2022 Wheels Car of the Year contender: Subaru Outback

We all wanted to love the Subaru Outback, and how couldn’t you? Few cars outside of Falcon and Commodore are regarded by Australians as affectionately, with more than 150,000 Outbacks finding local homes since 1996. For sure, it would have been a popular COTY winner.

But it was not to be.

It’s not to say the Outback isn’t a fine car. Being built on Subaru’s new Global Platform means the Outback is future-proofed with hybrid and electric capability. Neither powertrains of that ilk are available yet, with Subaru instead offering a lone 2.5-litre naturally aspirated boxer-four with a CVT, doing away with the petrol and diesel boxer sixes of the previous generation.

Things have stepped up inside, a new 11.6-inch central portrait touchscreen now dominating the dash and containing most controls, like a Tesla or Volvo. The spacious cabin itself is well-packaged and well-appointed – especially in $47,790 top-spec Touring guise as per our test car – if with a rugged and stoic ambience that might impress an owner of the previous Outback, but perhaps less so someone coming from, say, a VW Tiguan.

And much as the judging panel wanted to see the Outback excel, it was with mere skilfulness rather than excellence it navigated the torture test that is the proving ground. Refinement has improved appreciably, especially from the Subaru boxer-four, an engine traditionally quite loud. Ride quality was also plush in a new way for a Subaru.

And for sure, if COTY occurred only on unsealed roads, ladies and gentleman, we’d give you our winner. On our rutted and corrugated unsealed loop, the Outback bombed along without a hint of fuss. It also distinguished itself as one of the better brakers – again on dirt – from 80km/h to a halt.

“Has clearly had a lot of development on unsealed roads” – Daniel Gardner

Even though it’s not an SUV per se, the Outback is still a jacked-up wagon, and its softness, height and heft meant it was only competent through the lane-change. But then it was surprising to discover more than a bit of dynamic flair up the Five Percent Gradient road. It’s not even a stretch to say the new Subaru Global Platform, even in Outback form, has a whiff of BRZ about it.

It’s a shame, then, the powertrain left a little to be desired. “The Outback’s weakest link – missing a turbo engine option,” said Jez, while Alex added: “Engine is hollow-sounding and uninspiring. CVT combo does nothing for keen drivers.”

With its as-tested 9.42sec to 100km/h from rest, the Outback had the undistinguished privilege of being the slowest car of the entire field. It was also narrowly beaten by the lumbering LandCruiser for being the worst-performing vehicle from 100-0km/h in dry braking. Not great.

For what it’s made to do – 500,000km, probably with a chunk of that on dirt – it’s a big tick for the Outback. It also bristles with technology thanks in part to its innovative EyeSight stereo windscreen camera system, while eight airbags improve the safety credentials further. However, at 7.3L/100km it’s hardly an efficiency leader in its segment.

By the end of the proving ground, however, the verdict was in. Undoubtedly Subaru’s made a better Outback – “should keep its loyal followers very happy,” said Richard – but it doesn’t challenge segment standards nor those of the greater motoring world at large.

And so while we wanted to love the Outback – and in a way we always will – in the context of Car of the Year 2022, it was merely liked.

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