It fits my needs perfectly and all the things that bother other people don't bother me.

 

What are they, if you don't mind sharing?

 

Sure,

1. Ocassional soft off-roading ability and ground clearance with good on road manners
2. Space in the back for me to lie down (I am 6'1") during camping trips/road trips. I also crossshopped pickups when I bought my 2020 OB due to this reason. But the need for a camper shell and relatively poorer weather proofing in a shell pushed me towards the OB. I would have had to get a long bed crew cab to fit my needs. That would have been way too large of a vehicle for my needs.
3. Cargo capacity to carry all my gear and still have room for me in the back
4. All wheel drive
5. Giant tablet was a definite plus in my book
6. Comfortable on 1000+ miles/day trips
7. Power. Coming from a naturally aspirated Impreza, a turbo charger was at the top of my requirements for my next vehicle. With all my gear, the 2.5i really struggled on some trips.

 

Reliability - I have owned two, a Forester and the Outback, Wilderness edition. I had the Forester for a year, 32,000 miles, not one issue. I have had the Outback for 13 months, 52,000 miles, again not one issue, with anything, and I was hesitant to get the turbo, but now that I have it I am not sure I would buy another one without the turbo. The Forester was the Touring model, lots of extra's - the Wilderness was something I loved when I saw it, it is my 3/4 life crisis car. I am not going off road and not going camping, which is what this was meant for and I know your wife thinks they are ugly, but I thing the Wilderness, particularly the black one, looks like the friggin' batmobile. I had Honda's for over 20 years and I saw the quality begin to diminish. I haven't seen that in the Subaru, my biggest grip is there is too much reliance on the touch screen. I liked the knob controls on the Foresters for heating, cooling and ventilation. That is my biggest complaint. I have seen others complaint about the CVT, the electronics, the gas mileage, if you drive "reasonably" the CVT and the turbo work perfectly (yes it took me some time to get used to it) and I drove from Omaha to Chicago on one tank of gas, just under 500 miles and averaged 30.9 miles per gallon, only made one stop, too much coffee and set the cruise control on 65 and I didn't care that EVERY car on Interstate 80 and 88 passed me, I just smiled and watched the mpg continue to go up. I may keep my Outback longer than I expected, I would like to see if I can get it to 300,000 miles only doing the required maintenance, we will see. So, I love the look, I love the feel of the drive and I love the quality. Hope that answers your question.

 

No particular order but here goes...

1. I bought the OBW because my wife and I like a car to go on adventures with.
2. Also good for every day driving
3. Best AWD system out there
4. More leg room than other small cars
5. Had the same drivetrain in an Ascent and put >90K miles on it and like it
6. Turbo lag is not that bad, I have had far worse in he past
7. Ground clearance
8. OK mileage
9. EyeSight is great
10. ACC is real good
11. Aftermarket support (skid plates, suspensions, etc)
12. Subaru Community
13. VIP pricing

 

Oh my I forgot to add SAFETY. Very high crash test scores and many real life stories about Subaru's saving people. This really was / is high on my list and I forgot it. Sorry

 

Honestly I had a Jeep Wrangler X before this. I just wanted something that wouldn't get stuck in snow and bad conditions but still got great fuel economy. Almost everything else I like about it was a huge bonus, but honestly not getting stuck was my biggest concern. Once I laid in the back and realized I could sleep in it while driving to a place and getting 32mpg on the EPA economy dream stats I was sold.

 

My previous vehicle was a 2015 Toyota Tundra SR5 crewmax …I got to the point where having to put gas in it was just not reasonable…$200+ to fill it.

I traded it in on a 2023 Outback Onyx.

