Compare the2024 Volvo S60VS 2024 Subaru Legacy

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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The S60’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Legacy doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the S60 and Legacy have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The S60 Plus/Ultimate has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Legacy’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The S60 has standard Post-impact braking, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Legacy doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

The S60 offers an optional 360° Camera 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 S60 has a standard blind spot warning system that 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 S60 has standard Cross Traffic Alert and Braking Intervention automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Subaru charges extra for Rear Cross Traffic Alert on the Legacy and its not available on the Base and the Legacy’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert does not include automatic braking.

Compared to metal, the S60’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 S60 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, 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 Volvo S60 is safer than the Subaru Legacy:

	S60	Legacy
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	25.7%	26%
Neck Stress	189 lbs.	281 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	30%	43%
Neck Stress	146 lbs.	147 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 Volvo S60 is safer than the Subaru Legacy:

	S60	Legacy
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Abdominal Force	194 lbs.	216 lbs.
Hip Force	212 lbs.	335 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	50 G’s	62 G’s
Hip Force	575 lbs.	581 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	14 inches
Spine Acceleration	29 G’s	38 G’s
Hip Force	490 lbs.	681 lbs.

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

Warranty

The S60 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.

The S60’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Legacy’s (12 vs. 5 years).

Volvo pays for scheduled maintenance on the S60 for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Volvo will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Subaru doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Legacy.

Reliability

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the S60 has a standard 210-amp alternator. The Legacy’s standard 150-amp alternator and largest (XT) 190-amp alternator aren’t as powerful.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the S60 has a standard 800-amp battery. The Legacy’s 620-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

The battery on the S60 is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the S60’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Legacy’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

Engine

The S60 B5’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 65 more horsepower (247 vs. 182) and 82 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. 176) than the Legacy 2.5i’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder. The S60 T8’s standard 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder hybrid produces 195 more horsepower (455 vs. 260) and 246 lbs.-ft. more torque (523 vs. 277) than the Legacy Sport/XT’s standard 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the S60 B5 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Legacy 2.5i 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder:

	S60	Legacy
Zero to 30 MPH	2.3 sec	3 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	6.1 sec	8 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	15.2 sec	22 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	7 sec	8.6 sec
Passing 30 to 50 MPH	3.5 sec	4.5 sec
Passing 50 to 70 MPH	4.7 sec	5.8 sec
Quarter Mile	14.6 sec	16.2 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	98 MPH	88 MPH
Top Speed	131 MPH	130 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the S60 running on electricity gets better mileage than the Legacy:

			MPGe
S60
	AWD	T8 Electric Motor	74 city/73 hwy
Legacy
			MPG
	AWD	2.5 DOHC flat-4	27 city/35 hwy
		2.4 turbo flat-4	23 city/31 hwy

On the EPA test cycle the S60 running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the Legacy:

			MPG
S60
	FWD	B5 2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	26 city/35 hwy
	AWD	B5 2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	25 city/33 hwy
		T8 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cyl. Hybrid	28 city/33 hwy
Legacy
	AWD	2.4 turbo flat-4	23 city/31 hwy

The S60 T8 can travel with zero emissions for 41 miles. The Legacy can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the S60’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Legacy doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The S60 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.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Volvo S60 higher (5 to 7 out of 10) than the Subaru Legacy (3 to 7). This means the S60 produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Legacy every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the S60’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Legacy:

	S60	Legacy
Front Rotors	13.6 inches	12.4 inches
Rear Rotors	12.6 inches	11.8 inches

The S60 stops much shorter than the Legacy:

	S60	Legacy
70 to 0 MPH	166 feet	174 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	114 feet	128 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the S60 has larger tires than the Legacy (235/45R18 vs. 225/55R17).

The S60’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 S60’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Legacy Sport/Limited/Touring’s 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the S60 has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Legacy Base/Premium. The S60’s optional 19-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels on the Legacy Sport/Limited/Touring.

Suspension and Handling

The S60 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 S60’s wheelbase is 4.8 inches longer than on the Legacy (113.1 inches vs. 108.3 inches).

The S60 Plus AWD 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 S60 AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.9 seconds quicker than the Legacy Sport (25.4 seconds @ .75 average G’s vs. 28.3 seconds @ .59 average G’s).

Chassis

The S60 is 3.7 inches shorter than the Legacy, making the S60 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

As tested by Car and Driver while under full throttle, the interior of the S60 Core is quieter than the Legacy Sport (75 vs. 76 dB).

Cargo Capacity

Pressing a button automatically lowers the S60’s optional rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Legacy doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

With its sedan body style, valet key, locking rear seatbacks and remote trunk release lockout, the S60 offers cargo security. The Legacy’s non-lockable folding seat and non-lockable remote release defeat cargo security.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the S60’s power trunk can be opened or closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Legacy doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening trunk.

Towing

The S60 has a 2000 lbs. towing capacity. The Legacy has no towing capacity.

Optional Trailer Stability Assist on the S60 uses the Dynamic Stability and Traction Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Legacy doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Servicing Ease

The S60 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

Unlike the driver-only memory seat and mirrors in the Legacy Limited/Touring, the S60 Ultimate/Polestar has a passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The S60 Ultimate has a standard heads-up display that projects speed 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 S60 and the Legacy have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the S60 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.

The S60’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 Legacy’s standard rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

If the windows are left open on the S60 the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower 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 S60’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.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are optional on the S60 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Legacy doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

Consumer Reports rated the S60’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the Legacy’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The S60 offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Legacy doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The S60’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 S60 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 S60 and the Legacy offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the S60 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.

The S60 Plus/Ultimate/Polestar’s Park Assist Pilot can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Legacy doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Model Availability

The S60 is available in both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive configurations. The Legacy doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the S60 is less expensive to operate than the Legacy because it costs $282 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost less on the S60 than the Legacy, including $104 less for front struts and $127 less for a timing belt/chain.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Volvo S60 and the Subaru Legacy, based on reliability, safety and performance.