2023 Subaru Outback

The price of the new 2023 Subaru Outback Base trim, starting at $28,395, makes it the cheapest model in the lineup. The steps up in price of the next two trims are small, with the Premium costing $30,695 and the Onyx Edition $33,495. The Onyx Edition XT adds the turbocharged engine, moonroof, and little else; it will cost you $38,595. There is a slightly smaller gap between the $35,295 Limited and $39,695 Limited XT. The off-road-focused Wilderness costs $38,445. The most luxurious trim is the Touring - the normal one goes for $39,845 and the Touring XT for $42,295. In each case, this is the respective Subaru Outback trim's MSRP and excludes the destination and delivery fee of $1,225.

The Outback makes no pretensions to sportiness and has a clear focus on providing a soft ride that soaks up shocks and vibrations before they reach the cabin. This is perfect for around-town and highway driving where it deals with manhole covers and expansion joints without fuss. The comfort bias also serves it well in its intended role of traversing rough roads and forays off the beaten track. Thanks to its car platform with a lower center of gravity than a typical SUV, it goes around corners securely and gives a convincing enough impression of car-like handling, but it's not a fun car in this respect and doesn't want to be hustled. Although there's decent feel and feedback to the steering, it leans a bit and doesn't feel athletic. This is exacerbated by the underpowered 182-horsepower base engine and recalcitrant CVT, which is lazily set up and sends the engine revving often - contributing to the noticeable noise levels inside the Outback. The 260-hp turbo engine gels better with the CVT, but it's still slow to wake up, and the engine can be laggy, so it responds best to a measured rather than enthusiastic approach.

It's not easy to pigeonhole the Outback because it's unique in its class. It's a lifted station wagon with rugged styling in the mold of Volvo's Cross Country wagon models, but with surprising off-road ability that easily surpasses competitors and rivals many SUVs - especially in the Wilderness configuration. Yet it doesn't quite give off the vibe of a proper high-riding SUV and may be unfairly dismissed as just another out-of-fashion station wagon. Many people will fail to get it, shrug their shoulders, and opt for the "real thing" instead, but we think the Outback strikes an excellent balance between car-like usability and sufficient off-road talent to meet most lifestyle needs. It's more responsible and less ostentatious than an SUV, but won't cramp your camping style. The fact that it sells so well demonstrates that many Americans agree with this view - and we can't fault them for buying the excellent Outback.

The Base trim misses out on many cool features and both it and the Premium are underpowered and in an unhappy marriage with the whiny CVT auto, so we'd definitely skip both. You'll already know if you're a Wilderness customer and if you want the ultimate off-road-optimized Outback that can stray surprisingly far off the beaten track, go for it, by all means. But for us, the normal Outback is more than off-road capable enough for the places we want to go and we'd rather spend the Wilderness money used for off-road kit on the more luxurious Onyx Edition XT. It's the cheapest Outback with the much-needed turbocharged engine and you come out on the palatable side of $40k, even with destination added. It is freshly upspecced this year and comes with navigation, a moonroof, and the new 180-degree front camera. The StarTex upholstery is an acceptable substitute for the Limited's leather and the mid-range six-speaker audio system is adequate, if not spectacular.