 

For all the reasons @RobertD mentioned and I was also looking for something that could comfortably pull a light pop-up trailer.
I fell in love with the OBW the moment I saw it, but never thought about getting one. I was driving a 2015 Crosstrek that needed some strut work. Local dealership offered me a ridiculous amount of money in trade for it (including cost of strut work) and low low interest rate for a stupidly affordable OBW.
How could I say no?
Two days after I got it, I left for a scheduled trip with partner and dog across country - 1,700 miles (Western Canada to Southern Ontario via Superior) and back. This "dad wagon" was amazing in every way, even driving through some, semi closed, flooded roads that only trucks could get through. Very pleased with my purchase.

 

Wife has a 2018 and we've never had a problem with it. I sold my 22' trailerable boat so I didn't need a full size pick up truck - my 2020 Outback Premium does everything I need it to and tows my 16' fishing boat just fine. The AWD is great for my annual trips to the Adirondacks towing the boat to remote launch sites. 30+ mpg really beats 15 and parking the outback is a breeze, which was not so much fun with the Silverado crew cab. My only regret is getting the Premium rather than a higher end model but the price was right and 0% financing at the time (Aug 2020) sealed the deal

 

I had been driving a 2012 BMW X5 and it had begun to get expensive to repair. It wasn't the first one I owned and I love them but this one had a bunch of issues in the past year. I wanted something with all wheel drive and I had previously owned an Outback when they first came out. I looked at Honda and Toyota and both charged a premium for AWD and had high dealer markups. I was concerned about going from a luxury car with tons of power to something else but I really love the Subi. It really capable and the OBW with higher ground clearance is just perfect. Now the touchscreen while it looks great is a PITA given that so much is disabled while you are in motion. I'd rather have a knob that I could assign functions to like map zoom, phone contact lookup, etc, akin to the BMW iDrive but for now I just find work arounds.

 

My 2023 Onyx was my first car in years and a reward for all the dad sacrifices I made while raising a family. I bought the non-turbo since I had no need for extra power. My 2010 Limited (bought used at 90,000 miles) was rehomed at 186,000 miles. I had NO problems in the 96,000 miles that I had it. I do my own work and am particular about maintenance, but nothing significant ever reared its ugly head and the new owner is thrilled with it. I did plugs a couple times, valve cover gaskets, timing components, drive belt, idler pulley, brakes, struts (only due to age), bearings, front lower control arms (bushings were tired), a couple CVT fluid drain and fills, and bought a battery. Parts are inexpensive and readily available. I also had 2 and now 1 German Shepherd, so I needed the room of the larger OB. I also LOVE the 4WD capability in the snow. While most will go bumper to bumper at 10 MPH in snowstorms in the barely plowed right lanes, I tend to take the far left unplowed lane at a comfortable rate, not having to keep tapping on the brakes in gridlock. I only use all seasons despite living in the snowbelt. I don't want to get over confident and go too fast.

My two 50 pound golden doodles love the back seat of the OBW.

 

We wanted a bigger car after having our second kid. At the time we had a 2014 Crosstrek and a 2013 Focus ST. The Focus was the smaller of the two so traded it on the Outback. We wanted a roomy vehicle with decent power/acceleration and AWD. Outback XT checks all of those boxes and is what my wife ultimately wanted. My only real complaint has been infotainment and I expected that going in (Subaru does not have a great track record in this area). Software updates have mostly eliminated my infotainment complaints.

A few weeks ago we traded the Crosstrek in on a 2022 WRX, so I have fun car again. Main reason I mention the WRX here is that we used Subaru VIP through ASPCA donation and I highly recommend it for anyone buying a Subaru. Solid price with no need to negotiate (this by itself is a reason to buy a Subaru as haggling with dealer sales staff is a hassle).

 

because as my signature shows (12' OB>15' OB>18' OB>20') I've have had the prior gens and no 3.6 , I wanted more POWER! The cars reliability & AWD pioneering speaks for itself (outside issues fixed under TSB). Now that I have taken this car off road in a very rough terrain it confidently lefts me plan for more adventures. Finally, once you feed your modding addiction (to my level) this car becomes something you never imagined when you drove it off the lot. Learning how well Subaru engineered the FA24 from the Ascent to the WRX speaks volumes of satisfaction.

