2020 Subaru Outback - Initial Ownership Review

"LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com" (limitedtimeonly)
11/07/2019 at 10:12 • Filed to: I want to be an Overlander but let's get real, 2020 Subaru Outback, Subaru, Subaru Outback

I declare that it is !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! here at Oppositelock.

I’ve had my 2020 Subaru Outback Limited XT in crimson red for !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! driven it about 450 miles, and here are my initial impressions:

Overall it is a great driver, especially compared to !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! that I was !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . It acquitted itself well when we headed to the mountains and forest service roads within 24 hours of purchase, hauling all of the gear and soaking up the bumps, rocky areas and loose, deep gravel well. It will do what I intended it to do, while returning good fuel economy and providing abundant power (since this has the turbo 2.4L boxer 4). I have gripes, which I will detail, but overall it is a great package for the price with the criteria that I had.

In the woods near Looking Glass Rock in Pisgah National Forest within 24 hours of purchase

Performance

This car can take off like a rocket. It is no supercar, but it is faster to 60 mph than my GTI, and smoother about it, too, due to the CVT just making things . . . well, mostly linear. My GTI spools up a little bit then KICKS you in the pants and everything happens quickly. The Outback gets going, then is going faster, and then faster, although with interesting, presumably artificial, minor “shift” points. I still prefer my GTI for excitement, and certainly cornering, but this turbo Outback speed helped to seal the deal over the competitors that I looked at.

The automatic stop/start of the engine is so-so. The engine has enough power that when it comes back on at a stoplight (say, to run the air conditioning), the car surges against the brakes, which is unsettling. It is disappointing that Subaru makes this stop/start a default, so even if a user turns it off (by going down a couple of layers on the touchscreen), it will be back on the next time the car starts. The dash indicated that in the first tank the stop/start feature saved me something like 0.03 gallons, if I remember correctly. Not terribly worth it, but I’m only a bit into the second tank, with primarily city driving, and it is already showing something like 8 minutes of stoppage time and 0.1 gallons saved, so maybe worth it. I don’t really have much choice if I don’t want to turn it off each time I get into the car.

Package

The car looks like it has the dimensions and proportions of a compact car, but when parked next to a regular compact car it is obvious that it is HUGE. A lot of the space goes into rear seat legroom, but, still. I guess I’m not used to modern “mid-size” cars. We still needed to buy the cargo carrier from the dealer to carry all of our car camping stuff and firewood even with that space. I should have enough room to lie down in the back with the rear seats down based on measurements, although I haven’t tried it yet. Hard to believe I’ve ended up here after previously being happy fitting everything I needed for days into a backpack.

Parked next to my GTI on the night we bought it, photo taken because I was still surprised by the size, even though that is why I bought it.

I haven’t yet found the right, comfortable position of the driver’s seat, but this was true with my GTI for a while, too. This is why I get seats with many electric adjustments at this point in my life. And a big reason to get the Limited XT over the Onyx XT for me was the addition of the driver’s seat memory. This way, once I find that EXTRA SPECIAL seat position, I can save it, and my very much shorter wife can mess with the seat to her heart’s content, and I will be able to get back to sitting in comfort in the future. Please let me sit in comfort in the car. (My weekend trip wasn’t a problem, I may have overdone a workout since then, so it is likely fixable, just haven’t gotten there yet.)

I definitely like the maroon (crimson red) paint job. Since buying it I have noticed many, many vehicles of various makes in maroon, and very few in green, and have some buyer’s remorse for not getting green. But at least I got a color, and the red is a little brighter than typical maroon. [Rant about there not being enough cars with interesting colors in the world REDACTED.]

Fit and finish seem very good, nothing has caught my attention yet as a problem, although I’m also not looking for anything carefully. Given my tendency to fixate on details, ignorance is bliss in this area for me.

The rear seats can be dropped using mechanical releases positioned on the sides of the trunk area, which is nice. There is a hook on each side of the trunk for plastic grocery bags (or re-usable ones, if you care about the planet on occasion), and although they are cool in that they close back up, I’m surprised by only two. There is a 12V outlet in the trunk, along with cargo tie-downs and a nifty set-up for the optional cargo net. And the retractable cargo cover can be set at two different elevations, which may be a common thing but is a first for me.

