Compare the2025 Honda CivicVS 2025 Subaru Legacy

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Recommendations

Safety

© 1999 - 2024Advanta-STAR Automotive Research, all rights reserved. This vehicle comparison and all of the content in it are provided only by license from Advanta-STAR Automotive Research Corporation of America (“Advanta-STAR”). If you are not a legally licensed user of this vehicle comparison, it is against federal law to access it, copy it, forward it, or use it in any manner whatsoever. Any unauthorized use of this vehicle comparison is a violation of U.S. and international law and is punishable criminally and civilly. Removal of this watermark/notification without prior written license and approval received from Advanta-STAR is an agreement, understanding, and/or stipulation by the person(s), entities, agents, attorneys, and any other persons involved in the removal of this watermark/notification (including but not limited to Search Optics, LLC and any and all parent entities, sister entities, and subsidiary entities of Search Optics, LLC and/or any other entity, agent, attorney, and persons related in any manner to Search Optics, LLC) to: 1) an agreed upon amount of liquidated monetary damages of a minimum of $1,250,000.00 US Dollars in favor of Advanta-STAR; 2) the jurisdiction and enforcement of any legal claims associated with this matter asserted by Advanta-STAR in the United States Federal District Court in Portand, Oregon; and 3) service of process of any legal claims asserted by Advanta-STAR associated with this matter may be accomplished by First-Class Postage by the United States Postal Service or comparable service. XPYNN-M34HG 2a06:98c0:3600::103 2024/11/21

The Honda Civic 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.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the Civic deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The Civic’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Legacy’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

The Civic Sport Touring Hybrid has standard 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.

Compared to metal, the Civic’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 Civic 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, available blind spot warning systems 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 Honda Civic is safer than the Subaru Legacy:

	Civic	Legacy
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Stress	241 lbs.	281 lbs.
Neck Compression	23 lbs.	57 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	25%	43%

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

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH moderate front offset crash tests on new cars. In this updated test, results indicate that the Civic is safer than the Legacy:

	Civic	Legacy
Overall Evaluation	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Chest Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Thigh/hip Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Leg/foot Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Restraints	GOOD	GOOD
	Rear Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Chest Rating	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Thigh Rating	GOOD	GOOD

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 Honda Civic is safer than the Subaru Legacy:

	Civic	Legacy
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.7 inches	.7 inches
Hip Force	286 lbs.	335 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	516 lbs.	581 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	14 inches

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

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 Honda Civic Sedan is safer than the Legacy:

	Civic	Legacy
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Structure	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Neck Compression	67 lbs.	223 lbs.
Torso	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE
Torso Max Deflection	1.38 in	1.42 in
Torso Deflection Rate	8 MPH	10 MPH
Pelvis	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Neck Compression	67 lbs.	178 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Shoulder Force	357 lbs.	402 lbs.
Torso Deflection Rate	5 MPH	7 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	MARGINAL
Pelvis Force	825 lbs.	1227 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

The Honda Civic has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2024 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned an “Acceptable” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and an “Acceptable” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The Legacy was last only a “Top Safety Pick” in 2023 but no longer qualifies.

Warranty

There are over 67 percent more Honda dealers than there are Subaru dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Civic’s warranty.

Reliability

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 Civic’s reliability 13 points higher than the Legacy.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than Subaru vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda above average in initial quality. With 2 more problems per 100 vehicles, Subaru is rated lower.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Subaru vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Honda 1 place higher in reliability than Subaru.

Engine

The Civic Hybrid’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 18 more horsepower (200 vs. 182) and 56 lbs.-ft. more torque (232 vs. 176) than the Legacy 2.5i’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Civic Hybrid 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid is faster than the Legacy 2.5i 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder:

	Civic	Legacy
Zero to 30 MPH	2.4 sec	3 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	6.1 sec	8.3 sec
Zero to 80 MPH	10.5 sec	13.9 sec
Passing 45 to 65 MPH	3.1 sec	4.2 sec
Quarter Mile	14.8 sec	16.4 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	93.1 MPH	86.7 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Civic Sedan gets better mileage than the Legacy:

			MPG
Civic Sedan
	FWD	2.0 4-cyl. Hybrid	50 city/47 hwy
		LX 2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	32 city/41 hwy
		Sport 2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	31 city/39 hwy
Legacy
	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 Civic Hatchback gets better mileage than the Legacy:

			MPG
Civic Hatchback
	FWD	2.0 4-cyl. Hybrid	50 city/45 hwy
		2.0 DOHC 4-cyl.	30 city/38 hwy
Legacy
	AWD	2.5 DOHC flat-4	27 city/35 hwy
		2.4 turbo flat-4	23 city/31 hwy

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

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Honda Civic uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Legacy Sport/XT requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Civic 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.

Brakes and Stopping

The Civic stops much shorter than the Legacy:

	Civic	Legacy
70 to 0 MPH	170 feet	185 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	119 feet	128 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	137 feet	141 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Civic Sport/Touring’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Legacy (235/40R18 vs. 225/55R17).

The Civic Sport/Touring’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Legacy Sport/Limited/Touring’s 50 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The Civic 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 Civic Sport Sedan handles at .87 G’s, while the Legacy Sport pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Civic Sport Touring Hybrid Sedan executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.2 seconds quicker than the Legacy Sport (27.1 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 28.3 seconds @ .59 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Civic LX/Sport Hybrid’s turning circle is .7 feet tighter than the Legacy’s (36.1 feet vs. 36.8 feet).

Chassis

The Honda Civic may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 500 to 600 pounds less than the Subaru Legacy.

The Civic Sedan is 1 foot shorter than the Legacy, making the Civic easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

To almost totally eliminate engine vibration in the passenger area, the Civic has a liquid-filled front engine mount. The liquid helps further dampen engine harshness. The Legacy uses conventional solid rubber engine mounts.

The Civic Hybrid uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Legacy doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Ergonomics

On a hot day the Civic’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 Civic has a standard Pushbutton Start that allows you to start the engine without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Keyless Entry and Start costs extra on the Legacy and isn’t available on the Legacy Base.

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

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

Model Availability

The Honda Civic comes in sedan and four door hatchback bodystyles; the Subaru Legacy isn’t available as a four door hatchback.

Recommendations

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

The Civic was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2024 and 9 more times in the last 40 years. The Legacy has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue.

The Honda Civic outsold the Subaru Legacy by almost 8 to one during 2023.