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2020 Subaru Legacy Review & Buying Guide | It's a sedan! And a good one

The 2020 Subaru Legacy is facing a very steep climb. Though redesigned and massively improved, it's still a sedan in an increasingly SUV world – and a sedan, no less, that has always struggled to attract shoppers away from the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. Even within Subaru's own dealerships, it seems destined to gather dust while buyers gobble up the brand's four popular crossovers. But, who cares about popularity? The new Legacy is extremely good, benefiting from technological advancements and massive engineering upgrades for 2020 – including the welcome return of a turbocharged engine. It's better to drive, more comfortable, and easier to use, while maintaining its sterling safety reputation and standard all-wheel-drive system. Really, the Legacy has never been so appealing and competitive in the midsize sedan segment, even if its timing is a bit lousy. If you're among those happy to avoid the SUV trend, it is absolutely worth going against the grain. What's new for 2020? The Legacy is completely redesigned for 2020 – although it's a bit tough to tell by the styling. It adopts the same platform as other recently redesigned Subarus, most notably, the 2020 Outback that continues to be effectively a lifted Legacy wagon. Or, given their respective popularity, is the Legacy now a lowered Outback sedan? In any event, the two share virtually everything except their ride heights and trunk designs. That includes a substantially stiffer structure that contributes to improved handling, steering precision, ride comfort and safety; a mostly new base engine and the welcome return of a turbocharged four-cylinder as the engine upgrade; new accident avoidance tech; and an improved interior with nicer materials, a more attractive design and a massive 11.6-inch vertically oriented touchscreen in most trim levels. What's the interior and in-car technology like? Like the exterior, the Legacy's interior isn't as eye-pleasing as those of many rivals, but it's also better than before. It boasts better materials, including padded and stitched simulated leather on most surfaces up front that contributes to a far more upmarket look and feel. The top-of-the-line Touring XT trim level, pictured here, gets pretty swanky with its Tan Nappa Leather, and we like that Subaru didn't feel the need to spread fake wood trim about to make it seem more luxurious.

Subaru boosting US capacity thanks to strong sales

It is very, very good to be Subaru right now. The company is rolling, with its global operating profits increasing 21 percent last quarter. While part of that is due to favorable currency conditions, the simple fact is that Subaru is selling a hell of a lot of cars, particularly in North America. The company's North American branch is expected to hit its sales goal of 600,000 units per year five years ahead of schedule, after moving 570,000 units in the recently completed fiscal year (remember, the Japanese fiscal year runs from April 1 to March 31). Last quarter alone, Subaru NA saw a 12 percent increase in sales, significantly more than either the company's home market or the increasingly vital Chinese market, where sales declined by one and 14 percent, respectively. With such promising results, it's no surprise that Fuji Heavy Industries President Yasuyuki Yoshinaga announced plans to bump up production at the company's Indiana factory. Yoshinaga-san is pushing for annual capacity of 394,000 units by the end of calendar year 2016, Automotive News reports, adding that inventory levels in the US are too low. "If only we had more cars, we could be selling more," Yoshinaga told AN during a news conference. FHI's previous plans for the factory were much less aggressive. Originally, production would be expanded to 328,000 units by 2017, AN reports, with an eye towards a full 400,000 units per year by 2021. With 394,000 rolling out of the Lafayette, IN factory by next year, though, it's clear how keen Subaru is to take advantage of such strong demand. News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Dave Umberger / Associated Press Earnings/Financials Subaru sales fuji heavy industries

2014 Subaru BRZ gets exceedingly modest price increase

Subaru has announced pricing for the 2014 BRZ, and with a $25,595 MSRP, it starts at just $100 more than the 2013 model. The destination charge adds $795 - a $25 increase over 2013 - bringing the total to $26,390.
Aside from the very modest price increase, the 2014 BRZ is essentially the same as its 2013 predecessor. The one notable change for 2014 is that Aha infotainment smartphone integration now comes with the standard navigation system. Subaru is one of the first automakers to include this feature, which delivers smartphone activity such as live news, podcasts and social media news feeds to drivers through the radio.
The rear-wheel-drive BRZ's other features remain the same, and we certainly don't have any complaints about that. It still comes with a 200-horsepower boxer engine, manufacturer-estimated fuel economy of 34 miles per gallon on the highway, 2+2 seating, and options such as dual-zone automatic climate control and heated front seats. Scroll down to get all the 2014 model year details in Subaru's press release.