2022 Subaru Outback

The 2022 Outback is available in eight different trim configurations: Base, Premium, Limited, Touring, Onyx Edition XT, Wilderness, Limited XT and Touring XT. The starting price of the above-mentioned trims are $27,645, $29,846, $34,295, $38,195, $35,845, $37,695, $38,695, and $40,645 respectively. The first four trims are powered by 2.5-liter flat-four engines as standard The remaining four trims get 2.4-liter turbo flat-four engines. Subaru’s symmetrical AWD drivetrain is standard across all the trims. 

Even with the base trim, Subaru offers a 7.0-inch multimedia touchscreen display, Eyesight Driver Assist Technology, LED steering responsive headlights, LED fog lights, transmission paddle shifters and automatic climate control as standard. Climbing up the ladder trim, features like dual-zone climate control, power-adjustable driver’s seat, heated front seats, leather wrapped shift knob, and 11.6-inch infotainment display are added. The higher trims like Limited XT and Touring XT get leather upholstery, power/sliding-tilt sunroof, and heated steering wheel. 

The Wilderness trim offers raised suspension setup, Yokohama all-terrain tires, additional ground clearance, and some exterior design elements for added rugged styling. Some features like power moonroof, reverse automatic braking and 11.3-inch multimedia screen with navigation and wireless charger are available. Some other features like blind spot detection with lane change assist, rear cross-traffic alert, hand-free power gate and keyless entry with push button start are available on the Premium trim.  

The 2022 Subaru Outback with the base 2.5-liter engine is more fuel efficient than the turbocharged models. With an EPA-estimated fuel economy of 26/33/29 mpg in city/highway/combined conditions, the Outback is reasonably efficient. However, with the turbocharged engine, the efficiency drops to 23/30/26 mpg in city/highway/combined conditions. With a fuel tank capacity of 18.5 gallons, the combined range is 536 miles and 481 miles with the standard and turbo engines respectively.

The Wilderness is the least fuel efficient trim in the 2022 Outback lineup. It offers 22 mpg and 26 mpg in city and highway conditions. The Honda CR-V and the Toyota RAV4 offer the best fuel economy. But the Outback’s bigger fuel tank allows it to have a massive range, beating all of its rivals. Although the Santa Fe has a slightly bigger 18.8-gallon fuel tank when compared to the Outback, due to its poor gas mileage trails behind in terms of range.

While Subaru's cabin design borders on boring, it's functional and has a high seating height- Car and Driver 

Subaru always focuses on offering a functional set-up with good quality and the Outback is no different. The dashboard design is not boring by any means, but it’s a far cry from being termed as “intriguing” either. A big screen adorns the center of the screen, flanked by the AC vents. But every trim other than the base trim comes with power-adjustable and heated front seats. They also include a leather-wrapped steering wheel. The high-end trims get heated and ventilated front seats with memory function and heated rear seats too. The interior color options are Slate Black, Titanium Gray and Warm Ivory (available with cloth and leather upholstery). The Java Brown nappa leather upholstery is reserved for Touring trims and Gray StarTex is reserved for Wilderness and Onyx Edition XT.

The driving view is good and even passengers will enjoy the outside view with ease. Spacing is also not at all an issue for the front seat occupants. The rear seat occupants also enjoy sufficient legroom and headroom, and except for over six-foot-tall adults, most people should be fine. The Outback offers 32.5 cubic feet of cargo storage area behind the rear row, which is a very impressive figure to boast. The rear seats can be folded in a 60/40-split to open up 75.7 cubic feet of cargo storage. In-cabin storage solutions are also plenty, with seatback pockets, door pockets, and other cubbies for small-item storage.

The front row is quite spacious in all of the SUVs, but the Santa Fe boasts a little more room than the rest upfront. When it comes to the rear row, the Santa Fe, once again, offers the best room, but all of the SUVs are quite competitive. Talking about cargo capacity, all the cars offer more than 30 cubic feet, but the Honda CR-V and the Toyota RAV4 offer the best cargo capacity at around 39.2 cubic feet of space and 37.6 cubic feet of space respectively.

The base Outback comes with two stacked 7.0” touchscreens, but all the other trims come with Subaru’s STARLINK infotainment system with a massive 11.6” vertical screen. Subaru’s tried and tested infotainment system has mostly gained praise for being very responsive, crisp, and lag-free. It also comes with tons of standard features, which include SiriusXM Radio, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth, HD Radio, NFC, iPod control, STARLINK cloud applications, USB ports, and the high-level trim owners get to enjoy music from a 576-watt 12-speaker Harman & Kardon sound system.

