Everything That’s Right and Wrong with my 2022 Subaru Outback: The Good and the Bad!

Here's a brief video describing the issues (and the great things) my wife and I have experienced with our 2022 Subaru Outback Limited with just under 8k miles. Overall, we're very happy with our new Outback and it continues to impress us in how good of an all-around car that it is and how capable it is at being quiet, smooth, and yet an excellent utility vehicle. Please place any questions or comments related to the video in the section below. I hope you enjoy the video!
#subaru #subaruoutback #reliablecars #affordablecars #features #bestsuv #bestcar #carreview #allwheeldrive

[@kevinfultz07]

I noticed a bird pooped on my car. I had to take it back to the dealership to get it fixed under warranty.

[@stenyethanmathews945]

😂😂😂

[@hunterhawk5710]

yep, a real nitpicker

[@WrongThink_]

Something tells me that the dealership is probably sick of seeing this guy roll in...

[@HomesteadOnThePreserve]

Great tutorial! Rattles and squeaks are my number 1 pet peeve. I recently got my special order Outback Wilderness and so far there are zero noise issues.

[@mofallsfan]

I truly empathize! Rattles drive me crazy and are so hard to identify sometimes! A person shouldn't have to spend $50,000 or more for a solid and quiet cabin!!

[@HomesteadOnThePreserve]

@@mofallsfan Peach on my brother!

[@Doc1855]

Sometimes my Forester doesn’t recognize me when I first get in and occasionally I can’t call anyone until I shut the car off and other times it works perfectly. I can’t get any help from our local dealership, but Cascade Subaru in Wenatchee, WA is well known for a crappy service department. They never could find out what was wrong with my wife’s Outback and after the warranty expired, they were more than willing to charge us $170 per hour to try again to resolve the problem. So needless to say, it still honks randomly.

[@colechapman6976]

It offers a great deal of stuff for the money. Almost luxury items like ventilated seats, heated rear seats, and heated steering wheels are all great additions to an already very comfortable and competent ride. The only drawback is the infotainment screen. Its lack of physical buttons is my main issue. Everything being integrated into the screen eliminates that familiarity we have with physical controls. You lose that sense of where everything is and then it takes a bit to find what you are looking for. Buttons means you also have to wait for the screen to boot up everytime and that couple seconds of delay is just annoying, especially in a brand new car costing between 28-41 ish thousand

[@Mirror1973]

I like reviews like this, that look for the details, and does not sugar coat everything

[@Doc1855]

WOW, the most mpg we can get out of our Outback and Forester is 29mpg with the cruise set on 75 on the freeway

[@fw6500]

Thank you for sharing. Have you updated the app? Does it help to solve the issues of the big touch screen?

[@mofrare]

Maybe consider cleaning the screen

[@johnroberthanna1623]

...ditto...

[@Doc1855]

I Love my 19 Forester Touring. It’s Bronze with Saddle Brown Leather interior. I currently have less than 12K miles

[@crkerstetter]

glad to see i’m not the only one hearing a weird metallic rattling/vibration at around 7000/8000 miles! mine actually seems to be coming from some panels around the rear trunk window on the driver’s side, but sounds like it’s right at the driver’s ear when the car is moving. So annoying! Would love to hear if you find a fix for yours

[@frugalpower1165]

Just wondering if you guys got that metallic buzzing sound fixed on the driver side? I have 2200 miles and noticed it a couple of days ago

[@braddruehl6786]

Nice review of the outback. It would be a hard choice for me between the turbo and the naturally aspirated engine - more power vs better gas mileage. Does your wife have any problems merging into traffic when entering a freeway? And does it have problems going up steep hills?

[@Uziavenger]

As an owner of a 2022 outback XT, I'd recommend simply getting a premium 2.5 model. The 2.5 works really well with it's transmission and has enough power as long as you're not loading up your vehicle with too much crap. The gas mileage is not worth the sacrifice for the turbo engine. The turbo doesn't work as well with it's transmission and isn't nearly as fast as it seems on paper.

[@parsley0120]

I had a 2016 Outback Limited with the 2.5 and now a 2022 Outback Touring with the NA 2.5. I find the 2.5 to be adequate. It’s not quick, but you know that going into it. I don’t have any problems getting onto the freeway and I average between 29-31 mpg consistently. The car has 33k miles on it now and we’ve taken it to the Tetons, Yellowstone, etc. and have had no issues. It definitely gets slower at altitude but still plenty good for all our adventures. Edit: The 2022 cvt programming is so much better than my 2016 was. The 2022 feels a lot more peppy and it’s all to do with the cvt programming.

