Subaru Levorg (2015 – 2022) Review

The Subaru Levorg is an odd-looking square peg in a round hole. When the world was moving to SUVs, it arrived as an awkward estate to replace the much-loved Subaru Legacy range. As a result, it didn’t really appeal to either camp and sales reflected this, when you could have a Skoda Superb Estate, the stylish Mazda 6 Tourer, or widely available Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer instead. Read on for our full Subaru Levorg review.

When sales of the Subaru Legacy stopped in 2014, it left a gap for a very niche group of buyers – one the Japanese firm attempted to fill with the Subaru Levorg.

Its appeal was limited, but for rural used car drivers who need a capable car that works in all weathers and on all surfaces, it’s a decent choice.

It does have a rather curious specification, though. There was one engine choice – a 1.6-litre turbocharged boxer petrol – linked to a CVT automatic gearbox as standard, with no manual option.

This was then replaced in 2019 by a 2.0-litre petrol with 149PS that also used the Lineartronic CVT auto.

As is traditional for cars from the brand, the Subaru Levorg has a well-engineered and capable all-wheel drive system as standard.

It lacks the ground clearance of a true SUV, meaning it is better suited to driving on roads. However, it copes with rough, potholed, undulating country lanes tremendously well, combining excellent traction with good body control and impressive ride comfort in a way very few other cars can.

Inside, the Subaru Levorg is spacious enough for a family, with plenty of rear legroom and a large, flat, low load area. The boot volume is 522 litres, expandable to 944 litres by folding the rear seats, which is easy thanks to a pair of one-touch electronic release buttons in the boot.

Build quality is very impressive – everything feels like it will last for years.

The dashboard layout is functional, but it lacks any feelgood factor. Thankfully, there is plenty of equipment as standard, including safety tech like blind spot assist, along with heated seats, a touchscreen system, dual-zone climate control and navigation.

Even with generous levels of equipment and well-proven all-weather capability, the appeal of the Subaru Levorg is limited. Many buyers will be happier and better off with something like a cheaper, diesel-powered Skoda Octavia Scout.

Fancy a second opinion? Read heycar’s Subaru Levorg review here.

The rear seats of the Subaru Levorg offer plenty of room for adults to sit comfortably, with ample legroom and headroom.

The boot is a good size and shape with 522 litres of space available, expanding to 944 litres with the rear seats down. This is easy to do, thanks to a pair of one-touch electronic release buttons in the boot.

The load deck is flat and low, which ensures loading and unloading bulky objects is a doddle, plus it makes life easier for dog owners, since most will be able to jump in without any help.

There are a couple of flaps in the boot, under which there is a tyre inflation kit, along with some extra storage space.

Storage is fine up front, with a couple of reasonable storage bins. In the centre bin, there are two USB connections and a 12V output, plus two USB connectors for the back row and two more in the centre stack, along with another 12V socket, so keeping devices charged is easy.

There is also plenty of space for those sitting in the front and sufficient adjustment in the driver’s seat and steering wheel.

The Subaru Levorg is as well-made and solid as any other Subaru, but it does lack the same sense of plushness buyers have grown to expect from rival European cars, such as the Skoda Octavia Scout.

The layout is plain and simple, but there’s little in the way of flair or pizzazz, which is a shame, since the car is well equipped and spacious.

Connectivity is good thanks to a standard-fit touchscreen with Bluetooth and navigation.

It can be paired up to a mobile to use various functions including Internet radio, controlled from the car’s touchscreen rather than the phone.

It’s a lot better than the aftermarket units Subaru has offered in the past.

There are not many Subaru Levorg models on the used market, but when you find one you should pay around £10,500 for a nine-year-old example with the 1.6-litre engine. This will bag you a car with around 75,000 miles.

If you’d prefer a 2.0-litre version, expect to pay in the region of £19,000 for a three-year-old car with 30,000 miles on the clock.

When it was first launched, the Subaru Levorg’s 1.6-litre engine claimed an official combined economy of 39.8mpg under the older NEDC testing methods.

That was shown to be around 35mpg in our Real MPG data research.

Subaru claimed 32.6mpg for the 2.0-litre motor under the newer WLTP testing regime, and our experience shows it will deliver around 30mpg in normal driving.

The 2.0-litre engine produces 196g/km of carbon dioxide and requires the flat rate of £190 per annum for road tax, which is the same as for later versions of the 1.6-litre motor registered from 1 April 2017.

For earlier 1.6-powered Subaru Levorgs, you’ll pay £255 for 12 months of road tax at the time of writing.

A group 24 insurance rating is notably higher than for a Skoda Superb of equivalent performance and spec, with the Czech car in group 20.

The Japanese company does have a strong reliability record that should see the car last well, so routine maintenance promises to be affordable.

On the road, the Subaru Levorg is very impressive. The boxer engine provides a low centre of gravity which, allied to the well set up suspension, gives very neat, predictable handling through bends.

Ride quality is good, and there is little in the way of body roll, plus the all-wheel-drive system inspires real confidence, even in poor weather.

For a rough, twisting country road or steep descent this gives some added control, which is important for the typical rural Subaru buyer.

However, many drivers will be put off by the lack of any traditional manual transmission option – and also the absence of a diesel engine.

The Subaru Levorg range is simple – there was only one engine and transmission combination at any given time, offered in one trim level.

All used the same 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol boxer engine to begin with, linked to Subaru’s symmetrical all-wheel-drive system via a Lineartronic CVT automatic transmission.

The engine produces 170PS, with peak torque of 250Nm. Performance is reasonable, with 0-62mph taken care of in just under nine seconds, but the combination of an automatic transmission and all-wheel drive make for fairly high claimed CO2 emissions and mediocre economy.

The 2.0-litre petrol engine with 149PS arrived to replace the 1.6 in 2019. With no turbochargers, it feels pretty flat in performance terms, so the earlier engine is the more desirable.

As with the 1.6, there was only ever the Lineartronic CVT auto transmission available – no manual was ever fitted to the Subaru Levorg.

Safety is a real bright spot for the Subaru Levorg as it scored a five-star rating in Euro NCAP tests.

This was helped by Subaru’s EyeSight System, which encompasses Adaptive Cruise Control, Pre-collision braking, Lane sway and departure warning and Lane Keep Assist.

There’s also Blind Spot Monitoring, Lane Change Assist, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, a reversing camera and a smart rear view mirror that uses a camera to show the road behind.

There are also front driver and passenger side and curtain airbags, a driver’s kneebag, whiplash reducing front seats, Anti-Lock Brakes with electronic brake force distribution and a pair of Isofix child seat mounts in the rear.

On top of that lot, you also get stability and traction control systems, with four-wheel drive and standard torque vectoring.

The Subaru Levorg is not as capable as the Subaru Forester when it comes to towing, but it can pull up to 750kg with an unbraked trailer.

Switch to a braked trailer and the Subaru Levorg can haul up to 1500kg, compared to 2000kg for the contemporary Subaru Forester models.

The only model offered was the Subaru Levorg GT.

It comes with automatically activated and auto-dipping LED headlights, auto wipers, Subaru Rear Vehicle Detection, blind spot assistance and keyless entry and start.

It also has heated front seats, dual-zone air conditioning, heated door mirrors, power adjustable driver’s seat, six-speaker audio system, reversing camera, seven-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth, navigation system, six USB connections and two 12V outputs.