We have only had a 19 and 20 Outback, both Premiums, but different generations and different engines. Aside from the engine being quieter and smoother and really achieving 1mpg better (30 after 19K miles on the 19, 31 after 14K miles in the 20, fuelly in my signature) which matches epa estimates, the 20 does feel a little stronger than the 19. Yes it still gets deep in the rpm band climbing hills, but also has no problem accelerating and passing slower traffic going up hills. Realize it's just two of us with no rooftop box and most of the time at 7,000 foot elevation or less. Yes a 3.6 or 2.4T would be stronger. Your idea of doing an extended test drive is really the best way to decide. A good dealer will let you do a BCA Borrowed Car Agreement.

Coming from a Suburban, are you sure you want an Outback? If the XT is not in the budget, then a Premium Ascent probably isn't either, but maybe a base Ascent is? Other than that, from what you have described and based on the general impression I get from others on this forum, it seems a late model 3.6 might be the best option for you. Let us know how it works out.

 

Coming from a Suburban, are you sure you want an Outback? If the XT is not in the budget, then a Premium Ascent probably isn't either, but maybe a base Ascent is? Other than that, from what you have described and based on the general impression I get from others on this forum, it seems a late model 3.6 might be the best option for you. Let us know how it works out.

Or a used 2019 Ascent.

 

I've only had an experience once with a 2017 2.5, and it wasn't bad but I definitely wasn't a big fan of it under load. While gen 6 2.5, is rated for 33, Gen 4/5 3.6 are rated for 27 highway.

So if your mostly highway driving, very rarely have more then just you, the 2.5 would be a good choice. However, honestly,I would just pick up the older 3.6. You'll get a lot of the same features as gen 6, but a more powerful engine. The MPG difference is the only real downside to getting the 3.6, which would be about 100 miles per tank. Which if you were driving a suburban prior you are still gaining 25-30% in overall fuel efficiency (maybe more depending on your Surbaban's condition) with the 3.6.

Edit: As a note, if you are looking at a Premium, if you are getting one with Navigation, I would just keep an eye out for a potential Onyx then because the base Onyx is the same price as a Premium 2.5 with navigation. Without those features, the base is like 6K less though.

 

I'm not interested in hearing your experience about how slow your automatic Impreza is, different cars.

Interesting you mention this. Anytime my wife drives my 2017 Impreza, she comments how "zippy" it is compared to her 2012 Outback. (Gren4 with the ol' EJ engine)

I agree with her. My Imp is MUCH lighter than her lumbering OB. The power/weight ratio is far better in my Impreza.

 

Can’t report personally as an owner on the OBXT, but my 2017 FXT was super at altitude, and a turbo might serve you well. IMO, the 2.5, NA engine, regardless of which generation, is underpowered in the OB at sea level, and loaded climbing will be struggling all of the time. With the CVT it will sound like a blender about to blow up.

For me, not a mountain or loaded up daily driver, the turbo performance curve got old. Truthfully, if you don’t punch it it’s never smooth, but always great passing or climbing. So I traded to one of the last 3.6 2019 Touring around. I found the 3.6 to be perfect for my driving style. Smooth as butter at any speed, never bogs, always powerful enough, but not spry like a turbo when punched.

Reading your list, I’d save for the OBXT.

 

I traded to one of the last 3.6 2019 Touring around. I found the 3.6 to be perfect for my driving style. Smooth as butter at any speed, never bogs, always powerful enough, but not spry like a turbo when punched.

I wonder if the 3.6 will become somewhat of a coveted car - the last of the Subaru H6. I had the 3.3 in the SVX and it was a sweet torquey turbine-like engine and no doubt the 3.6 was at least as good.

Since then I've had 3 Subaru turbo-4 engines and can attest that none of them are smooth as a 6 or have the immediate low end torque. I still like turbos though, and would choose the turbo 4 again. A turbo 6 even better!

 

you are risking your family's lives every time you take them on the highway in the car.

I generally hate this hyperbole whenever I hear it. There are many cars out there with less power and longer 0-60, especially smaller older cars. The Prius, Yaris, Nissan Versa, and Hyundai Accent all have 0-60 of more than 10 sec. Yet I have yet to come across a car accident where any of these cars have collided while merging onto a highway. Speed isn't a problem as long as you know how its going to drive and anticipate it. I haven't had any troubles with my old Impreza and my wife's Fit with merging onto our TX highways @ 75-80mph.

