2014 Subaru Outback

We would recommend the 2.5i Premium trim, considering its features to price ratio. The starting price of the base 2.5i trim is $23,495, while the 2.5i Premium trim starts at an MSRP of $25,795. For an additional $2,300, you get access to many desirable features like 17-inch aluminum alloy wheels, fog lights, body-colored side mirrors, fog lights, 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, All-Weather Package, and better infotainment system with 6-speaker audio system. 

The 2014 Subaru Outback is offered in Base, Premium and Limited trims. The base 2.5i trim starts at an MSRP of $23,495 and the top of the line 3.6R Limited trim is priced at $32,095. However, we would suggest going for the 2.5i Premium trim as it offers a desirable combination of value and features. The 3.6-liter flat-six engine is available only with the 3.6R Limited trim and offers better performance and towing capacity. 

The 2014 Outback 2.5i comes with 16-inch steel wheels, silver metallic interior trim, roof rails with retractable and adjustable cross bars, auto on/off headlights, 4-speaker audio system, and cloth upholstery as standard. The 2.5i Premium trim adds 17-inch aluminum alloy wheels, fog lights, body-colored side mirrors, fog lights, 10-way power-adjustable driver's seat, All-Weather Package, and better infotainment system with 6-speaker audio system

The 2.5i and 3.6R Limited trims offer leather-trimmed upholstery, dual-zone climate control system, premium audio system, power-adjustable passenger's seat, and instrument console gauges with LCD display. Subaru offers different optional packages like EyeSight driver-assist system, Navigation system package, and power moonroof package from Premium trim onwards. The special appearance package is available for 2.5i Limited and 3.6R Limited trims only. 

The 2014 Subaru Outback offers reasonable gas mileage. The 2.5i and 2.5i Premium trims with manual transmission offer an EPA-estimated fuel economy of 22/28/24 mpg in city/highway/combined conditions. With the optional CVT, the mileage is increased to 24/30/26 mpg in city/highway/combined conditions. The 2014 Outback 3.6R Limited offers better performance at the cost of fuel economy and offers only 18/24/20 mpg in city/highway/combined conditions. The fuel tank capacity for all the trims is 18.5 gallons. 

*figures taken for the AWD drivetrain

The Subaru Outback and Mazda CX-5 are the most fuel-efficient vehicles in the competition. That said, Escape and CR-V share the same fuel economy figures while sharing the second spot. The fuel economy of the rivals will be slightly higher if the FWD drivetrain is considered. In that case, the Outback will be dethroned. Lastly, the fuel tank capacity of the CR-V, Escape, and CX-5 is 3.2, 3.4, and 3.7 gallons less as compared to the Outback. The Outback offers a maximum range of 481 miles in combined driving conditions. 

The interior of the 2014 Outback is something that we were not impressed at all. The dashboard layout is ergonomic but the quality of materials and overall fit and finish is just average. Subaru has used lots of hard plastic in the cabin, but to give the interior a decent look, a silver metallic accent trim is given on the dash and inside door panel. This trim can be replaced with the wood grain-patterned accent on the Limited trim. The front seats offer good comfort and the outside visibility is also good. 

The cloth upholstery is available in black striated and ivory striated format. The 2.5i and 3.6R Limited trims get access to leather upholstery available in off-black, saddle brown and warm ivory colors. The headroom and legroom across both the rows is adequate. The rear seats are decent and the cushioning is also flat, allowing for usage of car seat or child seat with ease. Some features like heated front seats and power-adjustable driver’s seat are offered from Premium trim onwards. 

The 2014 Outback offers decent cargo capacity of 34.3 cubic feet. However, it's not the best in the segment. If you require additional cargo space then the rear 65/35-split seatback can be folded to increase the cargo space to 71.3 cu-ft. The passenger volume with and without available moonroof is 102.4 cubic feet and 105.4 cubic feet respectively. The Limited trims offer additional creature comforts like dual-zone climate control, wood grain-patterned accent interior trim, power-adjustable front passenger’s seat and rear air conditioning vents.

In terms of passenger volume, the Outback stays on top, whereas the last one is CX-5. Meanwhile, CR-V and Escape share almost the same passenger volume. That said, the Outback has the biggest rear headroom, but CR-V has the roomiest front headroom and second best rear legroom. In terms of cargo capacity, Honda CR-V has the top place, followed by Subaru Outback, Ford Escape and Mazda CX-5.  Howver, the cargo space can be extended by folding the rear seatback in the Outback. 

The base trim doesn’t get any infotainment screen, but 2.5i Premium and 2.5i Limited trims have a 4.3-inch LCD display. You can access the 7-inch touchscreen which is given on all trims except the base one under the optional Navigation System Package. This package also adds a Navigation system, voice control, and Aha connected service. Some standard features offered on the 2014 Outback are a 4-speaker sound system, AUX jack, Bluetooth, and a USB port. SiriusXM, HD radio, a 9-speaker Harman Kardon system is offered on higher trims.

