The 2021 Subaru Outback: The Go-Anywhere Standout in a Sea of Crossover Sameness

America’s love affair with Subaru is rooted in safety and reliability. The company builds vehicles that are designed to protect occupants from harm and deliver years of stress-free, low-maintenance enjoyment. You could almost stop right there and make a pretty solid argument for why it’s time to start your search for a “Subaru dealer near me,” but there’s so much more to the story than just practicality and peace-of-mind.

Take the 2021 Subaru Outback: this long-standing category favorite is the best blend of crossover and more traditional station wagon design – with a hint of hatchback sportiness – that it stands out in a sea of similar crossover SUV body styles. Subaru is virtually unique in giving buyers a more car-like option without sacrificing handling and all-weather traction.

Not all buyers want a boxy SUV, and Subaru’s Outback sales numbers confirm this. Year-after-year, the Outback steals a significant chunk of buyers from the crossover category. These buyers know a thing or two about getting the best of both worlds because they know the Outback delivers with excellent ground clearance, standard all-wheel drive technology, and turbocharged performance.

There’s a lot to discover on the 2021 Subaru Outback. From its unparalleled safety ratings to the fun exterior color range and the very affordable base sticker price of $26,795, the Outback easily earns its place as a unique choice in a sea of sameness. What are our favorite Outback features? We review them here.

Capability

First and foremost, the Outback can take you just about anywhere. That’s thanks to Subaru’s standard Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive (AWD). Symmetrical AWD works similarly to other systems by sending power to all four wheels simultaneously in order to maximize traction at all times. Where it differs, though, is with its more balanced AWD configuration.

The engine is mounted in-line with the rest of the powertrain and the drivetrain, similar to a four-wheel drive truck, which means it’s constructed with fewer components, allowing it to transfer power to the tires faster and more efficiently. Subaru’s Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system is also constantly working to deliver optimal traction as it’s needed. It doesn’t react after wheel slip like other AWD systems: it constantly monitors and adapts to existing road conditions to keep occupants safe and secure.

The 2021 Subaru Outback also comes standard with X-MODE, which is like Symmetrical AWD on steroids. X-MODE is designed to dial in traction during exceptionally difficult low-speed driving conditions, like hill descent. When drivers engage X-MODE, the Outback digs in, traversing extra-difficult road conditions (like an icy hill) with ease.

While the Outback resembles a car at first glance, Subaru has engineered an SUV-like design to enhance capability. Starting with 8.7 inches of ground clearance, the picture emerges that the Outback isn’t quite a wagon, nor is it a hatchback – in fact, the Outback stands alone, infusing the best of several vehicle body styles to give buyers what they need in an efficient package that isn’t short on style.

If performance is what you’re seeking, Subaru has an answer. The available turbocharged boxer engine pumps out an exhilarating 260 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque, which has the added benefit of delivering a max towing capacity of 3,500 pounds. All this power won’t sacrifice efficiency either. Outbacks equipped with the turbocharged engine also still deliver 30 MPG of highway fuel economy.

Interior

Choosing a car that delivers capability and reliability doesn’t mean luxury is left at the curb. The 2021 Subaru Outback comes in several different trims, and at the high end, there is plenty of luxury and plush comfort to be found. The luxurious Outback Touring is the ticket for buyers seeking only the finest interior appointments.

For 2021, the Outback Touring comes standard with contrast-trimmed, genuine Nappa leather-trimmed seats that are heated and ventilated in the front and heated on the two outboard rear seats. Keep those fingers nice and warm on cold days with the heated steering wheel and let a little light in by sliding back the sunshade and revealing the power moonroof. Dual-zone automatic climate control will keep everyone from arguing over the cabin temperature.

The Subaru Outback Touring also comes standard with Subaru’s STARLINK Multimedia Navigation operating system and has a massive 11.6-inch infotainment touchscreen mounted prominently on the dash. The touchscreen is your gateway to standard GPS navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, and one-touch access to streaming music or your favorite podcast.

Subaru also outfits the Touring trim with a hands-free power rear gate, 18-inch alloy wheels, and full LED exterior lighting. The headlights are automatically tuned to turn on whenever the windshield wipers are engaged, and since the wipers are rain-sensitive, they’ll switch on-and-off automatically at a speed that’s appropriate for the amount of rainfall. Even better, the standard Steering Responsive Headlights will swivel as you turn the wheel in order to cast light around tight corners.

The Outback in any trim offers plenty of cabin space for front and rear passengers, as well as a generous amount of cargo space in the rear. There are 40.1 inches of headroom in the front and 39.1 inches in the rear. Legroom comes in at 42.8 inches in the front and 39.5 inches in the rear. Cargo capacity is 32.5 cubic feet with all the seats up, but fold them down, and that number increases to 75.7 cubic feet.

Safety

Subaru’s EyeSight safety technology package is standard on every trim of the 2021 Outback and provides the latest, most technologically-advanced safety systems available. This suite of driver-assist systems is designed to keep vehicle occupants safe in all driving conditions and help the driver avoid collisions and other road hazards.

EyeSight’s hub sits innocuously above the rearview mirror and consists of two carefully-placed cameras. These cameras constantly scan the environment ahead of and around the vehicle. When the system senses a potential danger, it audibly alerts the driver and can automatically engage the brakes or nudge the steering wheel to avoid potential collisions.

Starting with Advanced Adaptive Cruise Control, a system that automatically adjusts vehicle speed to keep a safe distance from the vehicle ahead, the EyeSight technology effectively creates a bubble of safety for vehicle occupants. Lane Keep Assist and Sway Warning act to alert the driver if they sense the vehicle has drifted out of its intended lane of travel.

Two separate but symbiotic pre-collision alert systems help drivers avoid potentially catastrophic crashes via a series of alerts and actions. Pre-Collision Braking sends an alert when it senses a crash is imminent and will automatically apply the brakes at full force to reduce accident severity. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, this system is proven to lower pedestrian-related injuries by nearly 35%. The system can also automatically adjust speed by reducing power from the engine to reduce impact force.

A One-Of-A-Kind Vehicle

If you’re in the market for a vehicle that can handle just about anything Mother Nature throws at it, but you’re uninspired by the dull landscape of crossover SUVs, take a closer look at the 2021 Subaru Outback. At a starting price of well under $30,000, it’s a budget-friendly option – and even if you choose the base model, you will still benefit from standard features like Symmetrical AWD and EyeSight safety features.

With the Outback, Subaru offers buyers an escape from the sameness of a boxier crossover. The Outback has a unique curb appeal – a design and styling offering that stays true to its roots while also delivering refined exterior lines and enough rough edges to keep us reminded that it’s an all-weather dynamo. The Outback is a living example of beauty meeting brawn. Don’t let its good looks fool you: the Outback is your best friend in inclement weather, so you can settle in, relax, and enjoy the ride.