2018 Subaru Outback consumer reviews

Great ride, great gas mileage, just a great wagon. Plenty of room. My husband has a hard time fitting into vehicles because of his size and this vehicle accommodates him easily.

The 2018 Subaru Outback is the most boring car I have ever owned. Has low power, shifts like garbage, and dealer experience was horrible. Tons of problems kept coming up, not just little things either, major engine out of body kinds of repairs. In less than 6000 miles it had 4 new batteries before they finally fixed the charging issue that kept killing them. Oil leaks right away. Air and water leaks through the windows and door seals. Transmission would randomly disengage while driving and then SLAM back into engagement, this nearly caused 2 accidents. There are a few positives, entry and exit were easy, visibility was good, and overall road noise was decent. My recommendation, take a very hard look at other cars before deciding to buy anything from Subaru.

I can find no significant fault in this car. We already owned a Honda Odyssey, which remains the ultimate 4 -6 passenger road trip car that can also fit 4' x 8' sheets of plywood; for this purchase, we wanted something much smaller, but not too small, or too low. The Outback fit that bill perfectly. Handling is extraordinary. Since we don't expect to tow anything with this car, we got the 2.5 liter engine, which, while not a thrilling powerhouse, felt significantly peppier than its Honda and Toyota competitors. The Continuously Variable Transmission(CVT) manages power with silky smoothness akin to an electric motor. Some subtle features make it seem more powerful than it is, e.g. when at highway speeds and the left turn signal (to pass) is put on, the car smoothly downshifts without any change in car speed, to insure more power is available for the maneuver. Road and wind noise at highway speeds is remarkably comfortable. Controls are simple and intuitive. Adaptive cruise control works at least as smoothly as I could do with the gas pedal myself, including a smooth drift to a full stop. Lane assist provides just the right amount of nudge to keep you in lane without making you feel you've lost control. The heated rear seats are easily as comfortable as the front, and seating position throughout is extremely comfortable. Slight, and forgivable cons: at low speeds, the whine of the CVT is annoying (undetectable at high speeds); driver-reachable storage is a bit meager (for an otherwise ideally road-trip capable car), exacerbated a bit by the necessity to keep the dashboard clear due to avoid glare to Eyesight cameras; the GPS screen and voice instructions are excellent, and the little additional screen in front of the driver is great, but the input interface is awful compared to just about any Garmin unit, though far less awful than most built-ins, and the lock-out of the touch screen while in motion is particularly annoying, especially since the voice controls don't do quite the same things as the touch screen. Overall, there is no car at any price that we wish we had instead; though I look forward to the day when these become primary electric.

This is my first Subaru and I'm pretty sure I will never buy another brand. It has many safety features and handles with great confidence in any situation including massive snow storms. For a 4 cylinder, it has enough get-up and go for any city or highway driving . Absolutely love having the eyesight safety feature that adds another set of eyes on the road for obstacles, beeping aggressively when something or someone is in the way or approaching. The Outback is an amazing car, or as I call it, my Stallion.

3.6 engine is very smooth. Gas mileage seems to be respectable. What a difference over the four-cylinder. Rides a little softer than I would like but very comfortable. All the safety features are worth it.

Do not buy until bugs worked out. Electronics finicky and go out routinely. Have had for less than two years and have had multiple problems with the display system. I am researching for more reliable vehicles and may unload the b-t-h.

Here's an honest user's reviews having owned our 2018 Subaru Outback 2.5 engine for 6 months now. First off, it handles great in the snow and is solidly built all around. However, since new, the cd player hasn't worked correctly. (we're taken it in next week for the recall - 3 hour wait) And just received another recall notice about the fuel gauge low light not working correctly... no fix to date is what it said in the letter. (my wife actually ran out of gas the first week we had it, where she swore the gas light had just come one. I had to apologize for getting on her about it, months later after getting the recall notice and proving she was right) Overall, I give it a 3 out of 5 stars since we've had to waste a lot of time dealing with recalls. But, what else is a growing young liberal family suppose to drive? Lastly, which was unknown to us, the Outback is designed to run diagnostics on its fuel pressure system when sitting for over 4 hours? (we heard some strange noise one night in the garage coming from the rear of the vehicle and googled it immediately - apparently it's normal and a good thing?)

lives up to expectations! Joy to drive in any environmental condition. Good mileage. great active cruise control. Hooks onto my phone. good navigation capability. Get one!

Comfortable ride,love the adjustable seat that fits me perfectly. Very quiet. Every amenity you could possibly need. Safety features sold me on this vehicle. Sound system is great.

Decent value for the money. Superb AWD. Good quality materials used in interior. Mileage in the 6cyl is so-so. But better performance makes it worth it. Quality issues with the high end head units, and a recall for gas gauge being off by 1/8th tank.