With the 2026 Subaru Outback already revealed, and our first-drive review incoming soon, I decided to spend a long weekend in the 2025 model to get a reminder of what it’s all about. I put it to good use, too, hauling the family between Denver and Aspen, Colorado, and even Mother Nature played its part by giving me some inclement weather to test the drivertrain’s capabilities.
As you can see in the photos, we woke up to sleet, which then turned into a full-on blizzard, providing a winter wonderland to drive through. Yes, I got cold and wet to bring you these photos of sleet-filled scenes.
Today’s Outback features flowing sheet metal, resembling a traditional wagon with added cladding and extra ground clearance, and boasts a greenhouse that borders on an oval shape. It’s clean, inoffensive, and blends in. The new one will abandon that approach entirely, which may polarize consumers.
Despite its age, today’s Outback feels primarily modern. The 11.6-inch portrait-style touchscreen is large and features wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There are four USB ports, heated front and rear seats in the loaded Touring XT model tested, and even an infrared camera system that watches my eyes to ensure I am paying attention instead of texting while driving. While I personally love the fact that the Outback has an analog gauge cluster, the competition and world have moved on, including newer Subaru models, and it was a dead giveaway that this isn’t a new car.
The 2026 Outback drops the analog setup for a digital cluster similar to what’s found in the latest WRX. Today’s Outback makes essential functions easy to control with buttons and knobs for the climate control and infotainment system. While that won’t change with the new Outback, today’s screen and overall setup look more integrated. Heck, this thing still has a CD player, and the touchscreen interface lags quite a bit, doubly so when using Apple CarPlay.
The loaded Touring XT model tested was powered by a 2.4-liter turbocharged flat-four engine rated at 260 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque. Power is sent to all four wheels via a continuously variable transmission. There’s no hybrid, today, or seemingly tomorrow, though we expect one to be added to the upcoming Outback lineup in the future.
The turbo flat-four is fine. There’s enough power for both passing and mountain climbs, but the decision to pair a turbocharged engine with a CVT is always a risk. Combining two things with such significant variables makes for a less-than-smooth experience, and the Outback’s no different. Things are fine when pulling away from a stop, but once the turbo kicks in, the Outback surges forward. This isn’t a car you can hop into and drive smoothly right away. My wife and daughter, who suffer from motion sickness, both noted the point at which the Outback tends to surge with the turbo boost, and the CVT tries its best to mimic a conventional transmission with simulated ratios. But those shifts are unconvincing. Still, this combination is slightly better than the one found in the Outback Wilderness, which adds the Ascent’s final drive ratio to the mix for even more gumption of the line.
The front seats are comfortable and absolutely road-trip worthy, with just the right amount of support all around. I say this after having driven about four hours with a herniated lower disc in my back. The rear seat received no complaints from my kids, and I swear, they complain about everything.
The one weird quibble from behind the wheel has to do with the infrared camera system watching the driver’s eyes from the top of the center stack. At 5-foot-10, I could see what looked like a red light out of the corner of my eye pretty constantly. It was somewhat annoying and distracting. I’ve noticed it before in other Outbacks, and it likely has to do with my height and seating position. Your experience may vary, but still.
The view in every direction is fantastic, with tall glass and none of the short windows and sporty-looking cabins that are common in most cars nowadays. The driver can actually see! The kids loved looking at the mountains through the huge rear windows.
Today’s Outback looks like the lifted wagon that it is. With base models costing $31,415, including a $1,420 destination charge, this is a lot of car for the money, making it a great option for families. Even the fully loaded Touring XT costs only $44,356. In a timeline where the average transaction price for a new car exceeds $50,000, and automakers are padding their profits with hefty destination charges, the current Outback remains a solid value.
Whether the incoming Outback is too much of everything or just the right mix is yet to be seen. We’ll know soon enough. However, I’d argue that picking up a current model (likely at a discount) isn’t a bad choice. In fact, you’ll be comfortable, safe, happy, and getting great bang for your buck.
Subaru provided The Drive with a four-day loan of this vehicle for the purpose of writing this review.
There’s a reason the Subaru Outback is dearly loved.
As Director of Content and Product, Joel draws on over 15 years of newsroom experience and inability to actually stop working to help ensure The Drive shapes the future of automotive media. He’s also a World Car Award juror.
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