technology, safety, and comfort for an affordable price, and it comes in all-wheel drive as standard.
The 2022 Subaru Impreza is one of the few cars that offer all-wheel drive as standard and can be had in either a hatchback or sedan version.
Ready to buy a Subaru Legacy or Subaru Impreza? Shop for one on sale now near you
| 2022 Subaru Legacy | 2022 Subaru Impreza | |
| Popular Powertrains | ||
| Engine | 2.5-liter flat-4 | 2.0-liter flat-4 |
| Horsepower | 182 hp @ 5,800 rpm | 152 hp @ 6,000 rpm |
| Torque | 176 lb-ft @ 4,400 rpm | 145 lb-ft @ 4,000rpm |
| Transmission | CVT | CVT |
| Fuel Economy | 30 mpg (27 city/35 hwy) | 32 mpg (28 city/36 hwy) |
| Also Available | 2.4-liter turbo flat-4 | 5-speed manual |
| Specs | ||
| Basic warranty | 3 years/36,000 miles | |
| Powertrain Warranty | 5 years/60,000 miles | |
| NHTSA Overall Safety Rating | 5 stars | 5 stars |
| Max Seating Capacity | 5 | 5 |
| Wheelbase | 108.3 inches | 105.1 inches |
| Overall Length | 190.6 inches | 182.7 inches |
| Width | 72.4 inches | 70.0 inches |
| Height | 62.2 inches | 57.3 inches |
| Turning Diameter | 36.1 feet | 35.4 feet |
| Headroom, Front | 39.4 inches | 39.8 inches |
| Headroom, Rear | 37.3 inches | 37.2 inches |
| Legroom, Front | 42.8 inches | 43.1 inches |
| Legroom, Rear | 39.5 inches | 36.5 inches |
| Shoulder Room, Front | 58.1 inches | 56.7 inches |
| Shoulder Room, Rear | 57.4 inches | 55.6 inches |
| EPA Passenger Volume | 105.5 cubic feet | 99.8 cubic feet |
| EPA Cargo Volume | 15.1 cubic feet | 12.3 cubic feet |
Keyword: 2022 Subaru Legacy vs. 2022 Subaru Impreza Comparison