2023 Subaru Outback

A traditional SUV may be the family vehicle of choice for many people these days, but the Subaru Outback should be under consideration as well. The automaker calls the Outback a Crossover, but it’s actually something a little more. A sibling to the Legacy sedan, it’s basically a 191.1-inch-long station wagon with extra ground clearance, but it offers more cabin space than many of its compact SUV rivals and even more car-like handling and maneuverability. It was redesigned into its sixth generation for 2020 and now gets a considerable refresh for 2023.

Those updates include more available features, improvements to its driver-assist safety technologies and refreshed styling on all but the off-road-rugged Wilderness trim, which was an all-new variant for 2022. The Outback comes with a choice of two engines, with the 2.5-liter four-cylinder arriving in Base, Premium, Onyx Edition, Limited and Touring trims. A 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder is found in the Limited XT, Touring XT and Wilderness, along with the new Onyx Edition XT that marks the first time this trim has offered two engines.

Buyers can cross-shop compact SUVs such as the Chevrolet Blazer, Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4, all of which have less front-seat legroom and headroom than the Outback. You can also look at the Subaru Forester—which isn’t as long as the Outback but is taller—that shares the Outback’s base engine and with a lower starting price. In case you’re wondering, there are still other station wagons like this, but you’ll have to pay many thousands of dollars more for the Volvo V90 or Audi A6 Allroad, and the Outback is more capable than either in off-road situations.

Prices range from $29,620 on the 2.5-liter four-cylinder Base to the turbocharged $43,520 Touring XT, including a $1,225 delivery fee. The Outback’s base engine is a naturally aspirated 2.4-liter four-cylinder, known as a horizontally opposed or “boxer” engine as its cylinders lie flat in two banks of two, rather than upright in a line as with most other four-cylinder motors. It makes 182 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque. XT model use a 2.4-liter 260-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder (also a “boxer”). Both powerplants are teamed with a continuously-variable automatic transmission (CVT). 

All Outback models have Subaru’s “symmetrical” all-wheel drive. It’s a very comfortable vehicle to drive, with smooth steering, responsive handling and a quiet and composed ride. Trims with the 2.4-liter can tow up to 2,700 pounds, while turbocharged versions can go up to 3,500 pounds. The Outback’s heavy-looking plastic body cladding may not be to all tastes, but it’s meant to define the model’s outdoorsy appeal. It also actually delivers reasonable off-road capability in all versions, though the Wilderness trim goes further with extra ground clearance and more aggressive off-road angles.

All trims include selectable drive modes, called X-Mode, for handling adverse conditions such as snow or mud, along with hill descent control that maintains a constant speed when going down off-road inclines. All trims come with EyeSight, a camera-based suite of driver-assist safety technologies that includes adaptive cruise control, lane centering, emergency front braking and lane departure alert, along with automatic high-beam headlights. Strong on value and capability, the Outback is a solid alternative to a typical SUV and could be the best choice for more outdoorsy drivers.

Performance: 13/15

The Outback starts with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 182 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque, used in the Base, Premium, Onyx Edition, Limited and Touring trims. A turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder makes 260 horsepower and 277 pound-feet of torque in the Wilderness, Onyx Edition XT, Limited XT and Touring XT. All Outbacks use a continuously-variable automatic transmission (CVT). 

Subaru’s “symmetrical” all-wheel drive is standard on all trims, the name referring to the symmetrical layout of the driveline. The Outback has a 60/40 power output split front-to-rear under normal conditions and transfers more power to the back wheels as needed for traction. This continuous power to the rear has a slight negative effect on fuel economy, but it makes the Outback surefooted when cornering on wet or dry pavement. It’s also very useful when driving off-road in rough or muddy conditions since there’s always power to the rear wheels. Because it isn’t as tall as more traditional SUVs, the Outback feels markedly more composed around corners, with less body roll.

