Subaru Outback XT turbo towing test (2023 onward)

Can the newly-turbocharged Subaru Outback XT really tow anything close to its 2400 kg towing capacity? We loaded up a heavy trailer to find out!

• Our towing rig for this Outback XT tow test
• Our trailer for this Outback XT tow test
• How well does the Outback XT Touring tow?
• Alternative towing vehicles if you’re considering an Outback
• The verdict: should you buy an Outback XT as a tow car?
• Overall rating

Good points

• Decent acceleration
• Paddle shifters work well
• Acceptable handling
• 2400 kg towing capacity

Needs work

• GVM and payload limited
• High fuel consumption
• Rear suspension sag
• No advanced tow mode

You asked for it, so we’re delivering it – a loaded-up towing test of the new 2023 Subaru Outback XT, which has a claimed towing capacity of 2400 kg (5291 lbs).

That’s a handy 400 kg (881 lbs) more than the non-turbo Outback, which is rated tow 2000 kg.

We’ve tested the towing capability of the non-turbo Outback in the past with a 2000 kg trailer. Today, we’re upping the ante for our XT turbo tow test, but we’re still going to keep it a little safe.

On our car trailer, we’ve got a Hyundai Venue loaded up, with a towed weight of 2220 kg (4894 lbs).

You need to be a bit careful not to end up overweight when towing with the Subaru Outback, as these weight figures from our test make clear:

Our towing rig for this Outback XT tow test

If we’d had a second 80 kg passenger on board, our remaining payload would have been just 41 kg!

Our trailer for this Outback XT tow test

How well does the Outback XT Touring tow?

It starts with the vehicle’s presentation once you’ve hitched up the trailer.

Even though Subaru has fitted a heavy-duty rear suspension to the Outback XT, which along with engine cooling helps to increase the towing capacity, the Outback’s rear springs sag – a lot.

Our trailer weighed 960 kilograms while the fully-fuelled Hyundai Venue aboard the trailer came in at a mass of about 1260 kg.

With only 2220 kg hitched up, the rear was very low. Keep in mind we technically could have added another 180 kg of weight and still been legal.

Still, the rear sag didn’t seem to affect the dynamics much. The front wheels remained in good contact with the road surface at all times, traction was fine (partially thanks to the Outback’s AWD system), and the steering felt reasonably normal.

As well as the heavy-duty rear suspension, the Outback XT – of course – has a completely different engine to the standard, non-turbo Outback. Subaru swaps in a newer 2.4-litre flat four-cylinder petrol engine with a turbocharger and additional cooling.

Outputs in Australia are rated at 183kW of power (245 hp) and 350Nm of torque (258 lb ft), with the 2.4T engine paired with a standard torque-sensing AWD system and an artificially-stepped CVT automatic transmission.

Interestingly, American buyers get an additional 10kW of power with their Outback XT model, even though the Australian-spec car does require 95-octane premium petrol at a minimum.

Speaking of fuel economy, our test loop was about 45 kilometres in length, taking in a mix of 60km/h, 70km/h, 80km/h and 90km/h roads to the north of Sydney. Across that loop, the Outback XT consumed 18.5L/100km while towing – or just about double what it would have used unladen.

Pulling out from our test track means accelerating straight up to 90km/h on an outer suburban dual-carriageway – always busy, this manoeuvre is a bit of a baptism of fire.

No major issues, though – while the Outback XT with 2220 kg hitched to the rear is not a quick car, the acceleration is not anaemic. Within what feels like about 15 seconds we have joined traffic and aren’t making a nuisance of ourselves.

That’s a theme that continues for the 45 km loop. Like all towing rigs, the Outback XT hitched-up is a bulky setup on the road but relatively prompt acceleration means we’re never hanging out for too long in the right lane or getting in the way.

Visibility with a car trailer is non-existent through the rear vision mirror (in fact, it looks like we’re being tailgated by a jacked-up Hyundai Venue!), but the standard side mirrors still afford a half-acceptable range of vision. Still, you’ll want to fit a set of towing mirrors or extensions to see more.

Unlike the new Ford Ranger and Everest (plus Volkswagen Amarok), there’s no advanced tow mode on the Outback that allows drivers to dial in their trailer dimensions to recalibrate blind spot monitoring – so that safety system goes a bit haywire during our tow test. In other words it isn’t useful.

That said, the handling and manoeuvrability of the Outback remains quite tidy even when hitched up. Despite the rear suspension sag, the steering remains well under control and getting around 90-degree corners in town wasn’t too much trouble.

