Subaru Outback 2023 review

All grades of the Outback have roof rails. (Touring variant pictured)

Subaru has kept analogue gauges for the Outback. (Sport variant pictured)

The Outback is fitted with 18-inch alloy wheels. (Sport XT variant pictured)

What we like

Tow more with new turbo engine Comfortable to drive Big boot

What we don’t

Transmission reduces acceleration No wireless phone charging No hybrid

What we like

Tow more with new turbo engine Comfortable to drive Big boot

What we don’t

Transmission reduces acceleration No wireless phone charging No hybrid

If I could give you a hug right now I would. That’s because you’re considering getting a Subaru Outback. See, the world  has become SUV-obsessed and the Outback is a big ‘yeah-nah’ to all that.

Yep, the Outback is more an off-road station wagon than a tall and boxy SUV and you’ll be rewarded for this choice, but more on that later.

For now you need to know the Outback has been updated and a turbo engine has been added to the range, which not only improves acceleration but also means you can tow more than before.

If you read this review and watch the video you’ll find out just how much quicker the turbo Outback is and what its extra towing capability is, along with the price, ownership costs, safety tech, practical features and what it’s like to drive.

What are the key stats for the engine and transmission?   8/10

The big news for this updated Outback is a new engine – a turbo-petrol 2.4-litre four-cylinder which makes 183kW and 350Nm.

This engine joins the existing 2.5-litre petrol engine, which isn’t turbocharged, and makes a lot less grunt at 138kW and 245Nm.

Subaru says it had received many requests to bring the turbo Outback, on sale overseas, to Australia from customers and owners who wanted better towing ability.

The 2.4-litre turbo-petrol Outback can tow 400kg more than the 2.5-litre Outback with its 2.5-tonne braked towing capacity.

According to Subaru, the turbo-petrol Outback can also sprint from 0-100km/h 22 per cent faster than the non-turbo version.

A continuously variable auto transmission is standard across all Outbacks. I’m not an enormous fan of these transmissions as they tend to hamper acceleration, but Subaru’s version of the CVT is up there with the better ones.

All Outbacks have an excellent all-wheel drive system, as well, and outstanding  ground clearance of 213mm, making this car more capable than most of its rivals.

Does it represent good value for the price? What features does it come with?   8/10

So how much does the new turbocharged Outback cost? Well first it’s called the XT and it comes as the Sport XT for a list price of $52,190, and the Touring XT for $55,990.

These are the two turbo grades and they sit at the top of the range above the non-turbo variants – the entry grade Outback for $42,690, the Sport for $47,190 and the Touring for $50,990.

What’s interesting is that even the entry grade is highly specified when it comes to standard features.

All grades of the Outback have roof rails. (Touring variant pictured)

Subaru has kept analogue gauges for the Outback. (Sport variant pictured)

The Outback is fitted with 18-inch alloy wheels. (Sport XT variant pictured)

All Outbacks come standard with LED headlights, LED fog lights and LED running lights, they also all have roof rails, privacy glass and 18-inch alloy wheels.

Inside there’s an 11.6-inch central touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, they all have dual-zone climate control, power front seats, a proximity key, push-button start, ‘X-Mode’ drive modes and paddle shifters.

Stepping up to the Sport grade adds sat nav, a power tailgate, heated front seats and sports pedals.

The Touring grade gets a nine-speaker Harman Kardon sound system while the rest get six-speaker stereos, the Touring also has a heated steering wheel and Nappa leather seats, while the entry grade has cloth and the Sport boasts water repellent fabric. The Touring also comes with a CD player. Yes, really.

Apart from the new turbo engine joining the line-up the updates to the Outback range are minimal and include a redesigned central screen, a new layout for the steering wheel buttons, a Type-C USB port added up front, and wireless Apple CarPlay. 

The best value in the range is the entry-grade Outback, but I took a shine to the Sport XT at the launch. I like the extra oomph from the turbo-petrol engine and the styling of this grade with its green elements. Let’s talk about that.

Is there anything interesting about its design?   8/10

Sometimes I lay awake at night worrying that one day Subaru will decide to turn the Outback into an SUV. That the senior executives in Japan will cave into the pressure and redesign this off-road station wagon into something that fits the taller, boxier SUV fashion the world is a bit obsessed with right now.

You and other buyers like you are the reason the Outback still looks like a wagon and in return you’re picking a car that’s just as practical as an SUV, but one that is better to drive on and off the road. We’ll get to that.

You can tell the Sport grade from the Touring grade easily by its bright green bits – on the roof rails and the stitching on the seats. The Sport also has a black grille and black wing mirrors, while the Touring has premium looking chrome touches.

The new Sport XT and Touring XT turbo Outbacks look a lot like their non-turbo siblings, only they have dual exhaust outlets.

Oddly, Subaru hasn’t made the dual exhaust a big feature. Most carmakers go to extraordinary lengths to style the rear bumper, integrate the tail pipes and enhance them for a sportier look. In this case you’ll have to lay down at the back of the car to see them.

The XT also has tail-lights with six LEDs as an acknowledgment to Suabru’s logo which if you didn’t know is the constellation Pleiades In truth the Pleiades, which is 444 light years from Earth, has 3000 stars. Just saying.

