The 2025 Subaru Legacy will be the last. Subaru announced yesterday that it will end production of its long-running midsize sedan “at the conclusion of the 2025 model year.”
Introduced in 1989, the Legacy was the first U.S.-built Subaru model. It lasted six generations and “racked up over 1.3 million sales in the U.S.,” Subaru says. But Subaru sold 25,510 last year – well under the total for each of the brand’s SUVs.
The car’s most lasting legacy (sorry) might be its spin-off. Subaru built wagon versions of early Legacy sedans and, at the 1994 New York auto show, introduced a wagon with heightened suspension called the Legacy Outback. That model eventually dropped the Legacy name and became the Outback SUV of today – Subaru’s best-selling nameplate.
New Legacy sedans will be on Subaru dealer lots through the end of the 2025 model year. They’ll remain a solid choice for many buyers. Today’s Legacy is an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick. It offers Subaru’s excellent symmetrical all-wheel-drive (AWD) system and planted, secure handling thanks to the low center of gravity of its 4-cylinder boxer engine (available with and without turbocharging). KBB expert test driver Eric Brandt says its “low price tag, solid resale value, and good fuel economy help make it a smart buy.”
That low price tag may get lower as cancelation day approaches. Dealers often accept lower offers for a car once manufacturers have announced its end. They want to clear space on the lot for models buyers still see in advertisements.
