2024 Subaru Outback Performance

With 182 horsepower on tap from its standard naturally aspirated 2.5L engine, the Subaru Outback's 0-60 sprint of around 8.5 seconds is unremarkable. The experience is quite unrefined, exacerbated by the engine's need to rev to get going and the CVT's glee to make it do so - noisily. The noise isn't rewarded with satisfying forward progress, and it gets seriously out of breath loaded up or when towing. A far better bet is the 2.4L turbocharged engine with its 260 hp. A spot of turbo lag and a bit of sleepiness on the CVT's behalf means it needs a moment to get going, but when it does, it's far quicker than the 2.5 and reaches 60 mph in around 6.3 seconds. It's also far more suitable for trailering, and besides being able to tow 3,500 pounds - 800 lbs more than the 2.5 - it does so far more effortlessly. Subaru doesn't quote top-speed figures, but that's hardly what this car is about anyway.

Far more important is the Outback's ability to potter around dirt tracks, and this it does very well, thanks to standard AWD, 8.7 inches of ground clearance, and a supple ride. The Wilderness is hoisted up to 9.5 inches, and its special bumpers allow better approach and departure angles, so along with its all-terrain tires, special off-road-optimized X-Mode, and front skid plate, a well-driven one might give the odd hesitant "real" SUV a bit of a fright, off the beaten track.

There are two Subaru Outback engine choices. The standard engine is a naturally aspirated Boxer four-cylinder with 182 hp and 176 lb-ft of torque and the other option is a 2.4-liter turbocharged Boxer four-cylinder with 260 hp and 277 lb-ft. In both cases, the drivetrain comprises a CVT automatic with an eight-speed manual shift mode and Subaru's symmetrical all-wheel drive.

The two base trims can only be had with the 2.5, the Wilderness can only be had with the 2.4 turbo, and all other trims give you a choice of either. In all cases, the transmission isn't particularly enthusiastic, with a penchant for lethargic responses.

Fast it might not be, but the EPA estimates for the base 2.5-liter Subaru Outback's gas mileage are quite good - 26/32/28 mpg on the city/highway/combined cycles. The more powerful turbocharged Outback's mpg figures are worse: 22/29/25 mpg. The heaviest on fuel in the lineup is the turbocharged Wilderness with its increased ride height and all-terrain tires; it gets 21/26/23 mpg.

All Outbacks have the same fuel capacity of 18.5 gallons, which means the 2.5-powered versions will give you a range of about 518 miles on a tank on the combined cycle. At the other end of the scale, the Wilderness 2.4 turbo cuts that figure down to 426 miles.