Overview & Reviews

Designed with the North American market in mind, the Subaru Outback wagon provides many popular SUV traits without the associated drawbacks. Based on Subaru's midsize Legacy, the Outback comes standard with all-wheel drive, a raised suspension for better ground clearance, and special interior and exterior styling details.

There have been four Outback generations. At its debut, the original Subaru Outback was pretty much the only vehicle of its type and was an instant hit with consumers. More recent iterations lost a bit of an edge as other automakers came up with similar crossover wagons and SUVs at the start of the new millennium, but the latest fourth-generation Outback is more like a crossover SUV than ever. New or used, the Outback is a strong contender for shoppers interested in a car that provides plenty of everyday versatility with the type of all-season capability needed for frosty climes.

Current Subaru Outback
The five-passenger Subaru Outback is a tall wagon available in a number of trim levels -- 2.5i, 2.5i Premium, 2.5i Limited, 3.6R, 3.6R Premium and 3.6R Limited -- distinguished by powertrain. The base engine is a 2.5-liter horizontally opposed four-cylinder that makes 170 horsepower and 170 pound-feet of torque. It comes with either a six-speed manual transmission or a continuously variable transmission (CVT). Also available is 3.6-liter six-cylinder boxer engine good for 256 hp and 247 lb-ft of torque, with a five-speed conventional automatic as the only available transmission.

Even the base Outback comes with roof rails, full power accessories, cruise control, a tilt-telescoping steering column, a height-adjustable driver seat and a CD stereo with an auxiliary audio jack. Higher trims add niceties like alloy wheels, foglights, powered and heated front seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, iPod/USB inputs, Bluetooth phone/audio connectivity and a Harman Kardon sound system. There's also an optional voice-activated navigation system.

More so than previous Outbacks, the new model is meant to appeal to more mainstream buyers by being larger on the inside. To this end, while bumper-to-bumper length has shrunk by almost 1 inch, the wheelbase has grown by nearly 3 inches, width by 2 inches and height by 4 inches, enlarging interior space considerably and putting the Outback on par with other midsize crossovers. With the rear seats folded, there are an impressive 71 cubic feet of cargo space available.

In reviews, we've commented favorably about the current Outback's roomier interior. Performance with the base four-cylinder is unremarkable, however; if you want some zip, you'll need to ante up for the 3.6-liter engine. We miss the previous Outback's turbocharged boxer-4, a boon for owners living in mountainous areas. Handling is also unimpressive, as the Outback's elevated ride height and soft suspension tuning do their best to obscure the vehicle's sedan roots. Overall, the latest Outback is a solid choice for utility-minded families, but it's not as enjoyable to drive as previous models.

Used Subaru Outback Models
The current, fourth-generation Subaru Outback was introduced for 2010. There have been no significant changes since then.

The third-generation Outback was produced from 2005-'09. There were several trim levels: base 2.5i, 2.5i Special Edition, 2.5i Limited, 2.5 XT Limited, 3.0 R, 3.0R Limited and 3.0R L.L. Bean Edition.

For power, 2.5i trim levels had a 2.5-liter horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine that made 170 hp. The XT level upgraded to a 2.5-liter turbocharged engine with 243 hp. The 3.0 R model came with a 3.0-liter horizontally opposed six-cylinder (H6) good for 245 hp. All-wheel drive was standard across the board.

Models with either of the 2.5-liter engines could be equipped with a five-speed manual transmission. A four-speed automatic was available on 2.5i models, while 2.5 XT models got an optional five-speed auto. The 2.5i Limited models were four-speed automatics only, and the H6 came only with the five-speed automatic.

If you're shopping for a used model of this generation, there are a few items to note. An Outback sedan was offered from 2005-'07. Additionally, all Outbacks prior to the 2008 model year lacked a telescoping steering wheel and auxiliary audio jack. Horsepower figures were lowered for 2007 due to revised SAE standards, but actual performance was not affected. The luxurious L.L. Bean trim levels were discontinued after 2008, replaced by a single 3.0 R Limited model, and stability control also became standard.

In reviews, this third-generation Subaru Outback received praise for its standard all-wheel drive, long list of features, strong turbocharged engine, above-average build quality and balanced ride and handling dynamics. While it didn't quite have the off-road capabilities of a true SUV, it could take on light-duty terrain without complaint. Negatives brought up in reviews typically centered on the vehicle's smallish backseat and the sluggish response from the automatic transmissions.

The second-generation Subaru Outback (2000-'04) was also available as either a sedan or a wagon. In its first year, this model was available in base and Limited trims, and had a 165-hp, 2.5-liter engine. The following year, Subaru introduced the L.L. Bean Edition and the VDC trim levels. These featured the more powerful 212-hp six-cylinder engine.