All Outbacks have comfortable and high quality feeling cabins. It’s great to sit in a car where every touch point from elbow to knee is soft and cushioned.

Many manufacturers skimp on soft materials and leave cabins, especially in entry-grade vehicles, with too much hard plastic that feels uncomfortable and looks cheap. Not here.

The standard large central screen has a modern look, but I also like the fact that Subaru has kept analogue gauges. Many cars are moving to fully digital screens, which I feel do nothing for the driver-car connection.  

What’s it like to drive?   8/10

The new Outback with the turbo engine feels like the non-turbo, except it’s had its morning coffee. A really strong coffee. Double shot.

Well, that new turbo engine has 45kW more power and an additional 105Nm in torque, the latter most noticeable on the long, steep hills the launch took as it climbed into the Blue Mountains on Australia’s East Coast.

The non-turbo had to work hard and felt out of breath on those hills, while the turbo stormed up pretty effortlessly.

Both variants have a CVT – a continuously variable transmission. I’m not the biggest fan of these transmissions which are undeniably smooth but do nothing for acceleration.

This lacklustre acceleration is most apparent in the non-turbo car when attempting to overtake or climb hills.

The good news is the effects of the CVT on the acceleration in the gruntier turbo variant are less pronounced. If the Outback had a regular torque converter automatic, acceleration would be excellent.

While the performance difference between the turbo and non-turbo is night and day, all Outbacks have the same comfortable ride with soft suspension, perfect for the pot-holed city streets and dirt roads we encountered on the launch.

The Outback’s steering could be more direct and accurate, although it’s something you’ll get used to, as I did after a few hours driving.

Finally, not being a high-seated, tall bodied SUV means better handling and the boxer engines in both Outbacks also offer a lower centre of mass which helps here, too.

The Outback is a big car. It’s 4.9m long and feels large to drive. You should also make sure it’ll fit in your garage.

How practical is the space inside?   9/10

The Outback is one of the most practical cars on the market, more so than many SUVs. Don’t believe me? I’ll show you.

The cargo capacity of the Outback’s boot is 522 litres and that’s up to the top of the back seats. The Subaru Forester has a 509 litre boot.

The Outback boot’s load height is low with no pronounced lip so you can slide objects straight in and out.

Cabin storage is excellent with a dashboard shelf, big moulded pockets in the doors and four cupholders (two in the front and two for the back seat), there are directional air vents in the second row and two USB ports back there, as well.

Leg- and headroom in the second row is excellent, while up front the cockpit is spacious and the seats are wide.

The only fault here is the lack of wireless phone charging and the location of the USB ports up front makes connecting a device awkward unless you have hands like a mouse. Have you ever owned a mouse? They have hands.

All Outbacks have the chunky roof rails for the kayaks or other adventure equipment you’ll no doubt put up there, unless you’re like me in which case it’ll probably be a mattress you’ve bought and not wanted to pay the outrageous $100 delivery fee!

How much fuel does it consume?   6/10

Introducing a new engine to a model which uses more petrol seems at odds with the fuel efficient way the world is headed, but that’s exactly what’s going on here.

The 2.4-litre turbo-petrol is the new engine and Subaru says after a combination of open and urban roads it will use 9.0L/100km.

Compare that to the existing 2.5-litre engine which Subaru says will use 7.3L/100km.

Don’t forget these cars are all-wheel drive and weigh 1.7 tonnes. Combine that with a higher output and you need more input. That is, petrol.

In my driving of the Sport XT the trip computer was telling me an average of 12L/100km was being consumed.

You can’t blame the engine for doing what it was made to do, but I’m disappointed Subaru doesn’t have a hybrid variant in the Outback range.

Rival brands have not only had hybrids for years, but now have plug-in hybrids, too.

For this reason I’m going to have to mark the Outback down for fuel consumption.

What safety equipment is fitted? What safety rating?   8/10

The Outback scored the maximum five-star ANCAP rating in 2021.

All grades come standard with an excellent array of advanced safety tech including Subaru’s ‘Eyesight’ system which uses two cameras to scan the road ahead.

There’s AEB, autonomous emergency steering, lane keeping assistance, rear cross-traffic alert with reverse auto braking and blind-spot warning.

When it comes airbags the Outback has you covered, There are dual front, dual front side, curtain and front passenger cushion airbags.

A driver monitoring system also keeps an eye on you, checking for signs of drowsiness and/or distraction.

For child seats the Outback has two ISOFIX mounts in the second row and three top tether anchor points.

What does it cost to own? What warranty is offered?   8/10

All Outbacks are covered by Subaru’s five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty.

Servicing costs are capped for five years with Subaru saying you can expect to pay a total of $2674.64 (an annual average of $535) for the non-turbo cars and $2578.91 ($516 annual average) for the turbo Outback over this time.

Service intervals for the non turbo are every 12 months/12,500km and for the turbo you need to service it every 12 months/15,000km.

Verdict

The Subaru Outback now has the turbo engine it needs with better acceleration and an increase in towing capacity.

If you don’t need the extra grunt the non-turbo Outback will cost you less, while still offering great practicality, comfort and safety.

The sweet spot of the range is the entry grade Outback which comes loaded with features at the most affordable price.

CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with accommodation and meals provided.

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