Standard AWD and real ground clearance make this crossover genuinely capable off pavement, not just mall-parking-lot capable. The crash safety is exceptional, owners walk away from collisions that total larger trucks. But the 2.0L engine is genuinely slow, the kind of slow that makes highway merging feel like a gamble and passing on two-lanes an exercise in patience you might not have. The 2.5L fixes this completely but costs more upfront. Cargo space is tight for families, and the infotainment lags behind rivals. If you need AWD confidence for snow or dirt roads, value safety over speed, and mostly drive city streets, it's a smart buy that'll run past 100k miles without drama. If you merge onto highways daily or haul kids and gear regularly, get the 2.5L or consider the roomier Outback.
The 2020-2025 Outback hits a sweet spot: spacious, safe, snow-capable, and reliable if you change the CVT fluid every 30-40k miles like clockwork. Owners genuinely like them, crash protection is stellar, and the wagon shape still feels practical without crossing into bloated SUV territory. Then comes 2026, and Subaru torched the recipe, literally went boxy-SUV styling that's splitting the fanbase hard. The interior finally ditches the all-touchscreen nightmare for real buttons (thank god), but early units are showing infotainment glitches out of the gate. The base 2.5L engine has always felt gutless for a vehicle this size, and the CVT still demands religious maintenance or you're gambling on a $7k repair. If you want the Outback people actually trust, grab a 2024-2025 before they vanish. If you're eyeing the 2026, wait a year for the bugs to surface, and maybe test-drive something with the turbo engine, because the base motor is a chore.