{"id":649660,"date":"2025-11-20T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-11-20T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gearjunkie.com\/?p=649660"},"modified":"2025-12-03T20:28:42","modified_gmt":"2025-12-04T01:28:42","slug":"2026-subaru-outback-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gearjunkie.com\/motors\/2026-subaru-outback-review","title":{"rendered":"Adding Refinement to Rugged: 2026 Subaru Outback Review"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I glance at the route guide, \u201crocky surface ahead.\u201d <\/strong>Having already ascended past 6,000 feet above sea level on a narrow, pockmark-laden, uneven dirt path, I wondered how much more this non-Wilderness Subaru could take.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Turns out, plenty. Courtesy of 8.7 inches of ground clearance and inherent off-road strength in the suspension, the seventh-generation Outback marched right up the trail, even as 6-foot-wide sheets of flat rock and other jagged edges sprang from the ground to attack the tires and underfloor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s moments like this that affirmed my decision to quickly say yes to Subaru\u2019s offer to hitch a ride to Sedona, Ariz., and give this taller, boxier Outback a go. Its new look proved to merely scratch the surface of the work engineers put into its now 30-year-old crossover. But, does it meet the demands of picky, modern-world buyers? Time to find out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In short:<\/strong> Carrying on with largely similar dimensions to the outgoing model, the new Outback starts at a higher price and looks \u2014 frankly \u2014 awkward. But the improved refinement in the powertrain, suspension, and cabin isolation more than make up for it. Beyond that, Subaru crammed it full of useful features for those eager to get out in the wild. I particularly like the multipurpose tonneau cover that\u2019s machine washable. The 2026 Subaru Outback remains just as off-road capable and<\/em> behaves much better while on it.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\"2026