Some of the key interior features of the 2014 Subaru Outback are: 

• Dual-zone automatic climate control
• Leather-wrapped 3-spoke steering wheel 
• Keyless entry and ignition (optional)
• Heated front seats
• 35/65 split-folding reclining rear seats
• 4.3-inch LCD display
• 7-inch touchscreen (optional)
• 9-speaker Harman Kardon audio system. 

The 2014 Subaru Outback offers subtle yet effective exterior styling. At the front, projector-beam low-beam and multi-reflector high-beam headlights are given as standard, while the black-finish headlight inner bezels are optional. The front grille with gray-finish slats increases the aesthetic appeal of the rugged wagon. The front underguards are offered as dealer-installed accessories. The fog lights are standard from 2.5i Premium trim onwards. 

The side profile is bland but the new wheel designs accentuate the styling to some extent. The 2014 Outback has standard 16-inch steel wheels, but as you jump in the trim range, 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels are offered as standard. The body-colored side mirrors are standard from Premium trim. The roof rails come with retractable and adjustable cross bars. The adjustable spread of cross bars is 9.8-inch and can carry 150 pounds of maximum weight

The 2014 Outback is the longest car in the segment and it also has the highest ground clearance. The higher ground clearance grants it better off-road compatability. Meanwhile, the CX-5 is the tallest and CR-V is the shortest car in the competition. The CR-V also has the lowest ground clearance and the shortest wheelbase. The Ford Escape offers balanced exterior dimensions which fit in-between the Outback and CR-V.  A longer wheelbase helps with better hgh speed stability. 

Some of the key exterior features of the 2014 Subaru Outback are: 

• 17-inch alloy wheels 
• Fog lights 
• Roof rails
• Folding side mirrors with integrated turn signals (optional)
• Windshield wiper de-icer
• Power moonroof (optional)
• Driver’s door unlock/lock touch sensor (optional)

The 2014 Outback has class-leading safety ratings by the NHTSA and IIHS. NHTSA has given an overall 5-star safety to the 2014 Outback, whereas IIHS has assigned a ’Good’ rating in nearly all crashworthiness tests and a ‘ Superior’ rating in the crash prevention test. Additionally, Outback has managed to earn the ‘Top Safety Pick+’ award from IIHS this year as well.

The base trim has all the necessary active and passive safety features, but it is severely lacking some advanced driver assistance functions given under the EyeSight driver-assist system. As you go up in the trim ladder, the optional eyesight driver-assist system will add features such as adaptive cruise control, pre-collision throttle management, pre-collision braking system, lane departure, and sway warning. 

Some of the key safety features of the 2014 Subaru Outback are: 

• Cruise control
• Rear vision camera
• Brake assist
• Adaptive cruise control (optional)
• Lane departure warning (optional)
• Pre-collision braking system (optional)

2014 Subaru Outback vs 2014 Honda CR-V 

The Honda CR-V offers slightly better performance and less fuel economy as compared to the Outback. The Outback is equipped with a bigger fuel tank, offering better range in all driving conditions. The CR-V comes with FWD as standard , while the Outback gets AWD as standard. 

In terms of overall fit and finish, the CR-V has an upper hand. The CR-V offers better cargo capacity and rear seat legroom as compared to the Outback. However, with higher ground clearance, the Outback is more off-road compatible then the CR-V. 

2014 Subaru Outback vs 2014 Ford Escape 

The Ford Escape comes with a smaller yet powerful engine, offering much better acceleration than the Outback. The Outback offers better fuel economy and gets AWD as standard. The Escape get FWD as standard and AWD is optonal. So, the AWD trims are less efficient than the Outback 2.5i trims with CVT. 

Both the cars are similar with respect to practicality and offers 34.3 cubic feet of cargo space, while the Outback leads with rear cargo seat space. The Outback offers higher ground clearance, allowing for better off-roading. 

2014 Subaru Outback vs 2014 Mazda CX-5 

The Subaru Outback is not as capable as the Mazda CX5 in terms of outright performance. The Mazda CX-5 offers better output but lacks in fuel effciency with its AWD drivetrain. The Outback is slightly more fuel efficient and offers better range, courtesy of larger fuel tank. 

The Subaru Outback offers slightly more cargo space but better rear seat legroom is offered by the CX-5. The overall bulid quality is of the CX-5 is also superior and it offers a more upmarket feel. But Outback has an advantage of higher ground clearance and lower center of gravity with boxer engine. 

The 2014 Subaru Outback is a mixed bag to be honest. It does have a spacious interior, but the infotainment system fails to impress. The exterior styling is good, but rivals like CX-5 provide better driving capabilities and fuel economy. The Honda CR-V ticks all the right boxes and also has a big trunk. Lastly, Ford Escape is good at performance, but in other areas, the Outback has the lead. However, the 2015 Subaru Outback comes with updated design and better interior space, leading to better user experience.