The Subaru Outback is among the few wagon nameplates (no, it’s not an SUV) that hasn’t actually suffered on account of the world’s shift to higher-riding crossovers.
Different manufacturers with long-running jacked-up wagons like Audi and its allroad line have seen a gross sales decline in favour of SUVs, however practically 30 years on from the unique the Outback is prospering.
Regardless of sitting above the XV and Forester within the Subaru vary, the Outback is repeatedly a top-seller and even outperforms rivals such because the Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento and Toyota Kluger.
What makes the Subaru Outback so widespread? It stays true to its ancestor’s formulation, and affords a superb mix of worth, house and driving refinement.
Right here on check we’ve got the flagship 2022 Subaru Outback AWD Touring which is as luxurious as an Audi allroad or Volkswagen Alltrack for tens of 1000’s much less. At below $50,000 plus on-road prices, it’s one thing of a cut price.
Ought to this be on the prime of your loved ones crossover/SUV shortlist? Let’s discover out.
Table of Contents
How a lot does the Subaru Outback AWD Touring price?
The highest-sec Outback in Australia is priced from $48,990 earlier than on-road prices, with the corporate’s configurator displaying a drive-away value round $54,100.
Subaru’s pricing of the Outback is sharp, a minimum of on paper, given you possibly can have a decked-out Outback for a similar value as a low- to mid-spec Kia Sorento or Toyota Kluger – though each these rivals provide three rows.
Conceptually comparable rivals embrace the Audi A4 allroad 40 TDI quattro (from $75,200) and the Volkswagen Passat Alltrack (from $48,990). The entry-level Passat is line-ball in value with the top-spec Outback, and has a punchier turbocharged petrol engine.
The Outback is barely marginally costlier than Subaru’s personal Forester Hybrid S regardless of having a more moderen inside, extra equipment and far more house.
2022 Subaru Outback pricing:
- Subaru Outback AWD: $40,690
- Subaru Outback AWD Sport: $45,190
- Subaru Outback AWD Touring: $48,990
All costs exclude on-road prices
Key rivals embrace:
- Audi A4 allroad 40 TDI quattro: $75,200
- Hyundai Santa Fe 2.2D AWD: $49,050
- Kia Sorento S 2.2D AWD: $53,790 D/A
- Mazda CX-8 Sport 2.2D AWD: $47,190
- Toyota Kluger GX V6 AWD: $51,650
- Volkswagen Passat Alltrack 162TSI: $48,990
All costs exclude on-road prices except specified
What do you get?
Outback AWD Touring highlights:
- Silver roof rails with built-in cross bars
- Gloss end 18-inch alloy wheels
- 9-speaker Harman Kardon sound system with CD participant
- Nappa leather-based upholstery
- Ventilated entrance seats (new for MY22)
- Handbook driver’s seat thigh extender (new for MY22)
- Electrical sunroof
- Heated steering wheel
- Black or Ivory/Black inside
Carryover specification from decrease grades consists of:
- 11.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system
- Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (wired)
- Satellite tv for pc navigation
- DAB+ digital radio
- 4.2-inch journey pc
- Physique-coloured mirrors
- Roof rails with built-in cross bars
- Twin-zone local weather management
- Paddle shifters
- Six-speaker sound system
- 4 cargo hooks within the boot
- Automated windscreen wipers
- Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
- Heated entrance seats
- Heated rear outboard seats
- Entrance- and side-view cameras
- Black exterior highlights
- Arms-free energy tailgate
Is the Subaru Outback AWD Touring secure?
All variations of the Subaru Outback characteristic a five-star ANCAP security score with 2021 date stamp, based mostly on exams performed by Euro NCAP.
The Subaru scored 88 per cent for grownup occupant safety, 91 per cent for baby occupant safety, 84 per cent for susceptible street person safety, and a powerful 96 per cent for security help.
Commonplace security gear consists of:
- Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
- Pedestrian and bicycle owner detection
- Junction help
- Backover (reversing)
- Autonomous emergency steering
- Lane departure warning
- Lane-keep help
- Lane centring
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Rear cross-traffic alert
- Driver consideration monitoring
- Reversing digital camera
- Site visitors signal recognition
- 7 x airbags
What’s the Subaru Outback AWD Touring like on the within?
The Outback is a return to type for Subaru inside, mixing engaging design with high quality supplies.
