DriveLife

2021 SUBARU OUTBACK X More of everything

Written by DriveLife online

The Subaru Outback is one of those vehicles which has developed a local icon status within New Zealand. Sure, it’s not as ubiquitous as a Toyota Hilux, or a Ford Ranger for that matter, but the Outback has always identified with a Kiwi’s adventurous spirit.

For this reason, the Outback has always been an appealing vehicle, offering practicality, comfort, ruggedness, and 4WD capability. It did the crossover thing, before crossovers even started pretending to.

It’s not surprising that the Subaru Outback has a bit of a legacy – no, not the Subaru Legacy – but one forged on its own merits. Those who own an Outback tend to love them, and in the past, I completely understood why.

This model marks the seventh generation of Outback, which Subaru has dubbed the G.O.O.A.T – the Greatest Outback of All Time. Let’s put that theory to the test.

THE RANGE

The Subaru Outback is offered with three different models in its line-up.

• Outback - $49,000 • Outback X - $54,990 • Outback Touring - $57,490 FIRST IMPRESSIONS

When Subaru calls this Outback the G.O.O.A.T, or the Greatest Outback Of All Time, how literal are they being? Is Subaru referring to size?

It would make sense if they were, because this Outback looks massive!

Even though this is a wagon, Subaru calls the Outback a “Large SUV” on their website. This probably goes against the grain for those that know the Outback as a wagon, but I am starting to see SUV proportions with the new model.

Although the Outback has grown for the seventh generation, it isn’t actually much larger than its predecessor. The size perception is mainly due to the beltline of this Outback, making it look huge.

Also, my historic perception of the size of the Outback comes into play here. Compare this model with the ubiquitous third generation Outback, which is commonly seen all over New Zealand, and the perceived size difference will seem substantial, despite that it’s mainly the width which is the difference between them.

So yes, it looks big. But otherwise, it’s all rather pleasing to look at. I especially like the Outback X’s green badging and accents; they’re pretty cool. The LED front and rear lights look sharp too.

Our black press vehicle hides much of the body detail, but if you manage to spot a lighter-coloured one (particularly an Outback Touring), the Outback is demonstrably a handsome machine.

INTERIOR

If you’ve experienced any previous generation Outback, you’ll appreciate that the interiors are often well equipped, but geared towards being utilitarian over luxurious. This new Outback nearly flips that notion on its head — so significantly that it might present a culture shock for some.

Stepping inside the new model, you can immediately tell that Subaru has aimed for a more luxurious experience for the occupants. My first encounter left me genuinely astounded. The material choices, the abundant use of leather across several surfaces, the contrasting green stitching, the styling and geometry of the cabin: it’s all highly impressive.

The attention to design and detail is a major step up from Subaru, which if I’m being blunt, hasn’t always been the brand’s strong suit.

After you’ve finished marvelling at the interior, you’ll soon begin to appreciate the amount of space inside the cabin. I am not exactly a short bloke, but the amount of free real estate in the headroom department made me feel on the short side. The same courtesy is extended to the rear, where passengers will find ample headroom and leg room.

This brings us to seating, which from my experience, is an area that Subaru consistently gets right. The front seats are excellent; they’re plush and supportive. There’s plenty of configurability in both the driver’s and passenger’s seats to set yourself up optimally. The only criticism I would make is that the seat base is slightly on the shorter side, meaning that you may be a tad short on under-thigh support.

All four seats are heated in the X model, which is a nice plus. The seats and parts of the interior of the Outback X are wrapped in a water-resistant, two-tone leather (grey/ black), which should suit those into water sports.

Being a wagon, the Outback has a massive boot. There’s plenty of little utilities back there too, including a number of tether points, plus some door handle style seat releases, making it super easy to put the rear seats down. not better, than many similarly priced large SUVs.

A common thought amongst buyers, and an obvious advantage of SUVs, is that higher ground clearance makes ingress and egress easier for those with stiffer joints. Although a wagon, the Outback offers high ground clearance and thus a level entry point. Climbing inside is therefore easy as!

With all the discussion directed to space, seats and materials, we should move to perhaps the most noteworthy change to the Outback’s interior, and that’s the new 11inch infotainment system.

The screen has a portrait orientation, which is a similar layout to modern Volvos. The screen is segregated into three zones. Those familiar with Subaru’s technology will recognise the Subaru’s Starlink interface (only scaled up a bit) occupying most of the centre of the screen. Up top is the X-mode display, which is usually separated to another screen in other Subaru models, like the Impreza and XV (LINKS). Down the bottom, there’s soft controls for the climate control and front heated seats.

I love the concept of what Subaru is doing with the infotainment system. Unfortunately, it seems the system left the factory in need of an update. Subaru’s user interface (UI) is friendly enough and resolution is good, but the system is a bit clunky and sometimes will noticeably lag between touching the screen and the system executing the command.