[@Doc1855]

I change the oil every 5K miles with Kirkland Full Synthetic. Kirkland flows quicker than Mobile 1 full synthetic oil in cold winter months.

[@cruiseadmiral]

This is the best compact crossover at the moment. I like real owners reviews, not dealership beggars. Mine has some 17000, nothing major. There was rattling inside the EyeSight blocked - quickly fixed (something wasn’t screwed tight).

[@WhozitsWhatzits]

I bought a 22 Forester Limited. My biggest complaints have to do with all the beeps, and alarm notifications built-in to the safety system. I wish I could disable them with the push of a button and they would stay disabled until I reenable them; not have them reset every time I start the car. (Auto start/Stop, ABH, Eyesight driver monitoring) When I use the adaptive cruise control, I don’t need the car to beep, however quietly, when the car ahead of me leaves the radar space, or enters it at a far distance. I can see that. And if the dash display wants to flash or illuminate, that would be fine. But having a quiet chirp every time a car gets in front of me or leaves my lane, that’s annoying. I tried to turn it off in the sound settings but nothing worked. Pretty much every other beep or notification sound has been turned off in the menu. But I can’t disable that one. Also, I wish when I muted the radio with the radio Power button it would stay off and not turn back on at that volume when I turn the car back on. Small things, I know. I also miss a conventional play/pause button that could be used to universally restart music from my Apple CarPlay. Instead I have to go through a few menu button pushes to get back to where my Spotify app is situated. Too many button pushes even in the Forester which has more buttons and knobs than the Outback.

[@NoName-fg5dq]

The rattle by the sunglass holder is possibly from the camera cover I had that on my '21, and it resolved with a new camera cover. Try pressing upward on the plastic cover when it rattles. If the rattle resolves, there's the cause

[@jeffmorse645]

My 2021 Legacy Touring XT (same interior as an Outback) has a buzzing sound in cooler weather coming from the Eyesight camera area on the passengers side. The service tech heard it and supposedly placed some insulation in the area, but it still does it. Once summer is over and cooler weather comes back I'm sure it'll start up again and I'll take it back in. I also had a loud buzzing on rough roads from the driver's side AC vent area. They stuffed it full of insulation tape and that stopped. There was also a buzzing in the dash along the windshield and they taped it up as well. It still does it a bit in cooler weather on rough roads. All in all I'm not really impressed with the buzzes and rattles in the interior of a new car with under 10K miles - especially a top of the line that was MSRP at close to 38K.

[@FMC1239]

I had to have my radio replaced, 3 updates didn't fix the problems you described for me.

[@gerardmartel4237]

I’m pretty sure I could live with a little rattle but that infotainment screen….. I think we just found were covid has been hiding and spreading from. Someone close to him please drop off a bottle of Lysol wipes. LoL

[@tomdfrog]

I have a 2020 Touring XT. Likely the last Subaru I buy. Traded a 2015 Outback Limited which had its designs flaws (infotainment screen) but really disappointed by the 2020. Love the 2.4 Turbo and the beefed up CVT. I miss the frugal nature of the 2015's 2.5, but man it is nice to be able to pass! EyeSight doesn't like partially shaded roads. The bright-dark-bright-dark overwhelms it and it shuts off. Similar behavior from the Driver Monitoring System. Especially when the sunroof is open. But worst of all is the seat. I have known church pews to be more comfortable. Extreme lack of padding thanks to the ventilation feature and hardware for the leg support extender. I miss the old USB ports in the center armrest from my 2015. CarPlay is annoying. Function is limited when in ANY motion. In our 2018 VW, no such limitations...and it is a manual transmission car! The cargo area in the 2020 is wider...at the tailgate. narrows though at the seat area...so be aware when you measure...measure both areas. The good news...Subarus hold their value...so in 2-3 years when inventory has recovered from the pandemic, I can unload it for something else. The headlights and the 2.4T/CVT are the best parts of the car and why I hang onto it. Oh, and the big display is so slow to respond to touches. Which sucks because it seems as though EVERYTHING is controlled through there. tap it...wait for a beep acknowledging the tap, then wait for it to act!

