2025 Subaru Outback

Overview

2025 Subaru Outback

Perry Stern | 

5 min read

Subaru
What's New for the 2025 Subaru Outback

The 2025 Subaru Outback remains largely unchanged, with only minor feature updates to the Limited trim level. This comes after a significant update for the 2023 model year. Subaru is debuting an all-new Outback in 2026.

Introduced in the late 1990s as a rugged version of the Legacy station wagon, the Outback has grown to become one of Subaru's most popular models. More wagon than SUV, the 2025 Outback stands out with a spacious cabin, standard all-wheel drive, and raised ground clearance, making it a great choice for adventures off the beaten path.

Pros

• Impressive off-road capability for a crossover
• Good cargo capacity for the segment
• Offers more passenger space than some rivals   

Cons

• Some competitors offer more power
• No hybrid option

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2025 Subaru Outback Trim Levels

The Subaru Outback is a crossover SUV with raised ground clearance and standard all-wheel drive. It seats five people and is offered in nine trim levels: base, Premium, Onyx Edition, Onyx Edition XT, Limited, Limited XT, Touring, Touring XT, and Wilderness.

Trim levels without "XT" in their name come with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 182 horsepower and 176 lb-ft of torque. The XT and the Outback Wilderness upgrade to a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine delivering 260 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque. A continuously variable transmission is standard with either engine, and every Outback features standard AWD, Subaru's X-Mode drivetrain technology with hill-descent control, and active torque vectoring.

The highlights of each trim level are in the sections that follow.

• Base

The entry-level Outback comes with 17-inch black alloy wheels, steering-responsive LED headlights with automatic high-beam assist, and raised roof rails. The cabin features single-zone automatic climate control, a height-adjustable driver's seat, dual 7.0-inch display screens, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, and SiriusXM satellite radio.

• Premium

The Outback Premium adds heated exterior mirrors, a windshield wiper de-icer system, and dark-tinted rear privacy glass. Inside, the cabin features dual-zone automatic climate control, a 10-way power-adjustable driver's seat, and heated front seats. The Outback Premium also has an 11.6-inch infotainment touchscreen with connected services access and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.

• Onyx Edition

With a trim-specific look, the Onyx Edition builds on the Premium with 18-inch alloy wheels, dual-function X-Mode with Snow/Dirt and Deep Snow/Mud settings, keyless PIN code access to the cabin, and a hands-free power liftgate. This trim also features a power sunroof, Subaru's StarTex synthetic-leather upholstery, a heated steering wheel, and an 8-way power-adjustable front passenger's seat.

• Onyx Edition XT

While it has the same basic features as the Onyx Edition, the XT upgrades with a more powerful turbocharged engine and manual-mode paddle shifters. The interior adds heated rear seats and a 180-degree front-view camera.

• Limited

The Limited is also a step above the Premium, featuring 18-inch alloy wheels with a machined finish, a power sunroof, and a hands-free power liftgate. Inside, the Limited adds leather upholstery, a power-adjustable front passenger seat, heated rear seats, and a heated steering wheel. Tech enhancements include a navigation system and a 576-watt Harman Kardon audio system with 12 speakers.

• Limited XT

On top of the Limited's feature set, the XT adds the turbocharged engine and paddle shifters.

• Touring

The Touring builds on the Limited with a fancier exterior look, premium leather upholstery, ventilated front seats, eight cargo tie-down hooks, and a 180-degree front-view camera.

• Touring XT

The turbocharged engine and paddle shifters are the main differences between the Touring and Touring XT.

• Wilderness

Standing out from the rest of the lineup, the Wilderness blends elements of the Premium and Onyx Edition with exclusive upgrades to enhance its off-roading capability. Highlights include a standard turbocharged engine, dual-function X-Mode, 17-inch matte-black wheels wrapped in all-terrain tires, and raised ground clearance. The Wilderness has revised front and rear bumper designs, a unique grille, and hexagonal LED fog lights Trim-specific anodized copper accents identify this version of the Outback, which has standard StarTex upholstery and the premium Harman Kardon audio system.

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2025 Subaru Outback Cargo Capacity and Towing

The 2025 Subaru Outback offers 32.6 cubic-feet of space behind the rear seats, more than enough room for a few suitcases or a visit to the garden store. That expands to 75.6 cu-ft when the rear seats are flat. The low liftover height and large hatch opening make the Outback easy to load, and available tie-down hooks help to keep your cargo from shifting.

If your Outback has the standard 2.5-liter engine, it can tow up to 2,700 pounds. That figure increases to 3,500 pounds with the turbocharged 2.4-liter engine.

2025 Subaru Outback Fuel Economy

The 2025 Subaru Outback gets an EPA-estimated 28 mpg in combined city and highway driving with the 2.5-liter engine. Upgrade to the more powerful turbocharged 2.4-liter engine, and fuel economy drops to 25 mpg combined. With its higher ground clearance and off-road tires, the Outback Wilderness earns an estimated 23 mpg combined.

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2025 Subaru Outback Safety Ratings and Features

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave the 2025 Outback a five-star overall safety rating, the highest available. In tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Outback earned the highest rating of "Good" in the small overlap front and side-impact crash tests, but it only got a "Marginal" rating in the moderate overlap front-impact test.

All variants of the Subaru Outback come standard with EyeSight, the automaker's collection of advanced driver-assistance systems. These include adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and lane-centering assist. Higher trims are available with blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert with rear automatic braking, lane-change assist, a 180-degree front-view monitor, and automatic emergency steering.

Perry Stern

As a small child, Perry was constantly playing with toy cars and trucks, and that enthusiasm for anything motorized with wheels never faded. After college, he moved to Seattle and began his long automotive career working in an automotive consulting firm, helping customers choose the right vehicle for their needs. In the late 1990s, Perry joined Microsoft to work on CarPoint, part of the new Microsoft Network (MSN). He went on to become editor of the site, remaining on staff for 20 years before venturing out on his own. Today, in addition to his work on Capital One Auto Navigator, he still contributes to MSN, as well as J.D. Power, TrueCar.com, and U.S. News & World Report. Perry lives in the small town of Dexter, Michigan, with his wife and dog, and he still smiles when he sees his 2006 Mazda Miata in the garage.