Subaru: bring the Outback turbo!

I test drove one today. Was almost faultless. I was sceptical about the CVT and underpowered engine. After the test drive, I was happy with how it drove. Not quick, but as a family car that you drive on the road, it's perfectly adequate for what it's designed to do. Super comfortable, heaps of room. Very impressed.

Tom’s reviews have guided two car purchases in less than 12 months. He has cost my household over $150,000 but has left us very happy. Chasing Cars continues to be the best car channel on KZfaq and it is Australian!

Was waiting for this!! Looks great! Thanks Tom ❤️❤️

As always, a great review. Head & shoulders better & more informative than the rest.

I enjoyed watching the Video Review. Arriving In Europe this Spring

Good review thanks from Panama,C America.

"A knob would have done the job a little better." Hilarious! Another excellent car video btw.

Love my 2020 XT here in Canada. Beast of a vehicle.

no need for turbo, goes fine with enough power, great for city and off road driving.

I test drove the 2.5i CVT Outback. Many people here hate in this powertrain I found it perfectly adequate and perfectly smooth for a family car. And I don't think anything in the class is as comfortable as the Outback.

Hi Tom, thanks for the awesome review. Would you be able to review the new SsangYong Rexton Ultimate when you can? Thanks.

Tom I like your reviews

Test drove the 2.5 sport and loved it so much I bought one. The engine is easily enough for me. Not an exciting drive but plenty enough power for almost anyone.

Good video mate, cheers.

Love the new Subaru Ad, interior looks really nice and exterior looks even better in that green colour. Im seriously thinking of swapping my M6 for the Outback, missing good old days when I was younger and also owned super reliable Subaru B4.

Great honest review Tom (love the reference to 🌚 and ☀️). Please review BMW 128 ti. At least with that car you won't be saying it's underpowered.😅

I agree. I was looking forward to changing from my 2018 3.6 litre Outback. Now I will wait, need more than the current engine can provide.

I just ordered a outback sport. Love the design, but will be more than happy to see australia brings in the turbo engine.

Finally, using Indonesian language subtitle. I am loyal subscriber from Indonesia. Always waiting for your new car review. Thank you. Subaru is one of the best car in performance. But in Indonesia is not good in selling because its expensive price.

Great review. Drove one a couple of weeks ago and was impressed. However my 2014 Forester XT turbo would have thrashed it over taking and towing. Definitely need the turbo option on this Outback.

We have a Forester XT turbo 2017 and the Outback non turbo 2018. The Outback is a very practical, comfortable car and has a little more of a premium feel to it than the Forester without the Forester feeling "shabby". Highway cruising in the Outback is very stable, even when loaded up to the brim. If you are going 120 km/h (or more) the Outback feels very stable and the Forester sways a little more. The Forester never feels unsafe though and is more fun to drive. Overtaking and getting out in traffic is a breeze with the turbo. When you are up and running the Outback wins out for comfort though and it doesn't feel sluggish while your are at your target speed. The Outback feels a little peppier when the engine is warmed up but it is a bit on the slower side - if you like fast acceleration and for some the droing sound when flooring it is ear grating. I don't mind though I prefer the older Outbacks (pre CVT) for sure in this regard. In all other aspects the new generation Outbacks are capable and smooth driving cars. Other than acceleration - and sometimes when overtaking - the Outback is a great daily driver. There is a simply solution to that predicament: put the turbo in the Outback. Done. I am very jealous at the 'muricans since I really enjoy the loading capacity and comfort of the Outback and with the turbo I would definitely go for it. It won't happen for emission reasons here in Europe I am sure so I am not holding my breath.

Would love to see the XT version here. Lament the demise of the Forester XT. Currently I drive a Levorg & the Outback XT would be the perfect next vehicle for my growing family for daily driving, weekend sport & camping trips. Hopefully don’t have to look to another brand for the mix of driving excitement & practicality I need. Enjoyed the review.

Thanks for the great Review. Not buying one until they have the Turbo here in Australia and a bit of grunt. Coming from V6 Commodore Wagons, you need power out on the highway for long trips.

