Compare the2023 Acura IntegraVS 2023 Subaru Legacy

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

The Integra A-Spec offers optional Parking Sensors to help warn the driver about vehicles, pedestrians or other obstacles behind or in front of their vehicle. The Legacy doesn’t offer a front parking aid.

The Integra has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Legacy’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Integra has standard Rear Cross Traffic Monitor, helping the driver avoid collisions. Subaru charges extra for rear cross-path warning on the Legacy and its not available on the Base.

Compared to metal, the Integra’s plastic fuel tank can withstand harder, more intrusive impacts without leaking; this decreases the possibility of fire. The Subaru Legacy has a metal gas tank.

Both the Integra and the Legacy have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, 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 and rearview cameras.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Acura Integra is safer than the Legacy:

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Integra its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 29 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Legacy is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2023.

The Integra comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Legacy’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

Acura’s powertrain warranty covers the Integra 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Subaru covers the Legacy. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Legacy ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

Acura pays for scheduled maintenance on the Integra for 2 years and 24,000 miles. Acura will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Subaru doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Legacy.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Integra’s reliability 20 points higher than the Legacy.

The Integra’s 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 18 more horsepower (200 vs. 182) and 16 lbs.-ft. more torque (192 vs. 176) than the Legacy 2.5i’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Acura Integra is faster than the Legacy 2.5i 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder:

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

The Integra has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Legacy doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Acura Integra higher (6 to 7 out of 10) than the Subaru Legacy (3 to 7). This means the Integra produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Legacy every 15,000 miles.

The Integra stops shorter than the Legacy:

For better traction, the Integra A-Spec’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Legacy (235/40R18 vs. 225/55R17).

The Integra’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Legacy Base/Premium’s standard 55 series tires. The Integra A-Spec’s tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Legacy Sport/Limited/Touring’s 50 series tires.

The Integra has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Legacy doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Integra offers an optional driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads. The Legacy’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The Integra has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Legacy doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The Integra A-Spec Technology handles at .87 G’s, while the Legacy Touring XT pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Integra A-Spec Technology executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.1 seconds quicker than the Legacy Sport (27.2 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 28.3 seconds @ .59 average G’s).

The Acura Integra may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 400 to 650 pounds less than the Subaru Legacy.

The Integra is 5.3 inches shorter than the Legacy, making the Integra easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Acura service is better than Subaru. J.D. Power ranks Acura 6th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 19% lower rating, Subaru is ranked 16th.

The Integra’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Legacy doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Integra A-Spec with Technology Package has a standard heads-up display that projects speed and warning readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Legacy doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

On a hot day the Integra’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance with the keyless remote or at the outside door handle. The driver of the Legacy can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Integra’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Legacy’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted. The Integra A-Spec’s optional wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield.

Consumer Reports rated the Integra’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the Legacy’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

The Integra’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Subaru only offers heated mirrors on the Legacy Premium/Sport/Limited/Touring.

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

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Integra as the 2023 North American Car of the Year. The Legacy has never been chosen.