Among the countless different surveys taken, studies produced, and aggregates compiled—because everyone is an expert on everything these days—we pretty much all recognize Consumer Reports as “the good one” in the car world. When they release their annual car-brand report card, it carries real weight and we pay attention to what they have to say. So, having named Subaru at the top of the class following its latest report card, it’s quite convenient that I find myself behind the wheel of the 2025 Subaru Outback Premier XT.
I kind of love that Subaru has took the crown. In a lot of ways, they go directly against the grain of what everyone else is trying to do. Everyone is trying to push hard into an image that’s sporty and tough, but also green and super tech-forward. Yet the people have spoken: they don’t give a damn. Ultra-wide, curved touchscreens with over-the-top animations; digital gauge clusters with augmented-reality heads-up displays; turbocharged-and-supercharged hybrid powertrains; any pretense of sportiness—you won’t find any of that here in the Outback, for better or worse. It’s what the people want.
I wasn’t too kind to the last Outback I reviewed. I’ve thought about that a lot since. Part of that came from the fact that I assumed—and you know what happens you assume—that it cost nearly $50,000. I thought it didn’t add up to a fifty-grand driving experience, but that all turned around when I learned it cost under $40,000 as-tested—after I returned it from sitting around unloved for most of the week.
Oh.
Even this car, a fully loaded Premier model with the turbocharged engine, 18-inch machined-face wheels, additional brightwork, and a lovely two-tone Saddle Brown interior with Nappa leather among many other niceties, not to mention two extra years of inflation under it, comes out to less than fifty grand—$47,895 as-tested, to be exact. Nothing has really changed for the 2025 model year; I just have a much greater appreciation for what the Outback is. It’s a large, comfortable, practical vehicle that’s easy to live with, while offering terrific all-weather capability, some of the best safety ratings out there, and even some decent all-terrain chops.
In my defence, I don’t think I was entirely off base with some of my criticisms. With the Outback’s high ground clearance and a suspension that’s focused almost exclusively on ride comfort, body control is sorely lacking. This isn’t just me being out-of-touch, thinking everything needs to be ready to race—its rear end really wants to shift and sway side-to-side, making sudden movements on the highway (and/or strong crosswinds) a little uneasy.
But no one else seems to mind, and that’s fine. No one buying an Outback will race it, or making a habit of abrupt lane changes. To their credit, the Outback’s ability to absorb broken and/or absent pavement is pretty well unparalleled at this price point. The steering is light, numb, and a little vague, but the Outback feels easy to drive whether it’s on dry pavement, deep snow, or muddy ruts. Seemingly the only force to which the Outback shows any concession is speed. Otherwise, it’s impervious to adverse conditions—which inspires confidence no matter the weather.
Also confidence-inspiring is the 2.4-litre turbocharged Boxer four-cylinder engine, producing a healthy 260 horsepower and 277 pound-feet of torque. A key figure here is where in the rev range the Outback produces that torque; it peaks at just 2,000 rpm, so outside of just having more power for the sake of it, it feels and sounds significantly more refined than the base, normally aspirated engine. Simply put, the CVT doesn’t have to keep the engine revving nearly as high to generate power, and the Outback therefore doesn’t make nearly as much noise.
Where the base car feels pretty languid, this XT feels just as confident accelerating in a straight line as it does flying down a trail. There’s a modest fuel economy penalty that comes with this added hustle, as I observed 12.2 L/100 kilometres in mixed (and admittedly very cold) conditions, but if you care at all about passing power and minimizing the droning usually associated with CVTs, it’s well worth it. This Outback XT feels a lot more like that fifty-grand experience I was mistakenly seeking years ago.
And like the driving experience, the rest of the user experience is super simple and straightforward—if occasionally wonky. Subaru’s Starlink infotainment system is one of the easiest to figure out, if maybe not the cleanest-looking or snappiest. The heads-up display is just a few coloured LEDs on the dash that reflect on the windshield, corresponding to messages/warnings in the small screen between the pair of analog gauges—which I love for their legibility. The adaptive cruise control works well, but the lane-keep is occasionally thrown off by the Outback’s swaying rear end. Nothing here is really super slick or impressive on its own, but it’s all basic stuff that works well—the driving position and visibility is terrific, the cabin is exceptionally comfortable and quiet, and there’s tons of space. It’s easy to live with, easy to drive, and doesn’t do anything too smart for its own good.
What the people want—what drives sales, loyalty, and continuing growth—is an honest product that’s practical, reliable, safe, and well-priced. It’s how Toyota also does so well in sales and survey results, despite having a product portfolio that was, for a long time, roundly derided for being stale. Subaru’s been following the same path, albeit with just the tiniest pretense of quirky charm from their steadfast commitment to Boxer engines and all-wheel-drive. Even if the engine has been largely neutered of its quirks, and AWD is standard fare nearly everywhere these days.
The Outback may not have all of the driving dynamics and tech that data-gathering focus groups and car companies alike seem to think will sell, but Subaru can’t keep them on lots. And for that, they’ve been recognized by the most stringent advocacy group in the land for the things they get right. There’s no trick or gimmick to real lasting success; you just have to be good and committed to staying good. Be practical, affordable, inspire confidence, and open life’s doors for people. All of that is what the 2025 Subaru Outback Premier XT does well, and I can understand why Consumer Reports gave Subaru the top nod.
