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Used 2023 Subaru Outback SUV Consumer Reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
59 reviews

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Pros
Cons
3 out of 5 stars

Major Pluses, Minor Annoyances That Add Up.

Jim D, 07/12/2023
2023 Subaru Outback Limited XT 4dr SUV AWD (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
24 of 26 people found this review helpful

OVERALL; Great car, but I probably wouldn’t buy it again This is our first Outback, and overall, enjoy it very much. I test drove several trim and engine models before selecting the Limited XT. The additional options on the Touring didn’t seem worth the extra money. The XT was a must, since the non-turbo models felt sluggish and heavy. The engine runs unusually loud on startup, but smooths out quickly. The interior is very well made and has quality materials. I think the seats are great, but my wife thinks they are uncomfortable. Controls are ok, but too many AC controls (max AC, vent selection, etc) are buried deep in menus and changing while driving pulls your eyes from the road. That’s a prevalent problem with the menu system, causing enough of an attention pull that the car itself will warn you to "PAY ATTENTION TO THE ROAD”. The ride is very smooth and relatively quiet. Sound system is top notch. Apple CarPlay connects seamlessly and quickly. Interior fittings feel like quality parts and not cheap. Mileage is acceptable and made more palatable by the fact that it runs on regular unleaded. Rear seats are very comfortable and the air vents reach there just fine. Rear storage capacity is great and holds just about anything you’d reasonably expect to fit back there. I got the side and seat back protective liners and they are more than up to the task. Annoyances? Well, the fact that there is no 360 degree, or at least front camera is inexplicable. Putting everything on the massive touch screen is a mistake, too, as explained above. I paid for the built-in charger and it overheats my phone within 10 minutes (to emergency shut off levels) so it’s completely unusable. There’s very little interior storage/stash pockets. There’s a slim phone holder on the dash, door pockets hold a drink bottle, but not much else. Definitely not enough space for a tablet or magazine and/or a bottle.Console well is deep and just fine, but the pockets on side of the console are very narrow and I haven’t found any utility for them. The AC struggles against the Texas heat and the front vents are narrow, limited directionally and oddly placed so that the steering wheel blocks the airflow from directly reaching the driver. Again, great car, but the annoyances are, well, annoying in the fact that you encounter them every time you’re in the car.

Safety
4 out of 5 stars
Technology
4 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Interior
4 out of 5 stars
Comfort
4 out of 5 stars
Reliability
5 out of 5 stars
Value
4 out of 5 stars
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5 out of 5 stars

The best!

GingaNinja, 11/08/2022
2023 Subaru Outback Premium 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
47 of 53 people found this review helpful