 

Of course.
Just look at the accident rate of the two engines, or the insurance premiums.
I am pretty sure the higher hp engine has a higher accident probability.

 

We have both a 2016 gen5 2.5 premium and a 2020 gen6 2.5 premium.
Both almost identical in terms of equipment/extras.
To me, and my kid ( who is mainly driving the gen5) there is no noticeable difference in terms of power between the two.

 

My first car was a 1978 Ford Fiesta, 66 horsepower, 0-60 in 11.2 seconds. Never had a problem with it being too slow, but I enjoyed wringing every last newton of energy out of the tiny engine with a manual transmission, with speeding tickets being the reward.

 

Everyone in the forums and YouTube generally agrees that you are risking your family's lives every time you take them on the highway in the car.

Assuming "the car" you are referring to is a 2.5L OB, this is 100% nonsense.

 

Thanks all, these are great so far. I haven't really considered an Ascent. I looked at one briefly a year or so ago. I thought it would be an Outback with more cargo space but that's really not the case at all. I thought back seat comfort was not good and it's about as wide as my Suburban, though obviously shorter. In 19 years, the third-row has been in my Suburban three times, the rest of the time it is just used to haul a lot of stuff.

I hear you on the Impreza and I'm probably picking up a 2012 from a friend for my daughter. However, they're not that quiet or comfortable. If I got the Impreza for me -- which I've strongly considered -- would make the Gen 3 our "big family car" and that won't work, and both our cars would be Subarus north of 100k miles. I don't want to be in a situation where I have two car payments at the same time. Also I'm concerned about limited ground clearance on the Impreza and deep snow. My friend with the Impreza also has a Crosstrek (he's selling the Impreza to buy another Crosstrek) and I've seen him struggle driving in deep snow where the Suburban had no issues. But, maybe could work. It's a workable 5-6 days a week, but that other day is a problem.

So it sounds from everyone's experience that the internet lore of the 2.5 being dangerously slow is just that and probably mostly comments from people who aren't comfortable really wringing out the engine. My experience with the older 2.5s is they have practically zero passing power, but with a CVT can get from Denver to Vail at 80 mph without difficulty and it sounds like the new ones are the same. If I have the opportunity to drive one or do buy one I'll report back. 90% of the time they get the job done. The other 10% is very short highway entrance ramps or passing on two-lane roads where you need to plan passing. My sailboat with trailer probably weighs 500 lb. at most, so towing isn't really a concern.

 

My experience with the older 2.5s is they have practically zero passing power,

There are inevitably going to be "slow" cars and "fast" cars. Not all cars can or need to be "fast"; if that were the case there wouldn't be any need for passing. If you're in a 2.0NA or 2.5NA @ 5,000+ft, you need to get out of the mindset that you are the fast car. You are the slow car. Why are you even needing passing power? Sorry, but that's the reality. If you want to go fast, then you should buy the bigger engine or turbo. Not all cars are meant to be passing monsters, and that's okay.

Only time you need to pass is if someone in front is going like what, 10mph slower than you? If that's the case, it shouldn't be that hard to pass because you're already going 10mph faster. Again, you don't need tons of power for that.

 

I went from an '08 2.5NA 5MT to a '20 2.5NA. I enjoy driving a manual but at 180k miles, it was time to trade it in and we needed something with more cargo space. I would say the new one is equivalent in acceleration. The CVT takes some getting used to and I do miss that direct connection that the manual provides. Fuel economy is better with the new one. I'm only at 1,000' but we have had no issues passing when needed. It's not quick like my wife's Mercedes E350, where a slight push on the accelerator awakens the torque gods and the car hits 90 before you know it. But it gets the job done.

That said, if you want something with ample passing power and acceleration, the 2.5NA is not for you. If you are okay with the power in your Gen 3, then the new one will suffice.

 

I had a loaner for a week... I couldn’t tell much difference from the previous gen for the 2.5 ... I liked it better than any of the gen4 cars I had driven with the 2.5, but I’m not a long time owner of either.

It had enough oomph. Was a nice ride.

