You know I am always happy when I have a Subaru for the week. This week, I bring you the 2025 Outback, a great vehicle on pavement or off-payment.
There are no substantial changes from the 2024 version, which suits me fine. There are rumors of a complete overhaul for 2026, although nothing official from Subaru yet. I actually hope that does happen because that would likely spur a midsized pickup, too.
Exterior
The debate roars on! Is the Outback an SUV or a station wagon? Subaru says it is an SUV for marketing purposes, and I’m good with that, but it looks a little wagon-ish to me, but you be the judge. Just know it is perfectly acceptable to call it an SUV if it makes you feel better.
The exterior looks good to me with black trim over the wheels and along the bottom of the Subaru breaking up the color, but I do like the Cosmic Blue Pearl paint a lot. I also love the 18” wheels, the touches of chrome and silver, the functional roof rails, and the large spoiler on the rear.
Under the hood you’ll find the 2.4-liter Boxer 4-cylinder engine that is turbocharged, putting out 260-horses and a strong 277 pound-feet of torque. There is also an upgraded Continuously Variable Transmission, and it simulates actual shifting, has shift paddles, and actually feels like a regular transmission. As I have said on the Car Pro Radio Show many times, the first CVT I ever drove dates back to 1985 in a Subaru Justy. For you CVT haters, Subaru does it right and has it perfected. In other models of the Outback there is a non-turbo 2.5-cylinder engine available that has 182-horses.
There are nine trim levels available for 2025, starting with the base, then the Premium, the Onyx, Limited, Touring, Onyx XT. Wilderness for serious off-roaders, Limited XT, and finally the top-of-the-line Touring XT, which is what I am reviewing for you today. You will need to do some homework on the different trim levels, from the base to the Touring XT, there is $13,900 difference in the pricing.
As you enter the cabin, you notice the premium Nappa leather seats which feature slight bolstering, a lot of stitching, and for the driver there is a pull-out thigh support. The seats are very comfortable, and both front seats are power and also heated and cooled. There are a lot of two-tone, soft touch materials throughout, giving the Outback a real luxury feeling.
As you hit the start button, the dash is bright and colorful and there is a configurable driver info readout in the middle. This is operated from the leather-wrapped, heated steering wheel, which is quite busy with a lot of buttons including radio controls and cruise control among other things.
On the center console you’ll find a couple of cup holders, the electronic emergency brake, the gear shifter, a wireless charger, two USB ports, a button to activate the camera, and a plug-in power jack.
The heart of the operations is the Starlink system, which is easy-to-use, especially with the new 11.6-inch touchscreen. This is where you operate the Bluetooth, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Wi-Fi, the Harmon Kardon sound system, HD radio, the Tom-Tom navigation system, and Sirius XM. You get real-time info including gas prices, stock prices, sports scores, weather, and you can add your own apps if you wish.
Also from the screen you can turn off the start/stop system, change the car’s settings, activate the automatic brake hold, change the vehicle Dynamic controls, and activate X mode that works with the Subaru All-Wheel Drive system to provide drivers with increased performance when needed most. This driver-activated enhancement is designed to be used when road conditions become particularly treacherous or challenging, such as in slippery or icy weather, on steep hills, in muddy terrain, or even when just taking the car off-road.
Around the rearview camera mirror (that works great), you’ll find the Eyesight Safety System, something I talk about on the radio all the time because to me, it is the best one out there. You can’t see it from inside, but outside you see two cameras mounted high on the windshield. The cameras monitor traffic movement, optimizes adaptive cruise control, and warns you when you're swaying outside your lane. The Automatic Pre-Collision Braking feature can even apply full braking force and bring you to a complete stop in emergency situations.
Back seat leg and headroom are surprisingly good and there are air conditioner vents, a fold down armrest, and two USB ports. The rear seats are heated, easily fold down in a 60/40 configuration with a fold down armrest, two cup holders, and the back seats recline.
Cargo area is larger than I expected and with the second-row seats down, you get 76-cubic feet of cargo, and a generous 33-cubic feet with the rear seats up. You can access the rear area from a power liftgate, there is some storage under the load floor, and even farther down, there is a compact spare tire and wheel.
Notable standard features include LED headlights and fog lights, automatic climate control, 360-degree rear vision camera, pushbutton start, a regular sized moon roof, a proximity key and keyless entry. It has start/stop that can be disabled from the screen and you can enable the Auto Hold.
My review Subie has only one option: all-weather floor mats, including a rear cargo area mat for $141.
Safety
Safety-wise, besides the Eyesight system, you get blind-spot detection with lane change assist, rear seat reminder, distraction mitigation, adaptive cruise control, and rear cross-traffic alert.
Ride and Drive
The ride and drive are spectacular, and the all-around visibility is great. With 8.7-inches of ground clearance, the Outback is a serious off-roader if you want it to be, as well as a joyful daily driver. Acceleration with the larger engine and a turbo is fantastic and it is rated to tow 3,500 pounds. The noise level inside is noticeably quieter than the last Outback I reviewed.
Fuel economy is good at 22 city and 29 highway. Total MSRP on this ultra-loaded SUV comes in at $44,431.
Subaru had nothing to prove or improve as far as off-road worthiness or the ability to handle bad weather, and especially not in the safety department. It is easy to see why people get a Subaru over and over again.
To view larger photos see the slideshow below on CarPro.com.