Why The 2025 Subaru Outback Touring XT Is Still The King Of The Midsize Crossovers

If longevity is a measure of success, the Subaru Outback deserves to be on the Mount Rushmore of crossovers. Before the Honda CR-V, before the Toyota RAV4, before its Forester brother, the Outback staked a flag that flies so high, you could see it from Portland to, well, the other Portland. Since then, it’s become America’s favorite wagon, a mainstream model that’s defied the odds and continues to sell in relatively huge numbers. After spending two weeks in the 2025 Subaru Outback Touring XT, it’s easy to see why this raised, plastic-clad wagon keeps loyal fans coming back for more.

First, a little note. The Subaru Outback Touring XT is sold as the Premier XT in Canada, and that’s what we’re actually testing here. They’re pretty much identical, so think of the two as interchangeable. Anyway, on with the show!

[Full disclosure: Subaru Canada let me borrow this Outback for two weeks over Christmas so long as I returned it with a full tank of fuel, kept the shiny side up, and reviewed it.]

The Basics

As-tested price: $44,330 including freight ($50,574 Canadian).

Engine: 2.4-liter turbocharged 16-valve flat-four with direct injection.

Transmission: Continuously variable transmission.

Drive: All-wheel drive.

Output: 260 horsepower at 5,600 rpm, 277 lb.-ft. at 2,000 to 4,800 rpm.

Curb weight: 3,946 pounds (1,790 kilograms)

Fuel economy: 22 mpg city, 29 mpg highway, 25 mpg combined.

Body style: Soft-roady midsize wagon.

Why Does It Exist?

It’s hard to believe that it’s been three decades since Subaru first lifted a Legacy wagon, added cladding, and called it an Outback, but time has a habit of flying by like an Altima on temp tags. In an era when mainstream wagons still existed, SUVs were for people who actually went off-road, and the term “crossover” hadn’t been rigidly defined, the Legacy Outback was an instant hit. What do you do with a hit? You stick with it.

These days, the Subaru Outback is the OG of the midsize crossover scene, slowly adopting more SUV-like traits over the past decade while not forgetting where it came from. Considering it continues to be one of the best-selling vehicles in Subaru’s portfolio, it really makes you wonder why more automakers haven’t tried to copy it.

How Does It Look?

If you take a close look at the styling of the Subaru Outback Touring XT, you’ll find that it doesn’t take well to dissection. The grille’s a little too big, the unpainted plastic wings on the corners of the front bumper feel slightly out of place, and the wheel arch trims are oddly misshapen. However, zoom out a bit, and you’ll find the real aesthetic appeal of the Outback, namely that it still looks pretty much like a wagon.

Maybe there’s something ingrained in us about liking cars that look long and relatively low, but the fact that the Outback doesn’t look as upright as most other midsize crossovers gives it a certain elegance that allows it to get away with fiddly and odd details. Think of it like a Wellington boot — its visual appeal derives from its practical form, a focus on function that created an archetype.

How About The Inside?

Slide behind the wheel of the Outback Touring XT, and it feels like the designers paid more attention to detail than in some of Subaru’s less expensive models. For instance, the dash pad and gauge hood are one soft-touch plastic molding, the armrests are properly plush, and the door cards are less busy than the ones in a Crosstrek. If there’s one material miss here, it’s the slab of shiny black plastic around the shifter that was already scratched quite badly when I picked up my test car.

This tippy-top Outback trim largely makes its price tag known thanks to gorgeous brown Nappa leather that’s wonderfully smooth and has the right sort of coppery tint to it. You can also spec a black interior in America, but given how this brown lightens up the cabin, why would you? Complementing this, Subaru’s reupholstered the steering wheel in smooth-grain leather and that touch point alone genuinely feels worth the cost of the top trim. The steering wheel’s one thing you’re constantly touching every time you drive a car, so why not go for a nice one?

When it comes to comfort, the seats with adjustable thigh support for the driver are all-day comfortable, there’s loads of headroom and legroom on offer, and the cargo space is about the same size as a storage locker. The Outback offers a whopping 42 inches of cargo area length with the rear seats up, and with 43.3 inches of space between the rear wheel wells, you can fit a ton of stuff in the back without breaching the window line. Speaking of windows, visibility in this wagon-cum-crossover is what you’d expect from a 2000s car, not from a modern one. It’s almost panoramic, and a breath of fresh air in an age of often slim views out.

How Does It Drive?