I got a package with the all-weather mats, including the cargo area, and immediately dirtied them up hauling firewood and hiking around our mountain campsite the day after getting the car. Not quite as deep as Weathertech mats, but close enough that I don’t expect to replace them. I also got rear seatback protectors, which basically velcro heavy-duty black plastic covers to the seatbacks, which meant that I didn’t worry about shoving bundles of wood into the back of the trunk area. Also got a plastic bumper cover, which may help avoid unsightly scratches in the future.

Parked next to a sweet adventure van just before starting a hike. Note that we are still loaded with plenty of firewood in the car on day two.

Subaru failed to plan ahead well for trailer hitches, and no cars could be purchased yet with a factory hitch. This has left dealers doing the install, sometimes with a painful learning curve. My dealer had installed a couple already, but I put them on notice that they had to do a great job for me, and they came through.

Plus, since they were available and I hope to test the limits of the car, I added on a (dealer installed) factory rear differential guard and upgraded the engine under guard from plastic to aluminum (or, if you are reading this in a British-english voice, “aluminium”). The engine guard is on back-order until December.

Optional (black) guard protecting the (shiny silver) rear differential

The Technology

Something that I noticed during the test drive was that the car doesn’t make an audible noise when someone is in the blind spot and I turn on the signal . . . instead the blind spot light goes from solid to flashing. That light is bright at night, too. There appears to be no setting to allow for audible blind spot warnings.

The car does make an audible noise regularly when the lane keeping function loses sight of the lane markings. Or when I change lanes without signaling (fortunately this is quite rare). Or when it is cold enough to form ice. Or when I’ve driven for 2 hours.

That lane-keep function works well. It’s not able to follow anything but a gentle curve on its own, but I’m okay with that. The automatic cruise control (radar cruise control) works quite well. I resisted it at first, since I had never used one before, but it is great on long trips, including braking when traffic is slowing, and combined with the lane-keep should make other long trips much less tiring in the future. This is definitely the road trip car now.

The driver attention warning on the Limited is aggressively effective with warnings if the car is moving and one isn’t paying attention. That’s good, although annoying.

There is a “DriverSense” feature on the Limited and Touring trim that is supposed to recognize the driver and put all of the settings to that person’s profile. For some reason it has yet to successfully remember my face, despite repeated attempts. Oh, well.

Functionality

The headlights are terrific. And on the Limited they are active headlights, like on my GTI, bending as I am cornering.

All of the windows are auto down and up, and go completely down in the rear. This is important to provide his royal furry highness easy access to stick his head out when traveling at what my wife likes to call “sniff speed.”

The default for the touch lock is that it only unlocks the driver’s door. In my GTI, two swipes with my hand unlocks all doors. There is a setting change, but the only other option is to unlocking all doors at the first touch. I wish it had the two swipe option like on the GTI.

That start/stop setting that I mentioned above being deep in the menus is annoying, but at least I am able to create a shortcut to something like that which will sit on the main screen.

However, the seat heaters are a bit different. If it’s cold, I want to punch those up as soon as I get in the car, but they require waiting for the infotainment to wake up, then I must touch once to get to the individual temperature control screen, then touch to turn heat on. This requires a delay as well as good aim, both of which are annoying when one is cold. Subaru definitely messed up by making HVAC controls (besides the main temperature up/down buttons) all touch screen. It will be fine, but it was a big negative when considering the purchase, and I still don’t particularly accept it.

Summary

There are many small settings related to the technology interface that Subaru did not get right as far as I am concerned, and I am still hopeful that I’ll find the right position of the driver’s seat to work with my demanding back, but the overall package is terrific. I just should have gotten the car in green.

Doggo for your time:

Enzo likes that the rear windows go fully down, but does not like that the car can go fast over bumpy roads

Links to related previous posts:

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DISCUSSION (47)

Textured Soy Protein > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
11/07/2019 at 10:23

Be glad there’s no audible blindspot warning. My wife’s CX-5 has one that annoys the hell out of me when I drive her car. Every time you put on a blinker and the blindspot light in the mirror on that side of the car is lit, the damn thing beeps at you. Even in regular suburban driving it’s a lot of beeping, and working my way through DC highway traffic is just BEEP BEEP BEEP all the time.

