2020 Subaru Outback Touring XT Driving Review

I review the totally new 2020 Subaru Outback in it's top Touring XT model. With 260 hp and 277 lb/ft of torque from a 2.4L turbo engine, the Outback XT has brought turbo power back to the Outback. While it gives the Outback more power than ever before, the rest of the Outback is tuned for relaxed comfort, not sportiness. The interior is the most comfortable and most advanced Subaru has ever done, and this is reflected in this one's as-tested price of $40,720. Even if comfort is your main priority, the overactive EyeSight safety system may take some of that comfort away with its annoyances. Overall, this new generation Outback has promise, but is a mixed bag for now. What do you think of the 2020 Subaru Outback XT? Thanks to Subaru for providing this vehicle!
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[@MattMaranMotoring]

FYI: I later discovered the lane centering can be turned off independently of the lane departure warning via a steering wheel button, therefore eliminating the steering wheel nudge without displaying the orange warning in the gauge cluster.

[@toyota420xp]

The ascent is unreliable

[@SteveDion]

For some reason my 2022 model I can’t have lane centering without cruise control. My 21 Crosstrek I don’t need the cruise. Similar to the 2020 you reviewed.

[@rayjensen4480]

I REALLY like your interpretation of this car. It's painfully honest....as it should be. Your description of driving it with both a CVT and the new TURBO 4 cylinder engine is accurate. This is the first review that is accurate that I have seen. Nice job.

[@patouwhale]

Only reviewer out there who honestly seems to understand what a good driving experience entails. Great review. Extremely detailed to the extent that I have a fairly comprehensive sense of driving this car without having driven it.

[@carmoe17]

Matt is absolutely right on. I have the Onyx and all the characteristic which were criticized I would mention myself. Right on the fact that any small increase in speed usually results in unnecessary "gear hunting". Not necessary at 277 ft-lb of torque. But overall a reliable companion in any situation.

[@marksimonds13]

Appreciate the candid review. I agree with all the issues you stated (harsh start-stop, unrefined CVT, poor gas mileage, turbo lag, infotainment system already needs a refresh). I've owned two outbacks so far (2010 2.5 and 2013 3.6) - and have had zero problems with them. I'm going to wait 2-3 years to see if Subaru works out all the bugs. If not, the Hyundai Palisade or Sante Fe is looking better and better.

[@cownose64]

Loved the review, just picked up a 2020 Legacy Premium N/A and happy with it. Much improvement over my Impreza Sport I traded in for it.

[@anw9485]

Looking to trade in my Porsche for something more "family-friendly" so took a test drive in a 2021 Touring XT today. It had the same comfy beautiful brown nappa leather seats, lots of storage space, high-quality interior(from a Porsche and BMW owner's perspective), lots of features. Unfortunately, was terribly disappointed by the driving experience for the exact reasons that you described. That "squishy" acceleration and lag from the CVT was an absolute deal breaker. Had to keep pressing the pedal further and further and further until getting any kind of feedback. Was really excited to potentially take one home today =(.

[@vehiclefannicefan943]

This is real nice hatchback and my PS4 did not work today so I seen your video on my phone.i usually see your videos over my PS4 but if I can I look at them on my iPhone 10.the thing is I think that the Subaru is real good for people who is just now driving.it want annoy me what I mite get on some peoples nerves.i also want to say that I Love the interior and I mean love the interior.it is really nice.that is all I have to say about the video and good job.cant wait to see the next one.

[@allanblack8635]

I'm sure some one has already said, but you don't need to turn lane keep assist warning off to turn off the active lane keep assist. Its just a button on the wheel and no light on the hud as a result. It will just beep at you if it sees a lane and your over the line. And if its digging at you all the time maby you should stay on your lane hotrod. Haha its not been an issue for me at all after 5k miles. I do hate that auto start stop though. I always turn it off the moment I start the car.

[@sprague49]

23:09 "I'm not the target demographic.." Maybe that's one of the reasons it kept scolding you, Matt. It's the Outback's way of saying "Get off my lawn!"

[@nrborod1]

I have driven his very model 3 times now. Very pleased with it all--except for the coarseness of the stop-start system.

