LOOKS

The big news is that the 2026 Outback loses its traditional wagon styling starting in 2026, getting a more tall and boxy traditional SUV styling — making it less unique from rivals like the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport or Honda Passport.

Initially, some fans of the longtime design will lament this change, but once they get behind the wheel, I think many will change their mind.

The Wilderness model that I tested maintains a rugged look and design that stands out vs. rival SUVs. And I loved the gold highlights throughout the exterior and interior of the vehicle, which gave it some character. Ground clearance is 8.7 inches on the standard Outback, and 9.5 inches on the Wilderness trim.

Premium paint colors offered include: River Rock Pearl, Deep Emerald Green Pearl, Crystal Black Silica, Crimson Red Pearl, Geyser Blue, Ice Silver Metallic, Magnetite Gray Metallic, Sapphire Blue Pearl, and Crystal White Pearl.

Also featured are:
— 17-inch matte black alloy wheels
— All-terrain tires
— Unique front and rear bumpers with Wilderness-exclusive cladding
— All-weather Wilderness floor mats
— Manual-fold, heated power mirrors with turn signals
— Roof fails with 800-pound static load capacity
— LED steering responsive headlights with high-beam assist
— Power moonroof

Moving inside, extremely roomy is the best way to describe the 2026 Outback. All five passengers have plenty of leg room and head room, regardless of the height of front-row passengers, and you’ll find additional space for people and cargo due to the vehicle’s redesign. Cargo space behind the rear seat is now 35 cubic feet, and it rises to 81 cubic feet with the second row down.

The Outback offers an interior setup that’s more classy and comfortable than many non-luxury SUVs. The tech setup has seen strong upgrades that also help with the overall aesthetic of the vehicle, and there is plenty of room for storage of small items.

Second-row seats fold down in a 60/40 split for different seating arrangements based on your storage needs. You also get:
— Heated front and rear seats
— Heated and leather-wrapped steering wheel, and optional black Nappa leather-trimmed upholstery with copper stitching
— StarTex trimmed water repellant upholstery
— Dual-zone automatic climate control
— Ventilated front seats

HOW’S THE RIDE?

There are two engines offered on the 2026 Subaru Outback.

The more powerful option — offered on the Wilderness, Limited XT and Touring XT models — is a 2.4-liter, four-cylinder, turbocharged engine with output of 260 horsepower and 277 pound-feet of torque.

The base engine — offered on Premium, Limited and Touring models — comes with a non-turbo, 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine that only offers 180 horsepower and 178 pound-feet.

All Outback offerings come with an All-Wheel Drive system and a CVT transmission with manual shift mode, plus paddle shifters.

The Wilderness edition features a four-wheel independent raised suspension and off-road tuning, plus 9.5-inch ground clearance with electronic dampers that use real-time controls to balance comfort and high-speed stability depending on the type of road you’re on. The Wilderness features all-terrain tires, drive modes include Snow/Dirt mode and Deep Snow/Mud mode, and Hill Descent Control helps the driver manage travel down steep grading. What’s notable is that the Wilderness not only will help your driving experience in off-road excursions, it will also improve the quality of your city driving.

I highly recommend the turbo engine that comes with the Wilderness version of the Outback in 2026. It offers tremendous power for the segment, and delivers respectable 0-to-60 times around the 6-second mark.  Compared to other two-row SUVs in this class, the Outback offers an enjoyable and bold driving experience that few can rival.

Towing capacity maxes out at 3,500 pounds with the turbo engine, which is respectable.

TECHNOLOGY, SAFETY

You get a huge upgrade to the tech setup on the Outback in 2026. The 12.1-inch customizable touchscreen is easy to master and looks sharp. And there are physical touch controls below for climate, which I love — a best of both worlds scenario.

Of all the changes with this redesigned Outback, the tech is one of the biggest improvements. The system is faster and more customizable than past setups, and is a huge step up from past years. Voice commands serve as a reliable backup to the physical and touchscreen controls included.

Other tech features in the Outback include:
— 12.3-inch HD digital instrument cluster
— Harman Kardon speaker system
— Wireless smartphone charger
— WIreless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
— Four-month trial of satellite radio
— Front and rear USB ports
— MySubaru Companion 5-year free trial (includes emergency assistance, automatic collision notification, vehicle health reports and more)

The technology is also strong on the safety front in the Outback, which comes equipped with the Eyesight suite of vehicle technology offered by Subaru.

Key features include:
— Forward-collision Warning and Automatic Emergency Braking
— Automatic Emergency Steering
— Emergency Stop Assist
— Emergency Lane-Keep Assist
— Haptic Steering Wheel Alerts
— Front Cross-Traffic Braking
— Blind-Spot Warning with Rear Cross-Traffic Warning 
— Reverse Automatic Braking
— Advanced Adaptive Cruise Control with Lane Centering
— Hands-free driving up to 85 mph 

The vehicle features an Eyesight camera with a 180-degree view that can detect traffic and help prevent collisions with pedestrians and cyclists.

The Surround View Monitor System is one of the most helpful features for drivers in tight situations. And the Distraction Mitigation System helps keep the driver’s eyes on the road.

MPG

The official fuel mileage numbers on the 2026 Subaru Outback Wilderness are 21 city/27 highway/23 combined. Base models with non-turbo engine are listed at 25 city/31 highway/27 combined, and the XT models with turbo engine get 21/29/24.

In my time testing the Wilderness model, I averaged slightly lower than the listed numbers — closer to 20 miles per gallon.

The numbers listed on the Outback Wilderness are close to what you’ll get from the Honda Passport TrailSport, and better than a Ford Bronco, but lower than what you would get from the Toyota RAV4 Woodland (which has a hybrid system).

PRICE

The 2026 Subaru Outback Wilderness that I tested was priced just over $50K, and at the top of the price range for the Outback. Base price starts around $46K for the Wilderness model, and around the mid-$30K range for the base version of the Outback.

Trim levels include: Premium, Limited, Touring, Wilderness, Limited XT and Touring XT.

Anyone with interest in going off the beaten path, should consider the Wilderness model, but even lower trims have plenty of features to offer, and the price range on the 2026 Outback Wilderness is competitive with pricing from other off-road and trail-ready rivals from Honda, Toyota, and others.

Warranty coverage includes:
— 3 years/36,000 miles overall warranty
— 5 years/60,000 miles powertrain warranty
— 3 years/36,000 miles of roadside assistance

There is, however, no complimentary scheduled maintenance included.

BOTTOM LINE

The new, boxier, SUV-style look for the 2026 Subaru Outback will be hard for fans of the wagon setup to accept, but the Outback should continue to be a big success for the brand due to its roominess and strong drive quality, plus user-friendly tech upgrades.

And the off-road friendly Wilderness model will continue to draw the adventure-friendly Subaru audience.

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