The 2026 Subaru Outback's Interior Is a Huge Improvement

This is a big step in the right direction for the Japanese automaker

written by Jake Sundstrom
edited by Steven Ewing
9/2/2026
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What's new: Subaru redesigned the Outback for the 2026 model year.
Why it matters: With it came a fresh interior that surpasses previous designs.
Edmunds says: If this is what we can expect going forward, Subaru is on the right path.

The 2026 Subaru Outback is the second Subaru to join our One-Year Road Test fleet in the past year. The other, the 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid, received decidedly mixed reviews. But we had a good feeling about the Outback from our first time behind the wheel.

That good feeling has persisted over the six months we've had the Outback in our garage. The Outback is a big improvement over the Forester Hybrid, and most of that improvement comes inside the cabin. Yes, the tech could use some work. But the rest of the interior is a step in the right direction.

Let's see what the rest of the Edmunds editorial team had to say about Subaru's wagon-turned-SUV.

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2026 Subaru Outback Touring cargo area, seats folded

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"I don't want to sound like I'm damning with faint praise, because I'm not," wrote news manager Nick Yekikian. "The Outback's interior is almost perfect. Huge door bins (which are carpeted), lots of places to put smaller items, comfortable seats with plenty of adjustment, good sight lines all the way around — there is so much to like here. Not to mention there are tons of physical controls (that are mercifully so different to what Subaru had done before and what seemingly everyone else is moving toward).

"It's a great mix of utility, practicality and comfort. Subaru has nailed the balance of those things in a way that so many experienced automakers have either ignored outright for tech and gimmickry or just forgotten was important. Well done Subaru. Now do it in all your other cars."

Those feelings were echoed by post-production coordinator David Lucio.

"Comfortable, good materials and build quality, plenty of room for everyone in the front and back seats, and a large and useful cargo area," wrote Lucio. "Everyone who rode in it with me was impressed by it and praised the interior and ride comfort. Even an aunt with expensive taste who usually only rides in luxury-brand OEMs."

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2026 Subaru Outback Touring front interior

Director of written content Brent Romans praised the Outback's premium interior.

"Our Outback's interior is really nice," wrote Romans. "It has a premium vibe to it. Part of that is due to us getting the fancy Touring trim, probably. But still, there's lots of padding for the armrests, nice-feeling leather upholstery, and soft-lined storage bins so items don't make as much noise when they're rattling around. The all-black interior is rather dark and a dull monotone, but that's specific to our car. You can get a brown leather interior that looks a lot better than the black."

2026 Subaru Outback Touring remote seat release

Does all that make Subaru a leader in interior design? Well…

"This interior's still ... very Subaru," wrote senior manager of video content Will Kaufman. "It definitely feels like a step up from our Forester, and sets a pretty positive standard for how Subaru will improve their interiors going forward.

"At the same time, it's a far cry from the interiors in Kia/Hyundai products, or in something like the Honda Passport. Is that a bad thing? Subaru owners will like that this feels like a step up, and if it was significantly more premium, it might stop feeling like a Subaru. There's a certain rough-and-tumble character that Subies need to keep up; otherwise, they might lose their identity and their core audience."

That's all true. The Outback is a significant upgrade over the Forester we recently had in our fleet, but it still lags behind the Passport, not to mention the various Kias and Hyundais we've had in our fleet recently. But it may be enough that the interior is no longer a reason to avoid the Subaru, even if it's not the reason you're going to take one home.

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by Jake Sundstrom

Jake Sundstrom has worked in the automotive industry since 2017. He has written hundreds of car-related articles. Jake is currently a features editor at Edmunds and has also contributed to National Hot Rod Association publications. When he's not driving cars, he's eating takeout inside of them (probably burgers, burritos or pizza).

edited by Steven Ewing

Steven Ewing is Edmunds' director of editorial content. An automotive journalist for more than half of his life, Ewing's been on staff at Winding Road magazine, Autoblog, Motor1.com, CNET, and he was the U.S. correspondent for Top Gear magazine. He's also contributed to publications like Automobile magazine, Car and Driver, The Drive, Jalopnik, Porsche Panorama, and more. Ewing has worked in the automotive industry since 2003. From testing prototype cars in the Arctic Circle to spilling a beer on a Formula 1 driver at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (oops), he's always got an interesting story to tell.

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