[@TheWVgoodguy22]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts Matt. As you know I have been looking at these, but never have driven one even the previous gen. Aside from money $$$ the biggest reason I haven't went with Subaru whether the Crosstrek, Forester or Outback is that CVT and now with all the nannies and laggy tech, I don't think that I would want to put up with that for 8.7 inches of ground clearance and some nice cargo room and AWD. Maybe in a year or two, but by then hopefully I will have my truck instead, about the same MPG but can do more truck things.

[@TheWVgoodguy22]

@@timmyxyzpdq That is the one I would look at actually, the Onyx XT. Thank you.

[@mathieuclement8011]

I wish you’d test driven the car. The CVT is very smooth and works well for regular driving.

[@Databyter]

I think if you are on a curvy road where you want to have that more immediate response from the engine and the turbo you would be better off in manual mode, whether to downshift for quicker response passing or to downshift for a sharper curve that you can then power out of more immediately, being in a more appropriate rpm range. So, I totally get what Matt is saying here, and Im sure he is correct, but there are more fun ways to engage a road with the manual mode on the gear selector and using the paddle shifters. That is basically what they are for. You can't go too far down the complain road when you are not selecting gears in a performance test. As a comfortable afternoon drive with occasional passing, a soft delay is perfectly acceptable. For more spirited canyon carving or passing, please be in manual mode and eat the road. Yea, its not a WRX but as a past owner of a non turbo Outback with the 2.5 and CVT I can tell you that using the manual mode, with practice, can be satisfying. I can only assume it would be even better with the Turbo. The only thing I was worried about was overheating it with high rpm and blowing a head gasket which I actually did on another 2.5 motor that was during the years notorious for it. One of the reasons I am excited about the 2.4 is that it is NOT the 2.5 head and head gasket and likely is much better. p.s. you can paddle shift in any mode, for a few seconds, like to pass or slow down, and then it reverts back to smart shifting. In true manual mode it should hold ratio, but the exception would be if it feels you are out of range and would either lug or overspeed the motor. Databyter

[@doublea10231]

Essentially it's not a good car other than its ride. Didn't like transmission, engine, features, screen, etc. I was thinking about this one too, I won't buy this car. Thanks for the honest review Matt, much appreciated.

[@Intrepid175a]

Hi Matt, really appreciate your candor on the Outback XT. I definitely get what you were saying about transmission calibrations. I'll be interesting to see how Subaru addresses that in the following years. The one other thing I wanted to comment on is to address what you said about interior volume relative to the Forester. It's true, the Forester has more cargo capacity on paper in terms of square footage. The problem is, the Outback is a little longer, and I think, a little wider so it's got noticeably more floor space than the Forester does. That, for me anyway, means more "usable" space. I just think the Outback will be more flexible in terms of cargo capacity than the Forester will, at least as long as you're not trying to haul around anything on the tall side. Most folks rarely use the interior volume above the window line. Just a thought.

[@sl5932]

looks like they addressed the calibration on the wilderness, at the cost of mpg.

[@Intrepid175a]

@@sl5932 - well, the Wilderness, as well as the XT, is turbocharged. That changes the game. I've seen a few videos that reported some pretty decent gas mileage with the 2.4 turbo engine, but I've seen more that didn't. If you're driving around on boost most of the time, you're not going to be getting great gas mileage. It'll be performing in a relatively satisfying way, but at a cost. As the old saying goes, "there ain't no free lunch!"

[@ShowMeWhatINeedToKnow]

Thanks for keeping it real. I hate it when car companies release unfinished and unpolished, "beta quality", products.

[@protovack]

Nice review man! I like your format still. I think in the past people watched you mainly to see your enjoyment of a fun sports car, doing accelerations, etc. It just isn't the same with a boring old CUV. I recall your reviews of the 6th generation camaro, and i watched them all, many times each, trying to decide which one to buy. It really helped! I ended up in a 2.0 turbo.

[@MattMaranMotoring]

Thanks Brian, I’m glad the videos helped you! Unfortunately even the fun sports cars I’ve been posting recently don’t get the same views anymore.

