The maker's flagship car, it is unique in its class for offering all-wheel drive as a standard feature, and Subaru's traditional boxer engine.

[3] The Legacy was introduced in 1989 to provide Subaru a vehicle to compete in the lucrative North American mid-size market against the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Mazda 626, and Nissan Stanza.

Options included 4-channel ABS, licensed from Bosch and air suspension height control, which allowed the driver to increase the vehicle's ground clearance for off-road conditions.

[4] The first Legacy was available at Japanese dealerships on February 1, 1989, with worldwide distribution starting in 1990.Many different options of engine and transmission were available depending on the market.

JDM market GTs equipped with the DOHC EJ20T (the most powerful variant offered) had additional options such as leather interior, climate control air conditioning, electric seats and keyless entry via entering a code via the driver's door handle.

Australian specification models started with the basic FWD only LX with manual windows, then the FWD or AWD (manuals were dual range) GX which upgraded to electric windows and cruise control with the wagons also receiving the pneumatic air suspension, with the top of the range Heritage sedan receiving a leather interior.

All models were equipped with the SOHC EJ22E except for the sporty EJ20T RS Turbo sedan and wagon which were introduced with the facelift in 1993 as a response to capture sales from the Liberty's rallying success.

These model codes are designated in the VIN of each vehicle, such as "JF1BF3BL0E-": Legacy Codes Second generation sales in Japan began October 7, 1993, with an introductory price of ¥2,753,000 for the twin turbo GT (approx US$25,250 at 1993 yen exchange rate),[4] and an introduction for model year 1995 in North America with a full body and chassis revision.

In 1996, Subaru decided to make AWD standard equipment in all vehicles produced for the North American market, which would be the case until 2012.

The Outback was introduced with this generation in 1995 as a trim package, then with increased ground clearance and raised roof line in 1996.

Driver and front passenger airbags were added with the redesigned interior as standard equipment in accordance with US Federal Government regulations.

There was a special 30th Anniversary Edition offered in the US with upgraded interior and sunroof, spoiler, alloy wheels on the "L" trim level cars.

Specialty touring and racing versions were available in Japan, as well as the DOHC 2-litre twin sequential turbocharged EJ20H version on both the Legacy GT sedan and wagon with an automatic transmission and the RS sedan and GT-B wagon with the EJ20R and a manual transmission and a slightly higher horsepower rating, both identified as "Boxer 2-stage Twin Turbo" on the engine cover shroud.

It was released worldwide in 2004, with Subaru Indiana Automotive commencing production in February 2004 for the North American markets for 2005 model year.

The Legacy was presented the 2003–2004 Japan Car of the Year, Subaru's first win for the award after fighting off stiff competition from Toyota Prius and Mazda RX-8.

When sales began in the US market, the Lafayette Factory built Legacy won 2005 International Car of the Year for Most Dependable/Sedan from Road & Travel Magazine, 2005 Automobile All-Stars for All-Star Family Car from Automobile Magazine and The 2006 International Engine of the Year Award in the 2.0-litre to 2.5-litre category for EJ255 engine.

Lance Armstrong was used as a spokesman for both the sedan and wagon, and Sheryl Crow sang her 1996 hit "Everyday Is a Winding Road" in US market commercials.

Due to advancements in turbocharger technology and tightening emission standards, the twin-turbo setup was dropped from the lineup.

It consists of twin CCD cameras, one on each side of the rear view mirror, that use human-like stereoscopic vision to judge distances and generally keep tabs on the driver.

[12] Production of the fifth generation 2010 Subaru Legacy began the last week of May 2009 at the Indiana location,[13] and was unveiled at the 2009 New York Auto Show.

For the 2014 model year, the EyeSight driver safety aid has been installed optionally on all international Legacy and Outback vehicles.

The sixth generation of the Subaru Legacy made its debut at the 2014 Chicago Auto Show, and went into production for the 2015 model year.

[19] The seventh-generation Legacy made its debut at the 2019 Chicago Auto Show on February 7, 2019, to be sold at United States and Canadian dealerships starting in the third quarter of 2019 for the 2020 model year.

According to AutoFacts Inc. AutoGuide, dated June 28, 1990, the Legacy was the least expensive Sedan or Wagon offering both 4-wheel drive and ABS.

It wasn't considered a truly competitive model at first, but showed promise under the command of Markku Alen, who in 1991 managed a third-place finish at the Swedish Rally.

At the round eight Rally New Zealand, Subaru finally struck gold when McRae managed to hold back François Delecour in his Ford Escort RS Cosworth for the win.

Richard Burns was successful in numerous events with the car during 1992 before joining the World Rally team to drive the Impreza in 1993.

Similar to the Impreza that Team Cusco ran in previous years until 2008, a Legacy grand tourer car based on the fifth generation model has been built by R&D Sport for the Japanese Super GT series (GT300 class).

On April 23, 1998, a Generation III Subaru Legacy set a new world speed record for mass-produced turbocharged station wagons with small engines (1,600 cc-2,000 cc class), clocking 270.532 km/h (168.101 mph) over one kilometer on Highway 10 in La Junta, Colorado.

It broke the 100,000 km FIA World Land Endurance Record by maintaining an average speed of 138.780 mph (223.345 km/h) for 447 hours, 44 minutes and 9.887 seconds, or 18.5 days.