Subaru Outback 2.5i Premium

Test Drive Notes Library

Pros
This vehicle has long been the official vehicle of Vermont. It’s practical, reasonably sized, reasonably priced, reliable, and secure in handling. And for eons, it has offered all-wheel drive to get Vermonters through those little winters they have—from September to June.
The Outback has evolved in recent iterations to appeal to more then just the thrifty-frozen-people of New England. It’s a lot more refined than it used to be, while maintaining its practicality.
If you need cargo room, and all-wheel drive, and don’t want to drive an SUV, this is a great choice. It’s got everything a mid-size SUV has, except the poorer gas mileage, and heavy towing capacity.
There’s plenty of room inside. The Outback is officially big, now. It’s as long as a Volvo Cross Country, and has more cargo area than a Honda CR-V.
Mileage is improved, thanks to a new CVT transmission, which operates with little of the rubber-band whine you sometimes get with CVTs. We got about 23 MPG overall. EPA claims 28 combined.
The new Outback is quieter, overall, with added sound insulation.
It has newly available safety features, a package dubbed “Eye Sight,” by Subaru, which includes pre-collision braking, adaptive cruise control, and lane departure warning.
Rear leg room has been improved.
Very comfortable ride.
Good solid handling, with a lower center of gravity than SUVs.
Good visibility. And a standard back up camera that comes on immediately.
Excellent cargo room in back.
Controls are pretty straightforward, with knobs for tuning and volume, and a set of controls on the steering wheel, too.
One nice feature: when you’re stuck in traffic and the car in front of you starts to move, the Outback will alert you with an audible tone. It’s a nice feature if you’re bored in traffic, texting with your mistress.

Cons
Cornering, while good compared to SUVs, is not a good as a sedan’s. We noticed some body lean on hard turns. If you the sporty version of this car, you’ll need an Audi Allroad. And another 20 grand.
We found the Outback to be a bit noisy on acceleration, especially compared with other cars in its class. Ours had a bit of a rattling sound that seems to be typical of Subaru engines. You won’t find it as sewing-machine smooth as a Honda.
Price-wise, it’s roughly comparable to the Honda CR-V. While the Outback has its advantages, and has proven durable, Subaru reliability has not been quite as good as Honda’s. So don’t expect it to go 200,000 miles, without a major repair.