The Nappa leather-based seats and stitched, padded leatherette accents are supple, the portrait-oriented infotainment touchscreen has a level of wow-factor, and the clear driver’s cluster is a step ahead from the busy design of previous-generation Subaru interiors.
Consolation and house up entrance is spectacular, with supportive seats that supply loads of energy adjustment, heaps of storage cubbies littered all through, and first rate ergonomics with most key capabilities falling inside arm’s attain or much less.
Each entrance seats are eight-way electrically-adjustable, with the motive force’s pew providing two-position reminiscence and powered lumbar. New for 2022 is entrance seat air flow to go together with the prevailing heating, which is nice for Australia’s scorching summer season.
There’s a small cubby below the centre stack to place your telephone, which additionally homes the USB port for smartphone mirroring. It was a little bit of a good match for my iPhone 13 Professional Max, however a minimum of it stored the telephone and cables out of sight.
Twin cupholders and a big cubby between entrance seats bolster the front-seat facilities additional, and there’s huge door bins with bottle holders as properly. It’s very mum or dad pleasant up entrance.
The small powered moonroof lacks the theatre of a full panoramic sunroof, however it’s nonetheless a pleasant addition for these sitting within the entrance row.
That 11.6-inch display is an attention-grabbing one.
It positively makes you go ‘woah’ once you first step in, and the actual fact Apple CarPlay has been engineered to take advantage of the actual property is a pleasant contact. Nevertheless, the graphics and response occasions are simply high-quality, and the combination of fonts and color scheme makes it really feel a bit of dated.
There’s loads of options although, together with satellite tv for pc navigation, AM/FM/DAB radio tuners, Bluetooth telephone and audio streaming, and in Touring spec, a nine-speaker Harman Kardon premium audio system with amplifier and subwoofer.
We did a few longer journeys within the Outback hauling just a few associates, and the inevitable combat for music administration was met with all-round constructive opinions for the audio system’s deep, clear sound with thumping bass.
The Outback’s second row is about as spectacular because the entrance, with house for a minimum of two giant adults, and it’s full with heating, reclining seatbacks, air vents, and two 2.1A USB cost ports.
A fold-down armrest with cupholders provides to the characteristic checklist, and there’s ISOFIX anchors on the outboard positions. It’s price noting the skinnier centre seat and enormous flooring hump hinder the Outback’s three-across potential, however it’s high-quality for adults on shorter journeys.
There are additionally map pockets behind the entrance seats and bottle holders within the doorways, and high quality stays good with soft-touch supplies on the door tops – one thing that appears to be taking a success in lots of automobiles, even at this value and dimension level.
All three rear seats additionally characteristic top-tether factors to enhance the aforementioned ISOFIX mounts.
Additional again once more, the Outback affords 522 litres of cargo carrying capability with all 5 seats in place. Fold the second row down and that determine opens as much as 1267L.
Measured to the ceiling, Subaru says the Outback Touring’s boot measures 1711L with the again seats folded.
The minimal load lip and flat flooring even with the seats folded makes the Outback’s cargo space very usable, and useful extras like distant launch levers for the rear seats and netted cubbies add additional comfort.
Underneath the boot flooring is a full-size alloy spare wheel, a notable characteristic if you happen to plan on travelling out of city usually like numerous Outback homeowners are inclined to do.
What’s below the bonnet?
The only drivetrain for the Outback in Australia is a 2.5-litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder horizontally-opposed Boxer engine, mated to a constantly variable transmission (CVT) and symmetrical all-wheel drive.
The CVT options programmed steps to imitate a standard computerized in regular driving, although it’ll maintain revs below onerous acceleration as is frequent of this transmission sort.
Outputs are rated at 138kW (5800rpm) and 245Nm (3200-4600rpm), each of that are pretty delicate in comparison with rivals. It’s outgunned by the smaller Mazda CX-5’s 2.5-litre naturally-aspirated 4, which places out 140kW and 252Nm.
The Outback does characteristic a extra highly effective 195kW/376Nm 2.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine in left-hand drive markets corresponding to the USA, and it could possibly be on the playing cards for Australia resulting from excessive demand.
Subaru claims the Outback AWD Touring will use 7.3L/100km on the mixed cycle, with common 91 RON unleaded the minimal score for the automobile’s 63-litre tank. Idle cease/begin tech is fitted.
Braked towing capability is 2000kg, with a tow ball obtain of 200kg.
How does the Subaru Outback AWD Touring drive?
