Subaru Outback review: a wagon wearing an SUV's ground clearance, for the buyer who already knows
3.7/5motorssouq Editorial Team
The Outback rewards a buyer who already understands why a wagon's lower centre of gravity handles better than a taller SUV riding on the same platform, and who values the 920-litre boot and comfortable long-distance ride for Riyadh or Dammam runs over badge recognition. It is not the car for someone who wants the resale certainty of a RAV4 or the outright cheapest cost of ownership. Buy the mid grade — the extra kit on top rarely pays for itself at resale — and get an independent inspection on the CVT before buying any example past 100,000 km.
Pros
- 213 mm ground clearance with a wagon's lower centre of gravity — more composed on the highway than a taller SUV
- 920-litre boot with the rear seats up is genuinely class-leading
- Comfortable, stable long-distance cruiser for causeway and cross-border runs
- EyeSight driver-assist suite standard across the range
- Lower purchase price on the used market than equivalent RAV4 or Highlander
Cons
- 182 hp feels modest for a 1.65-tonne car and the CVT drones under load
- Resale value is well behind Toyota and Honda equivalents
- Boxer engine's head gaskets and cooling system need checking on high-mileage examples
- Smaller Bahrain dealer and service network than the mainstream brands
The Outback is Subaru's answer to a question nobody else in the mainstream market is asking anymore: what if a station wagon just got taller instead of turning into an SUV? The result sits on the same platform and shares the 2.5-litre flat-four and CVT with the Forester, but the wagon's longer wheelbase and lower roofline give it a noticeably more settled, planted highway ride — the causeway crosswind at speed unsettles it less than it does a taller crossover.
182 hp moves 1.65 tonnes without urgency, and the CVT's usual drone shows up under hard acceleration, but at a steady 120 km/h cruise to the King Fahd Causeway or down to Riyadh the car is quiet, stable and genuinely comfortable over long stints — this is where the Outback earns its keep.
Space that a sedan cannot match
The 920-litre boot with the rear seats up is a real number, not a marketing one — a family's luggage for a week away disappears without folding anything, and the low load lip makes loading easier than an SUV's higher sill. Rear legroom on the long wheelbase is generous for the class.
Where it loses to the mainstream
Resale value is the honest weakness: Subaru's brand pull in Bahrain is a fraction of Toyota's, and the Outback specifically competes against buyers who default to a RAV4 or a Highlander without ever considering it. That keeps used prices lower to buy, which is good for the informed shopper, but it also means the seller three years from now gets less back. Get the CVT and the head-gasket-sensitive boxer engine's cooling system checked on any high-mileage example before committing.