What’s Better for Your Family? 2021 Subaru Legacy or 2021 Chevy Malibu?

Picking the right vehicle to buy for your family encompasses a number of requirements. Size is probably the most important; cargo capacity is another, as well as fuel economy. But there are other factors to consider as well, such as infotainment, comfort, and performance. When it comes time to find and buy the right kind of vehicle for your family, you need to know that you’re making an informed and educated decision before taking the plunge. That’s why if you’re considering visiting a Subaru Legacy dealer like Richard Lucas Subaru to purchase the mid-sized sedan but want to know how certain family-oriented features compare to a vehicle like the Chevy Malibu, we can help. Let us show you the pros and cons of the 2021 Subaru Legacy vs 2021 Chevy Malibu in this showdown.

A Matter of Size: Passenger Volume

Regarding interior space, it’s exceptionally important for a family vehicle to be able to provide enough room for everyone. Not only that, but interior cabin space also needs to be able to accommodate the space for both kids and adults alike. Hip room, shoulder room, headroom, and legroom are all essential areas within a family sedan. That being said, both the Chevy Malibu and the Subaru Legacy take great care in providing interior space for multiple passengers.

For the Chevy Malibu, we’re looking at 102.9 cubic feet of passenger volume and up to 15.7 cubic feet of cargo volume. You can seat up to 5 people in the 2021 Chevy Malibu, two in the front and three in the rear. This gives passengers in the front up to 39.1-inches of headroom, 41.5 inches of legroom, 58.5-inches of shoulder room, and 54.1-inches of hip room. In the rear, you get up to 37.5-inches of headroom, 38.1-inches of legroom, 57.1-inches of shoulder room, and 53.4-inches of hip room.

The 2021 Subaru, which also seats 5, manages to trump the Malibu when it comes to passenger volume. You have up to 105.5 cubic feet of space within the cabin. That breaks down to 39.4 inches of headroom in the front, along with 42.8-inches of legroom and 58.1-inches of shoulder room. In the rear, you have up to 37.2-inches of headroom, 39.5-inches of legroom, and 57.4-inches of shoulder room. You also have up to 15.1 cubic feet of cargo volume in the trunk to store goods.

Even though the Chevy Malibu gives you a slight advantage in cubic feet of cargo volume, you generally have more interior cabin room when it comes to moving about and seating passengers in the Subaru Legacy. The extra inches with the headroom, legroom, and shoulder room make a difference when you have to squeeze several active kids into three seats. The extra room and space mean the Legacy is better suited for those who want that extra cabin space in their mid-sized sedan.

A Battle of Power: On-Road Performance

Getting to your destination in a timely manner is as important as having the space to accommodate everyone in one vehicle. Horsepower and torque ensure that you’re able to get to where you need to go without getting caught at every red light or stuck behind the slow-moving buses and Sunday drivers. Both the Legacy and Malibu have two different powertrain options that offer scalable horsepower and torque depending on what you need out of a family sedan.

The 2021 Chevy Malibu comes with the standard 1.5-liter DOHC turbocharged 4-cylinder with variable valve timing to reduce fuel consumption. The 4-cylinder produces 160 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. The engine helps the Malibu achieve up to 29 miles per gallon in the city and up to 36 miles per gallon on the highway. An alternate powertrain in the form of the 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder gives you an extra bump in performance with 250 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. The extra power comes at the expense of fuel economy, though, dropping the Malibu down to 22 miles per gallon in the city and 33 miles per gallon on the highway.

Subaru Legacy drivers have a standard 2.5-liter 4-cylinder with a dual-active valve control system that delivers 182 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque. An optional 2.4-liter turbocharged Boxer Engine is also available that manages 260 horsepower and 277 pound-feet of torque. The fuel economy is nearly on par with the Malibu, with the 2.5-liter managing 27 miles per gallon in the city and 35 miles per gallon on the highway. The turbocharged 2.4-liter 4-cylinder does 24 miles per gallon in the city and 32 miles per gallon on the highway.

When it comes to fuel economy, both are almost neck to neck, depending on the powertrain setup. However, both powertrain options favor the Subaru Legacy when it comes to overall performance. This means you get better off-the-line performance with the Legacy, better power-band performance with the Legacy, and better top-end stable performance with the Legacy. When you need to get the kids to class on time while also having minutes to spare for your business meeting, the Legacy is the better bet.

Amenities and Comfort

Comfort and amenity features can drastically change how people interact with a vehicle and whether or not they find themselves enjoying the ride. When you have a family, you can’t just settle for a vehicle that gets you from point A to point B in a humdrum fashion. Kids get restless, and adults need proper comfort. So this is why it’s important to have various amenities to keep everyone happy.

The Chevy Malibu sports enough of the interior comfort features to keep adults feeling cozy in the captain chairs, including an 8-way power driver seat and 6-way power passenger seat. Heated seats are also standard. Available all-weather floor mats and premium seat trimming for upper-end trims help add some luxury to the stable. You can relax with armrests in the front and rear, as well as memory seats, so you can have the driver seat positioned exactly how you like it.

Kids can stay entertained with the Chevrolet Infotainment 3 System. This enables wireless Bluetooth support with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility for smart devices. So on the way to school or running errands, the kids can access their favorite media through the 8-inch touchscreen or stream their favorite music. Air conditioning and air filters also ensure everyone can enjoy the atmosphere within the cabin with clean air and moderate temperatures.

The Subaru Legacy is no slouch in the comfort department. Technology like the Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system and vehicle dynamics control ensures that the Legacy stays stable and smooth at all times. This provides a great interior setting within the cabin, where a 3-spoke steering wheel with integrated controls awaits the driver. With dual-zone climate control coming standard on most trims, it means the temperature can be adjusted for those in the front and back separately.

Power adjustable front seats are available, along with leather-trimmed upholstery. The Legacy’s infotainment also features up to an 11.6-inch multimedia Starlink touchscreen. Passengers can make use of cloud-based applications, NFC reader technology, Bluetooth, and the standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support. The additional GPS navigation and suite of Sirius multimedia and travel apps give you a well-rounded experience both when it comes to informational guidance and quality entertainment. You simply have access to a lot more standard infotainment features and higher quality comfort within the Legacy, which makes it a superior choice for families who need to keep kids occupied and content during travel.

Visit Richard Lucas Subaru to Learn More About the Legacy

Now that you have an idea about how the 2021 Subaru Legacy vs 2021 Chevy Malibu compare to one another, you can head to a Subaru Legacy dealer with the right information in tow. If you’re still researching a proper family vehicle to purchase, whether it be new or used, visit the Richard Lucas Subaru dealership to learn more about our offerings. We have a great selection of Subaru Legacy sedans, including the 2021 model year variant. Find out how you can afford a Legacy by getting pre-qualified for a loan, or find out what the advantages are of leasing versus buying. Call or chat with a Richard Lucas Subaru representative today to schedule a test drive of a 2021 Subaru Legacy as soon as possible.