The turbocharged engine is better for acceleration, but the naturally aspirated 2.5-liter gets the job done, including sufficient highway passing power, and at a lower starting price. The 2.5-liter can tow up to 2,700 pounds, while the turbocharged trims can tow up to 3,500 pounds. Only the Toyota RAV4 in TRD trim can match that, and the Chevrolet Blazer only outdoes it at 4,500 pounds when equipped with its optional V6 engine.

It’s not a substitute for a dedicated off-roader like a Jeep Wrangler, but all versions of the Outback can easily handle light trail duty. It’s more than enough vehicle to get most campers and hikers to their destination and then get them comfortably home on the highway or city streets. The Wilderness trim goes a little further than the others though. It raises the ground clearance from 8.7 inches to 9.5 and also offers a slightly different version of X-Mode. While still not a rock crawler, it can handle really deep ruts and moguls and muddy, rocky or slippery terrain very well.

Fuel Economy: 11/15

The Outback with 2.5-liter engine is rated by the EPA at 26 mpg in the city, 32 mpg on the highway and 28 mpg in combined driving. The turbocharged 2.4-liter rates 22 city, 29 highway and 25 mg combined. The more rugged Wilderness trim, with the turbo engine only, rates 21 mpg in the city, 26 on the highway and 23 mpg combined. Both engines run on regular-grade 87-octane gasoline.

That’s about mid-pack with some of its rivals when they are equipped with optional all-wheel drive, which is standard on the Subaru. The Toyota RAV4 does better at 30 mpg combined for its base LE trim and 29 mpg for most others, while its toughest off-roader TRD trim rates 28 mpg. The Honda CR-V also beats the Outback at 29 mpg combined, but the Chevrolet Blazer is rated at 24 mpg with its turbocharged 2.0-liter engine, and 21 mpg with its available 3.6-liter V6. The Subaru Forester shares the Outback’s 2.5-liter engine but is shorter and taller; it rates 29 mpg for most trims, while its Wilderness trim rates 26 mpg combined.

Safety & Driver Assistance Tech: 14/15

The Outback achieves the highest five-star crash-test rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It also gets a Top Safety Pick+ from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), including “superior” ratings for its emergency front braking.

All trims come standard with EyeSight, a camera-based suite of driver-assist technologies that has been upgraded for 2023 with a wider-angle stereo camera, improved software and an electric brake booster for quicker emergency stops. Some trims also add an additional camera for an expanded field of view for bicycles and pedestrians, along with automatic emergency steering. 

The camera is mounted inside the windshield and so isn’t affected by dirt or snow, as can happen with some vehicles that rely on exterior sensors and may affect some functions if they get covered. However, EyeSight only looks ahead, and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert isn’t part of it. While that feature is still included on most trims, it isn’t available on the Base trim, and can only be added to the Premium trim as part of two pricey option packages that are $1,400 or $2,995.

Comfort & Room: 13/15

The Outback is a comfortable vehicle, with supportive seats that are heated on all but the base trim, and ventilated on the top Touring and Touring XT trims. Depending on the trim, upholstery is cloth, leather or a water-repellent fabric. All but the Base trim have a powered driver’s seat, and most have a powered passenger seat as well.

At 40.1 inches of front headroom, the Outback is roomier than most rivals other than the taller Subaru Forester, and its 39.1 inches of rear-seat headroom are almost on par with the Toyota RAV4, but more than in the Honda CR-V or Chevrolet Blazer. Those three rivals are all around 41 inches of front-seat legroom, but the Outback has 42.8 inches, just shy of the Forester’s 43.3. inches. For rear-seat legroom, the CR-V is the winner with 41 inches, but the Outback’s 39.5 inches virtually match the Blazer’s 39.6 inches and the Forester’s 39.4, and top the RAV4’s 37.8.

