2026 Subaru Outback Tested: Moving Away from Its Wagon Roots to Become an SUV
Key takeaways
- Once a lifted station wagon, the redesigned Subaru Outback is now a mid-size SUV.
- View exterior photos David Bush|Car and Driver05/11/26 UPDATE: This review has been updated with instrumented test results.
- It's hard to say that a car that sells over 150,000 units almost every year has a cult following, but the Subaru Outback comes close.
Why this matters: an automotive development that could shape industry direction or buying decisions.
Once a lifted station wagon, the redesigned Subaru Outback is now a mid-size SUV.
View exterior photos David Bush|Car and Driver05/11/26 UPDATE: This review has been updated with instrumented test results.
It's hard to say that a car that sells over 150,000 units almost every year has a cult following, but the Subaru Outback comes close. As it celebrates its 30th anniversary, this once-quirky SUV-ified wagon has maintained a loyal fan base. Since the Outback name first appeared on a modified version of a Legacy station wagon in the 1990s, that fan base has grown dramatically, and the Outback is now a remarkably popular model in the wider marketplace. The outgoing model is now the only wagon to sell in any significant numbers in the United States, and it has in fact outlasted its donor car, as the Legacy sedan has disappeared from the Subaru lineup.