We needed a new family car. Tied for most important criteria were fuel mileage and a spacious back seat. Preferred options were heated seats and roof rails. After weeks of poring over reviews and specs, we widdled it down to a shortlist of: Subaru Outback, Subaru Forester, Nissan Rogue, Honda CRV, and Toyota RAV4. The Rogue and CRV eventually were crossed off because they got too expensive for the features we wanted, when more affordable options existed. Really it came down to back seat space and proximity of the nearest dealership that gave the Subarus the edge over the RAV - and, as luck would have it, our local hometown dealership had a red Outback Premium in stock (most dealerships don't seem to carry the lower trims or fancy colors, but this had been a special order where the would-be buyer got impatient and wound up picking another one off the lot; they say it takes about 2 months for an order to come in). We checked it out after hours, loved the look, and made an appointment the next morning for a test drive. Love love love the way it drives! Handles very easy - all of the mechanisms are responsive but not jerky, ride is super smooth, I don't find any of the safety controls bothersome and most can be turned down or turned off if I did. The engine power is a little underwhelming going up hills, but it's capable of maintaining speed with extra pedal pressure, and I understand that's just the tradeoff for the good mileage. People complained about the touch screen on older models but they seem to have fixed those problems and I find it intuitive and user-friendly. I'm averaging about 32.3mpg with my best driving behavior (which probably won't last, but it's nice to know it is, indeed, capable of the higher numbers should I choose!). The back seat feels even more spacious than in the huge Ford Expedition it replaced, comfortable even for adults, and plenty of trunk space for our day-to-day needs - or for road trips if we can learn to not pack half the house. It has even won over my husband, a "car guy" who traditionally picks his cars based on looks and the 0-60mph rate, and he's been finding excuses to take her out. UPDATE: Edmunds won't let me update my original review so I'm posting a second one. After over a month of driving my new 2023 Outback Premium around, I'm more in love than ever! Driving "normal" (versus being extra gentle to maximize mileage, when I was able to get about 32mpg over several days), on about 70% rural roads and the rest equal parts freeway (~70-75mph) and city, I'm averaging 28.5 mpg. Very smooth ride, and the gas and brake are just right - not jerky at all. I love the automatically adjusting cruise control, and the lane centering feature comes in handy on the highway. The automatic engine off/on is seamless, and the button to turn it off is always there on the bottom of the screen if I don't want it. Car is plenty roomy for all of my family-of-four's day-to-day needs, which include trips to the dump & recycling center, hauling two bales of straw or one bale plus a few 50-lb bags of critter food, eating carry-out in our seats during our jam-packed Thursday evenings, and we're betting we'll be able to fit all of our luggage for an upcoming road trip without even needing the car-top carrier. Absolutely no problem strapping a 9-ft Christmas tree on top last weekend, with room to spare. It also drives well in the rain - it slices right through the puddles on the road and still brakes well. The heated seats warm up quickly for mornings when I forget to get the car pre-heating. The extra ground clearance is great for pulling in and out of uphill driveways and parking lots. Cons are minor, and all tech-related. My main gripe is the stupid seatbelt alarm; it's alarmed at me when I put groceries in the passenger seat (moving the milk to the floor made it stop), if I unbuckle before I put it in park (and then it doesn't stop even if I get out without shutting the car off - when I was at the dump last week it kept beeping until I came back and buckled the empty seat because it was irritating even through the open liftgate), and if I hop out at the bottom of the driveway to grab a package or something, it immediately yells at me to re-buckle when I put it in D for the short trip back to the house. Even my old 2015 Expedition allowed a short grace period before alarming and stopped when it was in park, and that tech is over 7 years old. I don't bother with the "high beam assist" because it turns the brights off for yard lights and reflections off road signs, while a car waiting at an intersection/driveway as I pass doesn't trigger them off. The low beams must be fairly bright, too, because I'm getting flashed a lot. The Starlink has failed to connect a couple times so I couldn't remote start the car once and I couldn't use satellite radio once. And the hands-free power rear gate doesn't always work so I mostly don't bother trying, the button is right there. I should add that the lock/unlock feature built into the driver's door works flawlessly. But yes, the tech is still a little glitchy (I wonder if they can just push a software update when they work out the bugs from their R&D section?) but it's all stuff I can work around; as far as the actual car goes, it drives like a dream and has plenty of space for our day-to-day needs, convenient roof rails for more space, and decent towing capacity for lots more space.

Safety
5 out of 5 stars
Technology
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Interior
5 out of 5 stars
Comfort
5 out of 5 stars
Reliability
5 out of 5 stars
Value
5 out of 5 stars
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5 out of 5 stars

Does It All

Jenkins, 02/23/2023
2023 Subaru Outback Wilderness XT 4dr SUV AWD (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
20 of 22 people found this review helpful

Owned Jeep JL Wrangler, 2021 4Runner, 202. Still have a Tacoma 4x4 which I like. For 98% of the people out there the most challenging off-roading they will encounter will be easy to moderate fire roads. You don't need a body on frame truck or SUV. Outback is more than capable on taking on most offroad (not rock crawling, etc) conditions. The highway ride, engine, and tech is way better than anything the 4Runner currently has (if and when they ever come out with the next generation). My Jeep could easily take on the Rubicon Trail but very sketchy (ride and steering) at high speeds on the highway. That got old. Uncomfortable seats. Outback Wilderness seats are awesome. On pricing the Outback Wilderness $15-$20K less than a 4Runner or Wrangler depending on trim. Probably get another Jeep for a toy but for a daily driver the Outback is hard to beat. Lower load height way better to get our big dogs and in/out.