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > Textured Soy Protein
11/07/2019 at 10:27

The challenge is that we be came accustomed to the audible warning in the Mazda3. True, most of the time it was unnecessary and noisy , but there were a handful of times when we heard the warning before we would have seen anything and avoided an accident that much easier.

Textured Soy Protein > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
11/07/2019 at 10:30

In my experience it’s so persistent that I ignore it. The activation radius is too wide. The other active safety gizmos that warn you if you’re getting too close to the car ahead and such are ok by me but I hate overly-sensitive warnings. Depending on the car I feel like blind s pot and/or lane departure warnings are usually the worst offenders.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
11/07/2019 at 10:31

I have driven the newer outback with all of the nannies and I categorically dislike them. I had the car auto brake because someone turned left in front of me like 50 yards away. The lane assist was confused 75% of the time due to snow on the road. I can almost get along with blind spot monitoring and radar cruise control but those are more passive and don’t do things to your car without your input. I would love to have the 2.4 turbo in my manual 6 speed outback tho, that would be like my dream combo. 172 HP is just not enough to keep me entertained.

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
11/07/2019 at 10:35

Yeah, the standard 2.5L NA was never considered by me, the turbo sealed the deal . I’ve covered it in my other posts, but this gave me the power I wanted without the fuel economy hit that would have come with competitors.

412GTI > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
11/07/2019 at 10:42

I like that red. I rarely see red Subaru’s and I live where they are quite popular. Looks like it’s going to be a great vehicle for your purposes!

Bryan doesn't drive a 1M > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
11/07/2019 at 11:23

That section on the HVAC being in the touchscreen triggered me. I used to laugh at my STI’s multitude of screens, but I realize now that it was a good modular design. One screen for infotainment that can be easily replaced with an aftermarket option. One screen for car settings and info like MPG, AWD, turbo, etc. And one screen for HVAC. The HVAC screen is miles away from the HVAC controls, which is bad, but at least the physical controls exist.

The rest of the Outback sounds great and it will be on my radar if I ever have to go big with a future car.

thejustache > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
11/07/2019 at 11:31

I’m happy that a new Outback XT exists in the world. By all accounts it seems like a nice set of wheels. It certainly gets better gas mileage then mine, and is no doubt more refined/comfortable.

I’m just having trouble seeing where a new one would fit in my life. If I can be that guy for a second... I have a rule against daily driving anything that isn’t manual as it keeps me entertained on the way to work. My wife’s Tucson is an auto and it fills our road trip/family car needs. When it comes time to move on from that we’ll probably be ready for something with 3 rows for a family car. Somehow while I’m still in love with my Gen 3 XT and would like a modern replacement , the new one seems to be both too much car for me and too little for our family.

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > Bryan doesn't drive a 1M
11/07/2019 at 11:33

At least the HVAC is run with a separate processor, I’m told. But, yeah.

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > thejustache
11/07/2019 at 11:40

That Manual Enthusiast Guy status achieved. I found that manual in traffic did not keep me entertained and was no fun in stop-go that I commonly experience. Your new-with-manual options keep shrinking, but clearly do not include 3-row vehicles.

Yes, this Outback is in an odd niche of being large, but not 3 row. Which is exactly what I was looking for.

You’ll be able to get the Ascent if you want to stick with Subaru, but no manual, of course. Good luck with your eventual search.

fintail > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
11/07/2019 at 11:45

Hold up a second, Subaru with roof cargo carrier but doesn’t have PNW or intermountain -area plates, this can’t be.

Needs more stickers and badges proclaiming everything you like.

thejustache > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
11/07/2019 at 11:46

Yeah the family/3 row niche is going to be auto only, and that’s fine. As for me I’ve resigned myself to probably driving something small and slow next. I’m hoping my car can last as long as possible as it currently does everything I could want. I’m also fortunate in that my commute happens to not involve much traffic.

I’m looking forward to hearing more about your XT as time goes on. I do think they are great looking and probably very versatile

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > fintail
11/07/2019 at 11:57

I was spending time in the Asheville area, the Pacific Northwest of the southeast. The closer we got, the higher the density of Subarus on the road.

