Used 2022 Subaru Outback Consumer Reviews
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Outback Premium Good Value
William, 10/25/2021
2022 Subaru Outback Premium 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
207 of 212 people found this review helpful
We looked at a number of smaller SUVs before settling on the Outback. The main thing pushing to the Outback versus others (CR-V was the other finalist) were a) the superior all wheel drive system and the ability to tow. Most small SUV have essentially no towing capacity, Subarus do.. Also all wheel drive is not created equal and we have a steep sometimes snow covered driveway. Reviewing multiple real world tests showed that Subaru really has superior traction management system to most others. So the Subaru won on these fronts. Also helping was that the interior, even on the lower trims, is very nice. The absolute worst was the RAV, it is of the 'ultra cheap' interior trim school. We initially started to buy the Onyx version with the turbo engine since reports said the base 2.5L was underpowered. However neither my wife or I liked the throttle response of the turbo, it was very non-linear in power delivery. So we tried a "premium" with the base engine and preferred it. While some claim the turbo is quieter we really couldn't see that it was any better, both base and turbo engine make themselves heard under load, but in normal conditions they are silent. As to power, we found the base engine to be adequate. No it doesn't accelerate fast but it has enough power and will cross the Sierra Nevada mountains (7000 foot elevation change) at 70mph without trouble. At freeway speeds I don't hear the engine, it's most audible at lower speed accelerations. As to what's good and what's not so good. As stated the power is fine, the car is quiet, rides nicely, and corners well. Seats are comfortable even without all the extra adjustments that the upper models bring. Storage space is very good. It has great outward visibility, a major failing on many small SUVs. It has lots of features even in the premium trim level. Subaru did go overboard in running so much through the central screen. It is annoying to have to access the screen and go down a level just to do things like turn on the seat heaters. The voice control system is a joke, doesn't work at all don't even bother trying it! Subaru has a feature that allows you to wave a hand in front of the emblem on the tailgate to 'hands free' open the tailgate. This is their version on Ford's wave your foot under the bumper. It doesn't really work that well, it takes a long time to recognize the command so we really don't use the feature. Safety systems take some discussion. The blind spot monitoring is great. The lane guidance is fine IF you turn off the steering assist. As it comes from the factory it always has a level of steering assist that makes the car feel like it won't track in a straight line. Turn it off and it tracks perfectly. The adaptive cruise works very well. However with adaptive cruise comes the option of turning lane centering or active steering. My experience with this is very negative, to the point of being dangerous. If you turn on active lane centering the car ping pongs in the lane. If the road turns it will tend to run wide, ping pong, then leave the lane! At that point the system issues a warning and shuts off as it leaves the lane. I guess it was intended only for straight roads but even on straight roads you feel like you're having a tug of war with the system due to the ping pong behavior. While it sounds like a lot of negatives these aren't big issues. The positives far outweigh the negatives. We love the car, for the price it is hard to find something as comfortable, reliable, and capable. If you stay away from the higher models and options it remains a good deal. Like most Subar
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Great ride comfort and space, great with snow/ice
Jim in North Carolina, 07/19/2021
updated 07/26/2022
2022 Subaru Outback Limited 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
75 of 78 people found this review helpful
I traded a beautiful 2020 Ford Escape Titanium Hybrid for a 2022 Subaru Outback Limited. I needed better seat comfort,quiet smoother ride, and more storage for my wife's travel wheel chair. I am sure I made the right choice. It has an excellent sound system and tech features. I liked the fuel economy of the hybrid but the Subaru is not bad and worth every penny spent to get features I need at this time in my life. I still want to travel and have comfort, room and safety. Jim in North Carolina
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Constant problems with vehicle
Imjim, 06/03/2022
2022 Subaru Outback Limited XT 4dr SUV AWD (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
67 of 71 people found this review helpful
The first month I lived the car then on an open road, no traffic, sunny day it applied emergency braking. Dealer could not find problem. Has happened twice since but still can't find. GPS has quite working twice. A serious rattle that the dealership can hear but can't find. I am a fairly conservative driver but vehicle uses about 30% more fuel than epa with mixed city / highway of 13L/100km. Radio keeps going off station and volume varies. One year now and on 3rd 12v battery. Why? 7th new car I've ever owned and only one with problems and tons of them and subaru have been unable to repair.