 

I don't have my Gen 6 yet but am patiently waiting. For me it was a no brainer natural progression. Have been driving Subaru's for over 30 years. They are perfect for our Eastern Canada climate - and are basically point and go in any weather condition.

Started with an '85 XT with on demand AWD button on the shifter to Loyale wagons, Legacies, Imprezas, three WRX's (did my own engine tuning on one of them) Crosstreks and this will be my first Outback.

Can't wait !

 

I had a '19 Crosstrek, which mostly was fine, but since I'm a nomadic worker, most of my life needs to fit in the car and I needed a little more space.

I picked an Outback Wilderness over the standard Outback because we regularly end up in moderate offroad situations when getting to hiking trails, and had already pushed the limits of what the Crosstrek was capable of. I didn't want a downgrade in capability, and thought the bigger car with worse approach angles was going to be a problem. I picked the Outback over the Forester almost exclusively because of trunk space.

I picked the Outback over a lot of other cars in the segment for a variety of reasons. I considered something like a 4Runner or other true 4wd vehicle, which would have been a major upgrade in offroad capability, but we drive a LOT and the MPG drop + less comfortable ride didn't seem to make sense. I considered some of the mid-size SUVs, such as the Mazda CX-5, but in many cases they were going to be a downgrade in offroad capability unless I did some aftermarket modifications, and some of them had a loss in cargo space.

At the end of the day, the Outback kind of hit a sweet spot that many other vehicles didn't - enough offroad capability and power without a serious hit to MPG or comfort; enough cargo space without being unwieldy; enough comfort without paying a major luxury tax. I don't need the best of any of one category, I need competency in a lot of categories.

I have a couple beefs with it, namely that I think the electronics throughout the vehicle are half-baked - not just infotainment, but some of the Eyesight functions have quirky behaviors that should be addressed. But none of it is enough to outweigh the other good stuff.

 

As I’ve said before, I’m glad I didn’t discover this forum until I had already purchased my 2013 Outback. If I had I might not have bought a Subaru, and would have missed out on the pleasure that car gave me. I actually bought it in part because of the good luck and 243,000 miles over 10 years I had with my 1985 Subaru GL wagon. In my 2013’s 90,000 miles, I never experienced the horrors many of the posters on here posted about. Sure, I had a few maintenance issues over the 6 years I had it, but they were far outweighed by the, again, pleasure I got from it.
My 2019 Outback was great, but I traded it in at 20,000 on my 2021 Outback, which is just about to hit 27,000 miles. All the superior features of the Gen 6 and the market at the time made the jump from the Gen5 to the Gen 6 right for me. Other than one minor recall, I’ve had zero/zip/nada problems with it.
I love the 2.5, the CVT, and all the safety/convenience features the Eyesight system brings.
From miles down Padre Island National Seashore with nobody else in sight either direction to 10,000 feet up in the Manti-LaSal mountains in Utah, to 85 mph on tollways the 2.5 engine has been all the engine I’ve needed for the last 10 years.

 

As I’ve said before, I’m glad I didn’t discover this forum until I had already purchased my 2013 Outback. If I had I might not have bought a Subaru...

This is sad.

 

I moved to Montreal last year and my main concern was to find a car with perfect track record for driving in the snow.
I spent months reviewing videos and and forums online and Subaru consistently came on top.
My second priority was cargo size, to accommodate my video gear, since indie filmmaking is my side project.
Thirdly, I wanted decent horsepower, at a reasonable price.
I really hated the look of the Outback at first and it has been an acquired taste. Now, I just love it, except for the rooftop bars, which I will find a way to remove once I'm done with all the modifications I have in mind.
Lastly, even though I did not think of it explicitly when I decided to buy a OBXT, I became a fan of aftermarket modifications and discovered the support of the Subaru community. The car is a joy to upgrade and tinker with, to a far greater extent than my experience with my previous Volvo S80 V8.