Infotainment: 11/15

The base trim uses twin 7-inch screens, while all others have an 11.6-inch touchscreen that includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and 4G LTE Wi-Fi capability. Navigation is standard on the Limited/Limited XT and Touring/Touring XT trims, and optional on most others.

The icons are large, and there are volume and tuning knobs, but some functions require paging through menus, and the voice recognition system doesn’t always figure out what you want the first time. The climate functions are a combination of hard buttons for temperature, along with screen icons for vent mode and fan speed. The heated and ventilated seat functions, which previously required two steps to access, are now icons directly operated from the home screen.

The large screen also includes satellite and HD radio and over-the-air updates. An available USB-C port has been added alongside the USB-A port and auxiliary input jack, and all three now light up. Rear-seat passengers can access USB-A and USB-C ports at the rear of the center console.

Cargo Space & Storage: 13/15

The Outback has 32.6 cubic-feet of cargo space with the rear seats up. That’s more than the Chevrolet Blazer at 30.5 cubic-feet or its Subaru Forester cousin at 28.9 cubic-feet. However, it falls short of the Toyota RAV4 with a roomy 37.5 cubic-feet, or the Honda CR-V at an even bigger 39.3 cubic-feet. Put down the Subaru’s flat-folding rear seat and you get up to 75.6 cubic-feet, which is more than all but the CR-V’s 76.5 cubic feet. These figures are also quite a bit higher than the V90 (19.8 cubic-feet of space behind the rear seats and 53.9 in total) or A6 Allroad.

While it may not be the largest cargo compartment, it’s well-designed with tie-downs, a small side pocket, a wide opening and a low lift-over. The rear seats can be folded using releases near the hatch opening, so you don’t have to walk around to the rear door. A hands-free power liftgate is optional on the Premium and standard on all higher trims.

Style & Design: 8/10

The Outback’s 2023 update includes a restyled front end on all but the Wilderness—it was an all-new trim for 2022 and therefore wasn’t up for a refresh—that adds black cladding on the wheel arches, fascias and rocker panels that you’ll either appreciate for their rugged appearance or find too over-the-top. The Outback’s long wagon-like lines make it one of Subaru’s most attractive-looking vehicles, and the body cladding seems to enhance the package rather than detract from it, which hasn’t always been true of this vehicle’s imitators.

The interior is handsomely designed, with its sweeping dash, gloss and metallic trim and soft-touch surfaces with stitching. Everything is finished nicely with good-quality materials, and all panels fit together well.

Is the 2023 Subaru Outback Worth it? Which Outback is the Best Value?

With the 2.5-liter naturally aspirated engine, the Outback’s five trims range from $29,620 to $41,070, including a $1,225 delivery fee. Four trims with the turbocharged 2.4-liter go from $39,820 to $43,520. The more rugged Wilderness, with a turbo engine option only, is $39,670.

The Outback’s starting price is lower than all-wheel-drive versions of the Toyota RAV4, which begins at $30,310; the Honda CR-V at $33,855; and the Chevrolet Blazer at $39,195. The Subaru Forester runs from $27,620 to $37,720. 

Option packages on the Outback are available on some lower trims, running between $1,400 and $2,995. Depending on the trim, those packages can include blind-spot monitoring, sunroof, a heated steering wheel and navigation. Many buyers will likely look at the Onyx Edition, at $34,720 with the 2.5-liter or $39,820 with the turbo engine, which includes the hands-free liftgate, adaptive headlamps, easy-to-clean upholstery, 11.6-inch touchscreen and blind-spot monitoring.

How Much Does it Cost to Insure the 2023 Subaru Outback?

The Outback should cost a little less or the same to insure as most of its peers. According to our data, a typical 30-year-old female driver with a clean record can expect an average annual premium to start at $1,720, though this averages all 50 states. A Chevy Blazer owner might pay $1,950 per year, while the Honda CR-V is $1,720 and the Toyota RAV4 is $1,908. For a more accurate picture of your potential insurance expenses, visit our car insurance calculator.