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They Call it an SUV Now
rodi53, 01/23/2022
updated 05/05/2022
2022 Subaru Outback Limited XT 4dr SUV AWD (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
81 of 87 people found this review helpful
I originally gave this car a 4-star review, but after living with it for seven months, I am changing my rating. Here's why: Mechanically and aesthetically, this is a nice car. However, the electronics spoil it. Just today I had to endure it going "beep beep beep" and flashing "Keep Eyes on the Road" every 3 seconds for 30 minutes until I got home. It was stuck on even though I disabled the Driver Monitoring System (whose menu resides inside other submenus). The large touchscreen is a nightmare. Just doing simple tasks like changing which vents the HVAC air comes from requires navigating multiple menus. Subaru has replaced reliable knobs, dials, and switches with that abominable touch screen. It's slow, full of glitches, and cumbersome to operate. The nav system is essentially useless. It has never once come up with the correct address when I tell it where I want to go. I now use Apple CarPlay and phone nav apps exclusively. I only have 2,800 miles on this car and so far, the screen has locked up three times rendering many systems inoperable. The only "fix" is to pull over, shut off the car, then wait 30 seconds before restarting the car and hoping the screen starts to function again. Unacceptable! And the cruise control??? OMG!!! Every time you press the up or down speed button, it changes by 5mph. Not one. Five. To change it by less than 5mph, you have to hold the button down and stare at the dash display while the numbers increment to your desired setting. Subaru touts its cars as safe, but forcing you to look away from driving to watch menus or displays in order to adjust virtually everything is a recipe for disaster. Then to add insult to injury, when you try to use the screens the car will again start beeping and telling you to keep your eyes on the road. I'd rather experience driver safety by avoiding an accident in the first place rather than having a car that "protects" me in an accident caused by inattention - inattention caused by having to deal with all these screens. I truly dislike this car. I can't wait to get rid of it. It's too bad really, because mechanically it's a decent vehicle and it looks good. Ride, handling, and performance are good for a wagon (yeah, I know - Subaru calls it an SUV now). Unfortunately, when it comes to the electronics, Subaru's engineers apparently have their collective heads located somewhere the sun never shines.
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Transmission issues!!!!
Angie , 03/24/2022
2022 Subaru Outback Limited 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
48 of 51 people found this review helpful
I picked up a 2022 Subaru Outback on 3/1. By 3/5 it started not shifting into gear right. Roadside cane out and it seemed ok. 7 days later the car had to be towed due to the car not accelerating and the transmission not shifting into gear. Dealership replaced the transmission valve body. They assure me the problem was fixed. I drove it 100 miles after the “fix”, same problems only worse. Had to be towed again with 500 miles total on the car. I was also left stranded in an area with no Uber service because roadside wanted more money to tow it an extra 25 miles to my home city, instead towing it 2 hours from my home. I was not allowed to ride in the tow truck to the dealership either.
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Subaru does not stand behind or support their cars
Never again! Don't buy Subaru, 06/20/2023
2022 Subaru Outback Touring 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
33 of 35 people found this review helpful
I've had problems with my car from day one. Every time I take it to the dealer for the issues they make it sound like I don't know what I'm talking about. It is unsafe to use the safety features on the Outback Touring I bought because the lane keep/assist tries to drive me across the double yellow line and into oncoming traffic. The crash avoidance function frequently jams on the brakes to stop the car when there is nothing in front of the car and no collision to avoid. The car continually tells me to put my hands on the steering wheel, even when going through a turn. My hands are always on the steering wheel The battery has gone dead several times when parked. Everything is off. And the real clincher, I bought this car because it was supposed to get excellent mileage My driving is 95% highway miles at 67 mph. I'm lucky if I get 21 mpg. The dealer has not made any adjustments to remedy this. I'm a conservative driver. Not a lead foot and have the car set for eco. The tailgate doesn't like to open. Hands free worked a few times but even the dealer couldn't get it to work consistently. Using the release on the dash doesn't work. The only way to open the tailgate is to push the button under the light and I have to do this multiple times to get it to open. The GPS is a joke and can't be trusted. I tell it to go somewhere and it says, "calling..." where ever I asked to go. I don't have an accent and everyone who has ridden in my car has tried to get it to go to a destination only to have the car call instead. When I use the TomTom it takes me way out of the way to get to the destination. When I went to register my car, the office was on the right side of the road and the GPS took me 3-miles beyond and had me make a u-turn, return and turn left, across traffic. The electronics are horrible! The control panel frequently blacks out. Subaru needs to do another update to the software because it's beyond buggy! As for the drive, although the interior is comfortable, the CVT frequently "bumps" the car. It is a very jerky drive. I drive highway. This happens at 67 mph. I don't think this would be noticeable if I drove city but who knows. This car is beyond buggy! In the short time I've owned this car it's been at the dealers more than any other car I've had and I bought it new! The dealer hasn't fixed the problems. I contacted corporate and the dealership was supposed to contact me. They never did. My 'Ru's name is now "Trade In" because that's what's going to happen as soon as the car I ordered (definitely NOT a Subaru) is available. I'd always thought Subaru made dependable cars but they really missed the mark with this model/year. The ride is nice but the electronics kill the car and even Subaru doesn't support their car.
