2025 Subaru Legacy vs. 2025 Nissan Altima

2025 Subaru Legacy vs. 2025 Nissan Altima 

For those looking for a sedan this year, you have plenty of great options. When going between the 2025 Subaru Legacy vs. Nissan Altima, there are some differences to note, especially regarding price point, engine type, performance, and safety. It's no surprise that Subaru makes some of the safest vehicles on the market, so the Legacy continues to be a top-rated car in terms of its driver-assistance features. That said, we have plenty to explore below, so stick around as we compare the all-new Legacy to the Altima!

Overview

The 2025 Subaru Legacy vs. Nissan Altima is a fair fight in many ways, as both sedans are mid-size, have excellent fuel economy, start under $30,000, and have decent reliability ratings and driver praise for their comfort and on-road handling. That said, let's break down each vehicle in better detail as of 2025:

2025 Subaru Legacy

  • MSRP: From $24,895
  • MPG: Up to 27 city / 35 highway
  • Engine: 2.4-liter 4-cylinder, 2.5-liter 4-cylinder
  • Horsepower: 182 to 260 horses
  • Transmission: Continuous variable transmission

2025 Nissan Altima

  • MSRP: From $27,000
  • MPG: Up to 27 city / 39 highway
  • Engine: 2.5-liter 4-cylinder
  • Horsepower: 182 to 188 horses
  • Transmission: Continuous variable transmission

Interior

Starting with the interior of the 2025 Subaru Legacy vs. Nissan Altima, the Legacy feels more adventure-ready and easy to clean. Both entry-level sedans offer cloth seating standard with an emphasis on infotainment and hands-free access to their technology while on the road. That said, the Subaru Legacy has a cabin that feels bigger than the last generation's, and it has more cargo and passenger space than the Altima.

Interior features of the 2025 Legacy:

  • 105.5 cubic feet of passenger space
  • Manually adjustable front seats
  • 60/40-split flat-folding rear seatbacks
  • Cloth upholstery (Napa leather available)
  • Analog instruments
  • Available heated steering wheel
  • Available heated front seats (All-Weather Package)
  • 3-spoke steering wheel with integrated controls
  • SUBARU STARLINK® Dual 7.0-11.6-inch Multimedia

Interior features of the 2025 Nissan Altima:

  • 100.6 cubic feet of passenger space
  • Available heated front seats
  • 6-way adjustable driver seat
  • 60/40-split flat-folding rear seatbacks
  • Urethane steering wheel material
  • Cloth seats (leather available)
  • 8.0-12.3-inch touchscreen display

Exterior

Outside of the 2025 Subaru Legacy vs. Nissan Altima, these sedans have a very contrasting aesthetic, with the Legacy following a more outdoor/adventure theme and the Altima focusing on sleek accents and sharp lines. It is worth mentioning that the exterior of the Altima is slightly bigger than the Legacy, measuring 193″ L x 73″ W x 57″ H. In contrast, the Legacy measures 191.1 inches/72.4 inches/59.1 inches (length, width, height). It's not a huge difference, considering the main cabin of the Legacy feels larger than the Altima anyway.

Here are some standard exterior specs for the Legacy:

  • 17 x 7.5-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, black with machine finish
  • 225/55 R17 97V all-season tires
  • LED Steering Responsive Headlights (SRH)
  • Black folding side mirrors
  • Two-speed windshield wipers with variable-intermittent mode and mist feature
  • Single exhaust outlet

Available exterior features on the Legacy include:

  • Satin-chrome finish mirrors
  • Dual exhaust pipes
  • A moonroof
  • LED fog lights
  • A trunk spoiler
  • 18 x 7.5-inch aluminum alloy wheels

Here are some exterior features of the Altima:

  • Nissan Intelligent Key® with Push Button Ignition
  • Power and keyfob cargo access
  • LED low/high beam headlights
  • Black w/chrome surround grille
  • Optional - Remote Activated W/puddle Lights

Optional exterior features include:

  • First-row moonroof
  • Manual sunshade
  • Driver-side Turn Signal Indicator In Mirror
  • Passenger-side Turn Signal Indicator In Mirror

Engine and Performance

The engine and performance specifications of the 2025 Subaru Legacy vs. Nissan Altima are also noteworthy. The Legacy offers two engines, while the Altima has one standard across all its trims.