Some of the key interior features are:

• Optional front and rear heated seats
• Seat options include cloth, vinyl, leather, and synthetic leather
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Dual-zone automatic climate control
• Rear AC vents

Behind the Subaru Outback's evolutionary exterior design is a crossover-wagon that blends all the virtues of a traditional car with the ruggedness of an SUV- Motortrend 

The Subaru Outback has always been about mild off-roading, and the styling fits in with that sentiment. The bold and rugged nature of the 2022 Outback makes it quite fit for the job. A high ground clearance along with roof rails and underbody protection all offer a significant boost to its rugged and off-road-ready cred. The Wilderness trim looks adventure-ready with its raised suspension setup, higher ground clearance, underbody skid plates, 17-inch matte-black finish wheels with all-season tires and orange exterior accents 

The Outback has stylish headlights with all the cuts and angles. The grille is kept restrained and not too huge with the Subaru logo in between. The side is tall, owing to the higher ground clearance. The rear also looks rugged, with the angular taillights and the tough-looking and muscular body lines. The black cladding on the sides give it a rugged SUV styling. Subaru offers multiple exterior color options like Blue Pearl, Bronze Metallic, Black Silica, Silver Metallic, Gray Metallic, White Pearl, Green Metallic, Red Pearl, Brown Pearl, and Geyser Blue.

Looking at the exterior dimensions, the Outback is surely the longest SUV among the rivals although it doesn't enjoy the longest wheelbase. A longer wheelbase helps with better rear seat legroom and high speed stability. The title for which goes to the Santa Fe with 108.9-inches between the wheels. As for the width, Santa Fe is the widest while the RAV4 is the tallest SUV among all. 

Some of the key exterior features are:

• 18” aluminum-alloy wheels
• Sunroof w/ sunshade
• LED foglights
• Heated side mirrors w/ power-folding
• Power liftgate
• LED brake lights

When it comes to safety ratings the 2022 Subaru Outback impressed with an excellent 5-star rating from NHTSA and grabbed the "Top Safety Pick+" for 2021, for having excellent scores in IIHS tests as well. As for the safety features the 2022 Outback comes with a bevy of advanced safety features along with driver-aids. Subaru offers Eyesight driver assistance technology as standard on all the trim levels.

The advanced suite of safety features includes features like adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, pre-collision braking, and pre-collision throttle management. Some other features like high beam assist, brake assist, rear-vision camera, and vehicle dynamics control. Also, keyless entry system, multiple airbags, and anti-theft security system. 

Some of the key safety features are: 

• DriverFocus Distraction Mitigation System
• Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
• Blind-Spot Detection with Lane Change Assist
• Rear Cross-Traffic Alert
• Reverse Automatic Braking
• EyeSight Driver Assist Technology
• 180-Degree Front-View Monitor
• STARLINK Safety and Security

2022 Subaru Outback vs 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe

Some people, right off the bat, might appeal more to the looks of the Hyundai Santa Fe rather than the Outback. The Santa Fe has almost a similar level of performance, but it has a better interior and more spacing, which includes cargo spacing too.

The Santa Fe is more oriented at being a family-friendly city or highway cruiser, while the Outback is more rugged and more oriented towards those who like to go off-roading. The Outback has better fuel economy, but other than that not much differentiates the two.

2022 Subaru Outback vs 2022 Toyota RAV4

The Toyota RAV4 and Subaru Outback are both somewhat oriented towards off-roading, but there are differences. The Outback seems more rugged, while the RAV4 seems more polished. The performance is better from the RAV4 as well as the practicality with a spacious cabin and cargo capacity.

The interior is also pretty decent in both of them. Both also have comparable fuel economy figures, but the gas tank on the RAV4 is smaller, which means the Outback takes the win. But other than that, both are very closely matched.

2022 Subaru Outback vs 2022 Honda CR-V

The Honda CR-V is also a decent-looking vehicle that also offers far better performance than the Subaru Outback. The Honda CR-V has an upscale interior, good fuel economy, decent range, and handling, but the Outback has it all too. It’s also a better driver on the road than off the road, unlike the Outback.

Both are pretty closely matched, but buyers must decide what they want. As the CR-V isn't as rugged as the Outback but is suited as a family SUV while the Outback is also decent for a family although there are certain compromises for the ruggedness.

The 2022 Subaru Outback’s main attraction is the Wilderness trim, and anyone who loves venturing into the woods or off the grid should check it out. The turbocharged engine offers a decent boost, and the fuel economy is friendly too. That said, the biggest highlight of the Outback remains its interior packaging. Overall space is also very appreciable along with big cargo storage. For those who want to explore and want a rugged wagon-like utility vehicle which isn't one for the namesake, they should look no further than the 2022 Outback.