Crash Test Rating
Source   NHTSA
MPG (up to)
20 -26 City / 29 -36 HWY
Horsepower
175 -256
Seats
5
Front passenger 3/4 w/ wheels turned.

Positive Owner Reviews

accountCircle mary D
It has high safety ratings.
Great safety features. Attractive styling and good gas mileage. It had lower purchase price than comparable models.
accountCircle Devon M
Great car no issues at 60k.
First issue was recently with the passenger window got stuck. Extended warranty covered it. No other issues in the years I have had it. Decent in snow which is nice because I have to go to work even if there’s bad storms. Love the lane assist and how it beeps if I am too close to anything. Overall very satisfied with it. My first Subaru but it would not be my last!
accountCircle LORI M
This is the third legacy I have leased and is so far the most favorite .
Very comfortable ride. Quiet. Dependable. Love the blind spot detection. Gas efficient. Love in dash n as vision heated seats dual temperature control
accountCircle Kelly C
Smooth, comfortable, safe, nice.
It is safe I love the back camera feature or the alert sound when someone is close to you if you want to get over to the other line but you cannot see if a car is there. The performance is awesome. It drives so smooth. I feel very safe in my car. There is a lot of room. I know it gets annoying at times but I do like the alert of safety seat belt. Both driver and passenger.
accountCircle Janeen S
Amazing car and incredible handling.
It is an awesome car. It handles the NY winters great and the best handling ever. Very reliable and dependable. There are reasonably priced but the best construction of any vehicle I have ever owned. Great value for the price. Love that the brand is eco friendly and donates to protect dogs.
accountCircle Cooper A
The car alerts me to any upkeep issues immediately.
I love my Subaru. I have honestly had no issues with my car whatsoever. The amazing thing about Subaru are al the amazing dealerships/ maintenance service locations. The people that work for Subaru are incredibly helpful and kind they will work hard to make sure you are happy with your car and offer you support and information. They always fix everything when they see an issue in an incredibly timely manner. Honestly Subaru is perfect for everyone, the environment, and your wallet.
accountCircle Savanna B
Best Subaru model is the 2016 Legacy.
I love my Legacy. Heated seats with a backup camera, let’s me know how many miles I have until to get gas. Gets great gas mileage and drives incredibly in both the city and on the highway. Subaru is also always there when I need them to be. Great customer service.
accountCircle Mindy C
The legacy is a great car. There’s a ton of room, but it is also great on gas.
It has a smooth drive. The car is great on gas and is really cheap to fill up. It has nice features such as heated seats and a good computer screen. The seats are very comfortable.

Negative Owner Reviews

accountCircle Devon M
Subaru legacy- not budget friendly.
As a first time car buyer, this car is not one I would recommend. Having friends and family who have the other Subaru models and loving them I decided to get one for myself. I have had nothing but problems and dumping money into this car. It may be just a bad one out of the batch, but I would not recommend to a friend.
accountCircle Gerard W
It is a 16 gallon tank with good mileage.
The vehicle is super reliable. Good gas mileage and is very safe. I have not had any major issues with it outside of regular oil changes. Subaru’s are really reliable in regards to getting around town. It is white and has basic interior, but it is a car that I would upgrade in the future.
accountCircle Mary M
Reliable but lacks comfort and convenience.
Car has been reliable and performs good in snow. Hate trunk does not pop open and has to be manually lifted. Very inconvenient when items in hand. Opening to trunk is small making it hard to fit larger items in trunk. Seats are hard and uncomfortable.
accountCircle Tor E
Very good for new drivers.
It is a reliable car. Good I am the snow. Has a lot of trunk space, fits golf clubs and pull cart. It is comfortable but sits low. Tech is not up to date but it is an older car. Bluetooth works well and does not drop calls. Heated seats are very nice. I would recommend this car to new drivers.
accountCircle Hullam T
A full tank of gas will last about a week, depending on how much driving that is done.
Has good features. Good on gas. Nice amount of space for passengers. Do not like the automatic/manual combination transmission.
accountCircle Elizabeth O
My Subaru legacy 2016 and me.
I really like that my car has good traction when I need it, but I can also turn it off when I want to have fun. I would say the only downside is the speakers, they are not as loud as I like, even when turned all the way up. My Subaru legacy 2016 also gets amazing gas mileage, which is good as I go to a university that is far from home, so my trips back can be more frequent.
accountCircle James B
Good car but could get better
It can be a little loud at times, could use oil life sensor to help with oil change, the radio can be hard to navigate with the small knobs, bluetooth to phone sometime takes some time to link. The car does great in the snow, if there is standing water the car is very loud going through , the sets are nice heated are great in winter.
accountCircle Brian D
2016 Subaru Legacy - 2.5i Premium
My Subaru Legacy is AWD which was very important in my car search. While reviewing other vehicles all similar sized AWD vehicles were more expensive and had a higher starting price. My only complaint about it is it makes a lot of noises, it beeps when you unlock it and when you lock it and when you put the key in the ignition it plays a tune

