Pros

• Comfortable ride and spacious cabin
• You can choose to have a solid turbocharged engine instead.
• Loading the top or the trunk area is more straightforward than most SUVs.
• Great handling off-road

Cons

• The slow speed of the standard engine
• Engine auto-stop/start system that isn’t very good

The way the Outback is driven. The only bad thing about the Outback is that it moves slowly. Our test car was an Outback Limited with a standard four-cylinder engine. It took 8.8 seconds to go from 0 to 60 mph. If you want to compete with the Honda Passport and Ford Edge, you should get the turbocharged engine. The transmission moves quickly and smoothly so you can keep up with traffic.

Even though the Outback has a noticeable body roll when it turns, it drives smoothly overall. The turning feels excellent on the centre and gives great feedback from the road. Which choice is the best? With 8.7 inches of ground clearance and standard all-wheel drive, the Outback can go almost anywhere it’s SUV competitors can’t, and in some places, they can’t.

Is it easy to live in the Outback? It will be hard to find a more comfy car for the price. The first row is lovely. They are soft but hold you up and give you a good boost without being too tight. Overall, these comfortable seats are easy to sink into and stay in.

Even though some road surfaces might cause light vibrations in the cabin, the Outback generally has a great ride. Even though it is easy to avoid drainage ditches, speed bumps, and potholes, the car doesn’t move. It strikes a great mix between control and following the rules.

The climate system does an excellent job keeping the cabin at the right temperature. Other than changing the temperature, all changes must be made using the hard-to-use tablet interface.

How does the inside look? The Outback is excellent in terms of room. Even though the Outback has a lot of seat options, some people might like to sit more straight, like in an SUV. The cabin is open and big, and the seats have enough head- and legroom. The big windows also make it easier to see everything and eliminate blind spots.

Unfortunately, Subaru put most of the Outback’s settings on the touchscreen so that drivers don’t have to deal with too many buttons. To change locations, you must open multiple screens, which takes time and takes your attention away from simple tasks.

How good is the tech? The Outback starts with two 7-inch screens, but all future trims will have an 11.6-inch screen as standard. The setup with two screens won’t cost too much, so go with the big single monitor. The clarity of the 11.6-inch screen could be better, but navigation and maps are easy to use. Your map, music, podcasts, and other files can all fit on the big screen. Subaru covers you in every way if you prefer to use your phone. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay come with wireless connection out of the box. There are also a lot of places to charge your phone and a great speaker.

EyeSight from Subaru is one of the best driving aids on the market, but it can sometimes be annoying. Both adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping work well, but they all make a lot of loud noises and alert you almost constantly.

What about putting things away? The Outback has less storage space than possible because it resembles a lifted station wagon than an SUV. On the other hand, the low, flat floor of the cargo area makes it easier to load and unload. Since the Outback is shorter than a typical SUV, putting things on its roof rails is easy.

There needs to be more closet space in the cabins. The centre storage box is smaller than in other SUVs, but it has a handy shelf for phones, and the back seats have bottle holders in the doors and pockets on both sides of the seatbacks. In the end, there will be less room to store things.

With so much space and easy-to-reach seat anchors, it should be easy to place child safety seats.

How well does it use gasoline? The EPA says that the base engine will get 29 mpg when going in the city and on the highway together, which is better than what other cars get. On the other hand, our test Outback only got about 20 mpg. This could be because the weak power source needs to catch up with more traffic.

Should you buy the Outback? Even though most of its competitors have more powerful base engines, the Outback is still great. The base model doesn’t have any real problems. Even with more comforts and tech features, it is still less expensive than competitors with similar characteristics. If you choose the more powerful XT versions, which cost more than most SUV competitors, the math changes a lot.

There are no clear benefits to owning a Subaru. The warranty is standard in the business. The Outback looks like it was made well, but neither the style nor the quality of the materials stands out.

The Outback is a better SUV than most in that it does SUV things well and without trying too hard. Even though we wish it were more accessible, the Outback is an excellent way to remember that usefulness is more important than looks.

Even though the Outback is boring, it has a strong sense of who it is. Its high ground clearance, an all-wheel drive that works all the time, and smooth ride make driving over bumps or rough roads easy. It makes going on bad city streets or poorly kept country roads more pleasant. The best thing about the Outback is that it makes people feel calm.

You want an Outback with a boosted engine. It is quick and sensitive and has the strength to live in the Outback. The Onyx Edition XT is a good buy because it is the least expensive way to get a turbo engine and extras like water-resistant upholstery, a hands-free liftgate, and more off-road modes.

Subaru Outback variants

In 2024, there will be nine trim options for the midsize Subaru Outback: Base, Premium, Onyx Edition, Limited, Touring, Onyx Edition XT, Wilderness, Limited XT, and Touring XT. All models, from the base to the Touring, are powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with 182 horsepower and 176 lb-ft of torque. This engine is paired with an automatic transmission that changes gears constantly. The XT and the Wilderness have a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with 260 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque. They also have the same gearbox. All Outbacks come with all-wheel drive.