AutoNSider Review | 2020 Subaru Outback Limited XT

The Outback is the main reason that Subaru has been the fastest-growing car company in the USA for the past ten years…and now for 2020, it's been completely redesigned.

But not to worry…if you liked the previous Outback, you should like the '20 even more.

As you'd expect with the redesign, the new Outback has a little more room in the back seat…a little more storage area...and a few more horsepower.

Perhaps unexpected, though, is the slightly less-boxy tapered profile giving the '20 Outback a more premium look.

But all of the things that you valued in pervious Outbacks are still there. All-wheel drive. Check. Over 8.5 inches of ground clearance. Check. And the previous model's ingenious built-in roof-rack crossbar system is still there, too.

For those of us who actually DO use a roof rack, Subaru deserves a Gold Medal for theirs. Even for those of you who only use them once a year for your Christmas trees, your crossbars stay folded up within and parallel to your roof rack for less noise and better MPGs…but can swing open and across your Outback with just a simple tug, push and snap. Soooo much easier than even the best aftermarket roof rack systems!

So what does this latest-generation Subaru two-row crossover run?

Go with cloth seats, 17" wheels and minimal extras and you've got an Outback in the mid to high $20's. You'll have a 182 HP four and one of the better continuously-variable automatics on the market. It comes close to the feel of an 8-speed automatic.

You'll also have some pretty interesting technology standard on every Outback…every one. Subaru's "Eye Sight" with adaptive cruise, lane keeping, anti-swerve, pre-collision braking and pre-collision throttle management is standard on every Outback. Plus smart phone connectivity…which is pretty much expected these days.

Add options and packages as budget allows and you can nudge 40K. Our test Limited XT represented the top of the range…coming in at $38,755, and bringing us perforated heated and cooled leather, 18" alloys, hands-free rear lift gate, heated steering wheel, moonroof, extra-fast passenger cabin heating, and an absolutely killer Harman Kardon audio system.

The standard four-cylinder should serve you well, but if you need more "go", there's a mid-$30K Onyx XT Turbo model available with 260 HP.

As for mileage, we averaged around 25 in town and got an even 30 MPG on the road. Driven a bit more judiciously, the EPA says you can get up to 33 Hwy.

Those of you with a bit of grey in your hair will remember when Volvo pretty much owned the humble, safe, reliable crown. Volvo still makes a great vehicle, but as they've gone upscale, they've opened the door for the 30K-ish Subaru Outback to claim that reliable humble servant space.

And with 9 out of 10 Subarus sold in the past ten years still on the road, it would seem that they're doing a pretty good job there, no?

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