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Subaru electronics wrecked a great car
socalh2oskier, 10/28/2021
updated 11/22/2023
2022 Subaru Outback Touring XT 4dr SUV AWD (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
162 of 180 people found this review helpful
This car drives great. It is comfortable. It is quiet. It is roomy. It has great cargo capacity. The interior is upscale. Why, then, such a low rating? One word: electronics. Subaru has wrecked an otherwise great car with its stupid touch screen panel that controls damn near everything. Besides being slow and not intuitive, the screen icons need to be pressed exactly right or they don't work. Thus, you need to really take your eyes off the road to use the damn thing, which makes it downright dangerous, in addition to being a huge annoyance. Most troublesome is the fan speed icons. They should have made the touch screen area bigger for those. I use them all of the time and invariably I miss. A simple toggle switch would be so much better. I traded a 2019 Outback 3.6R for this XT. I loved the way the 3.6R drove and the way the controls were set up. I should have kept that car--it is far superior in ease of use. Oh, one more thing--the NAV system in Subaru is horrible. Don't rely on it for anything. It didn't work well in my 2019 and it doesn't work well in the new one either. About 30 percent of the time it takes you nowhere close to your destination. I use my phone instead. So, in summary, I love the way the new car drives. But I HATE this moronic touch-screen control system. Who is the idiot at Subaru who thought this would be a good thing? Even worse, Subaru took away a lot of great storage space to make space for the giant, annoying, ugly touch screen. Update: So, after driving several hundred miles, I like this car even less. The only thing good about this car is that it drives quiet and smooth. In almost every other way, this car is much worse than the 3.6R it replaced. Storage area in the front used to be great. Now, it is extremely limited--mostly because they took away storage in the console to make space for the annoying touch screen. And storage in the doors used to be useful, but now it is so narrow you will smash your fingers trying to get something in or out of there. And let's talk about gas mileage. Subaru claims 30 mpg highway. But I am averaging far less--only about 25-26 mpg on the highway. I averaged about 27-28 with the 3.6R. I like the firm seats in the 3.6R better. The seats in the 2022 are much softer. One good thing--my wife likes the softer seats in the new car better. And, one of my biggest gripes, and this would have been a deal killer had I known--the new electronics system won't recognize my ipod nano touch (7th generation) that contains over 2,000 songs that I can no longer access anywhere else. My 3.6R connected fine with the ipod nano. Apparently the new unit was purposefully designed to only connect with newer electronics. When my lease was up on the 3.6R, I was trying to decide whether I should buy the 3.6R, get a new Outback Touring XT, or try a Mazda CX-5 Signature. I regret my choice with the new Outback. And this is from someone who has owned a long line of Subarus dating back to the early 90s. Bottom line, Subaru with this generation is getting far away from the simple and reliable cars that developed a cult following. Instead, Subaru appears to be all in for stupid, complicated electronics. Subaru, are you listening? The complicated electronics take away from the car's character and make it less pleasant to drive. Please, please, please dump the annoying and dangerous touch screen and bring back the simplicity of the previous generations, like the old 2.5XT, or the more recent 3.6R. This new car will likely be okay for someone has never owned a previous generation Outback. But for those who, like me, are coming out of the previous generation, this car is a HUGE step down--a GIGANTIC mistake by Subaru. I will be looking to trade this heap at the first reasonable opportunity, probably for a Mazda CX-5 Signature. At least the Mazda doesn't have a touch screen.
