2022 Subaru Outback Review: Wagon
Test Drive

2022 Subaru Outback Review: Wagon

A Venn diagram describing conventional cars in one circle and SUVs in another will have a field of intersection with a Subaru Outback in the middle. Looks close to a "normal" station wagon with a hint of masculine cladding here and there, but has enough off-road capability to pass the pub test of an SUV.

Often referred to as a crossover, this all-wheel-drive five-seater not only takes its name from our own red center, but has become a favorite of the Australians. And this sixth-generation model fights competition on both sides of the line between passenger car and SUV.

Subaru Outback 2022: all-wheel drive
Safety Rating
engine's type2.5L
fuel typeRegular unleaded gasoline
Fuel efficiency7.3l / 100km
Landing5 Places
Price from$47,790

Does it represent good value for money? What functions does it have? 8/10


Priced at $47,790 before travel expenses, the top-of-the-line Outback Touring floats in the same hot-market cauldron as rivals like the Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento, Skoda Octavia station wagon and Volkswagen Passat Alltrack.

It sits at the pointed end of a pyramid of three models, and along with the solid engineering and safety tech it brings, the Touring boasts a solid list of standard equipment, including Nappa leather seat trim, eight-way power driver and front passenger heating. . seats (driver's side with dual memory), heated rear (two outboard) seats, leather-wrapped shifter and heated (multifunction) steering wheel, dual-zone climate control and an 11.6-inch LCD multimedia touch screen.

More than competitive for a family package under $50k. (Image: James Cleary)

There is also a Harman Kardon audio system compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with nine speakers (subwoofer and amplifier), digital radio and one CD player (!), 4.2-inch LCD information display in the instrument cluster, satellite navigation, electric sunroof, 18-inch alloy wheels, auto-folding (and heated) exterior mirrors with memory and auto-dimming on the passenger side, LED auto headlights plus LED DRLs, fog lights and taillights, keyless entry and (push-button ) start, automatic function on the windows of all side doors, power tailgate and automatic wipers with rain sensor. 

More than competitive for a family package under $50k.

Is there anything interesting about its design? 7/10


At the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, Subaru unveiled its first Viziv design concept; a compact coupe, crossover-style SUV designed to reflect the future look of the brand.

A large grille dominated the bold new face, surrounded by angular headlight graphics, with a subtle mix of rigid geometries and softer curves throughout the rest of the car.

Since then, there have been half a dozen more Viziv show cars - big, small and in-between - and the current Outback clearly reflects the overall direction.

A large hexagonal grille sits between the aggressively tapering headlights, and a rough satin black bumper separates it from another wide air intake below it.

This Touring model features silver mirror caps and the same finish on the roof rails. (Image: James Cleary)

Rigid wheel arch moldings continue this theme, while massive plastic cladding protects the sill panels, while thick roof rail moldings increase the car's visual height.

This Touring model features silver mirror caps (body color on the base car and black on the Sport) and the same finish on the roof rails.

Serrated taillights follow the C-shaped LED pattern of the front DRLs, while a large spoiler at the top of the tailgate effectively extends the length of the roof and improves aerodynamic performance.

Nine colors to choose from: Crystal White Pearl, Ice Silver Metallic, Raspberry Red Pearl, Crystal Black Silica, Brilliant Bronze Metallic, Magnetite Gray Metallic, Navy Blue pearl". , Metallic Storm Gray and Metallic Autumn Green.

The simple, comfortable leather-trimmed seats look and feel, while the ergonomic switches and key controls are simple and intuitive to use. (Image: James Cleary)

So the exterior reflects Subaru's distinctive look, and the interior is no different. A relatively subdued tone is set by a muted color palette that spans light and dark gray, as well as glossy black surfaces with accents on brushed metal and chrome trim.

A central 11.6-inch vertically oriented media screen adds an eye-catching (and convenient) touch of technology, while the main instruments are separated by a 4.2-inch digital screen displaying a wide range of information.

The simple, comfortable leather-trimmed seats look and feel, while the ergonomic switches and key controls are simple and intuitive to use.

And a big thank you for the volume knob located on the driver's side of the center console. Yes, there is an up/down switch on the steering wheel, but (call me old fashioned) the physical dial makes life a lot easier and safer than the sleek "buttons" built into the touch screen when you want to quickly adjust the volume.

How practical is the interior space? 9/10


With a length of about 4.9m, a width of 1.9m and a height of 1.7m, the Outback casts a significant amount of shade, and the interior space is simply large.