[@TheCrazyBird844]

“Sharper more chiseled look OUTBACK there” lol

[@hamerplayer1229]

Former Subie Fan here had a 2007 Outback XT 5 speed from new for 12 years from new and sold it with 147k. Great car but expensive to run. I had it for 12 years 3 sets of brakes as two sets completely rusted out and one front caliper, 4 front drive axles as the boots melted, 3 wheel bearings, 19 MPG on Premium, tires every 25k doesn't matter about rotations. The new XT has a CVT! That is a no go right there. I was at the Subaru dealer and asked a tech about the CVT and he said they lasted around 100k miles and then they were junk. Outback should have had a pano sunroof like my 2007, The Infotainment system without hard buttons will be a nightmare, no 360 camera or heads up display. Ended up with a Hyundai Santa Fe Ultimate 2.0 as it has all those things and a regular 8 speed auto. Almost 15k miles on it now and my tires still look new. On a Subaru they would be getting near the end of their life. No problems at all and it eats up long distances.The brakes are very powerful and all the driver safety tech works exactly as it should. I get around 22-23 MPG running on the highway around 80 mph this isn't great but that is how I drive and I am not using Premium fuel. If I drove slower and can get 25=26 MPG. If you are going to be doing a lot of snow driving I would get snow tires as the full time AWD in a Subaru will be better. That AWD system in a Subaru comes at price as it eats tires and you can feel the front tires biting when doing low speed maneuvers in a parking lot.

[@BigBobBlazer]

Yeah the 2020 Camry has the same lane assist and it is incredibly annoying and scary at times. Driving through Nevada with the winds and passing truckers at 80mph, it gets glitchy and gives you the feel like it's pulling you the direction you do not want to go. Made the entire 10 hour drive unenjoyable. Disabled it on the way back, completely different car. Lane assist feels like one of those technologies that hasn't been completely flushed out yet and is more of an annoyance than a benefit.

[@kuladeeluxe]

I Think I'll bite the Bullet and go Allroad. Enough ground clearance, still has a taught suspension and transmission that doesn't annoy you

[@tinchauea]

Hey Matt, for 120 miles in a week. Just to start and turn off the engine alone will consume all the gas. So, your 18 mpg on local is not a fair measurement...

[@coreygarcia622]

I don't know if this has been said, but why would you poll current owners about the styling? Wouldn't it make more sense from a business perspective to poll owners of competitors vehicles or stylistically similar cars that aren't yours?

[@narsunaidur1973]

Thanks a lot Brother.. Very informative & helpful video

[@jeffmorse645]

I turn the stop/start feature off automatically anymore on my Legacy Touring XT. Thankfully its on the bottom of the home screen and as I reach to put it in gear I just hit it. Yeah, its way too rough and shakes the whole car coming back on.

[@randym195]

Thanks so much for this review. Taking the Outback/Legacy off my list. Way too many deal breakers with this new model. Clearly this was rushed into production. The ride quality is really the only positive here.

[@JonXVX]

Great review! Anyone know if the issues Matt brings up are being addressed in the 2021 turbo line?

[@fightingcarrot]

How do you like it compared to the Santa Fe Limited 2.0T? I’ve narrowed it down to those two. Thank you!!!

[@TTOORROONNTTOOful]

subscribed your reviews because your reviews are detailed oriented and very informative. Most of all your review is genuine and sincere, not like sugarcoated review. I've been through buying this but i need to reconsider cuz annoying start and stop, handling, inefficient cvt with turbo. i am looking for suv as a second car with driver friendly and pretty responsive. Currently own wrx. any suggestions?

[@MattMaranMotoring]

TTOORROONNTTOOful thanks for subscribing! My favorite compact SUV is the Mazda CX-5.

[@TTOORROONNTTOOful]

@@MattMaranMotoring Thanks for your advice. Will test drive it.

[@emmanuelrodriguez1043]

Great review matt! That and xc70 are the best!

[@lifeisgood070]

tell subaru to make it not beep so much. Or put the beeper under the steering column like they used to so I can rip it out

[@jw4111]

I’m considering a 2021 Outback XT. Any word if Subaru addressed the eyesight and other issues you discussed in video? Thanks!

[@MattMaranMotoring]

The eyesight system still acts the same in the later Subarus I've reviewed. I'll actually be posting a review on an Outback Wilderness next week and will discuss it a little more then.

[@jw4111]

@@MattMaranMotoring thanks.

