The Subaru Outback is a rarity, in that it’s one of the few station wagons left on the market from a mainstream brand. As such, this family-friendly vehicle competes with vehicles like the Audi Allroad and the Volvo V60, alongside crossovers like the Toyota RAV4 and the Honda CR-V.

What’s New for the 2024 Subaru Outback

The 2024 Subaru Outback carries over mostly unchanged following a facelift in 2023. This year, Subaru shuffles around some features in the mid-tier trims and updates the front end of the rugged Outback Wilderness model for a tougher, more substantial look. The Outback was last fully redesigned for the 2020 model year.

Design

The Subaru Outback is functional and comfortable, and every aspect of its design furthers one of those two objectives. It’s a great alternative to a crossover for people who frequently need to access roof rack storage or accessories, yet it has plenty of space for families and all their gear. It’s easy to climb in and out of, as well. The Outback is arguably a good-looking vehicle, too, particularly in Onyx Edition trims, which feature dark exterior accents and exclusive upholstery patterns, and in Wilderness models, which get orange exterior accents, a new front fascia for 2024, and yet again more exclusive interior trims. It’s not as glam as the luxury models that populate the station wagon segment, but its design is every bit as thoughtful.

Powertrain

The 2024 Outback is available with two engines. The base engine is a 2.5-liter flat-four, rated for 182 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque, and the optional engine is a turbocharged 2.4-liter flat-four with 260 hp and 277 lb-ft. Both get a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) and standard all-wheel drive (AWD). With the turbo engine, the Outback can tow up to 3,500 pounds. Outback models with the base engine are rated for 28 mpg combined, and the EPA says to expect 25 mpg combined from the turbo engine, except for Wilderness models, which drop to 23 mpg combined.

Interior

The Outback’s cabin is comfortable, with supportive seats and good quality upholstery. It's also functional, with plenty of storage and necessary physical controls placed within easy reach. Depending on trim level, there’s a range of color options. The upper-level trims get lovely leather with contrast stitching for a truly premium look and feel, while the Onyx XT and particularly the Wilderness models take their branding seriously, with touches like neon contrast stitching (it looks better than it sounds) and embossed logos throughout. Hard plastic trim is found throughout the cabin, but it’s functional, too; the sturdy storage and the textured steps built into the door sills for easy roof access are perfect examples.

Technology

The 2024 Outback comes standard with a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system that offers wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. Every model above the base trim gets a tablet-style 11.6-inch touchscreen with some physical controls and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Subaru offers navigation, a Harman Kardon audio system, and wireless charging.

Safety

This generation of the Subaru Outback earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick+ rating as well as a five-star overall safety rating from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The Outback comes standard with adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and lane-centering assist. Options include blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, automatic emergency steering assist for collision avoidance, and a wide-angle mono camera.

Pricing

The 2024 Subaru Outback is a great value when compared both to other station wagons and to the two-row crossovers that make up its more realistic competition. As of this writing, Subaru lists pricing for the 2024 Outback starting at $28,895. From there, the lineup includes Premium ($31,195), Onyx Edition ($36,105), Limited ($35,795), Touring ($40,345), Onyx XT ($39,360), Wilderness Edition ($39,960), Limited XT ($40,195), and Touring XT ($42,795). The 2024 Subaru Outback is on sale now.