In 1975, Subaru introduced a four-wheel drive station wagon in the United States, a concept that AMC would copy with its Eagle lineup five years later. Aside from their appeal to people living in snowy climates, neither was a widespread success. But that did not prevent Subaru from trying again in the mid-1990s with the Subaru Legacy Outback.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
A lifted, all-wheel drive (AWD) wagon, the 1995 Legacy Outback was arguably one of the first contemporary crossover SUVs. It beat the 1996 Toyota RAV4 and the 1997 Honda CR-V to market, and for three decades, used the Legacy station wagon as its basis. That changes with the redesigned 2026 Subaru Outback. It is still a crossover, but Subaru's midsize two-row crossover adopts a blunt, boxy, and more traditional SUV design.
Subaru also moves the Outback further upmarket, adding some distance between it and the automaker's compact Forester model. The previous Base and Onyx Edition trim levels are gone, leaving Premium, Limited, and Touring variants. All 2026 Outback SUVs have standard AWD, and versions with "XT" in the name feature a more powerful turbocharged engine. Base prices range from $36,445 to $49,445, including the destination charge.
In early 2026, the Outback Wilderness will return to the lineup with a turbocharged engine and added off-roading capability.
For this 2026 Outback review, Subaru provided a test vehicle equipped with Premium trim, extra cost Deep Emerald Green Pearl paint, and an option package that added:
The test vehicle's manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP) was $39,110, including the $1,450 destination charge to ship the SUV from the Gunma, Japan, assembly plant to a local dealership. The price does not reflect any current rebates, incentives, or price adjustments since Subaru manufactured the test vehicle.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
I have been a Subaru Outback fan ever since I drove one through a Colorado blizzard after dark. The sheer capability it demonstrated in the snow, coupled with Subaru's dedication to safety, the unique sound and feel of its boxer-type engine, and the model's lifted station wagon styling, won me over for decades.
Some of that magic is now gone.
Looking like a Minecraft vehicle IRL, the 2026 Outback unfortunately resembles many other midsize crossover SUVs, but with Subaru's trademark quirkiness. There are benefits to the new design, such as improved roof load capacity, added cargo space, and more interior room. Nevertheless, wagon lovers can pour one out for yet another death in the marketplace.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
Open any door, and the new Outback remains easy to enter and exit, making the expensive accessory running boards a real mystery. Nobody will need those since the inner door sills can serve as steps for tying things down to the roof rack.
Speaking of which, the raised, ladder-type roof rails continue to provide a 100-pound dynamic load rating, but the static load rating improves to 800 pounds (up 100 pounds). A new 220-pound static horizontal load rating applies when using the roof rack to anchor something like a hammock. Subaru offers an awning and a rooftop tent for the Outback, upgrades that make a lot more sense than the running boards.
Another thing you will notice about the 2026 Outback is how quiet it is inside. You can barely hear or sense the engine, Subaru erasing those traits almost entirely and removing a little more of the model's personality in the process. While the Outback's quietness and smoothness are commendable, it also makes this SUV less unique.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
Front-seat comfort is impressive, thanks in part to the standard 10-way power adjustable driver's seat. However, cloth upholstery is no longer available. Subaru's water-resistant StarTex artificial leather is now standard equipment with the Premium trim. In my experience, this material does not breathe well, trapping moisture and sweat. Get into the car wet, and chances are you will exit the same way.
You face a new dashboard containing a rectangular 12.3-inch digital instrumentation panel, a squarer 12.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system, and traditional climate controls with buttons and knobs. These represent improvements, but the presentation offends my sense of symmetry. The displays are not the same size, they are not mounted flush with each other, and the standard DriverFocus driver monitoring system requires an odd bump located over the infotainment screen. As a result, they appear cobbled together, Minecraft-style.
Rear seat comfort is commendable. I rode in the back seat for over an hour, and aside from how low the seat cushion felt, it was comfortable for an extended period. Legroom and headroom are generous, the lower cushion offered good thigh support, and the backrest angle was agreeable. Parents carrying children in reverse- or forward-facing child safety seats should have no trouble.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
Subaru strove to improve the new Outback's interior storage, from cupholder design and placement to enhancing small item stash space and adding a cord management solution. Even the washable fabric multi-use cargo cover pulls triple duty, hiding luggage, holding groceries, and protecting your clothes from dirt when using the cargo area sill as a place to sit.
Behind the back seat, the Outback provides 34.6 cubic feet of cargo space. That is more than before, and comfortably more than the Forester. Fold the back seats down, and the Outback swallows 80.5 cubic feet of cargo, more than some three-row SUVs, including Subaru's own Ascent model.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
Every 2026 Outback comes with a new Subaru Multimedia Infotainment system featuring a 12.1-inch touchscreen. Standard features include:
The Companion plan equips the Outback with automatic collision notification, SOS emergency calling, a remote vehicle locator service, and a stolen-vehicle immobilization function. Upgrades include Companion+ and Navigator connected service subscriptions, a native navigation system, and a Harman Kardon premium sound system.
My Premium test vehicle had the optional navigation system and active subscriptions to all three connected services plans. The Companion+ plan equips the SUV with remote engine start, remote climate system pre-conditioning, safe teen driver settings, and a MySubaru Personal Assistant. The Navigator plan powers the cloud-based navigation technology.
