2026 Subaru Outback

Subaru’s 2026 Outback is the crossover for people who don’t want to feel like they’re driving a minivan. The BOXER engine delivers 260 horsepower and 31 mpg combined, with standard AWD and 8.7 inches of ground clearance. It’s the practical middle ground: wagon space with SUV capability.

What Outback owners call “the peace of mind” comes from Subaru’s symmetrical AWD grip in rain and light snow, EyeSight Driver Assist suite, and a heritage of vehicles that hit 200k miles without major repairs. The wagon shape means you fold flat cargo floors, keep kids within conversational distance, and resist the premium pricing trap of body-on-frame SUVs. At $30k with destination, it’s the affordable adventure vehicle for Pacific Northwest outdoor culture and anyone skeptical of gigantic, inefficient trucks.

Where it fits

At $30,045 with destination, the Outback lands right in the middle of the CR-V/CX-5/RAV4 compact-SUV price range (all $31,485–$33,350) despite Subaru marketing it as a midsize wagon-SUV — worth cross-shopping against those three if what you actually want is AWD capability and cargo flexibility rather than a specific body style. Its 260 hp is well ahead of all three; its 31 mpg lands in the middle of that group. It’s a different vehicle entirely from the BMW iX covered elsewhere in this guide — that’s a luxury electric SUV at nearly three times the price, not a real alternative for an Outback shopper.