2020 Subaru Outback

The 2020 Subaru Outback isn't for poseurs. While compact and midsize SUVs are all the rage, they're usually purchased by folks who like the idea of appearing to live an adventurous outdoorsy life. By contrast, the Outback has real ground clearance – 8.7 inches, greater than the vast majority of crossovers. Its cavernous cargo space is better than most SUVs, too – 32.5 cubic feet with the back seat raised and 75.7 cu-ft with them lowered. For whatever doesn't fit inside, the Outback's lower roof and clever swing-in roof rails make it easy to mount things on the roof – bikes, cargo boxes, kayaks, etc. Add to that abundant passenger space, user-friendly tech and a far more premium interior than any Outback before, and what you have is a supremely capable, go-anywhere family vehicle.

For 2020, the Outback is all new, even if it's really hard to tell so by looking at its exterior. The interior, however, had quite the transformation. It looks more interesting, the materials were given a big upgrade and the 11.6-inch vertically oriented touchscreen found on most trim levels will impress you with its user-friendly interface and impress your friends with its Tesla-like size. The new Outback is also better to drive, with sharper handling and improved steering, and although the base four-cylinder is nothing to write home about, the Outback sees the return of a turbocharged engine. There are also even more Eyesight safety tech features included.

There are seven 2020 Outback trim levels: Base, Premium, Sport and Limited, and then the turbocharged Limited XT, Onyx Edition XT and Touring XT. Even the base trim level comes with plenty of equipment for the money (especially in relation to similarly priced but less spacious compact SUVs), but we'd start off with the Premium given the fact that it adds an abundance of worthwhile content for a reasonable $2,250, including a power driver seat, dual-zone automatic climate control, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, extra USB ports and the jumbo touchscreen.

The base engine is a perfectly serviceable 2.5-liter naturally aspirated flat-four that produces 182 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque, and returns 29 mpg combined. Like every Outback, it comes only with a CVT and all-wheel drive. Acceleration is tepid, but comparable to many compact SUVs. Still, we welcome the return of the Outback XT models, which have a 2.4-liter turbocharged flat-four good for 260 hp and 277 lb-ft of torque. Beyond getting better fuel economy than the old naturally aspirated flat-six (it gets 26 mpg combined versus 22), turbocharged engines don't lose power due to altitude as naturally aspirated engines do. If you live in mountainous regions (as many Outback buyers do), this should make a big difference. Having more power when your car is packed full of stuff, or towing up to 3,500 lbs, certainly isn't a bad thing, either.
You can use the rest of this page to find more in-depth information about the 2020 Subaru Outback, including features, specs and where to find a good deal near you.

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