The brakes on our relatively new press-evaluation Outback were up to the job, but we immediately jumped into using one of the CVT automatic’s more useful features: steering wheel mounted paddle shifters.

Maligned by some reviewers as useless on a CVT car, towing reveals the paddle shifters to be extremely helpful. A bit like a traditional auto, the paddles simulate ‘lower’ gears, flaring the engine revs to induce strong engine braking.

On our route’s steep descent at 80km/h, these were very useful for keeping the Subaru’s speed easily in check while avoiding overheating the wagon’s decent but not amazing four-wheel disc brakes.

The ride quality remained supple enough despite the lack of spring travel permitted at the rear end with this heavy load.

Can you feel that you have a significant towed weight behind the Outback XT? Absolutely! It isn’t so much that the car becomes interminably slow – but you do notice the ‘trailer effect’ as the wagon is shunted about by the trailer over bumps.

It’s a feeling drivers quickly get used to, but over large road imperfections it can be slightly unsettling. That said, the Outback never seriously faltered on our 45km testing loop.

We think you will want the Outback XT Touring grade ($55,990) if you plan to do a lot of towing, in that you’ll be spending a lot of time in the car – and the Touring variant has a fairly pleasant interior.

Soft, supportive nappa leather seats are available in either black (as in our test car) or two-tone black/beige, which we would opt for to give the Subaru’s cabin a splash of lightness.

We appreciate that both seat heating and seat cooling is included for the front pews, which will help in winter and summer alike. Electric adjustment is also plentiful, allowing drivers to find a good piloting position.

All Subaru Outbacks now have a relatively big 11.6-inch vertical touchscreen with integrated satellite navigation, plus wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. The Touring scores a decent Harman-Kardon stereo, too.

Keep in mind that you can also get the 2.4-litre turbo engine in the Outback XT Sport grade ($52,190), which swaps the leather lushness for a more rugged spec with neoprene-style seat upholstery and dark exterior highlights.

Back seat and boot space is generous, but remember the payload limit discussed at the start of this video. With our towed rig and me in the fuelled Outback as a driver, I only had 121 kg payload remaining for all extra passengers and cargo.

Alternative towing vehicles if you’re considering an Outback

Some drivers will be dead-set against the idea of towing a weight that is heavier than the tow car, as is the case on this test (2220 kg vs 1730 kg). However, the Outback XT is rated to tow 2400 kg in Australia, so it’s our job to test something approaching this condition.

If it was my cash, I’d consider making the leap into a Volkswagen Touareg 170TDI, which has a 3500 kg towing rating and a 3.0-litre diesel V6 engine.

The Touraeg won our recent Towing & Touring Megatest. But that said, even the base-model Volkswagen Touareg costs $89,240 before on-road costs – more than $30,000 over the cost of this Subaru.

You could also consider the Ford Everest V6 Sport, which is lighter on the luxe factor, but costs $69,090 – or within $15K of the Subaru.

There are a host of other four-cylinder wagons, SUVs, 4WDs and utes that claim to be able to tow 3500 kg, but a six-cylinder makes it so much more effortless.

As for the Outback’s direct rivals: the Volkswagen Passat Alltrack is a 2.0-litre turbo that can tow 2200 kg, while the Volvo V60 Cross Country also uses a 2.0T engine but is limited to 1800 kg braked towing.

Interestingly, for those with a hang-up about towing a load that is heavier than the car… the Volvo could suit, as it weighs 1808 kg with a 1800 kg towing capacity!

The verdict: should you buy an Outback XT as a tow car?

The Subaru Outback XT is a solid tow car choice for two types of buyer:

1. People who want to carry their family and tow a relatively light trailer (say, under 1500kg)
2. People who want to carry a heavier trailer (say, 2200kg) but will mainly be driving alone or as a couple, with a small amount of cargo

Basically, the Outback’s GVM and payload capacities are its limits when you are towing a heavy trailer.

These won’t be a problem with a lighter trailer. With a 1500 kg towed rig, a 150 kg tow bar weight and an 80 kg driver, you still have 191 kg of payload remaining. That’s just about usable…

But stick a 2200 kg trailer with a 220 kg tow bar on the back and your payload collapses with an 80 kg driver to just 121 kg. That is suddenly very tight.

As a towing vehicle, though, the Outback XT feels capable. The engine has enough performance, the ride and handling remain acceptable and the rig has decent authority on the road.

If we were serious about regularly towing heavy, over-1500 kg trailers, though, we would definitely look at a V6-engine vehicle with a higher tow rating and a more generous GVM.

Overall rating

Overall rating 7.0

Keyword: Subaru Outback XT turbo towing test (2023 onward)