And I supported my wife in buying a Pisgah National Forest sticker that we placed on the cargo carrier so that we can conform to the stereotype properly.

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
11/07/2019 at 11:59

Good review. based on many aspects the Outback is pretty much the perfect family car IMO.

B_dol > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
11/07/2019 at 12:40

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Kinja'd!!!

Certainly a great tool for the many necessary jobs of which speed is not a requirement.

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > B_dol
11/07/2019 at 13:08

That was “stink” meant in a complimentary fashion. Perhaps I should edit that.

B_dol > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
11/07/2019 at 13:15

Ohh I understood that. As an owner/driver of both cars mentioned t here is zero chance in hell it beats a GTI 0-60.

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > B_dol
11/07/2019 at 13:20

Feels pretty close, but I’m not able to drag race myself. I’m going off of published times that indicate the turbo Outback as 5.7 seconds, and the 2016 GTI as 6.1 seconds, if I remember correctly.

Once you get to a corner, then things change significantly in the GTI’s favor, although the Outback does okay.

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
11/07/2019 at 13:44

Do the heated seat settings at least remember your last used setting? On our ‘16 with manual buttons (but not a on/off or 1/2/3 switch...it’s a single button you cycle through for desired setting) at start up it goes back to the setting you last had it on.

Especially with the stupid thing being buried in a screen now at least carrying over that memory function might be handy so you don’t have to go digging every time you get in to the car for half the year.

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > ZHP Sparky, the 5th
11/07/2019 at 14:09

If I recall correctly, yes, the car does manage to remember the heated seat setting from when it was turned off.

Fortunately I live in the south and have a garage, so unless I’m camping I don’t need heated seats often. My wife, on the other hand, does like to use them regularly, but we’re still only talking about a few months of the year .

CB > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
11/07/2019 at 15:13

This review only solidifies the fact that I’m not sure if I want this or a Colorado.

In any case, anything is better than a Fiesta.

TheRealBicycleBuck > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
11/07/2019 at 15:17

There’s a discussion about disabling the Subaru’s stop/start feature.

https://www.subaruforester.org/threads/permanently-disable-auto-stop-start-%E2%96%BA-technical-discussions-only-merged-thread.788833/page-3

PyramidHat > ZHP Sparky, the 5th
11/07/2019 at 15:21

How smooth is the engine? I have a ‘15 limited with the H6 and it’s like goddamn glass...

PyramidHat > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
11/07/2019 at 15:27

Also, was the increase in camping gear preceded by a change in domestic status? I used to have 2 days of stuff in a 4o lb pack (including water). If I was car camping it was a medium crate in the back of the T aco. Then I had to load my XC70 to the roof. Then the Outback was loaded to the roof with a box on top with a bike rack on the back. We now use GFs new highlander and am looking at travel trailers. What changed? I went from being single to having a GF and a daughter and a dog.

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > PyramidHat
11/07/2019 at 15:55

The i ncrease in gear came from getting old and changing expectations.

Could we in theory fit what we need into 2 backpacks and carry the dog’s supplies? Probably.

But now we want firewood, camp chairs, lots of cush for the pup, massive REI Camp Dreamer XL mattresses for us , musical instru ments, and beers/wine.

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > TheRealBicycleBuck
11/07/2019 at 15:57

Huh. It was pointed out to me on SubaruOutback.org that the default-on setting is really driven by EPA requirements when they rate the cars. It’s not a huge issue for me, just an irritant.

TheRealBicycleBuck > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
11/07/2019 at 15:59

I’ve noted the same irritation when dealing with stop/start on my rentals. I’ve developed the habit of lifting my foot from the brake just a bit every time the engine dies. It immediately restarts.

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > CB
11/07/2019 at 16:01

So it solidifies your uncertainty? That amuses me by sounding like a contradiction, although I understand what you are saying.

For what it’s worth, if you think you’ll do anything seriously off-road, the front overhang on this is kinda brutal and would be a big limitation . But if you’ll mostly be on-road (paved or not) then this will be much more enjoyable. Plus, from videos that I watched it seems extremely capable in the snow, and you don’t have to put it in 4WD.

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > PyramidHat
11/07/2019 at 16:02

It’s decent enough, but nothing to write home about. Power is perfectly adequate and fuel economy is good, so can’t complain.

