Safety

The 2010 Legacy is one of 27 cars to be named a 2010 Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. To earn this award, a car must earn the top score of Good in crash tests and have stability control. This year, IIHS added a roof-strength test to its stable of crash tests. The additional test, which simulates a rollover crash, tightened criteria and greatly reduced the number of cars that qualified for the award.

In addition to stability control, the Legacy has standard antilock brakes and traction control. It also has six airbags, including side-impact airbags for the front seats and side curtain airbags for both rows.

While my kids were happy with all of the legroom in the backseat, one aspect of the second row was frustrating to me. The Latch connectors aren't easy to access; they're buried under a fabric flap that makes it a bit tricky to get at them. Once you do, a rear-facing infant-safety seat should fit in the second row without any problems. My kids' booster seats fit easily into the backseat because there weren't any bolsters to get in the way.

FAMILY LIFESTAGE

In Diapers: There's lots of room in the backseat for rear-facing infant-safety seats.

In School: There's enough real estate for everyone to be happy.

Teens: This is a good-looking first car with great safety ratings.

    See also:

    Overhead console
    Overhead console To open the console, push on the console lid lightly and the lid will automatically open. When your vehicle is in the sun or on a warm day, the inside of the overhea ...

    Outback
    Unlock the seatback by pulling the release lever and then fold the seatback down. To return the seatback to its original position, raise the seatback until it locks into place and make sure that ...

    Child safety locks
    WARNING Always turn the child safety locks to the “LOCK” position when children sit on the rear seat. Serious injury could result if a child accidentally opens the door and falls out. Each rea ...