I had the out going premium model, great comfortable wagon. If Subaru was to bring a turbo Outback or Forrester to Australia I would be back on the Subaru band wagon. For now I felt the Hyundai turbo motors were at an advantage. Subaru AU needs to do a bit of foot stomping to get a more powerful power plant option for both cars

I remember a time when the sport badge actually meant something on a car.

“Certainly the chassis can handle the power and torque of the turbo” .... sounded to me like an invite for mods...😁

I test drove one today. Nice car and I used the paddle shifters. I like it . use the auto CVT and its ok and then the manual mode I found good. Ride and handling and steering excellent . not fast like my old Ford Territory Turbo but I am getting older and

Tom, I have a 2018 Passat Alltrack Wolfsburg Edition and it comes with a Full Size (19 inch) Alloy Spare wheel. In fact, this car is a replacement of my previous 2016 VW Passat 140TDI Highline Wagon, which also came with a full size (18 inch in this case) spare wheel. Actually, all my previous Passat's B6 / B7 all had full size spare wheels). My ŠKODA Superb 206TSI 4x4 on the other hand, makes do with a Space Saver spare wheel...

Turbo for the new Outback please Subaru. My present 2017 Outback is 6 cyl and apart from the seats which tend to be a trifle hard and uncomfortable after sitting in them after a while, I love it for it's amazing features and amenity and it's fast pulling strength and zip under load. I wouldn't consider buying a new Outback without similar pulling torque and power.

Turbo and a decent gearbox thanks.

Test drove the touring variant recently. Perfect vehicle, if it was n't for the underwhelming performance. I am ready to buy now, but will hold off until 2.4T engine arrives. Slightly higher ground clearance would be good too.

Tom, took a Skoda 200TSI Scout for a test drive today. Bye Subaru & thanks for forcing me to look at something better at the same price

Have had a Liberty with the 2.5 for ten years and very happy with it. The CVT allows the engine to rev freely when you need a bit of grunt, but back off for great fuel figures when highway cruising. My opinion won't convince everybody, as I'm an old fart with no demerit points, but I still like to get moving, and if I'm driving a WRX, my travel times are the same.

Excellent review thanks Tom. A long term Subaru owner, I am currently driving a 2017 premium Outback which has been a nice car to own, however I was looking forward to trading it this year on a new turbo Outback. Whatever has happened at Subaru, the gurus of turbo development a few years ago?? I guess our only recourse to Subaru is to express our disappointment at the lack of a turbo option being made available, in the hope that they may be listening!! Cheers, Mark.

Keen for a 2021 wagon comparison vid. Could we get it in cost classes? Cos I wouldn't compare the Skoda Superb Scout with the Outback - it's nearly $20k more and more on par with Volvo V60 imo. Especially with the new Octavia Style just dropping.

I have had Subaru's for 22 years all of them TURBOS and yes I want be buying a new one unless this option returns.

Test drove one last week. I was so excited about this car. Got super excited when I seen it released and headed straight to the dealership. What a disappointment. It's slow and sluggish of the line. It needs more power. We need the turbo in Australia. Subaru make it happen.

I will wait for the turbo!

Do you get a grey cardigan with it or is that an optional extra?

Definitely needs the turbo version!

The infotainment is cool

I have a 2012 manual forester and would be interested in ugrading to an outback but only if it came in the 2.4 ltr turbo. Please bring it to australia. We always seem to miss out on the good stuff that counts.

Is an off-road and towing review of the Touring model coming please? It’s disappointing no turbo or 3.6 option and I’m sceptical that this release is “up to the job”. Also are the roof racks improved? Thanks!

I want the outback, the mrs wants the forester, so Ill compromise with her and get the outback 😁

Excellent review. Lovely car but unfortunately here in Ireland, the annual road tax is €790, because of it's high emissions

Would love to see a practical comparison between the "Old Kona 2.0 Automatic" vs. "New Kona 2.0 CVT". Thanks

Can you please review 2022 Subaru Outback Wilderness if it's coming to Australia.

