Subaru Outback Review 2024

The latest-generation Subaru Outback follows a very similar template. It’s a medium-sized estate car with jacked-up suspension, four-wheel-drive and a design intended to appeal to buyers who need something a bit more capable than a conventional car, but who don’t want an SUV.

Subaru has long been a manufacturer that is happy to produce niche models rather than follow the mainstream and previous generations of the Subaru Outback have been a mainstay of its line-up. Is the latest model worth a look? Our Subaru Outback review will reveal all.

Among its key rivals are the Volkswagen Golf Alltrack and the desirable Volvo V60 Cross Country.

Based on the SGP platform which is also used by the Subaru Forester and Subaru XV, the Subaru Outback comes with a single engine and gearbox option, a 2.5-litre flat-four petrol engine very much in the brand tradition, matched to a CVT automatic gearbox.

Although it is four-wheel-drive, this Subaru system uses a central clutch pack so it offers a standard torque split of 60:40 front to rear, but can vary the amount of torque sent to the rear wheels either by switching the drive mode or automatically, according to the conditions.

The driving experience that the Subaru Outback delivers is dictated by the engine and gearbox arrangement, and for a car that weighs close to 1700kg, it is very much a relaxed affair rather than sprightly.

When driven with restraint, there is acceptable acceleration on offer, and the CVT transmission provides ‘fake’ gearchanges to avoid the high-rev drone that is a common issue with these gearboxes.

However, when stronger acceleration is demanded, the engine speed is held at higher revs, with an unpleasant sound.

Where the Subaru Outback has an advantage over most estate competitors is in its off-road ability.

Although the type of tyres fitted will ultimately determine just how capable it is, it will prove adequate for many buyers, with the bonus of two off-road driver modes and hill descent control for steep downhill sections.

In many respects, the Subaru Outback is less impressive than conventional estate car rivals, with modest performance and a somewhat outdated design.

However, its off-road ability sets it apart and unless an SUV is a viable alternative, the Subaru Outback will fit the bill perfectly for some buyers.

With one eye on potential off-road adventures, it is no surprise that the Subaru Outback has relatively soft and long-travel suspension, with the upside that in general this helps the ride comfort. 

On most types of road it travels along with good control, coping with undulations without disturbing the cabin. However, it can get caught out by sharper bumps and potholes, which detracts from the overall comfort.

On the plus side, the front seats in particular are very comfortable with lots of adjustment, which helps to isolate occupants from poor roads.

Subaru has a long-standing reputation for producing cars with impressive handling, with performance machines such as the Subaru WRX STi and Subaru BRZ winning accolades for their fun factor.

Despite the Subaru Outback having a flat-four engine, which helps the centre of gravity, and four-wheel-drive, the driving experience is somewhat marred by the amount of body roll, which is to be expected with the comfort-biased suspension.

The steering is sufficiently responsive and accurate, and offers decent communication to the driver in terms of how much grip is available, but it is not particularly engaging.

Similarly, the amount of grip on offer is more than adequate but not exceptional, while the modestly-powered engine means that the four-wheel-drive system is rarely troubled by strong throttle applications unless the surface is damp or slippery.

There is nothing wrong with the way the Subaru Outback handles, it is just a little underwhelming given the kind of cars the brand has produced previously.

The Subaru Outback is available with a single engine option, a 2.5-litre petrol with a flat-four arrangement, where the cylinders are laid flat across the engine rather than vertically.

This is a feature which has been common to Subarus for many years.

It offers 169PS and 252Nm of torque, which is enough to take it from 0-62mph in 10.2 seconds and on to a top speed of 120mph. All versions use the same CVT automatic gearbox, with drive sent to all four wheels.

Doing without a turbocharger or hybrid system means the 2.5-litre engine is modestly powered for something of this capacity, and when you add in the additional weight of the four-wheel-drive system and the blunting effect of the CVT gearbox, the result is a car that will make adequate progress, but is underwhelming when asked for anything more.

Driven normally, the Subaru Outback offers decent performance, with acceptable levels of engine noise and good response to demands for acceleration.

The CVT gearbox also provides artificial gearchanges to avoid the engine remaining at high revs during acceleration, which helps to smooth out the driving experience.

Ask for more acceleration, however, and the CVT holds the revs at the engine’s peak power point. That means a high-rev drone which, although not loud, is not welcome either.

The performance on offer is also relatively modest – the 1.5-litre Skoda Superb TSI has 150PS but can reach 62mph almost a second faster than the Subaru Outback, and using what performance there is will also result in fuel consumption increasing significantly.

The Subaru Outback was tested by Euro NCAP at the vehicle’s launch in 2021 and it was awarded the full five-star rating.

It scored a strong 88% for adult occupant protection, 89% for child occupant protection, 84% for pedestrian protection and a remarkable 95% for safety assist.

This impressive score is due to a strong structure but also a high level of safety equipment, packaged into what Subaru calls EyeSight Version 4.0.