Compared to the previous-generation Outback's infotainment system, this new one is significantly improved. From the user interface and graphics to response speed and voice recognition, it is superior technology.
Using the "Hey, Subaru" digital voice assistant, the system quickly and accurately responded to nearly all test prompts. In response to "I need to go to a hospital," it did pull up medical facilities that were not hospitals. The technology also could not find reggae music on SiriusXM, even after I specifically used "Bob Marley" in the prompt to find Bob Marley's Tuff Gong Radio on channel 19. Otherwise, it turned in a flawless performance.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
The 2026 Subaru Outback's standard engine is a familiar 2.5-liter four-cylinder producing 180 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque. The Limited XT, Touring XT, and Wilderness have a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder whipping up 260 hp and 277 pound-feet, the latter available 2,800 rpm sooner than the previous model and across a broader portion of the engine's rev range.
Both engines employ a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) with eight programmed ratios to make it sound and feel more like a traditional automatic. Paddle shifters on the steering wheel provide manual control over the ratios. Official fuel-economy estimates range from 23 mpg to 27 mpg in combined driving, depending on the trim level and engine.
Subaru's Active Torque Split AWD and X-Mode traction systems are standard, the latter offering drivers a choice of Snow, Deep Snow, Dirt, and Mud settings. The minimum ground clearance measures 8.7 inches, while the angles of approach, breakover, and departure are 18, 19.4, and 21.4 degrees, respectively. Wilderness versions offer more generous clearances.
The Outback's maximum towing capacity ranges from 2,700 to 3,500 pounds. Towing is more convenient with the 2026 Outback, which has a removable panel in the rear bumper to accommodate a trailer hitch.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
I evaluated the new Outback in Sedona, Arizona. The testing route included highways, winding mountain roads, gravel roads, and easy to moderately complex trails. On the highway with a driver and two passengers, the Outback Premium averaged 30.4 mpg, nearly matching the SUV's 31-mpg rating for highway driving. Off-road, climbing thousands of feet in elevation, the Subaru returned 11.7 mpg with four people aboard.
The standard engine is remarkably quiet, and the CVT goes mostly unnoticed. However, acceleration is merely adequate, especially at elevation. Passing a slower vehicle on a two-lane road took forever, and getting up to highway speed required plenty of on-ramp room. In both situations, a hushed powertrain drone was evident due to the CVT.
A new dual-pinion steering system debuts in the 2026 Outback, and it feels markedly improved regarding response, feel, and on-center stability on the highway. Similarly, I have nothing but praise for the brakes, particularly how easy it is to precisely modulate them in a variety of driving situations.
Unfortunately, on the twisty sections of the driving route, I was stuck behind slow-moving traffic, so I cannot comment on how the Outback handles when driven with enthusiasm. On gravel and dirt roads, its behavior hints at Subaru's rally car legacy. When driving off-road, the Outback Premium proved impressive, though the Wilderness will undoubtedly perform better in this environment.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
Subaru equips the 2026 Outback with an upgraded version of its EyeSight collection of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). It includes:
Choose the Outback Touring, and the SUV adds:
My Outback Premium had the standard EyeSight setup, and I found it to work smoothly and mostly unobtrusively. With the lane keeping and lane centering systems active, you are aware of them, particularly when rounding bends and curves in the road. However, the automated steering inputs are not irritating, and it is easy for a driver to override them if necessary.
The DriverFocus technology is effective. It gave me enough leeway to glance away from the road momentarily while issuing a warning after a few inattentive moments to remind me to aim my eyes forward, not at the gorgeous red rock scenery. I also experienced the forward collision warning system when a vehicle ahead slowed to make a right turn. Still, the Outback's automatic emergency braking system did not engage because it was not necessary to avoid a collision.
Subaru explained to the assembled media that the software powering the new Highway Hands-Free Assist feature is not final, so it will not be available until after the Outback goes on sale. That means early buyers will need to return to the dealership to activate it. Some of the test vehicles had a pre-production version of the feature since my Outback had the base Premium trim level, it was not one of them, so I did not evaluate it.
As of this writing, neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has performed crash tests on the 2026 Subaru Outback.
Photo: Christian Wardlaw
According to the JD Power 2025 Initial Quality Study (IQS), the Chevrolet Blazer ranks highest in the Midsize SUV segment. The Honda Passport and the Toyota Crown Signia are the next-highest ranked models.
According to the JD Power 2025 Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout (APEAL) Study, the Nissan Murano ranks highest in the Midsize SUV segment. The Mazda CX-70 and the Jeep Grand Cherokee are the next-highest ranked models.
Other 2026 Outback competitors include the Hyundai Santa Fe.
If you have always wished the Subaru Outback were a bigger version of a Subaru Forester, you are in luck, because that is exactly what you get starting with the redesigned 2026 model. It also offers a turbocharged engine, which is unavailable in a Forester. Add the new infotainment system and improved EyeSight technologies, and the 2026 Subaru Outback makes a compelling case for itself.
Christian Wardlaw is a veteran automotive journalist with 30 years of experience in the field and has held automotive editorial leadership positions at Edmunds, JD Power, and The New York Daily News. Today, Chris owns a content agency called Speedy Daddy Media, and in addition to JDPower.com, his work appears on Capital One Auto Navigator, CarGurus, and Edmunds.
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