2023 Subaru Outback

[MUSIC PLAYING] SPEAKER: This is the 2020 Subaru Outback we've been evaluating for the past year as part of our long-term test program. [MUSIC PLAYING] Where our staff can use them over an extended period of time, just like normal owners. We wanted to test this Onyx Edition XT trim level because it's the least expensive turbo Outback you can get. The Outback starts right around $28,000, while the turbo Onyx costs closer to $36,000. It comes decently equipped, such that our only options were things like scuff protectors and bumper covers. As always, don't forget to hit the Like and Subscribe buttons below and head over to edmunds.com/sellmycar to get a cash offer on your vehicle. What was it like living with our Outback? Generally positive, with 266 horsepower, the turbo 4 cylinder has decent acceleration around town. The fact that it's turbocharged meant the engine was affected less at altitude. On the other hand, this Outback like most new cars on the road today has an auto stop-start system that turns the engine off when you come to a stop and restarts it when you're ready to move to save fuel. This system was super clunky on engine restarts, such that one team member's kid asked if everything was OK. And you can disable the system but you have to go through the menus every single time you start up the car. Our Outback went on more than a few long distant drives and everyone came back pleased with the seat comfort and ride quality. As one person put it, it's the kind of comfort you don't even think about, and that's what makes it good. The all-wheel-drive Outback has the right amount of clearance and traction we took this Outback camping plenty of times and only found concerns with clearance when we started trying challenging terrain like deep staggered ruts. This Outback will get most people to most campsites. On those trips, we appreciated the cargo space, which was more than enough for four people and gear. We also love the optional rubber floor and seat back protector accessories, they are a huge help for keeping things clean and free from damage. [MUSIC PLAYING] How about technology? The Outback had two consistent points of feedback in the logbook. The first is this big display, you see, we skipped the roughly $2,000 package that included amongst other things, navigation because Android Auto and Apple CarPlay come standard. We figured that'd be enough and it was. But when using CarPlay the buttons on the side of the screen are super small and hard to hit, which is annoying because of how much space you have available. We don't know if this is a Subaru or an Apple issue but either way, it's a bit of an annoyance. Our Outback also has Subaru's advanced driver aid system called EyeSight. It handles adaptive cruise control, lane departure, collision mitigation, and so on. The system generally worked well for us and we like that you can adjust the aggressiveness of its responses. [MUSIC PLAYING] There have been three recalls for the 2020 Subaru Outback. These range from a potential fuel pump failure, loose or missing bolt-on bracket on the brake pedal assembly, to a rearview camera shutdown. The good news is that our car was unaffected by any of these recalls. [MUSIC PLAYING] Our Outback had two scheduled maintenance visits, and like most modern new cars they aren't anything dramatic. The first was right around 6,000 miles for an oil and filter change. And the second was at 12,000 miles for another oil and filter change with an inspection and tire rotation. If you have the inclination and tools, you could handle this all at home. We visit dealerships to evaluate the experience for ourselves though. In the case of our Outback, it went smoothly and cost nothing thanks to Subaru's two-year, 24,000-mile complimentary maintenance program that runs in our area. [MUSIC PLAYING] What was reliability like? Totally perfect, nothing broke on our Outback over a year of ownership and everything appears to be holding up well. That's less common than you might think. So good on you, Subaru. [MUSIC PLAYING] Our Outback is rated by the EPA at a combined 26 miles per gallon. We're averaging 21.8 MPG. While we typically come in under EPA combined average, this is even lower than our usual. Part of this may have to do with more city driving and the fact that turbo engines generally do worse in the real world because the pleasing way they make power tends to make us want to give them the gas pedal more. Either way, expect your mileage to vary. [MUSIC PLAYING] So what's our Outback worth now? Well, the only way to know for sure is by selling it but by using the Edmunds appraisal tool we can get a solid estimate for our specific trim level, options, mileage, condition, and location. After tallying it all up for our region and calculating based on our higher than average mileage, our values are around $31,500 for a private party sale and $29,000 for a trade-in. That's a very small decrease, which is great. But remember that we're still reeling in the after-effects of the 2020 pandemic and that means values during the time of filming could be different by the time you see this video. So what have we learned in a year of ownership besides a few annoyances for a smaller screen size and the start-stop? Well, the Outback remains an excellent option. Its available turbo engine, cargo space, comfortable ride, and decent clearances make it great for commuting and weekend outings for mildly outdoorsy owners. It's easy to see why the Outback is such a favorite. [MUSIC PLAYING]