Compared to the current car, the second-generation Outback is a bit smaller and not quite as refined or capable. Subaru made minor improvements to this generation during the years, but none are significant enough to make any particular model year stand out. In Edmunds.com road tests, reviewers liked its standard all-wheel drive and car-based comfort. Some felt that the four-cylinder models were underpowered, however, and that it was eclipsed by newer competition in its later years.

When the original Subaru Outback model debuted in 1995, it was little more than a trim package on the Legacy wagon. In 1996, the Outback (officially known as the Legacy Outback for this generation) gained its raised suspension, large foglights, SUV design cues and optional 155-hp 2.5-liter engine. Further improvements during successive years included the addition of a leather-lined Limited model, dual sunroofs and powertrain refinements. As the Outback was one of the first crossover wagons to be designed, consumers interested in this type of vehicle from the late 1990s will likely find it to be quite suitable, especially compared to SUVs from the same period.

User Reviews:

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  Worst Car I Ever Loved - 2005 Subaru Outback
  By Pilgrim 54 - May 29 - 4:53 pm

  North western PA winters were no match for the Sube. Foot of snow; no problem. Need lots of ground clearance, fine. Need service...good luck. Yes you WILL need service. We bought ours new and sold it after 4 years. Had numorous problems with the cruise control operation. Replaced the timing belt tensioner TWICE! On the way to the dealer when we were trading it in we were having second thoughts till the check engine light came on!!

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  Disappointed. - 2005 Subaru Outback
  By Dmitry - May 28 - 1:13 am

  Drivetrain: Rear suspension is too soft, (car goes up & down more than once after bump). 4-A transmission is the same slow as previous generation, but shift logic now is very stupid, kickdown is absolutely unacceptable. Interior: Well, finally they switched to better materials, but this is the only improvements - ergonomics is nightmare. At night the instrument panel and console look like Christmas tree! There are 5 different colors. Brightness of several things is not adjustable. Some controls are hard to reach, (eg. "horn button" is not reachable by thumb!) Exterior: Because they rounded down roof toward rear, visibility is affected. Headlights generate awful light distribution, high beam is useless.

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  Mixed review - 2001 Subaru Outback
  By paul - May 21 - 3:00 pm

  While this car is great in snow and rock solid in a driving rain it has been a maintenance nightmare. We think it was built late on a Friday afternoon. Within hours of taking delivery the car wouldnt start. Bad fuel injectors. Within two months, bad brake rotors. Drivers door has never closed correctly without slamming it. New clutch within 24K miles... told Subaru clutches dont last long (wife asked if we they could install a Honda clutch instead - our accord clutch lasted until 75K....). Another new clutch at 45K. Blown tranny at 102K and now blown head gasket at 105K. Were done with Subaru.

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  Not Too Impressed - 2006 Subaru Outback
  By John - April 4 - 5:06 pm

  After extensive research on the Internet I decided on this Outback 2.5i base model. Car looks very nice, is comfortable to drive and has nice handling and performance. Feels as safe as a tank to drive. However, the interior trim material is extremely poor. It has developed all sorts of intermittent squeaking and rattling (have to turn up the radio just to cover it up when driving). The dealer says all those noises are normal for this car. Also the engine is extremely loud at ignition, sounds like it is going to breakdown. I was expecting a great car when buying but ended up with just a good car. Also very poor gas mileage of 22 MPG on mixed driving. Car didnt meet my expectations.

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  Very Disappointed for Many Reasons - 2016 Subaru Outback
  By Lisa Smith - March 17 - 11:13 am