There are also other parts of the UI which aren’t so well thought out. For example, on the lower screen with the climate controls, Subaru has needlessly made a simple onestep process of turning on heated seats into a frustrating two-step process. The soft button for the front heated seats control is combined with the climate temperature, meaning when you press the button for the heated seats, another entire menu for both functions pops up, requiring another interaction to turn the seats on. It’s even more absurd when you realise the integration of the climate temperature is totally unnecessary, as you can adjust the temperature using the physical controls on the screen bezel. It’s far simpler turning on the rear heated seats, which use a physical button.

Yet, it’s not all bad. A redeeming quality of the infotainment centre is all the exterior cameras connected to it. The camera displays have decent resolution and refresh rates.

The infotainment system is connected to a six-speaker audio system which, unfortunately, is another weak point of the Outback’s interior. I have mentioned in other reviews that the number of speakers in a car does not matter if they’re incorrectly set up. Six speakers with good amplification should be enough to perform in a satisfactory manner. For our test vehicle, the Outback X, I found the audio quality to be quite poor.

The speakers sound tinny, with no real depth to the soundscape. The speakers fail to capture the lows well, and the highs are mediocre. Furthermore, the focal point of the sound seems to be well in front of the driver and passenger, even with the system on its most balanced settings.

For a vehicle that will inevitably be used for cross-country touring, a good sound system is a must, and therefore this feels like an oversight from Subaru. It is worthwhile noting that the Outback Touring appears to remediate this issue, offering an upgraded Harman Kardon system. However, it would be appreciated if Subaru could fix this for the commoner folk in base and mid spec vehicles.

Overall, the interior of the Outback is a proper step forward for range and for Subaru. It’s well designed, and exceptionally spacious and comfortable. However, there are some clear oversights on the technology front, which could benefit from improvement.

THE DRIVE

As part of the Outback’s adventurous image, it’s an unspoken requirement that it needs to be able to cover miles comfortably, especially across New Zealand’s varying road surfaces. It also needs to be adept on twistier roads, have the guts for a passing lane, and occasionally have the ability to competently tow.

This means there’s somewhat of a heavy expectation upon the Outback. So how does she go?

Starting with the engine, powering the Outback range is a 2.5-litre, 4-cylinder Boxer engine producing 138 kW of power and 245 Nm of torque. This is paired with Subaru’s lineartronic CVT transmission, which drives all-four wheels via Subaru’s symmetrical AWD.

The performance from the engine and gearbox duo is satisfactory, but I wouldn’t call it ample. There’s plenty for the dayto-day, and enough juice for a passing lane. However, drivers will notice a lack of immediacy, stemming mainly from sparse low-mid range torque carrying a relatively heavy body. Peppy, the Outback isn’t. But it’s not slow either.

More frustratingly, the engine sounds a bit exasperated when pushed for the power, but this is a trait of the Boxer engine and of the Subaru range. I’ve generally noticed there’s enough power available, but the accompanying sound is disproportionate to what is being delivered.

The CVT transmission also scores a satisfactory mark. It’s considerably better than older Subaru units, and has been continually improved to increase robustness and reduce CVT flaring or high rpm hang. Subaru says that more than 80% of the structural parts have been improved. The result? You get a (mostly) well-behaved CVT, which is exactly what you should want.

I am somewhat sceptical of a CVT being used on an Outback. A CVT just doesn’t seem rugged enough, nor the most durable choice, for a vehicle which is off-road capable. Nonetheless, there are plenty of videos on YouTube of the Outback being bush-bashed and holding up perfectly well.

Speaking of off-road, you may have already noticed the Outback ground clearance — the whole 213 mm of it. This means it has proper usable ground clearance, and it isn’t simply masquerading as an off-roader like the majority of the SUV market.

That ground clearance does offer decent elevation for outward visibility, but not quite as much as you’d get from the SUV competition. On the subject of visibility, the Outback has great side and rearward visibility, devoid of any major blind spots.

Above all, the real attribute to write home about is the ride quality. The Outback’s ride quality is truly superb, akin to a couch on wheels. The Outback glides over bumps, making easy work of managing New Zealand’s varied road surfaces. Although I had mentioned the engine can be noisy, the cabin is nice and quiet at cruising speeds. The Outback is great for chewing through open road miles. Because of the comfort bias, the Outback does roll a bit through corners, but Subaru’s symmetrical all-wheel drive helps the Outback retain a reassuring footing on the road, meaning it does not ever feel out of control if you are moving quickly.

