Nissan Maxima vs Subaru Legacy: Specs Compared

Running cost over five years: at the EPA's 15,000-mile-a-year assumption the Subaru Legacy burns about $2,050 of fuel annually against $3,050 for the Nissan Maxima. That $1,000 yearly gap compounds to roughly $5,000 over five years and $8,000 over eight — often more than the price difference between two trims of the same vehicle, and the single largest running-cost line item separating these two.

City and highway economy: the Subaru Legacy leads in both cycles — 27 mpg city and 35 mpg highway against 22 and 30 mpg — so its fuel-efficiency advantage holds whether you commute in traffic or cover long highway miles.

Powertrain choice: the Nissan Maxima is recorded with 1 distinct engine configuration (3.5), the Subaru Legacy with 3 (SIDI, 2.5, 3.6). Across 8 recorded Nissan Maxima configurations and 16 for the Subaru Legacy, the wider the engine spread the more the real-world fuel efficiency depends on which version you actually buy, so check the specific model year and drivetrain rather than the headline number.

Drivetrain and class: the Nissan Maxima is offered with Front-Wheel Drive, the Subaru Legacy with All-Wheel Drive. All-wheel drive typically costs one to two mpg combined against the same vehicle in front- or rear-wheel drive, which is worth remembering when the gap between these two is small. The EPA classes them as Midsize Cars and Midsize Cars respectively — the class drives the interior volume, cargo space and passenger space each one is measured against.

Tailpipe emissions: at their cleanest configurations the Subaru Legacy emits 295 g/mile of CO2 versus 363 g/mile for the Nissan Maxima. Emissions track fuel consumption almost exactly, so the cleaner vehicle here is also the cheaper one to fuel.