Could do a review of volvo v90 cross country. Thx.

Was considering this model as my next drive but Subaru has really missed the mark with the engine.

that turbo will come to Australia probably next year. We always get ripped off. Subaru Forrester sport was released in the US 2 years ago, we just got it in Australia and it's sold as the same price and "new".

This new subie outback actually comes at the right time. Looking to upgrade the wife's sedan but I don't want a boring SUV like everyone else. This is the most practical you can get with space for the kids, bikes, outdoor stuff and her daily grind hauling work stuff. The 'ruggedness' is an added plus since the wife is a little function over form kind of person (in other words clumsy). The base spec is spot on, without looking like a base spec too. Kudos to subaru for that. Personally I'd probably be underwhelmed with lack of performance but won't be my car at the end of the day.

I like the outback... turbo If the XV came to Australia with the 2.5 I would probably purchase it

The one great change on the Sport model. They got rid of the most useless roof rack ever. So thankful for the new roof rails! Back to carry two kayaks.

I have a 2017 model outback always wanted to have wider Tyers say 235 instead of the 255 ‘s fitted

Would buy one tomorrow but not gutless NA and CVT. Turbo or enhanced power YES Auto box 6,7 or 8 speed HELL YES!

So looking forward to getting my outback until I found out there’s no turbo charged one have to look a another car any suggestions ?

interesting to see that in this version the front bumper black plastic looks pointy compared to the one sold in the US

Im here in New Zealand and echo those sentiments , same problem that dogged the XV , no different power or turbo options. Get those torque levels up for going up the mountains where this vehicle belongs

Tom - what are your thoughts on Renault's?

I'm fine with the 2.5 motor, current drive is a Skoda Octavia 1.4 wagon, I'm replacing it with an Outback touring. Skoda and VW have discontinued the Golf Alltrack Wagon and Skoda Octavia Scouts, in favour of the more expensive Skoda Superb Scout and VW Passat Alltrack, both of which are good, but $10k out of my price bracket. My Touring with everything + Explorer pack cost only $49k

Good review! What is the colour of the car in this video? Test drove this and way better than the new Sportage 2022 GT. Buying this..

Think I will keep my 2005 3.0R bspec. Wagon it’s has a proper gear box manual 💪

Interesting Outback turbo would be nice and irresistible for buyers.

Love new Subaru Outback

What Subaru should offer is a retune or stage 1-3 sports tune of any cars people buy from a dealership. That way a new owner who wants more power can get this done to breathe some extra ponies into the engine.

For a family car the power isn’t bad, I’ve got a wrx as well and yea it doesn’t compare but also the wrx is small and has harsh suspension this ticks all the boxes for my family

Ahr Tom my favourite presenter

Best Subaru by far

I would buy this in a flash if it had the turbo motor. Wouldn’t bother now with so many competitors offering better value at that price range. New Santa fe or Sorrento another 15kw and nearly double the torque with their diesel and only 7l/100 economy....

I better wait for the turbo 🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼

100% agree with the summary. I’ve had 2 Outbacks, diesel and a 2.5. Loved them both but the 2.5 was just underpowered, and frankly a liability in certain situations with a full load on the highway. Currently have a 162TSi Tiguan, which I really like too but it’s a bit small and expensive. I’m ordering my next car in April and have been waiting for the new Outback with the turbo 2.4, but sadly my next car now will not be an Outback 😭😭😭

Forget the Turbo; I want one in all electric. Come on Subaru!

I was seriously looking at buying the 2021 Outback, been a long term fan. After seeing this review and the Passat Alltrack review, I am not so certain any more, the VW might be the new winner, such a shame there is no turbo outback, if there was, I would not been considering the VW passat. There is also the $10k (approx) price difference to consider! Yr thoughts Chasing Cars???

Great review as usual but I’m just not a fan of the raised wagon look. Due to this I’ll never consider one for my next purchase. Yeah I know the Subi is practical but I feel like I need a full family to own one.