Subaru Legacy Models

Models also known as Trim Levels, are used to identify a vehicle's level of equipment or special features.

car
2.5i
175 HP 30 MPG 5 Seats
car
2.5i Premium
175 HP 30 MPG 5 Seats
car
2.5i Limited
175 HP 30 MPG 5 Seats
car
3.6R Limited
256 HP 23 MPG 5 Seats
Photos may not match model

2016 Subaru Legacy Owner Reviews

4.58
208 Reviews
close Write Review
5 stars 65%
4 stars 28%
3 stars 6%
2 stars 0%
1 star 0%
accountCircle Elizabeth R on June 18, 2021
Subaru legacy is a safe and reliable car.
I love my Subaru legacy. It gets good gas mileage and it is great in the snow (which is a must in Colorado). I haven't had any major issues with my car and I am planning on keeping this car for a very long time. If someone is considering buying a Subaru legacy, do it! You will not be disappointed.
accountCircle Stephen K on June 4, 2021
Subaru legacy 2.5i limited.
Very reliable and comfortable. Great gas mileage as well as features on the inside of the car. I feel safe while driving and am a huge fan of the adaptive cruise control. Driving highways to work every day, it makes it much more manageable. I would not hesitate to purchase another one.

Pros from Owners

likeFilled Randy B.

It provides a very smooth and comfortable ride, it is gas efficient, it has blind spot, collision avoidance, and hands free use of the infotainment system. On the con side it takes synthetic oil which is costly. The trunk lid tend to be heavier to open than other cars I have owned.

likeFilled Angela L.

My car has an automatic start button so I am the winter you are able to heat the car without having to go outside. It also has all wheel drive and rarely slips on ice. The Subaru Legacy is pretty easy to keep the gas mileage down if you know what you are doing. It also has great acceleration.

likeFilled Melissa R.

Safety it is very safe and the mpg is great! It is great in snow and perfect for me, plus my husband does not mind it at all. I like the leather interior and the heated seats, too. The eyesight and cruise control are things I like as well.

likeFilled Daniel S.

Winter reliable. Low maintenance needs. Low costs. Fuel efficient. Reliable. Very easy to learn and to understand what to do for it, easy work can be done by myself. Does not need winter tires whatsoever at all but still does need replacing after every two years.

likeFilled Kat L.

I like the safety features, the gas mileage, the audio system. I also like how modern the inside of the car looks and the leather seats. I also like the all wheel drive. The seats are very comfortable, too.

likeFilled Emily A.

The eyesight is a huge plus, it is very comfortable and drives very smoothly. It has blind spot warning as well which is super helpful and it is a smaller car but feels like the perfect vehicle size. I would buy the car again.

likeFilled Gabriel M.

Good gas mileage, good acceleration, backup camera, touch screen radio, paddle shifters, lots of trunk space, great interior, has the eyesight feature which tells you when you are in another lane, when the car in front of you moves, and senses when you are too close to anything.

likeFilled Krista H.

It is size, it is features. It has a touch screen radio, built in Bluetooth, heated seats, and a back up camera. I also like how far I can get with the gas I have in it, and the brand's reputation for safety.

Cons from Owners

dislikeFilled Randy B.

The trunk lid tends to be heavier than other cars I have owned. The car requires synthetic oil which is costly, The tire pressure sensor is very sensitive and tends to warn when the temperature gets very old even though the tires are fully inflated.

dislikeFilled Angela L.

It can be frustrating in the winter because the back windshield does not have windshield wipers. It takes a long time for the ice to melt off and can be dangerous not being able to see out the window. It can also use a lot of gas if you are not careful. I occasionally has to refill the tank after just a couple days where my mother's car can last over a week without refilling.

dislikeFilled Melissa R.

I wish it sat higher as I feel very low to the ground and many times I struggle with my phone and Pandora connections. The standard floor mats were not great, either. I had wanted a heated steering wheel, but I was told that was not available, then after my purchase, I found out it was.

dislikeFilled Daniel S.

Not very fast. Not very fancy or classy looking. Not the exact luxury interior that I hoped for. A bit short and small and not really the safest vehicle should any kind of impact happen. Hard to find at a new reliable price and a certified refurbished price around this area. Fluids need to be replaced very often.

dislikeFilled Kat L.