 

You won't like the 3.9 mileage from what I have read. Driving at 10K ft altitude screams out "get a Turbo". I have a 2.5 Limited and not regretted this decision but have not driven it much at altitude except once at ~5,500 ft; this vehicle did fine for me. In the past I raced some of my cars.

 

I’ve been satisfied with the 2.5 in my 2011 Outback and my 2019 Forester in all situations aside from when I have a full car. The car does drive a little more sluggish then. I have a light foot so I am curious if the XT’s quirks will be less of an impact to me.

 

Regarding the title of this thread - "How fast is the 2.5 compared with previous 2.5s?" - I believe this is what is commonly referred to as a "very low bar".

 

Reporting back as promised. I drove a premium model. It is noticeably faster than the Gen 3 and fully adequate for anything besides towing. As I mentioned above, passing is a concern. In Colorado, passing zones tend be very short, almost always with oncoming traffic. With that in mind, my dad convinced me to get the XT. I didn't drive a XT, but did order an Onyx.

I didn't spend a ton of time with the Outback, but a lot of the problems I've read about really didn't seem like a big deal. I will be looking to add a bigger rear sway bar immediately but that was really my only issue.

 

With that in mind, my dad convinced me to get the XT.

I like your dad!

 

I have seen quite a few Posts Disparaging the 2.5 engine's performance. I find my 2.5 to be fine for my needs. They tried to sell me an XT when I bought my LTD. I told the salesman that I would rather have the extra MPG, and the non Turbo has less parts that potentially could breakdown. Living in Florida we have lots of Oldsters on the Roads, and I have to pass quite often. my little 2.5 gets the Job done no sweat.

 

I wonder what proportion of 2020 Outback sales are turbo vs NA in the real world. Surely NA is more, but in a forum the big engine and well-appointed variants are over-represented. It was surprising that the Forester XT was only 5% take rate. It had a sport sharp mode that I wish we had.

 

Living in the mountains of NC, I have been very satisfied with my 2020 Premium 2.5 both on two lane country roads and on the interstate highway. If extra speed is your need just realize it will cost extra up front and in fuel mileage. I once owned a supercharged Mini Cooper and it definitely had the zip but the extra zip wasn't really needed and I felt like it was a speeding ticket waiting to happen.

 

If you have the bucks XT for sure. If you're practical and want high fuel mileage you'll get the 2.5. Other than the up front cost and lower mileage, the only real negative on the XT seems to be the fine print in the Subaru Gold Plus warranty that talks about limitations and surcharges for turbo engines. It will be interesting to see in a few years how the long term reliability of the turbo compares to the NA engines. In the past I rarely kept cars past 70K miles so it didn't really concern me, but now I shoot for the 150-200K range so durability has become much more important.

 

the only real negative on the XT seems to be the fine print in the Subaru Gold Plus warranty that talks about limitations and surcharges for turbo engines.

Uh, what? Maybe I should have done more homework.

 

All things being equal, a turbo does stress an engine more, and one can add things like an accessport or other "tuning" that will increase boost - turbo owners are more likely to make mods - cold air intake, exhaust, things that can change the performance and potentially cause increased stress on the engine beyond "stock".

I have owned 5 turbocharged vehicles and none of them have ever given me any problem with the turbo or the engine. Mitsubishi Eclipse GS Turbo, Toyota MR2 Turbo, Subaru Legacy GT Turbo, Subaru WRX Turbo, and now the 2020 Subaru Outback XT. I have not kept any of my turbo cars past 100k miles however, so this is not a testament to the long-term issue.

Subaru in particular has a very long history of turbocharged engines, and their turbo engines are well designed for the added stress of a turbo.

One caveat about Turbos is that in my mind, they REQUIRE meticulous attention to oil changes. If there is anything a Turbo does to an engine, it's wearing out the oil faster, and relying on good oil that much more. Do not neglect oil changes. If there is any singular reason for more turbocharged engines failing it's because they do not respond well to maintenance neglect. Ideally you change the oil and oil filters yourself so that you know exactly what oil is being used. Some people go to Jiffy Lube types of places - I would never do that with a turbo but many do, and it's understandable. Not everyone has a driveway or garage, but do please go to an actual mechanic, or even the dealer, instead of a jiffy lube type of place.

