Compare the2023 Kia StingerVS 2023 Subaru Legacy

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Model Availability

Safety

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The Stinger GT2 has a standard Surround View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Legacy only offers a rear monitor and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the front or sides.

The Stinger 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 and moves the vehicle back into its lane. A system to reveal vehicles in the Legacy’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Stinger has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Rear cross-path warning costs extra on the Legacy and isn't available on the not available.

Compared to metal, the Stinger’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 Stinger and the Legacy have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front 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, rearview cameras and available all wheel drive.

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

	Stinger	Legacy
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	18.3%	26%
Neck Stress	137 lbs.	281 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	97/355 lbs.	230/249 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	220	241
Neck Injury Risk	36.6%	43%
Neck Compression	32 lbs.	51 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	53/25 lbs.	161/137 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 Kia Stinger is safer than the Subaru Legacy:

	Stinger	Legacy
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Abdominal Force	197 lbs.	216 lbs.
Hip Force	252 lbs.	335 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	62 G’s	62 G’s
Hip Force	571 lbs.	581 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	14 inches
Spine Acceleration	36 G’s	38 G’s

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

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Stinger is 1.4% less likely to roll over than the Legacy.

Warranty

The Stinger comes with a full 5-year/60,000-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 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the Stinger 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Subaru covers the Legacy. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Legacy ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

There are over 22 percent more Kia dealers than there are Subaru dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Stinger’s warranty.

Reliability

The battery on the Stinger is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the Stinger’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Legacy’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Subaru vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 35 more problems per 100 vehicles, Subaru is ranked 20th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Subaru vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 81 more problems per 100 vehicles, Subaru is ranked 22nd.

Engine

The Stinger GT-Line’s standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 118 more horsepower (300 vs. 182) and 135 lbs.-ft. more torque (311 vs. 176) than the Legacy 2.5i’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Stinger GT-Line’s 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 40 more horsepower (300 vs. 260) and 34 lbs.-ft. more torque (311 vs. 277) than the Legacy Sport/XT’s standard 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder. The Stinger GT2’s standard 3.3 turbo V6 produces 108 more horsepower (368 vs. 260) and 99 lbs.-ft. more torque (376 vs. 277) than the Legacy Sport/XT’s standard 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Kia Stinger is faster than the Subaru Legacy:

	Stinger GT-Line	Stinger GT2	Legacy 2.5i	Legacy Sport/XT
Zero to 60 MPH	5.7 sec	4.6 sec	8.3 sec	6.1 sec
Quarter Mile	14.1 sec	13.1 sec	16.4 sec	14.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	101.8 MPH	106.9 MPH	86.7 MPH	94.5 MPH

Transmission

The Stinger GT2’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s at 2250 in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Legacy doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Stinger’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Legacy:

	Stinger GT-Line	Stinger GT2	Legacy
Front Rotors	13.6 inches	13.8 inches	12.4 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	13.4 inches	11.8 inches

The Stinger stops much shorter than the Legacy:

	Stinger	Legacy
70 to 0 MPH	156 feet	174 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	104 feet	128 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

The Stinger GT-Line’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Legacy Base/Premium’s standard 55 series tires. The Stinger GT2’s 225/40R19 front and 255/35R19 rear tires have a lower 40 series front and 35 series rear profile than the Legacy Sport/Limited/Touring’s 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Stinger GT-Line has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Legacy Base/Premium. The Stinger GT2’s 19-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels on the Legacy Sport/Limited/Touring.

Suspension and Handling

The Stinger offers an available 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 Stinger 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.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Stinger’s wheelbase is 6.1 inches longer than on the Legacy (114.4 inches vs. 108.3 inches).

The Stinger’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (51.9% to 48.1%) than the Legacy’s (58% to 42%). This gives the Stinger more stable handling and braking.

The Stinger GT2 handles at .91 G’s, while the Legacy Touring XT pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Stinger executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 3.5 seconds quicker than the Legacy Sport (24.8 seconds @ .79 average G’s vs. 28.3 seconds @ .59 average G’s).

Chassis

As tested by Car and Driver while at idle, the interior of the Stinger is quieter than the Legacy Sport (37 vs. 40 dB).

Cargo Capacity

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Stinger GT2’s power liftgate can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Stinger’s power liftgate can also be opened or closed by pressing a button. The Legacy doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening trunk.

Servicing Ease

The Stinger uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Legacy uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Ergonomics

The Stinger GT2’s standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Legacy doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Stinger GT2 has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, warning and navigation instruction 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.

The power windows standard on both the Stinger and the Legacy have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Stinger is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Legacy prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

On a hot day the Stinger’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Legacy can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Stinger’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Legacy’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Stinger’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.

The Stinger has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the Legacy Premium/Sport/Limited/Touring.

Both the Stinger and the Legacy offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Stinger has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Legacy 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 Kia Stinger has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Legacy and isn’t available on the Legacy Base.

Model Availability

The Stinger is available in both rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive configurations. The Legacy doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.