2025 Subaru Outback Touring XT review: Turbo-powered wagon impresses, but not where you might expect
Does one of the last wagons available at a reasonable price in the US have what it takes to remain competitive in an SUV-saturated market?
The Subaru Outback is, technically, a wagon. One of the very, very few wagons you can still buy in the United States, and it costs about half what those from competitors like Volvo and Audi do. Perhaps in an effort to remain competitive with the aforementioned luxury marques, the top-trim Outback Touring XT sports dashing Nappa leather upholstery, a Harman Kardon sound system, heated and ventilated seats – all while offering more space behind the second row than both the Audi A6 Allroad and Volvo V60 Cross Country.
Subaru’s website says the 2025 Outback Touring XT is an “outstanding value at $42,795”, and they might actually be telling the truth.
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Loaded-up: what you get with the 2025 Subaru Outback Touring XT
I was genuinely shocked when I opened the driver’s door. As someone used to BMW and Mercedes-Benz interiors, I certainly did not expect to see a leather dashboard on a Subaru. In fact, the overall fit and finish were excellent in general. There was a bit of road noise from inside the cabin, and the switches felt a bit flimsy, so I’d stop just short of calling the Outback Touring XT luxurious. But only just. Steven Paul
Other niceties included with the Touring XT include ventilated seats, which we didn’t use in November in the northeast, and a front view camera, which we did use. The latter accomplishes its goal of giving you a better look at obstacles in front of and under you, but the resolution leaves a little bit to be desired. That said, for under $45,000 and considering the Subaru’s other formidable strengths, we’ll let it slide. Our test car also had the boxes checked for all-weather floor liners at $141, bringing the total (after the $1,420 destination charge) to $44,356.
It's a Subaru wagon so it has lots of space and lots of safety equipment
The 2025 Outback offers around 32 cubic feet of cargo space with the folding second row in place. It had more than enough space to fit two people’s carry-on and checked luggage with no real Tetris-ing involved. We'll look at the Outback’s cargo dimensions in a dedicated luggage test elsewhere. I’m a pretty average-sized guy at 5-foot 9 inches or so and had no trouble sitting behind myself. Steven Paul
Subaru has built a reputation on safety features, so it’s no surprise that the car is generally angry at you for something while driving. Blind spot monitoring works great – the indicators are bright and fill up your peripheral, so you don’t have to “check it” per se. The lane keeping is progressive, not overly intrusive, and is also easy to turn off.
DriverFocus – Subaru’s system that monitors the driver’s eyes – occasionally chirped at me to pay attention despite not taking my eyes off the road. The same goes for the adaptive cruise control, which twice told me to put my hands on the wheel even though they hadn’t left the 9 and 3 positions. Weird, but far from a deal breaker. Steven Paul
The 2025 Subaru Outback’s turbocharged engine alludes to sportiness
All of the Outback Touring XT's trims get the spicier 2.4-liter turbocharged boxer engine that Subaru says makes 260 horsepower and 277 pound-feet of torque, delivered via a continuously variable transmission (CVT). Like most of the Subaru lineup, the Outback comes standard with all-wheel drive. Steven Paul
The hotter engine (mostly shared with the current WRX) impressed passengers and provided more than adequate acceleration in town and on the highway. Subaru even included paddle shifters on the steering wheel, presumably for the same people who think the stripper really likes them. Passion is not where the Outback XT makes its strongest case. The CVT turned acceleration moments into a droning non-event, and there’s little communication from the feather-light steering.
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That said, the Outback is excellent if you’re looking to hit the trails. The Wilderness trim comes with more purposeful equipment, like skid plates and a lift kit, but our Touring XT’s 8.7 inches of ground clearance toughed out fire roads and forest paths without breaking a sweat. The suspension was shy of plush but far from uncomfortable, noticeably better than some SUVs at this price point (the RAV4 springs to mind).
Heavy on tech, light on the screens
The Outback comes standard with centered dual 7.0-inch screens with a larger 11.6-inch single screen coming on the Premium trim line and above. The simple, analog gauge cluster, with a small dual-LCD in the center, is clean and unfussy as well as a welcome change from overcomplicated digital clusters. Similarly, the cabin’s switchgear, like mirror adjustments and sunroof operation, are all intuitively placed. I felt right at home in the Outback within 30 seconds of driving it. Steven Paul
No matter which Outback trim you choose, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come standard, and if you’re like me, you’ll eschew the Subaru software in favor of your phone’s. Pairing the phone is quick and intuitive, but the Outback’s screen isn’t what I’d classify as snappy.
I’d also appreciate some more haptic feedback from the climate controls, which are split between buttons for the temperature and on-screen for the fan strength and zone control. This is largely a journalist problem since automatic climate control makes it a set-and-forget affair.
Verdict: 2025 Subaru Outback Touring XT
So, is the Outback Touring XT the “outstanding value” Subaru says it is? The turbocharged engine instills a little bit of fun, but the CVT and sleepy steering prevent it from being a true enthusiast pick. The premium-feeling interior isn’t quite luxury car level, but it’s mighty nice for just north of $40K. So what we have here is a series of compromises, or a pattern of exceeding expectations, depending on how you look at it.
Love allegedly makes a Subaru a Subaru, and I’m not sure this is love. But the 2025 Subaru Outback Touring XT is where I would start my search if I needed a dog-/cargo-/passenger-friendly ride. It gets out of its own way and feels more premium than econobox. And most importantly, it doesn’t command the dubious price tag – or attention – of a luxury brand. Now if only we could get one with a manual…
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