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As the rare wagon in a world of crossover SUVs, the Subaru Outback proves itself as a uniquely strong family hauler.
The Wagon Done Right
2024 Subaru Outback – subaru.com | Shop Subaru Outback on Carsforsale.com
Once a staple of the American roadway, the humble yet practical station wagon has largely disappeared today, replaced by legions of bulky SUVs. Outside of luxury marks, only one wagon remains, the Subaru Outback. How is it that every other carmaker has left the station wagon behind while Subaru continues to see remarkable success with a clearly dated body style? One word: family.
The Subaru Outback delivers for families across a broad spectrum of desirable attributes from drivability and interior quality to outstanding safety ratings, impressive storage capacity, and a uniquely outdoorsy personality all wrapped in a spiffy-looking lifted wagon. Here are the top reasons why the Subaru Outback is a singularly strong family vehicle.
Drivability
For those familiar with the Subaru line outside the BRZ and WRX, you might be wondering why I’m singing the praises of one of many Subaru’s saddled with a lackluster CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) and a weak base engine (if you aren’t as familiar, this has long been Subaru’s MO). Yes, the Outback comes with a base 182 horsepower 2.5L boxer four-cylinder mated to a sluggish CVT. But it can also be optioned with a 2.4L turbocharged 2.4L boxer good for 260 horsepower. The extra power makes highway passing a bit easier, though the CVT still hums (whines?) along as it shifts through eight simulated gears.
Speed is not what the Outback is about nor, for that matter, are most of its closest competitors. The compact crossover/SUV segment skews heavily in favor of economy and their upright bodies make them less than agile (excepting the Mazda CX-30 and luxury models from the likes of BMW and Mercedes-Benz).
Instead, the Outback’s strength on the road is its low center of gravity thanks to its wagon design and flat boxer engine. This makes the Outback more carlike in its handling and better in cornering than taller SUVs. Ride quality also impresses, and steering is balanced and accurate. The Outback emphasizes ease and comfort behind the wheel for a stress-free drive whether commuting or on cross-country road trips.
Spaciousness
The Subaru Outback also has one of the more spacious interiors among small SUVs. Front seat legroom measures 42.8 inches while rear seat legroom comes in at 39.1 inches, 1.4 inches more than the prior year’s model. Cargo space is also ample. In the back, we find 32.6 cubic feet of space and with the rear seats folded down, the Outback expands to 75.6 cu.-ft., making it tops among non-luxury crossover SUVs.
Interior Quality
Inside, the Outback surprises with its levels of comfort and quality sure to please the whole family. Front and rear seats are comfortable and come in a variety of upholsteries from cloth in the base model to rugged StarTex material in the Onyx and Wilderness Edition trims, to leatherette, and even Nappa leather in the top Touring trim. The front seats come with thigh extensions, memory function, heating, and, again in the Touring, ventilation as well. Options like the Harman Kardon premium stereo and heated steering wheel add to the creature comforts.
Subaru has given the Outback a good amount of soft touch points and the overall fit and finish are impressive. An 11.6-inch infotainment touchscreen is a mixed blessing. The operating system is intuitively laid out and responds quickly, but we miss having physical controls for our HVAC system instead of having them housed in the touchscreen.
Outdoorsy
The name Outback proclaims this Subaru as an outdoorsy vehicle, and rest assured that it isn’t just marketing hype. The Outback comes outfitted for outdoor family adventures even in stock form with standard all-wheel drive, 8.7 inches of ground clearance, and 2,700 or 3,500 lbs. of towing capacity, depending on the engine optioned.
Not to rest on these laurels, Subaru recently upgraded their lineup’s more rugged options with a new Wilderness Edition. In the Outback, the Wilderness Edition goes up to 9.5 inches of ground clearance and adds skid plates, more plastic exterior cladding, and additional “X-Mode” drive modes for snow and mud. The Wilderness Edition also features all-terrain tires and more robust roof rails that hold up to 700 lbs., perfect for a rooftop tent.
Safety Tech
All of us with families put safety as a top consideration when picking out a new vehicle. The 2023 Subaru Outback got a five-star rating from the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) and was chosen as an IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) Top Safety Pick+. Subaru’s Eyesight advanced driver assistance system comes standard and includes adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, lane-centering assist, rearview camera, forward collision warning and pedestrian detection, as well as adaptive headlights and automatic high beams. Additional safety options include blind spot monitoring, front-view camera, rear cross-traffic alert, evasive steering assist, and reverse automatic braking.
Carrying the Station Wagon Flame
2015 Subaru Outback – netcarshow.com | Shop Subaru Outback on Carsforsale.com
Even as other manufacturers have left the station wagon behind; Subaru’s Outback remains defiantly different as a unique option that distinguishes itself as one of the best vehicles for families on the market today.
