2018 Subaru Outback Touring Is An Easy Review

This will be one of the easiest reviews I’ve written.  “Why?” you may ask.  Well, my family owns a 2017 Outback.  My colleague and web producer at WFYI just bought a 2018 Outback.  A co-worker owns a 2016 Outback.  I have some experience with this car, and the changes made for 2018 make it even better.  Let’s explore.

None of us have an Outback as nice as this one.  It’s the top-end Touring edition that’s distinguished visually by a slimmer roof rack, 18-inch alloy wheels, chrome in door handles, and chrome lower body trim.  While it doesn’t have the roof rack with integrated cross rails, it does look a little more upscale in the car park.  Adaptive LED headlamps put a shine on it.  Like other 2018 Outbacks, the Touring has a sportier grille with dark slats.  Gray lower body cladding repels rocks and sticks should you go off-road – and given 8.7 inches of ground clearance, you certainly can.

Posh Interior

Most owners will choose the Touring for its posh interior.  Exclusive Java brown leather with tan stitching upholsters the seats and doors while woodgrain dresses the dash.  Special floormats complete the look.  For 2018, the infotainment screen was simplified with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto added.  Dual-zone automatic climate controls how have temperature read-outs in the knobs.  Harman Kardon audio, power sunroof, heated seats front/rear, and a heated steering wheel add comfort for weary travelers.  Little details like rear seat USB ports, rotating headrests, extendable sunvisors, and blue ambient lighting matter.

So does safety, and Outback Touring is stocked with all of the latest tech.  That includes Subaru’s twin-camera EyeSight system that handles the lane departure warning, lane keep assist, forward collision mitigation, and adaptive cruise control systems.  There’s also a standard rear camera and blind spot sensors.  Outback routinely gets high honors in independent crash tests.  For serious off-roaders there’s X-Mode, which modulates the powertrain hill descent control that keeps a pre-set speed going downhill without brake or throttle intervention by the driver.

All-Wheel-Drive

If you want to go fast, choose the 256 horsepower 3.6-liter flat-six engine.  But, if you want adequate power with excellent fuel economy, choose the 175 horsepower 2.5-liter flat-four and its 25/32-MPG city/highway.  Both engines connect to the standard torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system through a continuously variable automatic transmission.  Compared to last year, the transmission seems to shift smoother and is noticeably quieter.  Finally, I could barely notice there was a CVT instead of traditional gears.  Nice.

Typical Subaru owners will drive the wheels off of their Outbacks.  My family has already made round-trips from Indianapolis to Memphis, Tennessee and Dallas, Texas.  Seats are supportive, the car achieves excellent fuel economy, there’s plenty of rear legroom, and given the roomy cargo area, my 4-year-old daughter can bring everything she owns (and, she owns a lot).  Even after 1,000-mile drives, we were little weary.  And, there’s something about knowing no matter what weather or roads come at you, the Outback can handle them.

The Outback is priced like a compact crossover, has the space of a mid-size crossover, and harbors enough capability to challenge fairly serious off-roaders.  Go online and search “Outback + Off-Road” or “Outback + Snow” to be impressed.  It’s surprisingly affordable with a base price of $25,895 or $36,490 fully loaded in Touring trim.  All that, and it’s built in Lafayette, Indiana by an environmentally-responsible company.  I’d buy another – a pretty easy decision.

Storm Forward!

View Casey’s video of the Outback; follow him on YouTube and Twitter:  @AutoCasey.

2018 Subaru Outback Touring

• Five-passenger, AWD Crossover
• Powertrain: 175hp 2.5-liter H4, CVT auto trans
• Wheels f/r: 18”/18” alloy
• Brakes f/r: disc/disc
• Must-have features: Comfort, Capability
• Towing:  2,700 lbs
• Fuel economy: 25/32 mpg city/hwy
• Assembly: Lafayette, IN
• Base/as-tested price: $25,895/36,490