2020 Subaru Outback review

The standard engine in the Outback is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder that produces 182 horsepower and 176 lb-ft of torque. It's paired to a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) and comes standard with all-wheel drive. The EPA estimates that a 2020 Outback with the base 2.5-liter engine gets 29 mpg combined (26 highway/33 city).

On XT models, the Outback comes with a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. It produces 260 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque. Just like the standard engine, it's connected to a CVT and all-wheel drive. The EPA's estimate for the turbo engine on the 2020 Outback is 26 mpg combined (23 highway/30 city).

The Outback with the base engine feels relatively underpowered and isn't as fun to drive. The extra power from the turbocharged engine makes merging onto the highway or passing a slow-moving truck a lot easier. But with either engine, steering and handling are impressive. The Outback is easy to maneuver in parking lots and stays stable around turns. Compared to some rival SUVs, the Outback feels more agile.

Ride comfort and seat comfort are two of the areas where the Outback excels. The seats are soft but supportive, and they'll easily keep you comfortable on long road trips or on daily commutes. On the highway and in the city, the Outback soaks up most road imperfections without transmitting them to the cabin. It's also relatively quiet on the highway, with little wind and road noise.

If you decide to take your Outback off-road, you'll probably be pleasantly surprised by its capabilities. Like all Subaru SUVs, the Outback has nearly 9 inches of ground clearance, which is enough to make it over most off-road obstacles like rocks or big ruts. In the dirt, the Subaru rides well too. You won't be able to tackle big rock-crawling obstacles like you could with something like a Jeep Wrangler, but you'll certainly be a lot more comfortable.

The Subaru Outback isn't as tall as some of its SUV rivals, and that results in slightly less maximum cargo capacity. Behind the second row of seats, the Outback offers 32.5 cubic feet of cargo space. The rival Honda Passport and Toyota 4Runner offer 41.2 cubes and 47.2 cubes, respectively. It's a similar deficit when you fold the rear seats down. You get 75.7 cubes in the Outback versus 77.9 cubes in the Passport (Sport trim) and 88.8 cubic feet in the 4Runner.

But in real-world use you're rarely packing things up to the headliner. For everyday cargo hauling, the Outback has a decent amount of space for luggage and small items. There are helpful door pockets and seatback pockets too, as well as a lot of center console space.

Another benefit of the Outback is the ease of loading items onto the roof. That lower roof height means it's easier to secure items such as a roof cargo box, bikes, or kayaks. The Outback also has trick integrated roof-rack cross rails. They're always on the car, so you don't ever have to store them and they deploy easily when it's time to use them.

The Outback has plenty of room for front and rear passengers. Headroom and legroom are abundant enough for adults in all the seating positions, and the tall side windows help make the cabin feel airy. Those same tall windows and the tall windshield mean excellent visibility too. Getting in and out of the Outback is a simple matter of sliding into the seat thanks to wide-opening doors and a seat height that isn't so high that you have to hop up into it.

When it comes to interior materials and build quality, the Outback doesn't feel particularly special. There are nice touchpoints for your hands and elbows and upper trim levels get leather upholstery, but most of the dashboard buttons and physical controls around the steering wheel are made out of plastic. Still, everything feels well put together.

There are two available screens for the Outback: the standard 7-inch screen and an upgraded 11.6-inch touchscreen. Only the base trim gets the 7-inch touchscreen, so most Outbacks you come across at CarMax will have the larger touchscreen. That bigger screen has sharp-looking graphics, but finding some of the controls in the on-screen menus can be distracting if you're driving. Climate control functions, for example, are controlled via a combination of physical buttons and touchscreen controls and can take some getting used to.

Voice controls are not particularly impressive either. Basic commands, such as selecting a radio station, work relatively well, but the Subaru doesn't take navigation inputs very well.

A bright side for the Outback is the impressive functionality of its driver aid systems. The adaptive cruise control system maintains a reasonable distance with traffic in front without overreacting to slowing vehicles, for instance, and the lane-keeping assist feature gently helps you stay centered in your lane. There are a lot of beeps and chirps to deal with, but the aids themselves work very well.

The standard 2.5-liter engine is adequate for daily use, but if you're looking to have a bit of fun in the Outback, the turbocharged 2.4-liter engine is the best choice. It's a closer match to the standard V6 options offered among rivals. An Outback with this engine will have XT in its name. From there, picking between the Onyx Edition XT, Limited XT, and Touring XT largely comes down to getting the features you want—each one offers progressively more convenience and luxury-like features.