Prod the starter button and it’ll soon be apparent that the star of the Outback XT’s driving experience is the 2.4-liter turbocharged flat-four. With a Kansas-sized torque plateau starting from 2,000 rpm and peak power coming in past 5,500 rpm, it makes this family-sized crossover quicker than you might expect. Sure, the addition of a turbocharged engine doesn’t suddenly transform the Outback into a sleeper, but with an eager pull to 60 mph, it feels close to the real-world straight-line pace of previous-generation entry level sports sedans. Just as importantly, this engine has character, from the imperious way it bursts into life to the signature secondary balance of a boxer-four layout.

The only transmission on offer in the Outback XT is a continuously variable transmission. Before you rush to complain, you should probably know that Subaru’s actually done well tuning this thing. The calibration engineers seem to understand that an accelerator pedal is really a torque request pedal, so when you request more torque from the turbocharged Outback, the CVT will quickly pick a ratio and get the job done. It’s quicker and more precise than most conventional automatics in the segment, and although prolonged wide-open-throttle will have the engine screaming at power peak, in most situations, the CVT’s remarkably pleasant.

Alright, so the powertrain’s pretty good, but what about ride and handling? While the steering hardly transmits any texture to the driver, it weights up beautifully as cornering forces rise, although I’d need to try the Outback on its factory all-season tires to confirm. It’s a bit feathery on-center though, so you might find yourself making little adjustments to maintain a straight heading. As you’d probably expect from something with plenty of sidewall and ample ground clearance for when you arrive home to find the snow plow’s dumped several inches of hard-packed white bullshit against the entrance to your driveway, the ride in the Outback XT is exceptionally good, rounding off bumps and ruts nicely without ever feeling floaty. Road noise is also beautifully subdued. It’s exactly what you’d want from a midsize crossover, so it’s easy to see why so many people get on with the Outback.

Does It Have The Electronic Crap I Want?

While the Subaru Outback Touring XT has plenty of gizmos, this probably isn’t the place you’ll find the newest tech in the segment. Subaru’s familiar 11.6-inch portrait-style touchscreen makes an appearance here, and unfortunately the familiar characteristic of the screen washing out in bright sunlight has also carried over. This infotainment system is far nicer to use than the infotainment system in the Honda Passport, but it’s not as slick or as quick to boot as the user interface in the Toyota Crown Signia. Still, Apple CarPlay works nicely and Android Auto is on deck. As for the Harman/Kardon sound system, it’s probably not an audiophile’s first choice. This 576-watt setup has plenty of power and bass, but it also definitely has flaws, such as the harsh, metallic nature of the treble and a coldness baked into bass reproduction.

When it comes to other toys, you get heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, and a heated steering wheel, although it is annoying having to use the touchscreen to set the seat temperature. A front-facing camera is a nice touch for parallel parking, all four windows feature automatic up-and-down functions, and the power liftgate with adjustable height and a convenient tailgate-mounted lock button for the smart key system is well thought-out. It would be nice if the USB-C port below the touchscreen had brighter illumination, if the touchscreen could hold up to direct sunlight, and if a panoramic moonroof was available, but a lot of the core features buyers are looking for including a comprehensive advanced driver assistance system suite are here.

However, the fact that much of the tech feels a bit last-generation compared to the rest of the segment means it’s pleasantly simple. You still get real gauges, real volume and tuning knobs, a real button for the heated steering wheel, and a physical shifter instead of a fiddly electronic one. The Outback Touring XT might not have all the electronic crap you want, but it also doesn’t have a lot of electronic crap you don’t want, and that’s just as important.

Three Things To Know About The 2025 Subaru Outback Touring XT

1. It has 8.7 inches of ground clearance, more than most crossovers.
2. The turbocharged powertrain makes it surprisingly quick.
3. Its steering is unexpectedly good.

Does It Fulfill Its Purpose?

The Subaru Outback Touring XT fulfills its purpose better than just about any other competitor. It’s hugely roomy, drives well, is well-equipped, certainly isn’t slow, and still offers competitive economy. Especially in the snow belt, raised wagons just make sense, and it’s easy to tell that Subaru has three decades of experience in this genre. I’ve tested a lot of crossovers over the past five years, and this is definitely one I’d want to take home. The Outback Touring XT is so fit for purpose, there’s no wonder customers are so loyal.

What’s The Punctum Of The 2025 Subaru Outback Touring XT?

The longest-running crossover nameplate on sale today is still the king of the midsizers.

Photo credits: Thomas Hundal

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