Subaru Outback (2014 – 2021) Review

The Subaru Outback is not the cheapest estate car you can buy, but when you factor in the long list of standard equipment, the reassurance of all-wheel-drive, Subaru’s reputation for dependability, and an excellent five-year warranty, the Outback starts to make a lot of sense. Rivals include the Audi A4 Allroad, Volvo V60 Cross Country and Volkswagen Passat Alltrack. It can’t match the Germans and Swedes in terms of interior quality, but the cabin is built to withstand a lifetime of abuse.

The Subaru Outback appeals to a select group of buyers. Not to be confused with one of the countless SUVs you can buy in 2020, the Outback is a proper go-anywhere estate car that rivals the likes of the Audi A4 Allroad and Volvo V60 Cross Country.

It’s not a big seller. Sales are hampered by the fitment of a 2.5-litre petrol engine, which seems at odds with the shift towards small turbocharged petrol engines and electrification. There’s no diesel option and you can’t even buy a new Outback with a manual gearbox. A diesel engine was available in the past but has been removed from the Outback range.

Another factor working against the Outback is its interior, which lacks the premium feel of some rivals. It’s a hard-wearing and robust cabin, but it can’t match the perceived quality of the German and Swedish competitors. Not that we see this as a problem – the Outback has been built to withstand years of off-road abuse.

Central to its appeal is Subaru’s Symmetrical All-Wheel-Drive system. It sends power to the wheels with the most traction, so you can corner with confidence – all weathers, all seasons and all road conditions. The Outback offers a level of surefootedness you will rarely find elsewhere.

It’s also brilliant off-road, which makes this the ideal car for anyone living at the end of a rutted track, at the bottom of a deep valley or half-way up a mountain. Owning an Outback could mean the difference between getting out or being stranded at home.

The driving experience majors on comfort, with the raised suspension cushioning you from all but the worst road imperfections. There’s a little body-roll when cornering hard, but the limpet-like grip never feels like it’s going to break free.

As you’d expect from an estate car, there’s loads of room inside. The Outback strikes a great balance of luggage capacity and cabin space, with a boot that’s one of the largest in its class. A low boot lip and wide opening combine to make loading a doddle, while the SE Premium model comes with an electric tailgate.

Not that we see the need to upgrade to the top trim level. The SE trim covers all the essentials, with a list including 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, automatic headlights, heated front seats, keyless entry and start, dual-zone climate control, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, cruise control, X-Mode off-road assistance and the excellent EyeSight suite of driver assistance systems.

In fact, aside from the fuel economy and cost of servicing, it’s hard to find any genuine problems with the Subaru Outback. It comes with a five-year warranty, an excellent reputation for reliability, and an overriding sense that it’s built to survive the apocalypse. Buy one and you’ll be part of an exclusive club. 

The Outback feels assured and well-engineered, which inspires confidence in all weathers and across all surfaces. The all-wheel-drive system is ‘always on’, so it feels like you’re driving with a safety blanket.

The ride quality is excellent, with the suspension soaking up all but the worst road imperfections. You can even opt for the larger 18-inch alloy wheels without fearing for your spine.

If the Outback is impressive on the road, it’s even better when you venture off the beaten track. Thanks to 200mm of ground clearance, the Outback tackles rocky ground and rutted tracks without a problem. Engage X-Mode and the system will take care of the power and braking.

You also get hill descent control, which manages the accelerator and braking when you’re driving down a hill.

It isn’t economical, but the 2.5-litre turbocharged ‘Boxer’ engine is a modern gem. Power is delivered in a smooth and linear fashion, with progress accompanied by an evocative soundtrack. It’s not particularly quick, but swift progress is possible in all weathers.

The Lineartronic CVT automatic is one of the better CVTs we’ve experienced, helped in no small part by the paddle shifters mounted on the steering wheel. Use these and it could pass as a manual gearbox. You’ll need to avoid sudden inputs, but for the most part the transmission blends into the background.

Subaru has ditched the old 2.0-litre diesel engine. While it offered respectable economy, the engine was noisy and less harmonious with the CVT. On the plus side, it was available with a six-speed manual gearbox.

The Outback was awarded a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating when it was crash-tested in 2014. The individual scores were impressive, with Subaru’s excellent EyeSight driver assistance technology contributing to an impressive rating for safety assist systems. EyeSight uses a pair of cameras to monitor the road ahead, helping to prevent a collision.

Standard safety features include blind-spot monitoring, lane-change assist, rear cross-traffic alert, reversing camera, front- and side-view monitoring, multiple airbags, two Isofix points, high-beam assist, headlight washers and a tyre repair kit. Lane-keep assist was added to EyeSight in 2018.