What did not factor in my decision: off-road capability, mpg, towing and infotainment

 

My 2023 Onyx was my first car in years and a reward for all the dad sacrifices I made while raising a family. I bought the non-turbo since I had no need for extra power. My 2010 Limited (bought used at 90,000 miles) was rehomed at 186,000 miles. I had NO problems in the 96,000 miles that I had it. I do my own work and am particular about maintenance, but nothing significant ever reared its ugly head and the new owner is thrilled with it. I did plugs a couple times, valve cover gaskets, timing components, drive belt, idler pulley, brakes, struts (only due to age), bearings, front lower control arms (bushings were tired), a couple CVT fluid drain and fills, and bought a battery. Parts are inexpensive and readily available. I also had 2 and now 1 German Shepherd, so I needed the room of the larger OB. I also LOVE the 4WD capability in the snow. While most will go bumper to bumper at 10 MPH in snowstorms in the barely plowed right lanes, I tend to take the far left unplowed lane at a comfortable rate, not having to keep tapping on the brakes in gridlock. I only use all seasons despite living in the snowbelt. I don't want to get over confident and go too fast.

 

Replaced 2013 Outback for up-to-date safety features... especially rear monitoring when backing up, adaptive cruise control, and lane alerts.

 

When I bought the 2020 Outback Onyx XT I already had experience with 4 turbocharged cars, a mitsubishi, a toyota, and two Subarus, so there was no fear of turbos here. Traded in my 2011 WRX hatchback for the Outback because:

• More ground clearance for deteriorating roads and worsening weather extremes (e.g. torrential rains, flooding).
• Turbo
• Eyesight ADAS
• AWD
• Wagon form factor for versatility
• Rigid chassis with aluminum control arms for good handling (even better with minor modifications)
• The Subaru dealership is 5 miles from my house

So now I have a large, lifted WRX wagon.

 

Well.... We've used car sharing (Modo, Car2Go and Evo) for the past 22 years or so with occasional rentals for longer trips) That's until I got into backcountry stuff where none of the above allow offroad, FSR's etc. Spouse does trail running which sometimes necessitates getting off the beaten track

Had seen a REALLY slick looking Outback Wilderness on a trip to Kelowna in 2020. Several family members and friends with Subbies and a month long loan of a 2018 CrossTrek during the 2020 winter had us generally impressed.

However was keen on buying a Honda RidgeLine as it met pretty much all my backcountry needs, especially the locking waterproof trunk under the bed, but after we test drove a 2022 model, we both agreed it was just too big a vehicle. Thinking back to the various cars Modo has (over 800), we test drove Nissan, Hyundai and after trying out the Mazda CX5 noticed the Subaru dealership right next door and walked in to take a look. That OBW seen in 2020 made us think... hmmmm...

Looking at the options and costs, put down $500 deposit to test drive an OBW when one finally came in, this was when things were pretty bare stock wise. Loved the look and feel and took it in April last year after the test drive.

Have taken it on FSR's and other rough'ish roads and have a few more off-road planned trips for camping and general back-country trips.

Up to about 12000 km's now, been through some heavy snows for Cascadia and really like it. Going in for the second servicing this week

Yes some of the infotainment stuff is a pita, but overall we like it a lot, especially remote start on the few very, very cold days we've had here. Fuel economy while not great is decent, eg Vancouver to Chilliwack is about a 1/4 tank (approx 110km). Driving around and parking in town is very straightforward. AWD has been great with the OEM tires, though we put on Snow tires/Steel rims after the big dump back in January.

Being able to mount a hard shell roof top tent has been great, same with hitch mount bike rack. However the RTT blocks parking in a lot of underground lots which usually have 6'6" clearance while RTT makes it 6'9", that's the main and really only complaint from my spouse.