The all-wheel drive system is prone to some understeer, but you’d be a lunatic to fly through every corner in a vehicle this large. Subaru does blunt the steering, meaning every input needs to be a bit more deliberate, but it gives it a nice sturdy feel when cruising at higher speeds.

The Outback is equipped with Subaru’s latest Eyesight technology (Eyesight 4), which controls the adaptive cruise control and lane departure warning. Subaru calls the system “Eyesight” because it utilises a series of cameras (eyes) mounted up near the rear-view mirror.

The older tech (Eyesight 3) generally worked well, but it had some rougher edges. Eyesight 4 has ironed out the kinks, meaning many of the assistance systems are better adjusted and less prone to false positives. The adaptive cruise control in the Outback operates smoothly, and functions down to a halt.

However, Subaru hasn’t corrected my main gripe with Eyesight, which is all the unnecessary beeps the system produces. For example, the adaptive cruise will beep every time it locks onto another vehicle. No other manufacturer I’ve encountered does this, and it can’t be turned off either. Annoying.

So far, the Outback has delivered a great driving experience. The ride quality is exceptional, and the slightly weaker points, being the engine and transmission, are still competent performers.

• Ride Comfort • SUV practicality • Well-finished interior • Standard equipment levels • Comfortable seating everywhere • Actual off-road capability

CONS

• Laggy infotainment • Meh speakers • Irritating Driver Attention

Monitoring system • Jerky stop/start • Annoying indicator stalk • Eyesight still beeps too much

Unfortunately, this part of the review is where I begin to discuss some major annoyances with the Outback — many of them technology related. Like many modern cars, Subaru has fitted a start/ stop cycle to the engine to shut it down when idling in traffic. Many vehicles have this today, so what’s the problem? Well, the sequence is harsh and slow to initiate.

Unlike Volkswagen group products, where their cars are far too eager to cut out on you, Subaru has the opposite problem. However, this isn’t a problem specific to the Outback, as I’ve come across it before in other vehicles of the Subaru range.

My next frustration is with the Driver Attention Monitoring system, which is one of those features that sounds far better on paper than it actually is in practice. It’s designed to alert the driver when their attention strays from the road. In reality, it just becomes a system that reminds you when you’re scratching your face. It also triggers quite liberally and with the similar beep sound as the other safety systems. We mentioned before that Subaru’s Eyesight already beeps unnecessarily, so all the Driver Attention Monitoring system does is contribute more indifferentiable beeps for the driver to focus on. I can imagine the alert would get ignored most of the time, which makes you question why they spent money developing it in the first place.

Last, and the worst point of all, is the indicator stalk. That’s a weird complaint – what’s the issue? Subaru has gone the way of BMW in the 2000s, where they redesigned the function of the indicator stalk. Essentially, rather than ‘fixing’ into place when you turn it on, it will return to its resting position before you’ve rounded the corner. This makes cancelling the indicator a pain, and you’ll usually bump it too far and it’ll start signalling the other side!

Also, no other Subaru within the range has this indicator! So why on earth would you change such a universal standard that people are familiar with across virtually all other manufacturers? It’s genuinely such a pain.

Modern BMWs no longer have this indicator set up, showing they had learned their lesson. Furthermore, you’re unlikely to get used to it unless this is your only vehicle. Honestly Subaru, this is such a big mistake.

CONCLUSION

The title of this review is “more of everything”. This manifests itself in good and bad ways.

Subaru has absolutely gone to town on this Outback, introducing many new features, functions and luxuries which will blow away any contemporary Outback owner. It’s super capable and equally as practical, has heaps of equipment and is utterly comfortable. It really challenges the necessity for an SUV.

Yet in the process of this overhaul, Subaru has introduced some problems and, for me, some of them are truly aggravating. These issues mainly relate to the infotainment UI, the Driver Attention Monitor system, and that annoying indicator stalk. Although, the most frustrating part is that older Outbacks are the complete opposite.

When Top Gear was presented by three well-known lads, they unanimously agreed that the Outback was one of two vehicles in existence that would never annoy you. I suspect they wouldn’t extend the same courtesy to this Outback, allegedly the greatest of all time.

To wind back on the criticism, I should answer the overarching question, and that’s whether the new Outback is any good?

My answer is Yes. It’s excellent from a driver’s point of view. It’s so capable and so comfortable that if I were the sort that hits the road for the holiday period, I’d buy this in a heartbeat.

Yet, there’s a handful of features in this Outback which are crying out for improvement. If Subaru fixed these, you’ll have an Outback that’s nearly unbeatable.

Overall, Subaru has somehow managed to make the best and yet the most annoying Outback to date. More of everything, I suppose.

2021 SUBARU OUTBACK X

ECONOMY 7

INTERIOR 8

PERFORMANCE 7

SAFETY 8

STYLING 7

VALUE 8