The Subaru Outback has a towing capacity of 2000kg and a towball limit of 90kg. It’s a good car for towing, with only the relatively low kerb weight letting it down.

Thanks to 559 litres of luggage capacity, the Subaru Outback is more practical than the Audi A4 Allroad and Volvo V60 Cross Country. It’s not quite as cavernous as the Passat Alltrack, but the loading lip and wide boot opening combine to make it easy to load heavy items. An electric tailgate is standard on the SE Premium model.

Although the rear seats don’t fold entirely flat, you can lower them using a pair of levers in the boot. It’s possible to seat three people in the back, but the Outback works best as a spacious four-seater. There’s loads of headroom throughout the cabin, along with a generous amount of legroom for outer rear seat passengers.

There are four cupholders in the cabin, door pockets large enough for big bottles, plus a good size storage bin between the front seats. Overall, the Outback offers a good balance of luggage capacity and boot space.

That said, Subaru has chosen to focus on longevity and robustness, giving the Outback an interior that feels hard-wearing and up to the challenge of withstanding 150,000 miles of abuse.

Crucially, the materials used at eye level are soft and premium, with the leather-trimmed steering wheel lending the cabin a touch of class. Heated seats, dual-zone climate control, two USB ports for the rear seats, cruise control and stainless steel sill covers are standard across the range, so the package feels premium, even if some of the plastics are a little low-rent.

The Outback launched with a 6.5-inch touchscreen infotainment system, but the SE Premium model gained an eight-inch screen in 2018. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were added to both versions at the same time.

Although the menu system is clear and uncluttered, the display is a little dated. This is less of an issue since Subaru added Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to the car, but the high-gloss finish makes it difficult to see the screen in direct sunlight.

It’s worth noting the fact that the Outback comes with four USB ports as standard – a nice feature in a family car.

The Subaru Outback 2.5i SE costs £33,770, while the SE Premium weighs in at £36,770. Excellent value, especially when you consider that the cheapest Audi A4 Allroad costs £42,500, while the Volkswagen Passat Alltrack costs the best part of £40,000.

It’s not as though Subaru has held back on the level of equipment. Even the ‘basic’ SE trim comes with a long list of kit, so the bigger conundrum is deciding if it’s worth spending the additional £3,000 for the SE Premium model.

The leather seats certainly help to make the Outback feel more premium, but the majority of upgrades are largely cosmetic. The eight-way electric adjustment for the front seats might be handy if you intend to cover a lot of miles in your Outback.

Used examples start from £12,000. Buying an early one opens up the possibility of owning an Outback with a 2.0-litre diesel engine, which could be useful if you’re put off by the fuel economy of the 2.5-litre petrol engine.

We’d recommend opting for one of the post-facelift cars, which were introduced in 2018. Although you’ll pay at least £20,000, you’ll benefit from the remainder of Subaru’s five-year warranty and a much improved product.

Finding a cheap PCP deal might be tricky. Even a 2015 car will cost a minimum of £225 a month. This is spread over four years after a deposit of £1,000. Traditional car finance on a new Outback is even more expensive.

We’ve seen prices of up to £900 a month for a new Subaru Outback, which might explain why the car is such a slow seller in the UK. Rivals can offer more attractive PCP deals to tempt buyers away from the Outback.

The 2.5-litre petrol engine offers a claimed 33mpg on a combined cycle, which isn’t enough in an era of ultra-economical diesel engines and super-efficient petrol units.

On the plus side, Honest John Real MPG data suggests that you’ll see 33.8mpg, which is slightly more than the official figure.

If you’re concerned about fuel economy, it’s probably worth considering the old 2.0-litre diesel engine. Although the figure was recorded using the old NEDC test procedure, you could see between 44.8mpg and 47.9mpg, depending on whether you opt for the CVT transmission or manual gearbox.

There’s more bad news if you’re buying a new Subaru Outback. A ‘showroom tax’ of £1,305 will be included in the purchase price, although Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) drops to £150 from year two. It’s the same rate for Outbacks registered between 1 April 2017 and 31 March 2020. Cars registered on or before 31 March 2017 cost between £165 and £205 to tax.

It’s not all bad news. Subaru’s Eyesight technology means that the Outback is relatively inexpensive to insure. Group ratings of 17 to 23 compare favourably with the likes of the Audi A4 Allroad and Volvo V60 Cross Country.

The Subaru Outback is the ideal estate car if you regularly drive on rutted or pitted roads, or you live in an area where the weather is best described as ‘changeable’. It’s not a car for pounding the motorways of Britain, although it’s a comfortable long-distance cruiser.

If you’re buying new, we’d recommend the SE model, as it’s hard to justify the extra expense of the SE Premium. That said, the smaller price difference on the second-hand market makes the SE Premium model look more appealing.