The 2025 Subaru Outback is practical and capable with standard all-wheel drive. It’s not flashy but is great as a family and pet hauler, for navigating in the rain and snow, and is suitable for light off-roading on dirt and gravel roads. It’s no wonder that the Outback is a perennial favorite here in the Pacific Northwest.
Base Price: $42,795
As Tested: $44,356
Horsepower: 260
Mileage: 22 mpg city/29 mpg highway/25 mpg combined
The Subaru Outback debuted in 1995 as a trim in the Subaru Legacy model. Some may remember the ads which featured Paul Hogan of Crocodile Dundee fame. Six generations later, the redesigned 2020 model debuted with a new platform, better handling, two available engines, and many standard driver assistance technologies. In 2022, the off-road oriented Wilderness trim debuted. 2023 saw some exterior styling tweaks. More standard features were added for 2024. And for 2025, more standard features are added to the Limited trim.
The Outback is the only mainstream wagon sold in the U.S. Several luxury brands offer wagons, including Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo. The Outback is a strong contender against many mainstream crossovers and SUVs – it has the higher ride height of an SUV but handles like a sedan, has plenty of cargo space, and is often more capable than many crossovers and SUVs.
The 2025 Subaru Outback comes in a whopping nine trims: Base, Premium, Onyx Edition, Limited, Touring, Onyx Edition XT, Wilderness, Limited XT and Touring XT. Starting prices range from $28,895 to $42,795. All come standard with Subaru’s all-wheel drive system. There’s room for five passengers in two rows of seating.
There are two engines available. The standard engine is a 2.5-liter flat four-cylinder that makes 182 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque. The Wilderness trim comes standard with a turbocharged 2.4-liter flat four-cylinder that produces 260 horses and 277 pound-feet of torque – this engine is also standard on the XT trims. The transmission is a continuously variable automatic.
The base engine is mostly ok for daily driving around town, but acceleration can be pokey and you’ll probably want more power for merging and passing, and when your Outback is filled with passengers and gear. The turbo is peppier but acceleration can still be leisurely and there is some turbo lag. Unfortunately, the CVT can feel rough and unrefined. The ride, though, is smooth and comfortable. The Outback feels very sure-footed on dirt and gravel roads, and is great to drive in challenging weather conditions with proper traction. Visibility is good all the way around.
Fuel economy is decent for a wagon. EPA estimates for my tester are 22 mpg city and 29 mpg highway with a combined rating of 25. I got 23 mpg during my week with a mix of city and highway driving. Trims with the base engine get 26 mpg city and 32 mpg highway with a combined rating of 28. The Wilderness trim gets 21 mpg city, 26 mpg highway and 23 mpg combined.
The interior is spacious and practical. While it’s rather plain, the cabin is still a nice place to spend time in. Most materials are soft-touch and build quality is good. Seats in front are comfortable and supportive with good leg- and headroom. The second row is spacious enough for two adults, and three on short trips.
Standard features include a rearview camera, automatic climate control, cloth upholstery, manually adjustable front seats, Infotainment system with two seven-inch touchscreens, four-speaker audio system, HD Radio, satellite radio, wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth, and a USB-A port.
Available features include proximity keyless entry, push-button start, front-view camera, auto-dimming rearview mirror, dual-zone automatic climate control, synthetic leather upholstery, real leather upholstery, Nappa leather upholstery, power-adjustable front seats, heated and ventilated front seats, heated steering wheel, leather-wrapped steering wheel, heated rear outboard seats, infotainment system with 11.6-inch touchscreen, navigation, six-speaker audio system, 12-speaker Harman Kardon audio system, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, USB-A and USB-C charge ports (front and rear), wireless device charging, Wi-Fi hot spot, adaptive headlights with automatic high beams, windshield wiper deicer, universal garage door opener and a moonroof.
Standard driver assistance technologies include forward collision warning, forward automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, lane-centering assist, adaptive cruise control, and pedestrian detection.
Available driver assistance technologies include blind-spot monitoring, lane-change assist, automatic emergency steering, rear cross-traffic alert, reverse automatic emergency braking, and driver-attention monitoring
The infotainment system is not as good as what you’ll find in many other vehicles. The system has sluggish response times, old-school graphics, and the optional large vertically-oriented screen gets washed out in sunlight. At least there are physical knobs for volume and tuning.
The Outback has a ton of cargo space. There are 32.6 cubic feet with both rows of seating in place and 75.6 cubes with the second row folded. The low lift height and wide opening make it easy to load larger and/or bulky items. A manual liftgate is standard and a hands-free power liftgate is available.
The good:
Dependable vehicle that’s more capable than most SUVs and crossovers
Smooth ride
Suitable for light off-roading on dirt and gravel roads
Good fuel economy
Roomy, pleasant cabin
Lots of standard features and tech
Standard wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
The not-so-good:
Pokey acceleration, especially with base engine
CVT can be clunky
Infotainment system could use updating
Pricing info:
My tester starts at $42,795. All-weather floor liners are $141. The delivery fee is $1,420, bringing the grand total to $44,356.
Bottom line:
The 2025 Subaru Outback is as capable or more so than most SUVs and crossovers, is sure-footed in varying weather conditions, and can handle light off-roading. While it’s not exciting to drive and the infotainment system could use upgrading, the Outback continues to be a top pick for anyone who wants a safe and practical vehicle.