For the 2025 Subaru Legacy, your base engine will be a 2.5-liter SUBARU BOXER® 4-cylinder, boasting 182 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque. The engine in Sport and Touring XT models is a 2.4-liter turbocharged SUBARU BOXER® 4-cylinder producing 260 horsepower and 277 pound-feet of torque.

In the Nissan Altima for this year, you have the 2.5-liter DOHC 16-valve 4-cylinder engine standard, which makes up to 188 horsepower and 180 pound-feet of torque.

  • Verdict: The Subaru Legacy's engine performance for Sport and XT trims is superior to that of the Nissan Altima.

Fuel Economy

The fuel economy for the 2025 Subaru Legacy vs. Nissan Altima is pretty similar for the base engines, with these being your figures:

  • 2025 Nissan Altima: 27 city, 39 highway, 32 combined
  • 2025 Subaru Legacy: 27 city, 35 highway, 30 combined (standard engine) or 23 city, 31 highway, 26 combined (turbocharged engine)

Safety and Driver-Assistance

For your safety and driver-assistance features between the Nissan Altima and Subaru Legacy in 2025, there is plenty to get excited about, even at a standard trim level. Of course, Subaru outperforms Nissan in safety across its offerings, with the Legacy no different. Here is what you will find standard in the Subaru Legacy for this model release:

  • EyeSight® Driver Assist Technology (includes adaptive cruise control, pre-collision braking, and vehicle lane departure warning)
  • High Beam Assist (HBA)
  • Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC)
  • Brake Assist
  • Brake Override System
  • LED Daytime Running Lights (DRL)
  • Rear-Vision Camera
  • STARLINK® Safety and Security

Now, for the Altima's standard safety:

  • Intelligent Forward Collision Warning w/Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) mitigation
  • Automatic Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection (P-AEB) prevention
  • Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) w/Rear Automatic Braking (RAB) mitigation
  • Brake Assist
  • High Beam Assist (HBA)
  • Hill Start Assist (HSA)
  • Blind Spot Warning (BSW)
  • Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
  • Intelligent Driver Alertness (I-DA)

Infotainment and Connectivity

Finally, let's get into the infotainment and connectivity features of the 2025 Subaru Legacy vs. Nissan Altima. Both sedans have impressive technology, with hands-free options in higher trims. You can also expect bigger touchscreens the higher in model you go, which is the same for both brands.

2025 Subaru Legacy:

  • SUBARU STARLINK® Dual 7.0-inch Multimedia (11.6-inch available)
  • Four-speaker stereo standard (available six-speaker)
  • Available Harman Kardon® premium audio system
  • 4G LTE Wi-Fi capability
  • Wireless Apple CarPlay® and Android Autoâ„¢
  • USB charging in all rows
  • SiriusXM includes a 4-month trial subscription

2025 Nissan Altima:

  • 8.0-inch touchscreen display (12.3-inch touchscreen is available)
  • Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity
  • AM/FM stereo system
  • Six-speaker audio system standard
  • Available BOSE® Premium Sound System
  • Illuminated steering wheel-mounted audio controls
  • Siri® Eyes Free/Google Assistant
  • Speed Sensitive Volume (available)

Get the 2025 Subaru Legacy at Granite Subaru

With this comparison between the 2025 Subaru Legacy and the 2025 Nissan Altima finished, the team at Granite Subaru in Hudson, NH, is ready to bring you in to check out and test drive the all-new Legacy mid-size sedan. We have plenty of cars to choose from, and our staff is here to answer your questions regarding this nameplate. Drive safe!

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