The Outback’s meek outputs on paper translate to uninspiring straight-line efficiency, however for its goal demographic the large Subaru affords an agreeable drive expertise with the added safety of everlasting AWD.
It’s no marvel there’s numerous clients begging for the two.4-litre turbo possibility, as a result of the two.5L engine lacks the low-down shove of turbocharged opponents, and the CVT in consequence has to carry excessive revs extra usually to get the most effective out of the motor.
Underneath extra sedate acceleration the Subaru’s CVT mimics a standard auto by stepping by way of its variable ratios. It provides a layer of refinement and limits the droning, elastic expertise frequent to most CVTs. Plant your proper foot although, and that behaviour does rear its ugly head.
The two.5-litre engine can get a bit of noisy and rumbly below load, and isn’t essentially the most refined engine on chilly begin. It’s very typical Subaru although, and it took me again to my Dad’s 2003 Liberty RX 2.5.
All informed, nonetheless, it will get the job carried out.
Dynamically the Outback feels extra car-like than its boxier SUV rivals, with a decrease centre of gravity and decrease driving place regardless of its comparatively lofty 213mm quoted floor clearance.
The steering has good weighting to it and a fluid really feel with predictable accuracy. Measuring 4870mm lengthy and 1875mm vast, the Outback is not any shrinking violet however is surprisingly simple to string by way of automobile parks and metropolis streets.
It handles properly, too. Sure there’s a little bit of physique roll within the bends, however the Outback’s pretty direct steering really feel is backed up by grippy AWD and good physique management – it’s extra safe than sporty.
Extra spectacular is the journey. With a comfort-focused suspension tune and pretty chubby 225/60 tyres, the Outback soaks up on-road imperfections with aplomb whether or not you’re driving over tram tracks within the metropolis or pimpled nation highways.
Refinement at velocity is mostly fairly good, significantly when the engine and transmission settle into a cheerful cruise.
Highway and tyre noise are properly suppressed, although there generally is a little little bit of wind noise off the Outback’s giant mirrors.
Subaru’s suite of help applied sciences are usually fairly intuitive, with highlights together with adaptive cruise management and lane centring for semi-autonomous freeway driving.
The Outback does a superb job easily maintaining a secure distance from the car forward whereas additionally not always wrestling the motive force for management to remain inside its lane. Some gained’t just like the assisted really feel although, and it’s fairly simple to modify the lane-centring off through the steering wheel button.
Outward visibility is nice because of the big glasshouse, and the usual blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and encompass cameras add an additional set of eyes as a security web. What wasn’t so flash was the motive force consideration monitoring and velocity digital camera alerts always binging and bonging; it bought fairly annoying.
The idle cease/begin tech isn’t too intrusive, with the engine firing up shortly and drive partaking as you’d anticipate.
How a lot does the Subaru Outback AWD Touring price to run?
The Outback is roofed by Subaru’s five-year, unlimited-kilometre guarantee.
Scheduled upkeep is required each 12 months or 12,500 kilometres – whichever comes first.
There are three- and five-year service packages on provide, if you happen to’d relatively the upfront price relatively than paying as you go. The three-year plan prices $1299.65 and the five-year bundle is $2458.63.
As for real-world gasoline consumption, we managed an indicated 7.8L/100km in blended driving circumstances with a skew to freeways. Not far off the model’s declare, and spectacular for a giant petrol-powered wagon.
CarExpert’s Tackle the Subaru Outback AWD Touring
For fairly some time now I’ve been uninspired by Subaru merchandise, because the model appears to be extra centered on the tastes of the American market as a substitute of Europe prefer it did within the late ’90s and 2000s.
I’ve additionally grown up with Subarus and have fond recollections of its tremendous fascinating merchandise just like the 4GEN Liberty and Outback of the mid- to late-2000s.
This newest Outback is a return to type for the Japanese model. It’s good-looking, sensible, and stays true to the nameplate’s tried-and-tested formulation.
Significantly once you line it up in opposition to rival SUVs for comparable coin, the top-spec Outback Touring shapes up as unbelievable worth for cash. It’s not simply on-paper worth both, the construct high quality and driving dynamics are greater than a match for its opponents.
We simply want there was extra pep below the bonnet, particularly for when you will have the Outback loaded up with folks and stuff, or have a trailer connected on the again. The US market’s torquey turbo petrol would go bananas right here.
For those who don’t want three rows of seating, the Outback is a compelling various to traditional giant SUVs that’s a secure, sensible and succesful household journey car.
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