Thanks to his well-built vehicles, he earned legions of . The Subaru Outback is one of the Japanese automaker’s most popular models. But despite that, the owners have some issues with it. Here’s a look at two parts of the Subaru Outback that owners like the least.
What did a recent study by JD Power reveal about the Subaru Outback?
recently completed its 2022 APEAL (Automotive Performance, Execution, and Layout) study. Gathers information on new cars from real owners. Thousands of verified respondents participated in this year’s study. Everyone had to own their vehicles for at least 90 days to submit a survey.
. They also liked the way Subaru designed the exterior and interior of the vehicle. Lastly, the owners have had fun in and out of this model.
Subaru Outback owners like the infotainment system and fuel economy less
The Subaru Outback didn’t perform quite as well in terms of ride comfort and SUV tuning and starting. It also didn’t impress the owners. But the lowest-scoring categories were the SUV’s infotainment system and fuel economy. Since a car’s fuel economy is directly related to its powertrain, it makes sense for owners to rate both areas poorly.
The latest Subaru Outback has two engine options, starting with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder that produces 182hp. The optional engine is a 2.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder that produces 260bhp. Both mate with a continuously variable transmission, and all-wheel drive is standard. The base engine lets this Subie get 26 mpg city, 32 mpg highway, and 29 mpg combined. The optional turbo engine only gets about 26 mpg combined. And, packing the turbocharged engine, it gets even worse fuel economy of 24 mpg combined.
As for the infotainment system, the all-new Outback features two 7.0-inch touchscreens, and owners can also equip the SUV with an 11.6-inch vertical touchscreen.
It makes sense that the owners liked those aspects less
According to JD Power, Subaru says this new infotainment system provides on-screen performance improvements over previous model years. While the site’s reviewers agree with that statement, the new infotainment system also has its share of problems. For example, the SUV’s built-in voice recognition system isn’t great and recommends drivers use Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.
And as for the , it’s actually decent for the segment because most other midsize SUVs are too big to get excellent gas mileage. Additionally, the Outback has all-wheel drive as a standard feature. This is useful for drivers who like a little off-road, but all-wheel drive reduces a car’s fuel consumption somewhat. As such, the Outback’s mediocre fuel economy only comes with the Territory.
