Compare the2023 Subaru LegacyVS 2022 Acura ILX

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Subaru Legacy have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Acura ILX doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Legacy are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The ILX doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Subaru Legacy has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The ILX doesn’t offer knee airbags.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Legacy Sport/Limited/Touring has standard Reverse Automatic Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The ILX doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Legacy has all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The ILX doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The Legacy’s optional driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The ILX doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Legacy and the ILX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Subaru Legacy is safer than the Acura ILX:

	Legacy	ILX
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	158	227
Neck Injury Risk	26%	26%
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Stress	147 lbs.	166 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	161/137 lbs.	768/623 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Subaru Legacy is safer than the Acura ILX:

	Legacy	ILX
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	50	234
Chest Movement	.7 inches	.9 inches
Hip Force	335 lbs.	487 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	220	324
Spine Acceleration	62 G’s	64 G’s
Hip Force	581 lbs.	699 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	104	299
Spine Acceleration	38 G’s	56 G’s
Hip Force	681 lbs.	945 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, and daytime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Legacy the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 53 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The ILX last would have qualified as a “Top Safety Pick” in 2017.

Warranty

There are over 2 times as many Subaru dealers as there are Acura dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Legacy’s warranty.

Reliability

The ILX’s redline is at 7200 RPM, which causes more engine wear, and a greater chance of a catastrophic engine failure. The Legacy has a 6000 RPM redline.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Subaru vehicles are better in initial quality than Acura vehicles. With 1 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Subaru higher than Acura.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Acura With 18 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Subaru higher than Acura.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Acura vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Subaru 1 place higher in reliability than Acura.

Engine

The Legacy Sport/XT’s standard 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder produces 59 more horsepower (260 vs. 201) and 97 lbs.-ft. more torque (277 vs. 180) than the ILX’s 2.4 DOHC 4-cylinder.

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Legacy lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability (That’s why Porsche uses boxer engines.). The ILX doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Legacy 2.5i gets better fuel mileage than the ILX (27 city/35 hwy vs. 24 city/34 hwy).

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Legacy’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The ILX doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Subaru Legacy uses regular unleaded gasoline. The ILX requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Legacy has 5.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the ILX (18.5 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Transmission

The Legacy has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The ILX doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

The Legacy’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the ILX are solid, not vented.

The Legacy stops much shorter than the ILX:

	Legacy	ILX
70 to 0 MPH	174 feet	184 feet	Car and Driver

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Legacy has larger tires than the ILX (225/55R17 vs. 215/45R17).

The Legacy has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the ILX; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Legacy’s wheelbase is 3.2 inches longer than on the ILX (108.3 inches vs. 105.1 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Legacy is 2.8 inches wider in the front and 3.2 inches wider in the rear than on the ILX.

The Legacy’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (58% to 42%) than the ILX’s (63% to 37%). This gives the Legacy more stable handling and braking.

The Legacy Sport handles at .84 G’s, while the ILX A-SPEC pulls only .83 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

Chassis

The front grille of the Legacy 2.5i uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The ILX doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Legacy a Large car, while the ILX is rated a Compact.

The Legacy has 16.2 cubic feet more passenger volume than the ILX (105.5 vs. 89.3).

The Legacy has 1.4 inches more front headroom, .5 inches more front legroom, 5.2 inches more front hip room, 2.5 inches more front shoulder room, 1.3 inches more rear headroom, 5.5 inches more rear legroom, 3.1 inches more rear hip room and 3.8 inches more rear shoulder room than the ILX.

Cargo Capacity

The Legacy has a much larger trunk than the ILX (15.1 vs. 12.4 cubic feet).

A low lift-over trunk design makes loading and unloading the Legacy easier. The Legacy’s trunk lift-over height is 26.8 inches, while the ILX’s liftover is 28.7 inches.

To allow full utilization of available cargo room, the Legacy’s trunk lid uses concealed beam hinges that don’t intrude into the trunk. The ILX’s useful trunk space is reduced by its intrusive beam hinge.

The Legacy’s standard folding rear seats are split to accommodate bulky cargo. The ILX’s standard single piece folding rear seat is not as flexible; long cargo and a passenger can’t share the rear seat.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Legacy is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the ILX. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

The Legacy’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The ILX has a lever-type parking brake that has to be strenuously raised to engage properly. It has to be lifted up more and a button depressed to release it.

The Legacy Limited/Touring’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The ILX’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Legacy’s available exterior PIN entry system (not available on Legacy Base). The ILX doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its extra cost AcuraLink can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Legacy’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the ILX’s headlights are rated “Poor.”

While driving with high beams on, sensitive light sensors standard on the Legacy detect other vehicles which could be blinded and automatically switch to low beams. The ILX doesn’t offer automatic dimming high beams.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Legacy has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The ILX doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Legacy’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The ILX offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Both the Legacy and the ILX offer available heated front seats. The Legacy Limited/Touring also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the ILX.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Legacy Touring XT keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The ILX doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

On extremely cold winter days, the Legacy’s optional (except Base/Premium/Sport) heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the car heater warms up. The ILX doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

Both the Legacy and the ILX offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Legacy Premium/Sport/Limited/Touring has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The ILX doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Subaru Legacy (except Base) offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The ILX doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Legacy owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Legacy will cost $960 less than the ILX over a five-year period.

The Legacy will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Legacy will retain 49.53% to 51.53% of its original price after five years, while the ILX only retains 44.39% to 46.52%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Legacy is less expensive to operate than the ILX because typical repairs cost much less on the Legacy than the ILX, including $95 less for a muffler, $166 less for a starter, $283 less for fuel injection, $114 less for a fuel pump, $19 less for front struts and $439 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Subaru Legacy will be $518 to $6037 less than for the Acura ILX.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Subaru Legacy, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Subaru Legacy outsold the Acura ILX by almost four to one during 2022.