Honda’s best-selling Accord has been setting the standard for quality, reliability, value, styling, performance, safety, and fuel economy in the midsize four-door sedan segment for decades. The popular and award-winning Accord lineup enters the 2021 model year with a mild makeover that refreshes its classic look, with a sportier grille, new alloy wheel choices, technology upgrades, improved throttle response, and more.

While consumers have been gravitating more toward SUVs in recent years, the midsize, family-friendly sedan market continues to attract more than its share of buyers. And there are plenty of automakers who are still trying to come up with ways to woo consumers away from the top-selling Accord, despite its obvious advantages.

One such contender is the 2021 Subaru Legacy. Like the Accord, the Legacy has its foundation of enthusiasts. But when you put the Legacy in a side-by-side comparison with the Accord, how does it measure up? Let’s find out by comparing the 2021 Honda Accord LX with the comparably equipped 2021 Legacy base model.

Styling

Grand vs Bland

From every angle, the sophisticated 2021 Honda Accord outclasses and outshines the blander Legacy. If you’d prefer to blend in with the crowd, then the Legacy’s dated sheet metal might suit you. But if you’d rather show the world that you’re going places, then step up to the stunning 2021 Accord. The Accord’s artfully executed silhouette with its arched roofline, restyled front end with bold new grille, string of crystalline LED headlights, and its wide, sporty stance is the ultimate expression of classic elegance that will still look grand miles and miles down the road.

Roomier Accord Interior Tops in Quality

For years, the stylish Accord has received accolades for its spacious, comfortable, and ergonomically engineered cabin. With a zealous attention to detail, the Accord LX’s thoughtfully executed interior offers impressive quality throughout. The Accord is longer and wider than the Legacy, which not only offers a smoother ride, but it also translates to more front and rear legroom and front shoulder room. The Accord also edges out the Legacy in total passenger volume. By comparison, the Legacy’s straightforward cabin has been called “dowdy” by some, especially when compared to the Accord’s more upscale appointments.

You’ll also find the Accord more accommodating when it comes to cargo space. In fact, at 16.7 cubic feet, Accord’s trunk beats the Legacy’s smaller 15.1-cubic-foot boot.

Performance & Fuel Economy

Engine Comparison

Both in performance and fuel efficiency, the 2021 Accord LX easily bests the rival Legacy in either category.

Let’s start with horsepower and torque. The lighter and more agile Accord’s technologically advanced 16-valve, DOHC, 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder powerplant with Eco-Assist® mated to a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), churns out an impressive 192 hp at 5500 rpm* and an equally impressive 192 lb.-ft of torque at 5000 rpm*.

The Subaru’s larger 2.5-liter four-cylinder horizontally opposed “Boxer” engine with 8-speed automatic can only manage 182 horsepower at 5800 rpm and just 176 lb.-ft. of torque at 4400 rpm. That’s a significant difference when it comes to freeway merging and off-the-line acceleration.

Accord the Fuel Economy Champ

Not only is the Accord larger and more powerful than the Legacy, it’s also more miserly in terms of fuel economy. That’s not surprising, since the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently named Honda as “the most fuel-efficient automaker in America.” That’s just one of the reasons why the Accord achieves a superior EPA-estimated* 30 mpg city/38 mpg highway for a combined 33 mpg overall.

On the other hand, the Legacy lags in this important category with an EPA estimated 27 mpg city/35 mpg highway for a combined 30 mpg rating.

Moreover, the Accord lineup also features the technologically advanced and ultra-thrifty Accord Hybrid which offers an exceptional EPA-estimated* 48 mpg city/48 mpg highway, for a combined 48 mpg fuel economy rating. Unfortunately, Subaru currently doesn’t offer any hybrid or plug-in models.

Safety

Honda’s engineers are always striving to make its lineup some of the safest cars on the road. That’s why you’ll find Honda’s advanced Honda Sensing® suite of integrated safety technologies as standard equipment on every Honda automobile, including the Accord LX. These include Collision Mitigation Braking, Road Departure Mitigation, Adaptive Cruise Control with Low-Speed Follow, Lane-Keeping Assist, Forward Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning, and Traffic Sign Recognition.

Additionally, Honda’s exclusive ACE™ Body Structure is specifically designed to help absorb the impact of a frontal collision.

Legacy counters with its standard EyeSight® Driver Assist Technology system which includes Pre-Collision Braking, Pre-Collision Throttle Management, and Adaptive Cruise Control.

Accord: The Clear Choice

From styling and performance to fuel economy and safety, no matter how you look at it, the 2021 Honda Accord LX is the clear choice over the Subaru Legacy. Our head-to-head comparison proves once again that the Accord still reigns as top dog in the midsize sedan market.