Safety
5 out of 5 stars
Technology
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Interior
5 out of 5 stars
Comfort
5 out of 5 stars
Reliability
5 out of 5 stars
Value
5 out of 5 stars
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4 out of 5 stars

The jury is still out on ’23 Outback Touring XT

67Stangman, 05/31/2023
2023 Subaru Outback Touring XT 4dr SUV AWD (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
11 of 12 people found this review helpful

After 1 month / 3000 miles of driving the 2023 Subaru Outback Touring XT, the following likes and dislikes are offered. Comparisons are made to our 2016 Outback 3.6 which we prefer in comparison to this new model. Likes • Turbo powered Boxer 4 at lower speeds. 2.4 liter plus turbo provides power similar to our 3.6-liter 6-cylinder OB but the 6 is more powerful at interstate speeds • Solid feel to car. Very smooth ride. High undercarriage clearance. • Responsive steering & tight turning radius • Rear blind spot detector (signals when a person walks behind a parked car or car passes on left or right) • Front panoramic camera (panoramic view of front) provides 180-degree ample view • Back up camera (info-entertainment screen and rear-view mirror screen option) • Proximity crash avoidance system (notification plus brake when objects are too close) • Heated steering wheel • Heated / Cooled seats (fan provides cooling air) Dislikes • Most of the Info-entertainment features including Tom-Tom. Only certain features are functional when the car is in motion like heat / air conditioning and radio. Tom-Tom requires too many clicks to operate while in park. Although there are a number of safety features to help you, we found the ability to turn off the features results in a more pleasant driving experience. One example is the facial recognition feature which allow for an automatic setting of seat position, left and right mirror position, and monitors your eyes while driving to assure you are not looking at the info-entertainment screen (it beeps if you do). You can separately program your two FOBs for each driver. • Beneath the Info-entertainment screen is a deep narrow slot containing USB, C, and earphone ports with access limited to a child or person with small hands. Apple’s Nano program does not work with this setup although the manual suggests it does. • Unable to disengage / lower volume seat belt warning system while shuttling the car for a short distance move. The sound automatically increases volume until you buckle your front / back seat-belt. Recent internet search describes a work around to disable while the front seat belt is unbuckled. It worked but the problem still exists for rear seat passengers / heavy objects laying on the seats. • Narrower driver and passenger dimensions compared to 2016 OB 3.6L. Increased door thickness plus much wider center console reduces side to side legroom especially on driver’s side. • Significant reduced storage capacity in both front doors, front glove compartment, and center console storage. Small slot above glove compartment has limited use. Reduced center console storage due to relocation of CD player from dashboard to console along with a two-tier compartment to hold a small cell phone and a 12v outlet port. • Automatic stop-start feature increases wear and tear on your battery, starter, and engine parts. You can disengage the shutoff switch at any time but the feature returns after shutdown. • Hesitation from 60 to 70 mph with Boxer 4 w/o turbo / CVT as compared to 2016 OB 3.6

Safety
5 out of 5 stars
Technology
3 out of 5 stars
Performance
4 out of 5 stars
Interior
2 out of 5 stars
Comfort
5 out of 5 stars
Reliability
4 out of 5 stars
Value
4 out of 5 stars
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2 out of 5 stars

Rides nice, terrible touchscreen

Bilbo, 07/24/2023
2023 Subaru Outback Limited 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
19 of 22 people found this review helpful

The voice response unit is horrible. I asked for directions to Costco and it asked me if I anted to drive to Pasco. I asked for a calendar and it turned on maximum cooling. The vehicle is comfortable on the road but almost everything in the car is controlled thru the touchscreen, which takes 4-11 seconds to react, way too slow. No more Subarus for us,

Safety
3 out of 5 stars
Technology
1 out of 5 stars
Performance
3 out of 5 stars
Interior
3 out of 5 stars
Comfort
4 out of 5 stars
Value
2 out of 5 stars
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