2011 Subaru Legacy vs. Its Competition

Bengt Halvorson Senior Editor

Subaru has targeted the Mazda6, Altima, and Volkswagen Passat as the new Legacy's primary rivals—though the Passat is bowing out for 2011, to be replaced by a larger, more Americanized (and American-built) version for 2012.

Both the Mazda6 and Altima have a little more personality and more driving enjoyment than some of the other mid-size rivals like the Camry or Malibu.

With the CVT, the base 2.5i model gets better fuel economy with all-wheel drive than front-wheel-drive competitors.

TheCarConnection.com loves the new Mazda6's roomy interior and agile handling, but its interior isn't as well executed as in the Legacy; the same is true of the Fusion, though this Ford is an especially nice handler.

The Nissan Altima also has a smaller backseat; it has a sporty feel and handles well, but it's only offered with front-wheel drive.

Its interior is also somewhat drab on base models.

The Honda Accord is a paragon of mid-size sedan refinement, with a beautiful interior and responsive and fuel-efficient powertrains, but like most of these mid-size sedans, it's not offered with all-wheel drive.

The Camry retains one of the roomiest interiors, but it's not especially entertaining to drive and its interior materials are a step below those in most of these other models.