[@ronaldsteiger7562]

Several issues with your review 1 You should have been aware of the warning bells and tones were bothersome to you you can turn off those warning tones without turning off the features individually ! 2 The Forester DOES NOT have more luggage space, it has higher space than the Outback, but the Outback has deeper space!

[@MattMaranMotoring]

Yes, the warning tones can be turned off, I showed that in the video at the 12:46 mark, but it goes back to what I said in the video, if the warning bells and assist both bother you, your only option is to have an orange warning light constantly present on the dash. As for luggage space, according to Subaru's site, Forester's max cargo capacity is 35.4 cubic feet, while the Outback is only 32.5 cubic feet. That's what I was talking about.

[@MrMomo0529]

ronald steiger you are right sir, the outback has more deeper space. Subaru uses the old method to calculate the forester and the new method to calculate the outback. If using the old method on the outback it would be around 39.3

[@michaelpatterson4792]

@@MattMaranMotoring Matt, the Forester is rated with the old rating method and the Outback is measured with the new more conservative method.

[@fleuger99]

Looks nice, especially the interior but my concern is the CVT. I HATE CVT's. How is this one?

[@fleuger99]

After watching this I'm going to pass. Sounds like typical CVT transmission. Subaru should offer an 8 speed transmission for a grand or twelve hundred as an upgrade and I bet they'd sell more Outback's.

[@jaguar2164]

Ride many car as you cant, that cvt is not bat and the turbo y very good.

[@jasonsong86]

I am gonna wait for year 2 or even 3.

[@BobThe9534]

hi Matt. nice vid. liked b4 watching b/c i knew it was going to b good

[@WilliamJacques]

Auto Start-Stop is horrendous. Shakes the whole car. Moreover, you have to turn it off each time you start the car.. and that takes THREE pushes on different touchpad screen! It's off my list.

[@roncraft2042]

A software update put a button on the Home Screen to turn off the auto start stop. Much easier.

[@jayanson4618]

Get a WRX STI. If you want power, handling, etc. It's an Outback I really wish auto journalist would stop comparing cars such as this Outback with a "sports car". Most reviewers say, "I wish this or that". Then review sports cars only. Apparently Outback and similar vehicles are targeted to particular demographic.

[@michaelpatterson4792]

Matt, like your reviews. I don't understand why you compare SUVs to sports cars for driving dynamics. Outbacks are SUVs. I don't know if you were driving this like a sports car when you got your MPG results, but combined I get 26 and 30 on the highway just like stated. I have the Touring XT. I Love the car. My turbo surge seems to start in at 2000 RPM and it is immediate. I wonder if yours is tuned incorrectly. The car does what I want it to for my mountain driving. I do agree with your assessment on the Lane Keep Assist...can be overbearing. Not as bad as Ford Fusion rental I drove with the vibrating steering wheel and forceful bump to the center. Keep up the good work.

[@MattMaranMotoring]

Hey Michael, thanks for watching. I wasn’t expecting the Outback to handle like a sports car, I was expecting it to handle at least as well as taller SUVs, but comparing it to other mid-size SUVs as far as handling goes, it’s definitely mid-pack at best. CX-5, RAV4, even Rogue feels better in corners to me.

[@hisdigness3]

Does the pre-collision setting stay off after the car is restarted? Or only the lane keep?

[@ShahnewazYT]

Man the CVT needs to go.

[@cheekcj]

Shahnewaz I agree. Manual would be way better.

[@cheekcj]

Manual

[@entity1263]

Wish there was an option to get the onyx wheels.

[@officialyasir]

Good review Matt! I think one possible reason your views have dropped is because your format is getting stale. You review each car from a sports car enthusiast’s perspective but in reality most car buyers are not car enthusiasts. You spent way too much time on the driving dynamics. Discussing the safety stuff is good but hearing you talk about it is boring, show us the features, demo them in the video. How about a separate video for just mpg? Maybe you can choose a route of mix city and highway and other cars through the same route we can compare. Just my opinions. Hope to see you doing this for a long time!