There's plenty of head, leg and shoulder room up front, and the main rear seat is equally spacious. At 183cm (6ft 0in), I could sit behind the driver's seat, positioned myself, enjoying plenty of legroom and, despite the inevitable intrusion of a standard rear sunroof, plenty of headroom as well. The rear seats also recline, which is nice.

Subaru's interior design team has clearly kept family functionality at the forefront with numerous on-board storage, media and power options. 

For power, there is a 12-volt outlet in the glove compartment and another in the trunk, as well as two USB-A inputs in the front and two in the back.

The outback casts significant shade and interior space is generous. (Image: James Cleary)

There are two cupholders on the front center console, and large baskets in the doors with niches for large bottles. The glove box is a decent size, and the sunglass holder slides out of the skylight unit.

The deep storage box/armrest between the seats has a dual-action lid that, depending on which latch you pull, opens the whole thing or the shallow tray for quick access to loose items.   

The rear-seat fold-down center armrest includes a pair of cup holders, there are map pockets on the back of each front seat as well as separate air vents (always welcome), and again there are bins in the doors with room for bottles. . 

Open the power tailgate (hands-free) and with the rear seat installed, you have 522 liters (VDA) of luggage space at your disposal. Enough to swallow our set of three suitcases (36L, 95L and 124L) plus a bulky Cars Guide stroller with lots of space. Impressive.

There's plenty of head, leg and shoulder room up front, and the main rear seat is equally spacious. (Image: James Cleary)

Lower the 60/40 split rear seat (using the outriggers on either side of the trunk or the latches on the seats themselves) and available volume rises to 1267 litres, enough for a car of this size and type.

Numerous anchor points and retractable bag hooks are scattered throughout the space, while a small mesh section behind the driver's side wheel tank is handy for keeping small items under control.

The pulling force is 2.0 tons for a trailer with brakes (750kg without brakes) and the spare part is a full size alloy. Big checkbox for this.

What are the main characteristics of the engine and transmission? 7/10


The Outback is powered by an all-alloy 2.5-liter horizontally opposed four-cylinder gasoline engine with direct injection and Subaru's AVCS (Active Valve Control System) running on the intake and exhaust side.

Peak power is 138kW at 5800rpm and peak torque of 245Nm is reached at 3400rpm and lasts up to 4600rpm.

The Outback is powered by an all-alloy 2.5-liter horizontally opposed four-cylinder petrol engine. (Image credit: James Cleary)

Drive is sent to all four wheels via an eight-speed manual automatic variator and a specially tuned version of Subaru's Active Torque Split all-wheel drive system.

The default ATS setup uses a 60/40 split between the front and rear wheels with a center clutch package and a plethora of sensors determining which wheels can make the best use of the available drive.




How much fuel does it consume? 7/10


Subaru's official fuel economy figure for the Outback, according to ADR 81/02 - urban and extra-urban, is 7.3 l/100 km, while the 2.5-liter four emits 168 g/km of CO02.

Stop-start is standard, and over a few hundred kiosks around town, suburbs, and (limited) freeways, we saw a real-life (fill-up) average of 9.9L/100km, which is acceptable for a gasoline engine. a machine of this size and weight (1661kg).

The engine happily accepts regular 91 octane unleaded petrol and you'll need 63 liters to fill the tank. That translates into a range of 863km using Subaru's official economic number, and 636km based on our "as tested" figure.

What safety equipment is installed? What is the safety rating? 10/10


If you've ever been asked to name the safest car in Australia, you now have the answer (as of late 2021). 

In recent testing, the sixth-generation Outback dropped the benchmark in three of the four ANCAP rating categories, earning the highest five-star rating in the latest 2020-2022 criteria.

It scored a record 91% in the Protecting Child Passengers category, 84% in the Protecting Vulnerable Road Users category, and 96% in the Helping to Stay Safe category. And while it's not unprecedented, it also scored 88% for Adult Passenger Protection.

The latter result included excellent scores in the 60 km/h side impact and 32 km/h tilt pole crash tests.

So yes, quite impressive and active technology designed to keep you out of trouble starts with Subaru's EyeSight2 system, which is based on a pair of cameras that look ahead from both sides of the interior rear-view mirror and scan the road for unexpected events.

EyeSight monitors features such as lane centering, "autonomous emergency steering", lane keeping assist, speed sign recognition, lane departure warning and avoidance, tire pressure monitoring and adaptive cruise control, as well as front, side and back view.

There's also front and rear AEB, "steering-responsive" and "wiper-activated" headlights, driver monitoring, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic detection and warning, lane change assist, and a reversing camera (with washer). We could go on, but you get the idea. Subaru takes collision avoidance seriously.

