The Outback has received a mid-cycle refresh for 2023 and will start at $32,695 for the basic trim.Jeremy Sinek/The Globe and Mail
When Subaru first launched the Outback in the mid-1990s, it could have been described as a stopgap. At the time, the SUV revolution was gaining momentum, and Subaru had nothing to offer. By jacking up the suspension of the Legacy station wagon and adding some off-road styling cues, Subaru bought some time until its “real” SUVs were ready.
Today, Subaru has three mainstream crossover SUVs: the subcompact Crosstrek, the compact Forester and mid-size Ascent. Yet, far from sidling off into the sunset, the Outback “wagon on stilts” remains a core asset in Subaru’s portfolio: In 2019 (the last normal pre-pandemic year), it accounted for 19 per cent of all Subaru sales in Canada. Ditto, 2018. Subaru sold a few thousand more of each of the Crosstrek and Forester in those years.
Now in its sixth generation, the Outback has received a mid-cycle refresh for 2023 and will start at $32,695 for the basic trim. In addition to the expected cosmetic tweaks, there are significant infotainment and assisted-drive upgrades. As well, a new Onyx trim offers more of an outdoorsy skew, albeit less so than the new-last-year Wilderness. It is “more urban sport than rugged sport,” one Subaru executive said.
The most obvious change to the exterior is more black cladding. Inside, all versions but the base trim have the latest 11.6-inch touch screen with Starlink connectivity, plus wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Models equipped with Navi, a GPS navigation system, can now also search using What3words, a location technology that divides the planet into three-metre squares, each of which is identified by a unique combination of three words. (This can prove helpful when the place you’re looking for doesn’t have a street address or has multiple entrances.)
All trims get upgraded Subaru EyeSight driver-assist technology, while the top trim adds a wide-angle monocular camera that further expands the field of view to detect and avoid pedestrians and cyclists in intersections at low speed.
There are seven trims to choose from. Convenience, Touring, Onyx and Limited are all powered by a 182-horsepower naturally-aspirated 2.5-litre version of Subaru’s signature boxer four-cylinder engine. The Wilderness, Limited XT and Premier XT trims are propelled by a 260-horsepower 2.4-litre version. Across the board, they get a continuously variable transmission (CVT) with a paddle-shift eight-speed manual mode, and full-time all-wheel drive with active torque vectoring is standard.
Depending on the model, the Outback offers three levels of X-Mode, a driver-selectable program that optimizes the throttle response, transmission, all-wheel drive and stability control for steep or traction-challenged terrain. The new Onyx adds a Dual-Mode X-Mode that has Snow/Dirt and Deep Snow/Mud settings, and the most off-road-oriented Wilderness model has a more advanced version still.
When Subaru sent us through a stretch of deeply rutted mud, I was driving an Outback with the most basic X-Mode, yet it didn’t just muddle through – it powered through with total ease. It helps that the Outback has more ground clearance (22 centimetres, 23 on Wilderness) than most full-on compact crossovers.
Combine that mud with some 250 kilometres of freeways, rural two-lane roads and gravel side roads, and I’m reminded why the Outback is still alive and thriving. Roomier, better equipped and more capable off-road than typical compact crossovers that cost about the same, it combines solid value with high safety levels and the comfortable, confident dynamics of a decent family sedan. Nothing stopgap about that.
Tech specs
- Base price/as tested: $32,695/$46,395
- Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder naturally aspirated with 182 horsepower; 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbocharged with 260 horsepower
- Transmission/drive: Continuously-variable with eight-speed manual mode/all-wheel drive
- Fuel consumption (litres per 100 kilometres): 2.5-litre: 9.2 city/7.3 highway; 2.4-litre turbocharged: 10.6 city/8.1 highway; Wilderness: 11 city/9.0 highway
- Alternatives: Buick Envision, Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Escape, Ford Bronco Sport, GMC Terrain, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Mazda CX-50, Mitsubishi Outlander, Nissan Rogue, Subaru Forester, Toyota RAV4, Volkswagen Tiguan
The interior has the feel of a sedan's interior, but you're still 10 centimetres above.Jeremy Sinek/The Globe and Mail
Looks
The “wagon on stilts” look remains, but now with more rugged cues such as more black cladding, a bolder grille. The new Onyx has black (instead of chrome) exterior highlights and gunmetal-toned 18-inch wheels.
Interior
Sitting at the wheel is like being in a car – a car with great visibility – except you’re about 10 centimetres higher than in most cars. A full-circumference heated steering wheel is standard, plus heated front seats, with 10-way power adjustment for the driver. All but the Convenience trim have the revised 11.6-inch vertical screen that now includes some climate controls; at least those “virtual hard buttons,” as Subaru calls them, are always there – no need to hunt through a menu. And there are still actual hard buttons for temperature and defog as well as audio volume and tune. Other traditional elements include analogue gauges and a conventional shift lever. Side-by-side cup holders are a thoughtful touch, and both USB-C and USB-A ports are provided. Overall passenger space splits the difference between what you’d get in typical compact crossovers that cost about the same as the Outback, and mid-size ones that match its exterior size.
Performance
Both engines are smooth, and the continuously variable transmission (CVT) makes the most of their outputs (the turbo can be considered genuinely quick) while minimizing the random surging and sagging of engine revolutions that afflicts many CVTs. Ride comfort over rumpled roads is a strong suit, but wind and tire noise disturb what would otherwise be a refined and relaxed gait on the highway. As for handling, the Outback wouldn’t be any gearhead’s choice as a track-day tool, but the steering feels right, and within its modest limits of grip, the car corners with a relaxed, fluid confidence that expressive drivers can still enjoy.
Technology
Standard on all trims, the upgraded EyeSight system brings improved precollision braking, lane-departure prevention, lane centring and adaptive cruise control, while the Touring adds automatic emergency steering to existing features such as blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and reverse automatic braking. Exclusive to the range-topping Premier XT is the aforementioned wide-angle camera. Infotainment and connectivity assets include, on all except the base model, wireless CarPlay and Android Auto, and Starlink connected services. Navigation, standard on Limited, Limited XT and Premier XT, now includes What3words.
Cargo
Like a good wagon, the Outback has flat-folding seats and a long cargo deck for a maximum cargo volume (2,141 litres) that’s more than competitive with higher-priced mid-size crossovers. The seats-up volume (923 litres) is about what you’d get in most like-priced compacts. Tow ratings are 2,700 and 3,435 pounds for the non-turbo and turbo models, respectively.
The verdict
All the goodness of a wagon (some of us do still like them) with more capability than most comparably priced crossovers.
The Outback has flat-folding seats and a long cargo deck for a maximum cargo volume that’s more than competitive with higher-priced mid-size crossovers.Jeremy Sinek/The Globe and Mail
The writer was a guest of the auto maker. Content was not subject to approval.
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