 

I would not trust the dealer either.
What are the chances that the kid doing the oil changes reads the paperwork and then grabs the hose with the correct oil, being hung over and paid minimum wage?
Either do the oil change yourself or go to a place where you can watch it being done.

 

My 2020 feels like it has more torque lower In the power band than did my 2013. You still end up using a decent amount of the power band but realistically it is plenty for most driving conditions. With a ski rack driving 50/50 I get 29.5 mph average. Keep in mind that at altitude the xt will always make the same hp whereas the 2.5 or even the 3.6 will make slightly less due to being na. Then again I also drive my 2020 at 7k feet and it is still manageable.

 

all of the 2.5i are in the 9 second range from about 2010 up these are from C&D unless otherwise noted.
2010 60 mph; the 2.5 needed 8.2 seconds (I believe this to be a typo and should read 9.2)
2013 60 mph; the 2.5 needed 9.1 seconds.
2015 60 mph; the 2.5 needed 9.0 seconds.
2018 60 mph; the 2.5 needed 9.4 seconds (Motor Trend).
2019 60 mph; the 2.5 needed 9.1 seconds
2020 60 mph; the 2.5 needed 8.5 seconds

there was about a .1 second difference between trim levels so this should give you an idea. also those are CALCULATED 0-60 times aka they are NOT what you are going to see in real life as explained here:

We're Making a Slight Change to Our Acceleration-Testing Procedure

Our results will now include the industry standard 1-foot rollout before the clock starts on acceleration runs.

www.caranddriver.com

also they brake torque the powertrain before launching, they are not just mashing the pedal and go like normal people do...

The Cars That Really Do Meet Their 0-60 Times | MotorBiscuit

Some cars' 0-60 times are only impressive on paper or in theory. But these cars can genuinely back up their claims in the real world.

www.motorbiscuit.com

.

 

all of the 2.5i are in the 9 second range from about 2010 up these are from C&D unless otherwise noted.
2010 60 mph; the 2.5 needed 8.2 seconds (I believe this to be a typo and should read 9.2)
...
2019 60 mph; the 2.5 needed 8.5 seconds

I was going to comment that I did a 0-60 test on my 2012 Legacy 6MT 2.5i and my G-tech measured 8.2-8.3s 0-60mph with 1500rpm slip launch (what I would call normal for someone driving on the street to maximize acceleration). I looked up the C/D article and they estimated the 0-60 of 8.2 sec, it wasn't a real test. I think the last 0-60 of 8.5s on your list suppose to be 2020 not 2019.

The topic starter already addressed this but he said the 2020 felt faster. I concur having drive the 2020 and owning a '09 OB 4EAT & '12 L 6MT 2.5i's. My 6MT was a little faster off the line but that was the only place it seemed faster, it felt slower otherwise.

 

^ fixed it... throttle response as a lot to do with feel and Subaru has done a good job of making it feel like it is very responsive but in the end, number are all relatively the same so...

 

For what it’s worth:

I have two Outbacks: 2018 Limited (2.5) and 2020 Touring (2.5).

I drive them interchangeably, as does my wife. We both agree: the 2018 is noticeably, remarkably faster/zippier/more powerful-feeling. Not even close. Sure it’s subjective and seemingly contrary to the official numbers. But that’s our experience.

Does it perhaps have something to do with throttle feel? With the 2020 being quieter, smoother...and thus perhaps more even-keeled and measured feeling? Probably.

But I DO actually wish I had bought the 2.4 turbo instead. I test drove both and figured that the 2.4 wasn’t noticeably faster than the 2018 2.5 I had driven up to the dealer for the test drive. And the 2.5 felt fine...I didn’t press it because I didn’t really expect it to feel fast. BUT I also didn’t expect it to be or at least feel slower, and that has been disappointing.

 

Turbo or Non-Turbo 4 cylinder?

Was looking forward to the Onyx XT test drive as we need a car very soon and I like what it has to offer for the pricepoint … was lucky to find a local dealer that had quite a few trims in stock … We have a 2017 Forester XT in the family which I am currently “borrowing” and I love it mostly...

www.subaruoutback.org

If you look at this post comparing different models that I made months ago, you'll see that while engine power has increased, so has the weight of the vehicle. Thus the power to weight ratio has remained the same.