2026 Subaru Outback Touring XT Review: Winter Test

Our automotive expert subjects the 2026 Outback to the rigors of harsh winter conditions, testing it in snow and ice.

Benjamin Hunting | 

Mar 13, 2026 | 6 min read

Benjamin Hunting

Pros: Excellent traction on snow and ice, and fun to drive.

Cons: The heated steering wheel might bake your hands, and EyeSight deactivates briefly on cold starts.

The Takeaway: A fantastic winter-focused SUV that stays on brand despite its recent redesign.

The 2026 Subaru Outback proves wonderfully able in winter weather, continuing the recently redesigned SUV's tradition of four-season capability. The Outback has long been one of Subaru's most popular models, and the automaker's depictions of this all-wheel-drive (AWD) midsize SUV bashing through snowbanks and effortlessly navigating slippery roads help explain its appeal. So it only makes sense to put that reputation to the test in real-world winter conditions.

• The Outback is more fun than expected on winter roads
• Deep snow is no challenge for Subaru's 2026 Outback
• EyeSight safety tech on the Outback works as expected, with one exception
• The 2026 Outback's heated steering wheel might require oven mitts

For this cold-weather test, I drove the redesigned 2026 Subaru Outback Touring XT, a model featuring a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine making 260 horsepower and connected to a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). Including its optional $395 River Rock Pearl paint color and $1,450 destination charge, the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) for this vehicle checked in at $49,840.

The mountains of southern Quebec provided the perfect playground to push the Outback's limits, with snow-covered hills, casually maintained gravel roads, and February's deep freeze delivering an assortment of winter's worst driving elements.

Benjamin Hunting

The Outback Is More Fun Than Expected on Winter Roads

QuickTake: The Outback is stable when it needs to be and goes sideways when you want it to.

On snow-covered roads, one immediate difference between the Subaru Outback's AWD system and those in many other SUVs I have driven is how eagerly it sends engine torque to the rear wheels. Push hard on the gas pedal from a standing start, and the Outback's tail kicks casually to the side before reining itself in. The same effect occurs when enthusiastically applying power mid-corner, allowing you to steer with the accelerator as much as the wheel.

Combined with a reasonably responsive turbocharged engine, this playful character makes the midsize Subaru much more fun to drive than its functional appearance might suggest. It's rare that a sport-utility has me grinning on slippery surfaces, but this one did. The Outback's confidence in reeling back any of my overexuberance also proved that its AWD setup is just as good at keeping the vehicle pointed in the safest direction when driven modestly.

For more challenging conditions that require a gentler approach, the Outback offers something called X-Mode. With one push of a button, X-Mode dials down throttle response, redistributes torque to the wheels that have traction, locks in lower gearing, and reconfigures traction and stability control to ensure slow (below 18 mph) and steady forward progress.

It's an effective tool, and what I liked most about it was that if you exceed its max operation speed, it turns itself off — but, crucially, reengages when you slow down, without asking you to tap the button again. This means you can use X-Mode to get going from a stop, drive normally, and then have it back again at the next intersection.

Benjamin Hunting

Deep Snow Is No Challenge for Subaru's 2026 Outback

QuickTake: The Outback handled nearly a foot of snow without getting stuck.

Once I had proved the Subaru's AWD superiority on-road, I attempted a more punishing trajectory. My Outback tester featured 8.7 inches of ground clearance. This Outback is not as focused on tackling off-road conditions as its Outback Wilderness sibling (which has 9.5 inches of ground clearance), but I was curious how deep I could plow through accumulated snow before the SUV cried uncle.

The answer was impressive. I found an unplowed field, aimed the Outback at the center with X-Mode engaged, and discovered that the machine had no trouble dealing with drifts ranging from 6 inches to a foot. Only once did I experience wheelspin in the white stuff, and that was after I had stopped to assess the best path back to civilization.

Remembering that momentum is key to winter traction, I tried a gentle front-to-back rocking and returned the Outback to its ruts on its way back to the road.

Why risk it all in the snowy deeps? On the way to a ski hill, a cabin, or simply coming home in a blizzard where the plows have yet to venture, it's not uncommon for rural drivers to hit this level of accumulation. On winter tires, the Outback proved it has what it takes to make it to a destination safely.

Benjamin Hunting

EyeSight Safety Tech on the Outback Works as Expected, With One Exception

QuickTake: Cold conditions appeared to deactivate the driver-assistance system at start-up.

Subaru's EyeSight advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) relies on cameras mounted at the top of the windshield. I had no issues with the vehicle's adaptive cruise control — even when it was snowing — and both the hands-free steering capability with automatic lane changes (initiated by the driver) and the lane-keeping feature worked as long as snow didn't obscure any lane markers.

This behavior is similar to other safety systems I've evaluated in the winter, with one exception. EyeSight disabled itself on initial startup roughly half the time I hit the ignition button. This seemed particularly problematic on exceptionally cold days, with the dash showing me a message indicating EyeSight was unavailable until the car had either warmed up or been driven for a few minutes.

I checked to see if condensation had frozen between the cameras and the windshield, but didn't observe any obvious issues. Perhaps the lenses themselves fogged and needed the defroster to clear, but I've not experienced this problem with other camera-based systems this often.

Benjamin Hunting

The Outback's Heated Steering Wheel Might Require Oven Mitts

QuickTake: The Outback's toasty cabin occasionally overcompensates.

Winter's chill belongs outside the cabin, not inside, and the Outback's seat heaters were a welcome respite from frostbite on my backside during our week together. I also found the defrost features in both the front and rear to be effective at keeping the glass clear.

The steering wheel heater, on the other hand, was occasionally too eager. One morning, I felt a searing heat through my gloves, and, upon taking them off, found that the bottom half of the wheel was too hot to hold while the top was barely lukewarm. I had to turn off the heater and wait several minutes for it to cool down.

Subaru provided the vehicle for this 2026 Outback review.

Benjamin Hunting

Nearly two decades into his career as an automotive journalist, Benjamin has had his hands greasy, his hair blown back, and his heart broken by more than one project car. In addition to his work at Capital One, he has contributed features and reviews to Motor Trend, Car and Driver, Hagerty, Driving Line, Inside Hook, Super Street, European Car, Roadkill Magazine, Motor 1, The Drive, the Toronto Star, the National Post, Business Insider, NAPA, Autoblog, Automotive News Canada, and AutoGuide. He is also cohost of the Unnamed Automotive Podcast and cocreator of the Code 45 and Dead Air graphic novels. In his spare time, he's a friend to vinyl and enjoys keeping the shiny side up during track days.