It is TERRIBLE in the snow despite having all wheel drive, the car is just too light. The tire pressure sensor went out within two weeks of having the car. There is not enough foot room in the front, either, for my 6'2' boyfriend.

dislikeFilled Emily A.

I wish the back window had a windshield wiper, that would help in certain weather. I had a few mechanical problems with mine when I bought it which were definite cons, but the dealer fixed them quickly so that ended up being a good outcome.

dislikeFilled Gabriel M.

Had a recall on a part that prevented me from turning off the vehicle which was very irritating. The touch screen can be unresponsive when trying to change stations or anything. I wish the center console was a bit bigger as well. Also the fact that there is no emergency brake is strange to me it just has a little switch that you flick on and it is called a hill holder. Never heard of that before.

dislikeFilled Krista H.

I cannot think of a lot of cons for the vehicle. Sometimes I do struggle to get the key out of the institution. Also, whenever I have to change the gas, it costs me $50 because I have to get the premium gas.

Ranks #2 Midsize Cars by Owners

The 2016 Subaru Legacy has an average owner rating of 4.58 out of 5 which ranks it #2 of 12 other Midsize Cars.

1
car
4.6
2
car
4.58
3
car
4.57

Ranks #6 Midsize Cars by Fuel Economy

The 2016 Subaru Legacy has a combined MPG of 38 which ranks it #6 of 12 other Midsize Cars.

1
car
47 MPG
2
car
44 MPG
6
Tie
car
36 MPG

Is The 2016 Subaru Legacy A Good Car?

Yes, the Subaru has great features like the back up camera, Bluetooth audio and all wheel drive. It also is comfortable and feels smooth to drive.
Megan T.
It is an awesome vehicle, I love the way the car handles, especially on Vermont winter roads. The interior is really nice and I love the heated seats and the comfort of the ride.
Katrina T.
I think it is because it is very reliable and economical to run. It also provides a smooth comfortable ride in a roomy interior.
Randy B.
Excellent vehicle which has been dependable and maintenance free! Would recommend to anyone considering new vehicle!!
Chuck H.
It is! It sits high up, drives straight, and has a lot of built in features like a backup camera and heated seats.
Sabrina M.

How Reliable Is The 2016 Subaru Legacy?

I have not had any problems with my Subaru thus far. It is been reliable in any weather condition. I have had no problems.
Megan T.
It is very reliable. I have not had any problems. Starts right up even on the coldest days. Runs great.
Katrina T.
It is very reliable I really do not have any problems expect that the tire pressure indicator goes off when it gets very cold.
Randy B.
No problems whatsoever other than limited recalls which were minor! Reliability is excellent! Dependable model and brand.
Chuck H.
It is reliable. Reviews say that it lasts well over 200,000 miles. I have not had any problems with the Subaru, but I just bought it last month.
Nick A.

Is The 2016 Subaru Legacy A Good Value?

It costs about $9,000 used. It is a good value for the vehicle because it is safe and reliable and is good to drive.
Megan T.
The cost was good. It is a little more expensive than some vehicles, but for everything it offers it is a very good value.
Katrina T.
I paid just under $30,000 for a fully loaded car. Given this price and the annual maintenance and gas I feel this is a good value to own.
Randy B.
$29,000 with warranty extension added. Dealer service makes value even more so and savings on gasoline is excellent!
Chuck H.
It cost be $13,400 with taxes and dealership fees. I think this was a good deal, especially since the car is only 3 years old, only has 70,000 miles, and is all wheel.drive.
Nicole B.

Related Articles for 2016 Subaru Legacy

From the Vehicle History blog

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2008 Subaru Legacy Review: A Sporty, Comfortable Sedan That’s Priced to Move, but Only at the Entry Level
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2017 Subaru Legacy Review: Reliable Midsize Sedan With Reasonable Ownership Costs

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some of the 2016 Subaru Legacy transmission problems?

Answer: The common Subaru Legacy transmission problems usually are caused by issues with the CVT that comes in them. When You are having problems You will usually notice that the vehicle shifts rough between gears, or...

What kind of oil does the 2016 Subaru Legacy take?

Answer: 0W-20 Synthetic motor oil is recommended in the 2016 Subaru Legacy. 5.1 quarts is the motor oil capacity. It is recommended to change Your oil every 7,500 miles or 1 year, whichever comes first. You can extend...

Answers are provided by third parties. We do not guarantee accuracy of responses

Safety & Reliability

NHTSA Logo
NHTSA Crash Test

Overall

Front

Rollover

Side

*National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
IIHS Logo
IIHS Crash Test

Moderate Overlap Front

Side

Roof Strength

Driver-side Overlap Front

*Insurance Institute for Highway Safety