Another sedan rolls off into the history books, with SUVs stamping out the Subaru Legacy and its…well, legacy.
Even though sedans aren’t exactly today’s hotness, they still mark a significant chapter in automakers’ history books, and Subaru is no exception. In fact, the 1989 Subaru Legacy was the first model the automaker manufactured in the United States, arriving as a passenger and a wagon. Now, the wagon side of that equation hasn’t been the case for well over a decade here in America, but the sedan kept on ticking for years to come, eventually getting a seventh generation in 2019. As of September 12, though, the Legacy is officially out of production, as the Lafayette, Indiana plant that built it shifts toward full SUV production moving forward.
Over its 36-year production run, Subaru built nearly 1.4 million Legacy sedans and wagons across those seven generations. The initial Legacy wagon laid the groundwork for the Outback, which itself has taken a metamorphic turn for the 2026 model year (and will likewise shift away from production in Indiana next month).
The automaker notes clearly what we’ve seen with our own eyes these past several years: “Though the Legacy was the longest-running Subaru model line, its discontinuation reflects market shifts from passenger cars to SUVs and crossovers — along with Subaru’s transition to electrified and fully electric vehicles.”
With the Legacy’s demise, the only remaining sedan in the lineup is the performance-minded WRX. That and the BRZ are Subaru’s last two remaining passenger cars, period, as the company has focused on its core SUV offerings, while rolling out a new Solterra and derivatives like the Trailseeker and Uncharted.
In October, Subaru of Indiana will take on Forester production, in addition to maintaining its status building the three-row Ascent and compact Crosstrek. The plan with the new Outback, on the other hand, has been to move its production to Japan, before actually being available for sale early next year. As the situation currently stands, however, that move potentially makes the Outback more vulnerable to tariff-related pricing swings, as Japanese-sourced cars and parts face 15% tariffs, at time of writing.
For the moment, new Subaru Legacy sedans seem to be in relatively plentiful supply. Depending on where you live, some dealerships may be keen to move them on to make room for more SUVs, as well, so keep your eyes peeled if you’re in the market for a solid, all-wheel drive midsize sedan. You may be able to find a good deal.