It's surprising that the revised outback has been available in NA for >1.5 years when it's been incredibly popular in the australian market

Well it look different then US model, but some design shearing across subaru SUV, wheels fender from Crosstrek Sport, rear reflective from Forester...

I like his glasses

Went for a test drive - really nice - but lack of power lets this down. Would have bought if more powerful

If past history is anything to go by this will be a good vehicle. Styling is an individual thing. I had one and the rest makes up for the looks. Would buy again if I needed this sector. The 3.6 was a bit thirsty but that was just me having a lead foot. Hope they've improved the audio tho.

Why has Subaru decided not to sell the Turbo in Australia? Do they understand our market? We were really excited about updating our fantastic Impreza when the Outback landed but without any exciting engine (the 2.4 turbo) we will be looking elsewhere unfortunately.

Would seriously buy this over an SUV EXCEPT FOR THE PATHETIC ENGINE. bring on the 190kw XT and I’d buy one tomorrow

oh man, it looks awesome but I would really like a manual with a turbo...diesel!

I really want to upgrade to this. but previously driving the 3.6r six cylinder i don't want to downgrade the engine. why haven't they considered the turbo model for the Australian market

Bring the turbo to Aus! I'll buy it

Outbacks are great cars - and I like that Subaru haven't followed the ugly trend with tombstone - style front seat backs. And they have to bring hybrid tech (or turbo) to that engine to offer some grunt.

Nice looking car with good features but I still wouldn’t buy it because it’s slow and sluggish. However had the engine been punchier (turbo charged) I would definitely consider it.

This would slay the market with the 2.0T from the WRX.

Such a shame it still has that CVT and misses out on the XT 2.4 turbo that other markets get.

You have covered most things but missed out on Security ? Will it stay where you Park it ? Other than that I would like one ...J

They don’t really have any flagship vehicles now for the Forester and Outback in terms of power and performance. You have the new Forester lineup with no more turbo or diesel options and a “Sport” model which literally only adds black and orange decorations. And how long will it take Subaru Australia to finally receive the Turbo variant of the new Outback if we ever do 😩

The ride, AWD, safety, finish, full size spare etc would have made this an ideal car for Australian country driving but we have to look elswhere because of the marketing mistake not to bring in the turbo engine. Subaru, what were you thinking?

Great review as always. I believe the big screen is an issue. The ventilation/heating/aircon controls should have been kept as manual. I believe the tactile feel of manual controls is less distracting than the digital controls. As for the motor Subaru Australia are treating us in Australia like mugs. We were the original turbo Rexy cult country....I mean fair dinkum! ......Why do the yanks get a 2.4 Turbo and we get the anaemic NA 2.5Lt? Subaru Australia get some life back into your cars instead of these "safe", "conservative" cars. Bring the 2.4 Turbo as an option to the Australian market and heaven forbid maybe even call it the Outback XT!!!!!. P.S. Agree with your comment re: Forester rear being unresolved!

Is it the same crappy video cameras as before? It's really annoying that they don't offer parking sensors as an option. I would like to have both camera and sensors but you can't get them via dealer.

I think the Forester presents better value and practicality, unless you have to have the big touch screen to control everything.

Hi Chasing Cars I’m new to your channel but have been a Subaru fan for a long time and have owned 2 Outback’s both have the H6 version, 2003 & 2007, we also owned the 2000 liberty wagon, and the latest 2018 Liberty and the 2008 GT H6 Liberty. Like most I’m not happy Subaru Australia didn’t bring the turbo version here. I’d hate to say it but I’ll have to start to look elsewhere. I’d like to say what marketing genius decided to leave out a popular option? What are Subaru Australia thinking, where’s the guts they once had, it’s now driven by marketing geniuses and bean counters, they need someone with drive, excuse the pun.

I’m a current outback owner my18 premium I won’t be updating until a better engine is offered Turbo Please.

yeah, the turbo would be good if you want it

They say the turbo engine version is not yet engineered for right-hand drive models

Bring in the XT please