Costs & verdict
Everyday costs, plus how reliable and safe it is
The Subaru Outback in entry-level Limited form is very reasonable. It costs less than the smaller Volkswagen Golf Alltrack, and considerably less than the Cross Country versions of the Volvo V60 and Volvo V90. Even more remarkable is the fact that the Outback is likely to maintain its value far better than those rivals.
The Outback would make a lousy company car due to its high emissions putting it in the top bracket for benefit-in-kind (BIK) tax. Fuel economy isn’t anything to right home about, either. The 33.0mpg combined figure is very low compared with far faster rivals. That’s the price you have to pay for permanent four-wheel drive, unfortunately.
Automatic emergency braking (AEB) is a given, as is lane-keep assistance and traffic sign recognition. There’s also blindspot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert to warn of objects crossing your path while backing up, along with an auto brake feature to stop you reversing into stuff.
Subaru didn’t feature in our latest 2021 What Car? Reliability Survey, but if you end up having a problem, there’s a three year or 60,000 mile warranty.
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