[@MattMaranMotoring]

I appreciate your opinions, but I feel like there were several times where I mentioned how this isn't an enthusiast's car and instead highlighted more practical things that Outback shoppers would be interested in. I quit reviewing each car from an enthusiast perspective whenever I started reviewing more SUVs years ago, but handling and acceleration still matter to the non-enthusiast too, just not as much. That's why I say "it's fine at 7/10ths" and things like that, but I'm continuing to try being more concise in my discussion of these things to get the video length down. There's not much to show when discussing safety tech since most sensors aren't visible, so I showed the cameras and the touchscreen controls for turning things on and off, not sure what more I could have done there...If a driving video doesn't do well and is considered boring, I think a video discussing just mpg would do even worse and be much more boring. I hope to keep doing this for a long time too, but if views keep going down and people don't like these new video formats I try, I won't be able to. We'll see what happens, but I'm starting to lose hope...

[@tpolerex7282]

Were you in manual mode on the transmission when using the paddle shifters? From my understanding is that the paddle shifter’s simulated gear ratios can be invoked in either standard or manual mode but they will only hold that selected simulated gear ratio in manual mode, in standard it defaults back to auto defined ratios after a few seconds.

[@MattMaranMotoring]

I had it over in manual mode on the shifter.

[@tpolerex7282]

Matt Maran Motoring got it, thanks. We are interested in this car but are likely to wait until the 2021 model hoping they work out some of the issues you have been mentioning. Great, honest review.

[@sawyermartin2664]

4:19 "Now let's just turn down this back road & see what happens..."

[@mysticalgamer1013]

How come you didn’t talk about the interior

[@MattMaranMotoring]

In the beginning of the video I said I did a separate video on it and linked it above.

[@ilyakipnis3254]

With all due respect, 24 minutes is a bit much for a average car driving review. I enjoy being up to date with the new stuff coming out but if it could be summarized in a more tidy package that would be awesome.

[@MattMaranMotoring]

Yeah, the goal is less than 20 minutes, this one just went longer because of all the safety stuff I had to talk about.

[@cuzimaluzer777]

Cue the hand movement

[@BRIANBOBCHAPMAN]

2020 Subaru Outback Touring XT Driving Review

[@whiteandnerdytuba]

Simulated paddles on a cvt defines pointless.

[@NoodleBoy101]

Whats going on Matt. I haven't been to your channel in over a year and your views have significantly dropped.

[@MattMaranMotoring]

I think you partially answered your own question. I think there’s lots of subscribers that don’t show up anymore. 75% of my views come from non-subscribers now. Not sure why most of my subscribers have bailed. Even the exciting sports cars don’t get the views they used to 😕

[@xpinchx]

@@MattMaranMotoring sorry bud

[@lyndahammel9502]

Please consider giving the price sooner rather than later. I always like to know the cost when considering a car.

[@MattMaranMotoring]

I’ve been including the price in the description.

[@lyndahammel9502]

Thanks, that works!

[@aaronyoung6903]

Bring back a traditional automatic transmission!

[@ntzphyr]

I don't understand why you couldn't demonstrate the start/stop problem if it was so rough and jerky. It seems to me if it was so bad it would be easy to show. Simply take a few takes and you're done, even if you don't use start/stop the rest of your time with the car.

[@MattMaranMotoring]

I didn’t think it was necessary to demonstrate, the force of the shake wouldn’t have come through effectively on camera anyway.

[@sashawhite195]

I am still getting this car. It isn't meant to be a luxury car...... you get a pretty decent package for the price. Honestly, people are expecting too much from a wagon 🙄 which is quite annoying

[@TopGunDogTraining]

I was going to buy this car. Not now.

[@willnotburn]

4:36 not a flat four - a boxer

[@mathieuclement8011]

Paul Wilburn uhm... a boxer 4 is a flat 4.

[@ChairmanKimchi]

Nice looking car...will avoid solely due to the CVT. What a shame,

[@wetwork1977]

Matt you seemed angry. Why? Almost spiteful

[@robertlandry5676]

Unavailable

[@BobThe9534]

review a Toyota Sienna

[@BobThe9534]

#notificationsuqad

[@BobThe9534]

1st commented, 4th liked, and 15th viewed

[@CrialCrial]

Bob The Congratulations, what an achievement! Sounds like this is the highlight of your life!

[@BobThe9534]

@@CrialCrial not really since i get 1st quite often

[@CrialCrial]

Neat.