This includes adaptive cruise control, emergency lane keep assist, lane centering, lane sway and departure warning, lead vehicle start alert, pre-collision braking, autonomous emergency steering, pre-collision throttle management, intelligent speed limiter and traffic sign recognition.

Drivers looking for a capable tow car may well be tempted by the Subaru Outback’s four-wheel-drive capability, and it offers 750kg capacity unbraked, with a very useful 2000kg braked.

However, the modest power of the engine may make for slow progress with a full load.

As a mid-sized estate car, the Subaru Outback provides enough interior space to suit families, with the ability to carry up to five adults in reasonable comfort.

Those in the front enjoy excellent headroom and elbow room, while the seats have a good range of adjustment to accommodate tall adults with ease.

It’s a similar story in the rear, with plenty of legroom for full-sized adults. There is enough space to fit two with no problems, and although the centre seat is narrower and taller than the outer two, it is still possible to fit a third person there without too much of a squeeze.

Rear headroom is also impressive.

The boot offers a useful 561 litres, although this is almost 100 litres fewer than the Skoda Superb Estate. But the flat floor and low load lip are helpful when storing items.

The Japanese brand is not regarded as a premium manufacturer, although it has a reasonable reputation for quality. This is reflected in the Subaru Outback’s cabin, which has a solid feel, but a conservative appearance.

The cabin is almost universally black, with a few dashes of chrome effect and piano black trim to lighten its appearance, while the central touchscreen dominates the dashboard.

The seats are finished in decent quality leather and the majority of plastics the occupants will come into contact with are soft to the touch. However, it doesn’t feel at the level of more upmarket competitors.

Everything feels well built and sturdy, though, which is a plus given this is the kind of car that may well be used in tougher conditions than a typical estate.

It is pleasant and reasonably welcoming, but not the kind of cabin that passengers will be excited about spending time in.

As standard, all versions of the Subaru Outback are fitted with an 11.6-inch portrait touchscreen which includes DAB, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth, two USB ports in the front and two in the rear, as well as an auxiliary input.

The Limited model does without built-in navigation, while the top-spec Touring version gains an 11-speaker Harman Kardon audio system with subwoofer.

The built-in nav system is provided by TomTom and arguably offers less impressive performance than native smartphone apps. But it has recently added the functionality to use WhatThreeWords when entering destinations, which may be useful if regularly heading off the beaten track.

The screen itself responds quickly enough to inputs and has clear graphics, and the connection to Apple CarPlay or Android Auto works well. But when connected in this way, it only occupies a section of the screen rather than the whole display, which is slightly irritating.

As with the rest of the cabin, the infotainment system focuses on function rather than style, but this at least makes it easy to use on the move.

It also has rotary controllers for volume and tone, so there is no need to search within the menus, while steering wheel controls and voice control are also available.

The sound quality of the standard audio system is acceptable, while the upgraded Harman Kardon system is better, although still not outstanding.

Usefully all versions offer a 3.5mm audio jack in the front, so hooking up a secondary device for audio playback is easy.

At the time of writing, the entry-level Subaru Outback Limited starts at just under £37,000, rising to £41,000 for the Limited version and £42,500 for the highest specification Touring.

Even in its most basic form that is more expensive than the entry-level Skoda Superb Estate, which starts at £33,000, while the top-spec L&K is just over £42,000.

Prices start at around £34,000 for nearly-new examples, giving a small but useful saving over the list price.

Given it sells in limited numbers, there are fewer used examples to choose from, but we found early 2021 Subaru Outbacks selling for around £24,000 with around 40,000 miles.

The Subaru Outback comes with a single engine and gearbox option as well as four-wheel-drive, and the fact that the 2.5-litre petrol does without turbocharging or a hybrid system hurts the running costs as well as the performance.

The official combined figure of 32.8mpg is low, and in the real world this is likely to translate to just over 30mpg on a regular basis and under 30mpg when towing or using all the available performance. 

Insurance groups range from 27 for the Limited version up to 30 for the tops-pec Touring, which is broadly on par with rivals.

As standard, all versions of the Subaru Outback come with automatic LED leadlights and daytime running lights, privacy glass, roof rails, 18-inch alloy wheels, electric seats with heating, keyless entry and start, automatic wipers, leather steering wheel and rear parking sensors and a reversing camera.

There’s also an 11.6-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, four USB ports, voice recognition, EyeSight Version 4.0 safety pack, drive monitoring system and a Thatcham category 1 alarm.

The Subaru Outback Field model adds a black colour pack, roof rails with black ladder, dark metallic wheels, water-repellent leather seats, heated steering wheel, aluminium pedals, power tailgate and satellite navigation.

The Subaru Outback Touring adds a sunroof, roof rails with silver cross bars, dark grey wheels, Nappa leather seats, memory driver’s seat, auto power fold mirrors, a Harman Kardon audio system and multi view monitor.