Which is better: 2026 Mazda 3 or 2025 Subaru Legacy?

It depends on priorities. OpenDealer compares 2026 Mazda 3 vs 2025 Subaru Legacy on MSRP, fuel economy, horsepower, seating, towing, NHTSA safety ratings, and live market prices so you can weigh the tradeoffs.

Which costs less: 2026 Mazda 3 or 2025 Subaru Legacy?

Based on starting MSRP, the 2026 Mazda 3 starts lower at $24,550. Live Subaru Legacy listings start at $11,659.

Which has better startingMsrp: 2026 Mazda 3 or 2025 Subaru Legacy?

The 2026 Mazda 3 leads on startingMsrp in this comparison (24,550).

Which has better horsepower: 2026 Mazda 3 or 2025 Subaru Legacy?

The 2025 Subaru Legacy leads on horsepower in this comparison (260).

How do the NHTSA safety ratings compare for 2026 Mazda 3 vs 2025 Subaru Legacy?

NHTSA overall crash-test ratings in this comparison: Subaru Legacy (5/5 NHTSA overall).

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Mazda 3 vs Subaru Legacy

Side-by-side comparison from manufacturer specifications, NHTSA safety data, and live dealer listings.

Vehicles

2026 Mazda 3

Trim

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2025 Subaru Legacy

Trim

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Overview

Spec	Mazda 32.5 S	Subaru LegacyLegacy Sedan
Selected trim	2.5 S	Legacy Sedan
Body style	Sedan	Sedan
Drivetrain	front wheel drive	all wheel drive
Fuel type	regular unleaded	regular unleaded
Transmission	6-speed shiftable automatic	continuously variable-speed automatic
Engine type	gas	gas
Model year	2026	2025

Pricing & market

Spec	Mazda 32.5 S	Subaru LegacyLegacy Sedan
MSRP	$24,550 (best)	$26,810
Lowest listing price	—	$11,659 (best)
Median listing price	—	$22,798 (best)
Highest listing price	—	$26,888 (best)
For sale now	0	8 (best)

Fuel economy & range

Spec	Mazda 32.5 S	Subaru LegacyLegacy Sedan
Combined MPG	30 MPG	30 MPG
City MPG	27 MPG	27 MPG
Highway MPG	36 MPG (best)	35 MPG
Fuel tank	13.2 gal	18.5 gal (best)

Performance

Spec	Mazda 32.5 S	Subaru LegacyLegacy Sedan
Horsepower	186 hp (best)	182 hp
Torque	186 lb-ft (best)	176 lb-ft
Engine size	2.5 L	2.5 L
Cylinders	I4	flat 4

Size & capability

Spec	Mazda 32.5 S	Subaru LegacyLegacy Sedan
Seating	5 seats	5 seats
Doors	4	4
Cargo volume	13.2 cu ft	15.1 cu ft (best)
Curb weight	3,111 lbs (best)	3,492 lbs
Ground clearance	5.5 in (best)	—
Wheelbase	107.3 in	108.3 in (best)
Length	183.5 in	191.1 in (best)
Width	70.7 in	72.4 in (best)
Height	56.9 in	59.1 in (best)

Safety & recalls

Spec	Mazda 32.5 S	Subaru LegacyLegacy Sedan
NHTSA overall	—	5 / 5 ★ (best)
Frontal crash (driver)	—	5 / 5 ★ (best)
Frontal crash (passenger)	—	4 / 5 ★ (best)
Side crash (driver)	—	5 / 5 ★ (best)
Side crash (passenger)	—	5 / 5 ★ (best)
Side pole	—	5 / 5 ★ (best)
Rollover	—	5 / 5 ★ (best)
Open recalls (YMM scope)	None reported	None reported

Highlighted values indicate the better figure for that spec when a clear winner exists. Specs reflect the selected trim for each vehicle. Drag a vehicle header to reorder columns. MSRP and specifications are manufacturer data; listing prices and inventory come from live dealer listings. Safety ratings are from NHTSA.

Trim overview

All available trims with MSRP. The trim selected above is highlighted; comparison specs use that selection.

Trim	Mazda 3	Subaru Legacy
1	2.5 S $24,550 MSRP(Currently comparing)	Legacy Sedan $26,810 MSRP(Currently comparing)
2	2.5 S $25,550 MSRP	Premium $29,110 MSRP
3	2.5 S Select Sport $25,440 MSRP	Limited $35,920 MSRP
4	2.5 S Select Sport $26,740 MSRP	Sport $36,410 MSRP
5	2.5 S Preferred $27,090 MSRP	Touring XT $40,110 MSRP
6	2.5 S Preferred $28,440 MSRP	—
7	2.5 S Carbon Edition $30,210 MSRP	—
8	2.5 S Carbon Edition $31,360 MSRP	—
9	2.5 S Premium $31,450 MSRP	—
10	2.5 Turbo Premium Plus $36,740 MSRP	—
11	2.5 Turbo Premium Plus $37,890 MSRP	—

Live inventory

Subaru Legacy8 for sale

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