2019 Subaru Outback SUV

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Most helpful consumer reviews

We had a 2016 Forester and we liked it, but didn't love it, so when we were looking to trade in our lease Subaru wasn't really a top contender. Luckily, we were distracted by a move when our lease was coming due, so we had to find a new car fast. We wanted to purchase and Subaru offered 0% financing. As it turned out, we needed a 60 month plan, but that was still offered at 1.9% financing. The car was nice, but it wasn't until we got it home that we realized how wonderful it is. The color is gorgeous- we got a brown cinammon :). But what has blown me away is the intuitiveness of all the features. The headlamps track the road in front of you, making night driving a lot easier. The rear camera is so crystal clear compared to our old Forester. The car play feature is so easy to use and makes driving safer with the huge screen. The car handles beautifully and though formal reviews say the pick up lags, my husband and I don't feel that way at all. The car accelerates smoothly. We also love the storage in the back. I think we will be enjoying this car for years to come. I'm so glad we went with another Subaru. I absolutely love getting in this car as it is a pleasure to drive.

I’ll preface this by saying that I’m a twenty-something, recent college graduate and professional. Not exactly a stereotypical Outback owner. The Outback doesn’t appear to be as big as it is, either from the driver’s seat or from the outside. You won’t get a true idea of the size until you park next to what you though was a “big SUV”, only to realize your Outback is longer, or until you open the hatch and marvel at the cavernous cargo area. It feels small when you need it to be small and big when you need it to be big. In typical Subaru fashion, the interior is very unassuming and functional, but doesn’t feel cheap at all. Everything you touch is soft or textured. Switches and buttons feel solid and well made. The seats have adjustable lumbar support and are very soft and comfortable. The black cloth is very dark, which makes dog hair and other particles visible, so go with the gray if that bothers you. The 8.0 inch infotainment screen does an average job. It checks all the boxes (BlueTooth, CarPlay, Android Auto etc.), but the interface can be laggy at times, even while using CarPlay. It also has a few gimmicky features. The sound quality is fantastic. It also features a menu called “car info” which gives you mechanical info on how the AWD system is distributing power, as well as oil temperature, instant MPG and average speed and service reminders. There’s a second large color display in the instrument cluster which displays MPG info, MPH, tire pressures and the Eyesight system’s status. There’s also a settings menu which is difficult to navigate and mostly just repeats vehicle settings from the infotainment screen’s settings menu. The driving controls are simple. The shifter has 5 positions: P, R, N, D and M. The manual mode requires shifting to drive then pulling the selector towards the driver, so you’ll never engage it by accident when selecting drive. There’s no gimmicky sport buttons or drive mode selection knobs. The parking brake is electronically engaged, which saves weight and mechanical complexity on the rear axle. Pull the switch up to engage or push it down to disengage. The brake pedal has a decent amount of travel and is neither touchy nor soft. The throttle response is also much improved over earlier Subaru models, it’s no longer overly touchy at slow speeds. The engine is not underpowered for ordinary driving. If you like to tow a trailer or frequently pass other cars on a two lane road, get the 6 cylinder. The 4 cylinder is smooth and quiet. The CVT is also very good, and that’s coming from someone who used to think they hated CVTs. Under normal acceleration the Outback wafts up to speed at a constant RPM. I never have to push it past 2500RPM in normal driving. If you do give it a little more accelerator, the CVT simulates gearshifts, which gives a sporty feel and eliminates the droning sound of an engine at constant RPM. The torque converter lockup is fairly aggressive and can be felt when accelerating from a stop. On the Crosstrek this was very intrusive, but on the Outback it’s just noticeable, not intrusive. The owner’s manual will state that some transmission noise is to be expected, since Subaru uses a chain type pulley, but in reality there is only a very slight whir that can be heard just before coming to a stop when the windows are down. Outward visibility is exceptionally great. All windows and mirrors are oversized. Blind spot assist is optional and a backup camera is standard, but neither are necessary to drive the Outback. The Eyesight system is also remarkably good. I have experience with a handful of other adaptive cruise control systems and Eyesight is easily the smoothest and most accurate in its class. It even warns you if you fail to react when the car in front of you has moved. The Eyesight features are highly customizable through the instrument cluster menus. Ride and handling are excellent. Large bumps are easily absorbed, but the Outback still feels stable and tight. There is some body roll when cornering, but much less than you would expect for a vehicle of this size. There is a bit of noise on rough surfaces, however I believe that is a result of the factory Bridgestone tires.

We've owned three Subaru’s - most recently bought our second Outback. Our prior Outback was 4 years old - one key change that is apparent is that the vehicle is substantially quieter, which make the overall experience better, car seems more put together and luxurious. Was told that they add sound deadening into the vehicle and add acoustical front glass - it worked. We test drove Mazda SUVs and Acura RDX before purchasing. Subaru’s felt substantially better that the Mazda's. While the RDX had allot more to offer and was very fast - it was also almost $10k more expensive, so we passed. The touring has all the bells and whistles that come with eye sight/lane keep/adaptive cruise control, rear brake stop/cross traffic alert as well as responsive LED headlamps - and there is a learning curve required to get comfortable with it all, so be patient. Subaru dealer (Serra)was great - they walked us thru everything when we picked up the vehicle and then came to our house a couple weeks later to review the features again and ensure we were comfortable with how they operated. We've owned 6 Acura’s and they have never done that! The engineering that goes into Subaru’s is evident - the boxer engine not only provides improved handling due the low center of gravity, but also aides in front crash protection by preventing cabin intrusion. You can see the roll bar protection engineered into the door and frame that I just don’t see as clearly in other vehicles. The outback is a great value - combining unique styling, flexibility, innovative engineering, high quality and great dealer service. I can see us continuing to buy Subaru’s as long as they keep advancing their products with eth changing technologies. Looking forward to seeing how Subaru embraces electric vehicles and autonomous technologies.

The Edmunds review is pretty much spot on. I opted for the Premium with the 2.5i 4 cylinder engine and don't regret it at all. HOWEVER, if you are planning on routinely towing the maximum 2,500 lbs. and/or loading up the Outback front and back with passengers and cargo then you may want to consider the 6 cylinder engine. Throw in some uphill mountain roads and I would say don't even bother with the 4 cylinder and go with the 6-the 4 cylinder WILL do the job, but the 6 would make it much easier. With that said, I don't have those issues to deal with so the 4 cylinder is just fine. Around town you don't even notice a difference and on the highway it does a respectable job as well. The Outback handled 10 inches of wet snow with ease but aware that in my opinion, the OEM tires (Bridgestone Duelers HP Sport AS) will get you moving with the AWD but don't inspire too much confidence when turning in snowy/icy conditions. I think when I replace the OEM tires I'll go with the Goodyear Weatherready. Otherwise, the Outback is a great vehicle with a lot of cargo space for when you need it, has a very nice interior, is easy to enter and exit, drive, and park. For the money the car has a lot of features I thought I would care less about but soon grew to really enjoy. I really enjoy the Outback and would urge anyone looking to purchase an AWD car/SUV to consider the Subaru Outback. I have not owned the vehicle long enough to comment on the reliability but Subaru has a good track record so I'm confident things will go well.

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