2020 Subaru Legacy vs 2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class

The 2020 Subaru Legacy was a car that prioritized pragmatic sensibility over flashy design. While it had a handsome appearance with sharp angles and details, it struggled to stand out among competitors like the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, which had more rakish and bold designs. The Legacy's front end appeared smaller, often leading to confusion with the compact Subaru Impreza. Inside, the Legacy featured a massive 11.6-inch touchscreen, but many controls were buried within the digital interface, complicating simple tasks like adjusting the climate or radio settings. The Legacy offered six trims, with the Premium trim being particularly recommended for its features like 17-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone automatic climate control, and the All-Weather Package.

In contrast, the 2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class embraced a design philosophy called "sensual purity," characterized by fluid, curvier forms. The E-Class had a more elegant and handsome appearance, with new bumpers, exhaust tips, and wheels enhancing its look. However, the standing hood ornament was no longer available, replaced by a large star emblem in the grille, which some found gaudy. The cabin of the E-Class was a luxurious space filled with rich woods, aluminum, and carbon fiber, along with intricate details like metal speaker grilles and elaborate stitching. The interior featured two 12-inch screens with crisp detail and brilliant color, making it a modern and lavish environment.

The 2020 Subaru Legacy offered two engine options. The base, Premium, Sport, and Limited trims were equipped with a 2.5-liter boxer 4-cylinder engine, producing 182 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque. This engine was paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and standard all-wheel drive (AWD). While the Legacy was responsive off the line, it struggled to reach highway speeds without significant noise. For those seeking more power, the Limited XT and Touring XT trims featured a 2.4-liter turbocharged boxer 4-cylinder engine, delivering 260 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque. The Legacy's chassis provided precise cornering and refined ride quality, but the auto stop-start system was jarring and required multiple steps to disable. Fuel economy for the base engine was impressive at 27 mpg city, 35 highway, and 30 combined, while the turbocharged engine achieved 24 city, 32 highway, and 27 combined.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class introduced electrified inline-six powertrains for the E450 model, featuring a 3.0-liter engine with a 48-volt electrical system. This hybrid setup provided extra power and torque for brief moments, allowing the engine to shut off more frequently to save fuel. The E450's engine produced 362 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque, with additional overboost from the battery. The AMG E53 model added a second turbo, resulting in 429 horsepower and 384 pound-feet of torque, offering brisk acceleration and a healthy exhaust note. The AMG E63 S, with its 4.0-liter V8 engine, delivered 603 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque, making it a high-performance variant. Fuel economy for the E-Class ranged from 25 mpg combined for the E53 sedan to 18 mpg combined for the E63 sedan, with the E450 and E350 models achieving 26 and 25 mpg combined, respectively.

The 2020 Subaru Legacy offered solid trunk space for its class at 15.1 cubic feet, though it couldn't compete with crossovers like the Forester or Impreza hatchback. The backseat provided surprising head- and legroom, accommodating taller passengers comfortably. The front seats were supportive, and the cabin featured deep door pockets and a center stack tray for storage. However, the infotainment system's complexity overshadowed these practical aspects.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class provided a spacious cabin for four adults, with ample headroom and legroom. The seats were supportive, and the interior featured knee cutouts and a scalloped roof for taller passengers. The E-Class sedan offered 13 cubic feet of trunk space, while the coupe and convertible had 10 cubic feet or less with the roof down. The wagon variant provided 35 cubic feet of cargo space, expandable to 64 cubic feet with the seats folded. The redesigned infotainment system and touchpads on the steering wheel improved usability, though mastering the dual screens required some learning.

The 2020 Subaru Legacy featured the Starlink infotainment system with an 11.6-inch touchscreen. While the icons were large and easy to read, the system required multiple steps for simple tasks like adjusting the heated seats or climate controls. The portrait orientation of the screen also scrunched Apple CarPlay into a third of the display. The base trim had a dual-screen setup with similar issues, making it difficult to avoid the system's drawbacks.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class introduced the MBUX infotainment system, which featured a touch-sensitive main screen and better-organized menus. Gesture controls, natural voice processing, and online searches enhanced usability. The system included features like live feed overlays for navigation, massaging seats, and seat kinetics. While Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were not wireless, the E-Class offered 4G WiFi and various connected services. The instrument cluster allowed for customizable displays, adding to the car's modern appeal.

The 2020 Subaru Legacy came standard with Subaru's EyeSight suite of driver-assistance features, including forward-collision warning, lane-departure warning, and adaptive cruise control. The system used a head-up light display for alerts and included a helpful feature that notified drivers when the car in front started moving. Other standard safety features included front- and side-impact airbags, traction control, a reversing camera, and a tire pressure monitoring system.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz E-Class was one of the safest cars on the market, with a five-star overall rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and a "Top Safety Pick+" rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The E-Class featured innovations like Pre-Safe Sound, which played a "pink noise" during a crash to protect eardrums, and side bolsters that inflated in a side collision. Standard safety features included forward automatic emergency braking, a driver-attention monitor, and blind-spot monitoring, with additional driver-assist features available as options.