2025 Subaru Outback Driven: Circle the Wagons

Last year, Subaru sold its three millionth Outback on U.S. soil. The fact that the sale occurred in Florida speaks to Subaru’s mainstream transformation from its original U.S. audience of professional snowshoers, granola farmers, and frostbitten loners. Subaru credits the Outback with saving the company’s stateside ambitions—in the mid-1990s, Subaru of America had a 300-day supply of cars languishing on dealer lots. Then, as the 1995 model year approached, someone said, “How about we add some plastic cladding to the Legacy wagon, name it after a remote region of Australia, and market it with Paul Hogan, star of the 1986 hit movie Crocodile Dundee?” In the words of one B. Dylan, when you ain’t got nothin’, you got nothin’ to lose.

Thirty years later, the Outback is Subaru’s third-bestselling model, behind the Crosstrek and the Forester. In 2024, sales were up 4.1 percent even though the current-gen car was in its fifth year of production, largely unchanged since its 2020 redesign. But there have been some tweaks and revisions over the years, which is one reason why we’re training our critical eye on the 2025 Outback now. The other reason is that this is the last year of the Outback as we know it, so we figure we owe it a farewell.

Yes, the 2026 Outback is going full SUV, abandoning the pretense of its wagon form factor. Whether this is a wise move remains to be seen, but online feedback from current owners seems to range from “I guess I’ll see how this turns out” to “I guess this is my last Outback.” Huffy social media proclamations aside, we’ll be bummed if Subaru goofs up the formula because the current Outback is really good at its core mission—hauling five passengers and their gear in comfort through the kind of wintry conditions that leave bro-dozers in ditches.

Subaru has held the line on Outback prices over the years, and the 2025 model starts at $30,430, which is a swell deal for a capacious all-wheel-drive wagon. Turbocharged models open with the $40,895 Onyx Edition XT, with the top Touring XT example ($44,330) we drove still representing a good value for what you get, which amounts to every option on the roster. And options abound, as Subaru positions the flagship Outback as a credible alternative for disaffected Audi Allroad and Mercedes-Benz E-class All-Terrain shoppers. So you get heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, a 260-hp engine, and nappa leather upholstery, among other finery. Headlights that track the steering wheel? Check. Heating that covers the full circumference of that steering wheel? Of course—that was one of the updates that came along with a light refresh in 2023.

That minor overhaul also included a revised front end with changes to the headlights, grille, and bumper. The fanciest driver’s seat, included on the Limited and Touring models, went from 10-way adjustability to 12-way. The Outback got updates to its EyeSight driver-assist system and a new electronically controlled brake system that’s a better partner for EyeSight’s automated-braking capabilities. Speaking of Subaru’s stereoscopic forward-looking camera system, some of the uplevel trims now enjoy a third wide-angle mono camera to provide 180-degree coverage. Even in snow, the system somehow manages to parse lane markings that are barely visible, speakers chirping with reprimand if you dare stray. But mostly, EyeSight operates in the background and doesn’t intrude on your daily driving.

Outbacks aren’t all about speed, but the XT’s turbocharged 2.4-liter horizontally opposed four-cylinder is a good match for the car, making 260 horsepower and 277 pound-feet of torque. When we tested an Outback Touring XT in 2020, it hit 60 mph in 6.3 seconds, 2.2 seconds ahead of its standard counterpart with a 182-hp 2.5-liter flat-four. The 2022 Wilderness model we tested was even quicker, dashing to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds. All Outbacks use a continuously variable transmission with eight fixed ratios that can be chosen via steering wheel paddles, and the XT’s extra torque is a helpful weapon against the CVT’s off-the-line turpitude. Going for the turbo also increases the Outback’s tow rating from 2700 to 3500 pounds. Given that the snail-fed mill is happy on 87 octane, and fuel economy is a push (both engines returned 28 mpg on our 75-mph highway fuel-economy test), we’d say treat yourself to forced induction if you can swing it.

The Outback isn’t exactly a Raptor off-road, but its 8.7 inches of ground clearance (9.5 inches in the Wilderness) allows it to scramble along your average green-circle trail. And its limber suspension and generous tire sidewall make for a plush on-road ride. The driving experience errs on the side of luxury rather than sportiness, as the CVT strives to keep revs down unless overruled by the driver. When it comes to messages from the road, the steering adheres to a no-news-is-good-news philosophy, but then again, the Outback isn’t trying to be the Airslayer.

The overall vibe is hushed refinement, with the exception of the stop-start system, which awakens the engine with such a jolt that it feels like the car got rear-ended. But you can disable that annoyance via the 11.6-inch touchscreen (dual 7.0-inch screens on the base model). Cabin-tech Luddites are likely to fawn over the existence of a real-deal CD player (standard on Touring/Touring XT); that throwback hides in the center console, where there’s plenty of room for your sleeve of bootleg Spacehog albums. The upgrade 576-watt Harman/Kardon sound system (Onyx Edition models and up) also includes a 3.5-mm input jack, affirming its commitment to old-school audio. If you don’t feel like plugging in your iPod Nano or tape deck, wireless CarPlay and Android Auto provide modern-day solutions.

Even though the current-generation Outback debuted in the hazy antiquity of 2019, it doesn’t feel dated or obsolete, and its healthy sales affirm that impression. But time and product cycles march on, so soon we’ll find out whether the forthcoming Outback is more Crocodile Dundee or Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles. In the meantime, the 2025 Outback represents the distillation of 30 years of refinement, the last stop on the wagon train.

Source: Reviews - aranddriver.com