  There are so many things that are disappointing to me with this car. Some off them include: after 6 different trips to 2 different dealers I learned that the random hesitation I was experiencing was due to a bad coil pack on a spark plug. The reason it took me more than 15 hours of drive time back and forth to the dealers is because the computer they have running the car randomly decides when it wants to save error codes. For my mechanical issue the engineers who created the computer felt it made sense for it to only hold my error code when the check engine light came on for the exact same reason in 2 consecutive ignitions. My cylinder 1 misfire was impossible to duplicate by the dealer until I made the 6th trip to dealer and I just got lucky because the engineers who created the computer felt it is not necessary to store my previous misfire error codes. Another disappointment is the hatchback. It will not release unless the vehicle is in park and all the doors are unlocked. So, I am guessing the engineers who created this have never dropped a child off at ball practice or been in a slow moving school pick up lane before. If they had they would know you never put your car in park and unlock the auto lock doors before your child jumps out to grab their bags from the back and you quickly get out of the way of the next family dropping off or picking up. I also absolutely hate the keyless FOB. it is my first time owning one and I will never purchase it again. You cannot lock the car with the FOB inside. As a human I should be able to decide when I want my car locked and when I dont regardless if I have a key inside or not. I could elaborate more on this but this may just be a personal preference thing versus an engineering mistake. It is ridiculous to me that this car does not have one dedicated USB for charging a phone when it is not running. Their is no possible way that 1 cell phone can draw enough power to damage a car battery if it is not running. The fuel mileage has been disappointing too. I have never averaged more than 25 mpg regardless if it is combined driving or not. Lastly, the dealership I bought my Subaru from was a joke. Lou Fusz in St. Louis could have cared less about my random misfire problem. They did nothing to help me troubleshoot my random glitch and poor performance and they eventually just blew me off as did Subaru themselves when I called them. They simple said it is covered under warranty but the caveat to that is that it is ONLY covered if they can get the problem to duplicate at the dealer. Finally the second dealership, Webster Groves Subaru in St. Louis helped me to say that I should go to an auto parts store and ask them to do a code reading on it when the check engine light came on given that the car does not store any of the information after I turn the engine off. Needless to say, I do not LOVE. my Subaru....

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  Suspension is a little hard as are the interior plastics - 2013 Subaru Outback
  By theooutback - March 16 - 8:45 am

  This is our second Outback, the first being a 2006. Whats nice - the interior styling, the very good AWD, and FINALLY rear air vents (at least in the Limited) that have been available on non-US Outbacks for years. But they did stiffen things up a bit and this is described by some professional reviewers as improved handling. In real world driving, it means that imperfect pavement (really normal pavement these days) is always there with you. Its not bouncy, just hard. Which brings me to the interior plastics - tap on them with your nails to get a knock on the door sound. The materials seem fairly cheap aside from the seating surfaces. A lesson from recent Toyotas?

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  Good but not Car and Driver car - 2010 Subaru Outback
  By bob_bj - December 5 - 12:26 am

  I have had Subarus and this is not the top car of its time. I bought the car more as of being loyal to Subaru than the performance. It is a roomy car and will get you from point A to point B but not with performance of previous Subaru like my Subaru Outback 2005 Auto. The CVT transmission is good for fuel saving but not performance. When you rev your engine the acceleration is more of a small little moped than a big car with a lot of power. The engine is underpowered for this big of a car. The appearance of the new OB is relatively nice. I like the interior better than exterior. Interior is nicely done and does not feel so cheap. Exterior looks more like GM or Ford car now. Need a bit spice.

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  Sure-footed, but incredibly unreliable - 2006 Subaru Outback
  By kbourdeau - October 13 - 9:12 am

  My 06 2.5i Ltd. (118,000 mi.) blew its head gaskets for the second time in less than 3 yrs. today. Replaced all 4 sets of wheel bearings at least once, broken front axle, wiring harness on back hatch, door handle, console cover broke off completely years ago, rear defrost never did work properly, etc. Never had a car in the shop as much as this one. Loved the traction - absolutely hated the total lack of quality in this vehicle. Not feeling the love... If you insist on a Subaru, but a model from 08 or newer - they are supposedly much more reliable.

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  MPG not as advertised - 2013 Subaru Outback
  By qphenic - October 8 - 12:29 am

  Outback 2.5i Limited rides and handles fine. Overall utility of the car is good. And the interior satisfies in most respects, including nav and sound. But the car often feels as if it is fighting headwinds, even on gradual descents. I attribute this to the CVT, or perhaps a lack of power. There is also a noticeable vibration which travels up the seatback at idle. But the biggest disappointment by far: I am averaging 21-22 MPG with this car (60/40 city/hwy, non-aggressive driver). EPA combined is listed at 26, so I am not happy.

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  Dumbest design - headlights - 2011 Subaru Outback
  By Dave - September 14 - 5:41 pm

  I like my outback, except that the design for headlight replacement is probably the poorest engineering design I have ever witnessed in my life. You need to remove multiple fasteners to push back the fenders in order to access the headlight assembly, then fit your arm in the tightest area to remove the assembly cover, access the bulb, and do the whole thing in reverse. Absolutely the dumbest design ever. Subaru touts itself as an outdoor, adventure type vehicle, appealing to the "outback" kinda explorer...yet, headlights are not for show but for safety, and thus should be easily accessible if ever the Indiana Jones in you is out and about after dark and needs to repair a blown bulb....just like changing tires, adding fuel or changing a belt...all these things should be doable by the driver ( alone in the wild) not by the dealer.....bad juju all around!