CB > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
11/07/2019 at 16:08

My life is a contraction that somehow makes sense. You should see my meetings with psychiatrists.

I wouldn’t be doing anything serious with offroading. Just snow and grids. Which is why I’m onboard with it: better fuel economy, better on road manners, more my style.

Making multi-thousand dollar decisions is hard.

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > PyramidHat
11/07/2019 at 17:19

If you are asking about the 2.4L turbo, it is quite smooth after the first seconds on startup. If the windows are down you definitely can tell it’s a boxer, but not offensive like I found the BRZ.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > fintail
11/07/2019 at 18:39

[Zoiberg, two other people, and someone else saved this post]

jvirgs drives a Subaru > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
11/07/2019 at 19:31

Welcome to the club!

There isn’t an audible blindspot warning, which drives me nuts since the rear cross traffic alert is audible and utilizes the BSW lights. It took me a couple of months to fine tune my seating but thank god for the memory settings. The adaptive LED headlights are my favorite. They work really well and I love watching them move around corners.

Radar cruise control is fine for the typical but really makes you want to pay attention really far ahead to make early lane changes because depending on the closing speeds it can slow you down ever so slightly that you wont realize it until you’ve been doing 10 under the set speed for miles because the car in front was going just fast enough that the deceleration wasn’t noticeable .

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
11/07/2019 at 21:32

I’ve had my ( well actually my wife has had her) sights on the Onyx XT to replace our 2103 Outback 2.5i (we moved into the mountains and want the turbo). Thanks for the note on the memory seat... that might push me towards a Limited. I was hoping to stay closer to $35k for our next car tho...

wafflesnfalafel > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
11/07/2019 at 22:09

M an... that default start/stop stuff would bug the living bejezus out of me... You can customize all that other stuff but not turn that off?

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > jvirgs drives a Subaru
11/08/2019 at 06:48

This is an excellent summary. I may have to copy and paste this into my longer term review!

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
11/08/2019 at 06:52

Also, while the Startex upholstery of the Onyx is fine, the more I spent time in it the less I liked it. And I feel that this car doesn’t cool very efficiently and the Startex seemed to make me hotter. My wife was fine, though. Nevertheless, that combined with the memory seats to get me into the Limited.

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > wafflesnfalafel
11/08/2019 at 06:53

If the user could turn it off permanently then the EPA wouldn’t use it in MPG calculations, apparently. Only can turn it off on individual drives as a result.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > wafflesnfalafel
11/08/2019 at 09:44

maybe there is a fuse for it somewhere or some other sort of hard cut off?

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
11/08/2019 at 09:46

I feel like I fit all of those things into my Miata though lol.

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
11/08/2019 at 09:55

“Feel like”

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > jvirgs drives a Subaru
11/08/2019 at 12:41

Ha. I just read your 500 mile review of your Outback , and it sounds very familiar.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com
11/08/2019 at 18:16

Well I’m sure you have more of each thing plus extra people and all of it fits without playing extreme tetris. But I can certainly be glamping with my miata bringing all the nice non-backpacking stuff given more difficulty in packing and of course going on my own. So just from that perspective the gti already feels like a semi truck worth of space improvement. But same would probably go for my friend who has gone camping with his motorcycle comparing that to my miata lol.

LimitedTimeOnly @ opposite-lock.com > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
11/08/2019 at 20:42

The GTI had plenty of room for car camping gear on my own. So, yes, you’re right. But add my wife, the dog, and other items, and the outback makes life easy.

Future Heap Owner > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
11/09/2019 at 15:01

Area Datsun Owner Displeased With Modern Driving Technology

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Future Heap Owner
11/09/2019 at 18:46

I’m still getting used to power brakes and none vacuum actuated windshield wipers.

Boxer_4 > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
11/16/2019 at 00:46

There’s been a lot of talk about it on the various forums - the feature is not well liked. I believe the early versions (found in Europe) could be defeated by unplugging the connector from the on/off switch in the dash and jumping two pins in the harness - I believe that no longer works on the newer cars though. Last I heard someone was working on a solution that automatically electrically simulates pressing the switch every time you start the car.

All of this fuel saving technology and emissions garbage is annoying.