[@fragnet1411]

For the price, it's a solid car. With as much plastic that is used in today's cars, there's found to be some ill-fitting pieces. If they're not major, forget about it and live with it. I don't know who would actually step on that plastic trim piece to get in the car, without hitting your head on the roof of the car? One thing not mentioned is the car's performance in bad weather/road conditions. Unmatched for the price. No, it's not a high-performance, stylish ride, but I think you know that if you are considering buying one. As far as mpg goes, yeah, you can get in the high 30s on a long highway-only run, but that quickly drops off to an overall average of around 30 once you exit the freeway. The touch screen is fine too, as long as you're not overly obsessed with using your phone every thirty seconds. Stop complaining (tell your wife) and enjoy the car.

[@justcollectingdust]

I would clean the car before doing a review, but that's just me.

[@mmee2776]

haha, I was thinking about the same thing

[@hunterhawk5710]

11 inch screen completely dusty. Must of left windows open in a dust storm.

[@orange727272]

Useful perspective to remind how modern cars will always rattle with all these plastic pieces, infotainment systems always need software updates, plastic exterior cladding is never meant for load bearing;I frankly didn’t get the complaint on the sun visor, I just worry about visors getting loose and coming down on their own. So, no real problems, pretty decent car for the money, so far. Not a BMW X5, but half the cost…

[@lukelouis7906]

A rough edge in the vanity mirror, a buzz in the headliner and overhead console. How terrible for you. No paint pealing, no vibration, no brakes squealing?

[@MTBVermont]

I have a 2022 outback wilderness with 3200 miles. Anyone else heard of them leaking oil at the oil pan gasket? It looks like thats where it's coming from. Pretty disappointing being a brand new vehicle!

[@bidenwearsdiapers4026]

Just wait until you start having CVT issues … you’re going to love that.

[@lukastrcka251]

Do not step on the door sill, step on the dedicated step between rear seat and the door :D This is rather the case, when Subaru has issues with customer, not vice versa.

[@CaliVapor]

My biggest (nagg) complaint is the tear stains from the side mirrors and door handle gaps. 🚙😢

[@douglasdever6134]

Gas station and US gov't lied aobut E15. Unless it is a FLEX fuel vehicle or designed just for E15 it can cause engine failure. E10 is ok to use, but remember if you take time to use a full tank, ethanol absorbs water.

[@stenyethanmathews945]

Wow 30+ mpg for highway? Can anyone else confirm?

[@johnroberthanna1623]

: I own a 3 month old 8000 mile 2022 Limited - I am getting 33-35 mpg at 75 mph. My 4th Outback in a row. I have made *47 mpg* without cruise control at 55 mph on a state highway in Indiana. That was a 60 mile run on highway 50 @ 55mph.

[@WM-lu6sd]

My 2019 2.5 limited gets 32.5 combined driving. I can get 36 when I really pay attention to the MPGs.

[@parsley0120]

My 2022 Outback Touring consistently returns 29-31 mpg.

[@laurieclark2456]

I just bought a new Acura cross over RDX. Sure does have pick up - but u won’t get that gas mileage.

[@matthewacuna1898]

Negative, best ours gets is 22-23 on the highway and 15 in town. Idk what I'm doing wrong 🤔

[@keithkyle2371]

My only comment on your dissertation is you’re a very picky guy. I love my 2022 Outback Limited I don’t have the problems you do.

[@johnroberthanna1623]

ditto - I don't have ANY problems, let alone the ones he brings up. BTW : I bought mine in late May and have 8000 sMiles already on her.

[@chucko83]

How can you not realize.... bro, clean the screen wow. It takes like seconds to do it.

[@ianmcnaney6528]

There were some little plastic burrs that you could file off with a $1 tool from a gas station, and you're pitching a fit about it? Seriously? What's next? "Well you know these tires say they're all-weather but they're not that good in the snow and I think that's fraud and I could set the building on fire and they took my stapler but I was told I could listen to the radio at a reasonable volume between the hours of nine and eleven but these are not snow tires so don't call them all-weather."

[@bidenwearsdiapers4026]

Yuck, that infotainment screen is a smudge/dust magnet!

[@hunterhawk5710]

Wow, What a nitpicker, your first complaint. Quit watching

[@gregoryjefferson6311]

1st complaint & then he went into the screen , but didn't take the time to clean the screen so we could see what he was talking about .

[@gsctht123]

😂🤣😂

[@EntrigenT]

Zzz complain more about how the visor effected your drive.

[@pingpongballz5998]

I swear men nowadays are complainers.

[@buqwik525]

You should have purchased a Rolls Royce

[@RScottNH]

Clean that dirty, filthy screen!