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Outback Wilderness
Michael, 02/07/2022
updated 05/19/2022
2022 Subaru Outback Wilderness 4dr SUV AWD (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
21 of 22 people found this review helpful
Where to start? There are a few things I do not like, and to be fair I traded in a 2021 Forester Touring model, so I was aware of a move down. I had read the reviews complaining of the "cubbies" and lack of storage space, it is true. Also, the radio is not very good. Not sure why Subaru didn't upgrade and put the Harmon Karden system in, but that is not a big deal. Wish it was easier to get in and out of, I am 6'2" and it was very easy to get into the Forester, I bang my knees on the Outback. That being said, I love this car! I do not understand the complaints about MPG - I drove over 500 miles this weekend (picked up the car Friday night) and during the break in period I have driven basically as I always have, and my combined MPG was 27.0 which is within the guidelines that are advertised. The turbo provided ALOT more punch that my Forester. I appreciate the ground clearance, the ride, which is smooth and it takes road imperfections, bump, potholes, etc., like they are not there. The seats are VERY comfortable, much better that the Forester. I was leery of the touch screen, but after being in the car all weekend, it is not an issue. Again, I don't understand the complaints I read about how "slow" it was to respond, I had zero issues with it. While there are things I would change, Subaru is not going to build a car just for me. I am very happy and look forward to many, many miles of enjoyable driving and now I am hoping and praying for a snow storm! UPDATE - 3 1/2 months in and over 13,000 miles and I am still loving this car! Have made a number of long trips and find that using the cruise control (set at 65 - I don't care if people pass me) and adjusted the cruise throttle to "economy" and I was getting 29 mpg. I plan to get new speakers later in the year but that is my only complaint. Solid and reliable - if you are a semi-old geezer like me you won't complain about the info-tainment, is it fast, nope, but I have a ritual now when I get in the car, start the engine (its a turbo and needs a few seconds) turn off the ASS - set the auto-hold, buckle up and head out. This car is worth the wait and I plan to drive it until the wheels fall off!
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Overall great SUV / Wagon
JbDelmar, 11/08/2021
2022 Subaru Outback Touring XT 4dr SUV AWD (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
20 of 21 people found this review helpful
Comfortable, well made, quiet, durable, versatile, good looking, handles well, retains its value, affordable, relatively efficient, quick, safe, spacious, reasonable towing. Overall this car is a net positive, significantly, but the rest of my comments are focused on what should be improved. Again, comparatively, this car is an outstanding value. I compared to the little SUVs like CRV, RAV4, Forester, etc. - it's way above these. I also compared to Honda Passport, the Highlander, and Mazda CX9, Volvo wagons and small/mid SUVs. It's a better balance in size, capability, value retention, cost, gas mileage and power than those - in my opinion. Of course, it's a matter of preference. Had the Passport but Elite been $10k less, and had better reviews in Consumer Reports, I may have gone with that - but $10k! The front and back cameras are inexcusably bad (the Forester and Ascent are worlds better. How does this happen within the same car maker?). But, they basically do what they need to do... I don't get the intensity of the complaints about the tech. Ok, the screen can be a bit laggy at times, but it is functional and works. Buttons would be fine, but this is fine, too. I also don't get the intense frustration over the cvt. Generally, it is smooth. Yes, I acknowledge the turbo and the fake gears don't match all that well. There are odd times that the power doesn't seem consistently available, but overall it is a smooth and punchy powertrain. It seems a software update could fix this easily - this is not a hardware issue. It is improving with time; after 500 miles it already feels smoother and the gas mileage is slightly picking up. The gas mileage on the turbo is not what the EPA suggests, particularly locally. But, I traded in a 2020 Forester (which was also very very good) and while its gas mileage was a bit better than the Outback XT, the Forester didn't match the EPA either, especially around town. This is a nice motor though. Quiet, quick and pretty smooth. The seats are really comfortable. I love all the space in the back. The face recognition is more reliable than it was in the Forester. Probably works 80+% of the time. Headlights are bright and effective and the headlight steering seems beneficial. The armrest is much better than the Forester's (Forester's was too far back and too low to even be useful). I don't understand why the Outback gets a regular little sunroof but the Forester had a nice big sunroof. But the little sunroof looks and works fine. The handsfree hatch opener works once you get the hang of it - nice feature. I got the Subaru hitch and wiring; they look clean and it's great having 2" hitch. Oh, and the Harmon Kardon sounds great.
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Looking forward to a long road trip
BobInAZ, 04/12/2022
2022 Subaru Outback Limited XT 4dr SUV AWD (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
12 of 12 people found this review helpful
Took delivery in Jan 2022. Wife's car but I'm allowed to help break it in, now at 2000 miles. Not a fan of CVT but it's reality today. The XT is powerful, easily climbs over passes from Phoenix to Flagstaff with passing power. Can be a bit jumpy off the line until you learn to finesse the CVT. Fuel economy can vary a lot with driving style. Big vehicle that looks good without some of the geeky polarizing features found in certain name brands. The Outback isn't cheap with the top trim but it has a quality feel that goes with the price. Lots of good safety tech and effective adaptive cruise control and blind spot warnings, so many features you really need to read the manual and personalize this car to take full advantage of tech that will make your life easier, such as driver recognition and voice commands. Quiet and high-quality interior in the Limited version, and really nice sound system. Agree the touch-screen interface could be easier but it's a common issue with many other car makers. Learn how to use your smartphone interface and voice commands and enjoy.
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