Topic: 2024 Subaru Outback Onyx

[Blueprint]

The revenge of the long roofs!

The Outback is the lone remaining affordable & genuine station wagon, but yes, it is on stilts, there's no diesel, nor manual but hey - std awd, and there's a brown-ish colour available!

Poor old AMC was too ahead of its time. 10 years later, Crocodile Dundee pitched the Outback and the market never looked back. 2024 marks the Outback's 30th season, and I managed to land one in middle trim spec with the atmo engine. Let's go.


https://www.autohebdo.net/editorial/20240509/subaru-outback-onyx-2024-essai-routier/#images-1

[Blueprint]

Looks

Hope you like cladding. The latest gen has lots of it, and appears grey-plastic heavy from the rear ¾ view. Artic Silver and the Onyx trim (Subaru's de rigueur "black" pkg) make the best of it and along with the gunmetal wheels I think this one looks ok. The nifty roof rails are too massive for my tastes, but at least they hide the folding crossbars. With all the wind racket they create, I'd love to remove them if this was my car. Current refresh appeared last year, except on the Wilderness, but the outbacked Outback gets the refresh too this year.

[Blueprint]

Interior / room

This is where you get that the Outback is a long roof sedan, and not an SUV. Slip inside (right height) and this feels like Dad's sedan, not some soccer mom's SUV. The shades of black and grey blend well, and even the massive screen looks good thanks to its integration in the dash. The Onyx trim brings super cleanable and super slippery fabric, but also some neat stitching and contrasting elements. There's a premium vibe that I like here, and it's not surprising that a lot of middle class consumers here dropped Volvo went it moved upmarket and headed straight to Subaru.

Room is as expected of a midsize sedan, the one concession to SUVs being the big hump in the back that renders difficult 3-accross seating. But the long roof secret is back there, in that warehouse of a trunk. Flip all seats down, and an Outback offers more volume than an Ascent with both rows folded.

[Blueprint]

Power

Funny how 200 kilos change everything. My same colour, same engine Crosstrek is a frisky puppy next to this. The atmo 2.5 is taxed by the Outback's weight, and the CVT becomes tiresome in town when you need to relaunch that mass stop sign after stop sign. It's fine otherwise, but there is little reserve here for passing, and long uphills will drone, guaranteed. The atmo Outback will still pull 2700 lbs, and the excellent awd is bonused by X-Mode here in the Onyx trim. More soundproofing would help the ears with the "adequate" rating here.

[Blueprint]

Driving

Miss the sweet ride of the yank tanks and old school French cars? Then this is for you. Even with the narrower sidewalls of the Onyx, the Outback sands away the ridges, crevisses and potholes of spring in a most efficient way. Subaru's large platform seats are regal, even more so in the Limited trim, making for one comfy cruiser. Notice how I'm not mentioning driving. Push the Outback in a cloverleaf and it will have all the grace of a deer on ice. It just falls on its sidewalls, scrubbing rubber and wandering why you hate it so much. The Outback has rally car genes - the nastier the road and the conditions, the better it will be at carrying pace with grace. But dry pavement invokes cruise mode, period.

[Blueprint]

Value

Despite its odd twin-screen setup and key barrel ignition, the base Convenience is a compelling deal at only $36,563, heated steering and other goodies baked in, but the Touring nails the value equation for an extra $4,300 (big screen, power hatch, dual zone auto HVAC, sunroof, etc.). Higher up, only $700 splits the difference between this Onyx and a Limited, and I would splurge here to get the real Leather and those regal thrones up front. The turbo editions are dearer and can ring the register up to $50k. But compare this with the premium brand wagons and even mainstream compact SUVs and the Outback is one heck of a bargain. It's even good on gas, my weekly avg being 9,6 l/100 km on snow tires in urban conditions (stop-start activated for 17 minutes during my loan).