However, if despite all of the above, a sheet metal interface comes up, Subaru's top-notch safety game continues with Pre-Crash Brake Control (in a crash, the car slows down to the set speed even if the brake pedal effort drops). ), and eight airbags (driver and front passenger, knee driver, front passenger seat cushion, front side and double curtain).

Subaru claims the front seat airbag as Australian. In a frontal collision, the airbag lifts the front passenger's legs to help suppress forward motion and minimize leg injury.

The hood layout is also designed to increase crash space to minimize injury to pedestrians.

Top cable points on the second row allow the installation of three child seats/baby capsules, and ISOFIX anchorages are provided at the two extreme points. 

Warranty and safety rating

Basic Warranty

5 years / unlimited mileage


guarantee

ANCAP Safety Rating

How much does it cost to own? What kind of guarantee is provided? 7/10


All Subaru vehicles sold in Australia (excluding those used commercially) are covered by a five-year or unlimited mileage standard market warranty, including 12 months of roadside assistance.

Planned service intervals for the Outback are 12 months/12,500 km (whichever comes first) and limited service is available. There is also a prepaid option, which means you can include the cost of services in your financial package.

The Subaru Australia website lists an estimated service cost of up to 15 years / 187,500 km. But for reference, the average annual cost for the first five years is $490. Not exactly cheap. The front-wheel drive Toyota RAV4 Cruiser is half the size.

All Subaru vehicles sold in Australia (except commercial vehicles) are covered by the market standard five year unlimited mileage warranty. (Image credit: James Cleary)

What is it like to drive? 8/10


Naturally aspirated engines are a rarity in today's new cars, but the Liberty is powered by a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine mated to Subaru's Lineartronic (CVT) continuously variable transmission.

The basic premise of CVT is that it "constantly" delivers the optimum balance for the best possible balance between performance and efficiency, with the primary benefit being improved fuel economy.

The thing is, they usually make the engine buzz up and down weirdly, rather than gaining or losing revs linearly, parallel to the speed of the vehicle. To old school drivers, they can sound and feel like a slippery clutch. 

And without the turbo, to add low-end power, you'll have to push the Outback quite hard to get into the maximum torque range (3400-4600 rpm). A comparable turbo four begins to develop peak power from 1500 rpm.

Despite the 18-inch wheels, the ride quality is good. (Image credit: James Cleary)

This does not mean that the Outback is sluggish. This is not true. You can expect 0-100 km/h in just under 10 seconds, which is acceptable for a family station wagon weighing roughly 1.6 tons. And the CVT's manual mode is a quick way to normalize its quirky nature, using paddle shifters to shift between eight pre-set gear ratios.

Despite the 18-inch wheels, the ride quality is good. The Outback uses Bridgestone Alenza premium off-road tires, and the strut front suspension and double wishbone rear suspension subtly smooth out most of the terrain. 

Steering feel is also quite comfortable, and if the mood and opportunity arise, the car steers beautifully into corners with "Active Torque Vectoring" (when braking), controlling understeer. Unsurprisingly, it's an overall more "automobile" driving experience compared to characteristically taller, high-riding SUVs. 

The "Si-Drive" (Subaru Intelligent Drive) system includes an efficiency-oriented "I Mode" and a sportier "S Mode" for crisper engine response. “X-Mode” then manages the engine torque, traction control and all-wheel drive setting, offering a setting for snow and mud and another for deep snow and mud. 

The steering feel is quite comfortable and the car enters corners well with "active torque vectoring" controlling understeer. (Image credit: James Cleary)

We didn't leave the trail during this test, but this extra ability is perfect for outdoor enthusiasts who need safe access to challenging campsites or a low-stress ski touring.

The characteristically throbbing throb of the flat-four engine makes itself felt, but otherwise the cabin noise level is pleasingly low.

One central multimedia screen is a neat and convenient location; The Outback has happily sidestepped Subaru's historic trend of splitting functions into multiple, smaller screens.

Harman Kardon audio systems perform reliably, thanks in no small part to a subwoofer mounted on the passenger side of the trunk. The seats remain comfortable even on long journeys, and the brakes (all-round ventilated discs) are progressive and powerful.

Verdict

The new-generation Outback neatly combines family-oriented practicality with all-wheel drive capabilities. It boasts top-notch safety and competitiveness as well as a civilized driving experience. For those leaning more towards the car than the traditional high-riding SUV, it remains a great option.

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