2018 Subaru Outback consumer reviews

I replaced a 2015 Outback Premium 2.5 with this 2018 Outback Limited w/2.5 engine. The 2018 mid model offers tremendous refinements and improvements over the 2015-2017 Outback. The steering and suspension has been refined to make for a more refined ride quality with improved handling. The 2018 feels like it drives on rails. The handling and steering is more precise and exacting with better driver feedback. It makes the 2018 Outback seem quicker and smoother even though its the same engine and same physical body design. The Interior appoints are more refined. I got the Limited model with Leather. It the stitching on the leather door insets, seats and steering wheel are first class. I find the interior to be more luxurious compared to the current / new 2017 Honda CR-V EXL Model. The Honda seem more like they were dressing up an economy car. The Subaru Outback 2018 Limited it more elegant and sophisticated. Comfort is very good, although the seat bottom cushion is somewhat hard. I only have 700 miles on the car so this could soften up over time. The 2018 Infotainment system now offers 8" display versus 7" on the former 2015-2017 models. It includes Apple car play which is awesome. I love the ability to display Apple Maps on the 8" display. Be aware, you have to plug in your iPhone via a lightning cable for Car Play to work. but there are two USB ports in the center dash storage cubby. The Infotainment system so far is a bit buggy in reliably connecting my iPod and also initializing the music CD. Sometimes I've had to eject and re-insert the CD and/or the iPod to get them recognized. Perhaps a software update will address this in the future. An annoying glitch that makes no sense is that if you have the Infotainment system off when you turn off the car. The audio source you used last turns on automatically and plays at the same volume anytime you start the car. Apparently pressing the vol knob 'mutes" the volume. But when you start the car the next time, it automatically plays. The only work around I've found is to turn the volume knob to zero before I shut the engine off. Strange. Other Outback owners have reported the same thing. The Eyesight, blindspot, lane departure and adaptive cruise control are superb! The lane departure simply beeps and shows a graphic on the center dash display. It does not vibrate the steering wheel like Honda's. That might annoy me, but it might be nice to have since the beep is sometimes drowned out by the music I am playing. You can change the volume of the beep however. I am averaging around 25mpg in town, all city commuting so far. (700 miles on car total at this point) I expect it will improve. I was getting 26.1 mpg avg in my 2015 Outback with the same 2.5l engine. I love the LED headlights that turn as the car corners to help illuminate cornering better. The auto dimming headlights work well. And one of my favorite features is the optional auto dimming side-view mirrors. No longer will cars blind you when they are behind or beside you. These side view mirrors also have approach lights that come on when I exit the car at night or when I unlock the doors. The pushbutton start is nice to have, but I love keyless access without having to fish for the key in my pocket. There is a touch sensor on the door handle, so I can just lift the handle and open the door when the key is in my pocket. The Cargo capacity and low load floor is super nice. I load music gear as a professional gigging musician every weekend and the Outback is spacious and great! The rear seats fold flat and flush with the cargo floor and you can use a lever in the back of the car to lower the seat in addition to using the release lever located on the top of each seat back. Super convenient! I looked at the Honda CRV EXL (2017 current model), Mazda CX-5 and Nissan Rogue. The Outback seems more refined and luxurious compared to even the Touring Model CRV EXL model. The Nissan Rogue looks nice but the Cargo area is strangely proportioned in the back with wheel well moldings cutting into the cargo area. So I didn't drive it. The Mazda 2017 CX-5 was nice, but I found the infotainment system strange. The control is a knob in the center console. It just didn't speak to me. If I had to do it all over again, I would buy the 2018 Subaru Outback Limited every time. And Subaru retains highest resale value on the market in addition to having the best crash test ratings.

I am overwhelmed by all the wonderful features in my new Subaru. I do a lot of hunting and fishing. The outback has lots of room. The ground clearance is necessary for the dirt roads that I travel. Sometimes on snow. The hill decent feature should help in the mountains. It will take me a while to adjust to EyeSight and Lane departure. Back up camera should be great for turning around in parking lot and woods. There are many more features but too numerous to detail.this is my seventh Subaru.

Love driving this car! It's comfortable, but also rugged. Feels roomy, even though I'm tall and long-legged. The Car Play feature is so cool! There's a USB port for the back passengers. Safety features are fantastic. So glad we chose this car.

Ok,but not great. Too expansive for this money. I paid like 30 k ,but doesn't have full options. Otherwise,it's ok overall.

3.6 touring model has power, smoothness and updates that work better than the 17. I like the style of the daytime running light eyebrow look. Both apple car play and Android auto. Native Tom Tom navigation on a bigger screen, so navigation may use your phone or the native car application. The 3.6 cvt is smooth and powerful. Steering is quicker, and the ride is smoother and quieter than the 17 model. Interior is spacious and comfortable with refinements to make me feel at home with the switch from my German luxury ride. Blind spot indicators are easy to see and intuitive. Led headlights are super bright, bend around corners and have automatic high beam. Brakes feel confident and acceleration is brisk. I'm happy with my choice.

Very roomy and comfortable. It feels light and it looks beautiful, I don't know why I did not buy one before.

I traded my 2017 Outback Touring for a 2018 model. I've been amazed by the little improvements they've made to this vehicle. Things like: a 100% intuitive navigation system to replace the previous one that just did NOT work--plus easier to use icons for radio, etc. It has a quieter interior; self locking doors; and an improved back up camera (with larger screen) and directional lines for backing up straighter. They've engineered a more responsive engine / transmission interface that makes the '18 model a LOT quicker than my previous three Outbacks. There's an improved blind spot detection warning light (instead of a small icon on the exterior mirrors). They've even quietened an annoying turn signal sound. Plus, there is a new focus on driver comfort because they tweaked the car's suspension. Exterior changes are not drastic--a little bit of front end design change that gives it a heftier, meaner look. There are also slight changes to the rear end design, but you have to know what to look for. It is a great looking car that appears to be much more expensive than it is. This is my fourth straight Outback; do I need to say more?