[Blueprint]

Final thoughts

The Outback won't break lap records, nor will it climb up Moab's worst trails. But it sure as heck won't rub its chin climbing a driveway and will claw its way up the worst cottage roads you can find. And you'll get there using less gas than most compact SUVs, and in full sedan comfort. Its flaws - engine, cvt noise - give it personality, its roominess will shame most 3-row mall brawlers, it will pamper you on your commute (and your ears - excellent stereo) and won't ruin you while doing so. The Outback is the golden retriever of family cars, just plain friendly, if not that trendy.

[OliverD]

Sorry, but that is a crossover, not a wagon.

[Blueprint]

Sorry, but that is a crossover, not a wagon.

Levorg wagon with a lift kit, but yes marketed as a crossover. But it's a wagon with a car architecture.

[Blueprint]

I'd like this version:

[OliverD]

Que? The Levorg is the Impreza wagon.

[sszoomzoom]

Blueprint I very much enjoy reading your reviews. I find them refreshing and honest, without fluff.
I like how you calling this a golden retriever.
I’m looking forward to your next one.
What’s your next one?

[Blueprint]

Que? The Levorg is the Impreza wagon.

I need to brush up on my JDM Still a wagon with a lift kit though.

[Blueprint]

Blueprint I very much enjoy reading your reviews. I find them refreshing and honest, without fluff.
I like how you calling this a golden retriever.
I’m looking forward to your next one.
What’s your next one?

Thanks! Kona EV is next in line to go live. Driving an XT4 this week, then Expedition and … F-Type.

[sszoomzoom]

Blueprint I very much enjoy reading your reviews. I find them refreshing and honest, without fluff.
I like how you calling this a golden retriever.
I’m looking forward to your next one.
What’s your next one?

Thanks! Kona EV is next in line to go live. Driving an XT4 this week, then Expedition and … F-Type.

Interesting line up. EV, Caddy and Jag
You have a cool job.

[rrocket]

Que? The Levorg is the Impreza wagon.

They all use the same platform these days.

But yea, the Levorg was the WRX/Impreza.

The Outback was based on the Legacy.

[sailor723]

The revenge of the long roofs!

The Outback is the lone remaining affordable & genuine station wagon, but yes, it is on stilts, there's no diesel, nor manual but hey - std awd, and there's a brown-ish colour available!

Poor old AMC was too ahead of its time. 10 years later, Crocodile Dundee pitched the Outback and the market never looked back. 2024 marks the Outback's 30th season, and I managed to land one in middle trim spec with the atmo engine. Let's go.


https://www.autohebdo.net/editorial/20240509/subaru-outback-onyx-2024-essai-routier/#images-1

Friend of mine had an Eagle Wagon back in the day. Definitely ahead of it's time and surprisingly capable in the snow.  I was with him one time when we were forced to take the ditch when an oncoming car spun out and crossed into our lane on the TCH. He flipped the switch on the dash for 4WD and that little thing chewed its way back up the bank onto the highway. I remember being very impressed.

[PJungnitsch]

Interesting. Back when we were looking for vehicles everything was scarce, and with a base Outback and a base Forester about the same price as a mid level Crosstrek we would have gone with whichever one we found in stock

Happy we ended up with the Crosstrek, the Outback is just too much big ass station wagon for me, especially for running around town

Might consider one as a RX replacement someday though, especially if the seats in the Limited are as comfortable as you say and they come out with a hybrid

[Blueprint]

Interesting. Back when we were looking for vehicles everything was scarce, and with a base Outback and a base Forester about the same price as a mid level Crosstrek we would have gone with whichever one we found in stock

Happy we ended up with the Crosstrek, the Outback is just too much big ass station wagon for me, especially for running around town

Might consider one as a RX replacement someday though, especially if the seats in the Limited are as comfortable as you say and they come out with a hybrid

I did 800km, most of it during two long highway stints, in a Legacy Limited - best seats my behind has ever sat in, and that includes Volvo.

[Blueprint]

I used that brick wall as a backdrop a few times. Until recently, it was graffiti-free and had an old British industrial vibe to it *sigh*