2021 Subaru Outback consumer reviews

So I bought a ‘21 Outback premium with 30k miles and have already put 6K more on it. Here is my honest review: if you want a fast car don’t get the 2.5 non turbo- that being said it is adequate for myself and get great gas mileage. The interior is good- I have the spec with cloth heated seats and they are comfortable and the cabin feels nice- has some cheap parts but I knew what I was buying. The infotainment is frustrating at times- auto start stop is a pain in the butt- but the infotainment itself isn’t bad with good sound and good responsiveness. The apple CarPlay will lag and be finicky at times but nothing terrible. As for drive quality it is a smooth ride and I don’t have any real complaints yet. Like I had mentioned if you want a car that is going to be fast- this engine and transmission will not do that for you. Overall I am happy so far with my purchase and feel as though I made a sensible decision when choosing this over some of its competition (I was looking at the VW Tiguan and and Mazda cx5)

I like mostly everything about my2021 Outback Limited XT. I hate the navigation system or the infotainment system as it is called. I have had it to the dealership 4 times in 3 years because the system is not compatible with my iPhone. Taking it in next week for a new radio. The navigation system stops working just when you need it most. Sometimes it flashes "Stay Alert" when you are looking straight ahead but if you turn the car off and restart, it goes away. Too bad Subaru doesn't make their own radio systems.

22000 miles no problems ,,,rides really smooth,,much better than other brands i tested ,,,this is my 9th subaru and about to buy another one really soon ,,,and i forgot to mention go anywhere in the snow ,,,it's remarkable actually

If you want to be nagged and have the brakes slam on unnecessarily, have the car bongs at you every time you pass a road junction because there's a break in road lines or the steering assist throw you across a lane and a half or try to nudge you under an eighteen-wheeler - this is the car for you! Seating at best is inadequate - use the extending bolster and you end up with numb legs! The auto-stop start is an embarrassment - the flat four boxer shakes the entire car and has saved ten bucks of gas in 30 months - what a joke! The info-distraction system is worse than useless. I LOATH a Subaru!

mechanically sound but the electronics stink. Radio won't play. Screen insensitive at times. Not at all pleased with electronic connection with car. Wish I had my old 11 outback . Also brakes will engage without pressing to brake pedal. Get rid of the safe driving message.

Very smooth and comfortable ride. Gas mileage is above other comparable SUVs. Dash controls are a little confusing but should improve with time using. Would definitely recommend this vehicle to others.

I really don't feel safe in this vehicle. The 'A' pillar is slightly too wide and on two occasions has blocked my vision of walking pedestrians coming from the left as I approach a stop sign. Both times I narrowly missed hitting somebody and that is the last thing I would ever want to do. I know that the car is rated 'safe' for its occupants, but it is not safe for pedestrians! I also hate their technology. Do they really need us to agree to a statement that we will drive 'safe' every time we turn the car on? Why did they not have a sign a paper when we first bought the car? Or maybe they could give us a choice if we want to drive safe or not? Then they have the motor shutoff for when we stop at stop signs - we can only disable it right after we start the car every time. I want to disable it permanently - it saves very little fuel and will cost me more in repairs than it saves. The lights that see where I am going are nice, but they turn away from dark objects approaching from the opposite direction. I also presume they will be very expensive to replace. I have also heard that lane control fights you if you want to move over for an emergency vehicle. But I have not engaged it to find out. I just wished that these companies built what we want and not what they want to sell us!

Mechanically, this is a nice car: good gas mileage, comfortable, good 4WD capability. But the infotainment system is horrible. It crashes frequently and in many different ways, sometimes requires a "factory reset" to bring it back to life. To really drive it nuts, connect an iPhone to use Apple Car Play. It's like Russian Roulette.

2021 OB 2.5 Touring. I drive to Atlanta several times a year from Detroit and have gone up to 530 miles on a tank and average about 32 MPG for the entire journey. When it's time to fill-up, it's time to stop for the night. It is comfortable. I love the tech. My only complaint is the lane centering. It can make you feel like you're fighting the car sometimes. I only use it sparingly on long, low-traffic sections of I-75 - Great through Ohio. Eyesight is SUPERB! as are the Heated/Ventilated seats and heated steering wheel. It is a car that plays well with others. Tom-Tom is excellent, and it is usually great for helping us avoid traffic jams... Also, let us know (usually) where the rest stops are. Installing Map updates is a snap, and it does that often. The suspension is comfortable and handles Detroit area roads (8 Mile), potholes especially, with aplomb. There are times that I wish I had bought the XT, Turbo version, but that is rare. I mean, who doesn't want more power occasionally. Most of the time, I am quite pleased with the MPGs; it gets 28-ish city and 32-ish highway. I usually have Eyesight set to 5 MPH over the posted limit.

I do like my Outback very much. I bought it because of the high ratings by Consumer Reports. My only complaint is the navigation system, Tom Tom is not reliable. I wish Subaru used Google Maps