Other things I love
1) heated steering wheel (spouse loves this too!)
2) full auto climate control
3) auto on/off high beams, came in really handy on a recent trip
4) can't remember name but feature where the lights shine around the corner/curve so you can see where you are going

Only issues I have
1) wish it had TPM option - not available from Subaru Canada sadly, looking for a 3rd party option (any good recommendations?)
2) wish it had power mirrors
3) wish it had power seat for passenger
4) sound system is kind of meh, but tolerable

Lots of plans for mods
1) vhf/uhf antenna mounting for ham radio
2) replace the lifts/struts for the rear cargo door to more powerful ones to handle ladder
3) rear door ladder for easier access to RTT
4) skid plates for gas tank
5) plus some other overlanding goodies

So to summarize, 2 thumbs up!

 

Had seen a REALLY slick looking Outback Wilderness on a trip to Kelowna in 2020.

What model time machine were you using?

 

Price for package my ‘23 OBW just eeks out the competition where I wanted it. A little less luxury for a bit more capability in a car-like shape.

 

I bought a new Outback only because my 2019 was totaled. The Outback doesn't really have any direct competitors for the seating/cargo envelope it provides unless you include luxury cars (like Volvo). I certainly didn't buy it because it's an attractive car.

 

I wanted another wagon after two wagons (audi & mercedes, previously). There aren’t very many wagons in the US market anymore and when Volvo discontinued the V70 wagon (normal) and the Audi was nearly $60K, I took a look at Subaru and liked what I saw.

I wanted the Ferrari wagon but, my wife said “NO”

So, Subaru it is.

 

When my previous company was acquired by my current one they ended the company vehicle lease program, so I needed a vehicle that would fit 2-3 gigantic samples bags (think hockey bags) and then some. I had about 12 months notice, so lots of couch research was done before I began test driving. I was trying to wait out the computer chip shortage, but couldn't wait any longer, so in December of '21, which was still not a great time to be purchasing a car, I started going out to dealerships. At the time I drove all over Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah and my must have list was 4WD or AWD, decent gas mileage, and a comfortable seat to spend hours at a time behind the wheel. I test drove a lot of vehicles from many brands and came to the realization that the best bang for my buck was going to be either an Ascent or an Outback XT. Now I have owned Subaru's in the past, but really thought I would end up with a Kia Telluride or Sorrento when the whole process started. The turbo was appealing as I spent a lot of time on 2 lane rural highways in the middle of nowhere, mountain passes, and stretches of I-70 and I-80 where semi trucks rule the road. I was willing to sacrifice some MPGs for the peace of mind that came from extra HP. I really liked the Ascent, but in the end my better half convinced me it was just too big of a vehicle and I would end up regretting it. The Outback was large enough to suit my work needs, and the trim level (Onyx XT) was a lot nicer than the comparable dollar value trim level of the Ascent. I ended up ordering my car at the end of January but had to wait (extra long as I did not want sunroof or RAB) until June to pick it up. The timing of the delivery worked out perfect with the end of my company vehicle, but wouldn't you know it, during this wait time I changed roles in the company and now fly more than I drive. Really glad I chose the Outback. It has everything I need and then some, and I am very happy I don't have to put 30K a year on it.

 

A fews reasons we bought our 23' Outback

1) The 2020 Impreza we owned way was too low to the ground and constantly bottomed out. Feel like the car should have come from the factory at least 2" taller.
2) Impreza was very uncomfortable on long trip and too small inside.Outback has much more space and more comfortable on long road trips and we feel SAFER in Outback. I think safety tests prove that as well.
3) Outback is very quiet inside and made of much higher quality material than Crosstrek we compared it to
4) Price vs Crosstrek didn't make sense. A Limited Crosstrek was way too close in price to an Onyx or Premium Outback


Only thing I really don't like about Outback is the auto start / stop and infotainment. I'd opt for the dual 7" screens if I could, shame there are only on base.

 

Needed an all weather grocery getter/ Labrador retriever transportation device to replace my wife’s 2014 Honda Pilot Touring . The Outback was by far and away the best choice for our current needs . My wife and the Labs love it !