Compare the2023 Subaru LegacyVS 2023 Kia Stinger

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Chassis
Passenger Space
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 Kia Stinger doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

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 Stinger doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Legacy. But it costs extra on the Stinger.

Both the Legacy and the Stinger have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee 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, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

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 Kia Stinger:

	Legacy	Stinger
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	158	161
Neck Compression	57 lbs.	62 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.9 inches
Neck Stress	147 lbs.	173 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 Kia Stinger:

	Legacy	Stinger
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	50	119
Chest Movement	.7 inches	1.1 inches
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	220	263
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	104	310
Hip Force	681 lbs.	752 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 Stinger has not been fully tested, yet.

Warranty

The Legacy’s 5 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the Stinger runs out after 100,000 miles.

Reliability

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Kia vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Subaru 2 places higher in reliability than Kia.

Engine

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 Stinger doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Legacy gets better mileage than the Stinger:

			MPG
Legacy
	AWD	2.5 DOHC flat-4	27 city/35 hwy
		2.4 turbo flat-4	23 city/31 hwy
Stinger
	RWD	2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/32 hwy
		3.3 turbo V6	18 city/25 hwy
	AWD	2.5 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/29 hwy
		3.3 turbo V6	17 city/24 hwy

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

The Legacy has 2.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the Stinger (18.5 vs. 15.9 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 Stinger 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 standard on the Stinger GT-Line are solid, not vented.

Chassis

The Subaru Legacy may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 to 400 pounds less than the Kia Stinger.

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 Stinger doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Legacy Sport is quieter than the Stinger GT2:

	Legacy	Stinger
Full-Throttle	76 dB	84 dB
70 MPH Cruising	68 dB	71 dB

Passenger Space

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Legacy a Large car, while the Stinger is rated a Mid-size.

The Legacy has 11.7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Stinger (105.5 vs. 93.8).

The Legacy has 1.1 inches more front headroom, .2 inches more front legroom, 1.7 inches more front shoulder room, .2 inches more rear headroom, 3.1 inches more rear legroom and 2.6 inches more rear shoulder room than the Stinger.

The front step up height for the Legacy is 2 inches lower than the Stinger (13.5” vs. 15.5”). The Legacy’s rear step up height is 1 inches lower than the Stinger’s (14” vs. 15”).

Ergonomics

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 Stinger’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 Stinger doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Legacy owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Legacy will cost $2900 to $11335 less than the Stinger 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 Stinger only retains 43.02% to 43.71%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Subaru Legacy will be $20254 to $34142 less than for the Kia Stinger.

Recommendations

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

The Subaru Legacy outsold the Kia Stinger by almost three to one during 2022.