2021 Subaru Outback Limited
When we were in Phoenix, AZ at Earnhardt Lexus I was so excited to hear they had a hardly-used 2021 Subaru Outback. They have been impossible to find because of the chip shortage and you’ve been asking for more Subaru tours. So I grabbed the keys and threw some car seats in!
Exterior
I hate to start off all Negative Nancy, but I just don’t love the exterior of the Outback. There isn’t much that’s extra special about it other than it has some nice rugged features, like the roof rails. And this one is brown. Yawn. But if you like brown cars, Subaru does make a good brown. What I do love about Subaru is all the safety features, reliability, and all wheel drive that Subaru is known for.
Interior
Front Row
Hopping into the front seat, let's start with the door panel. The door cup holder fits my TCM cup, which I was not expecting. And then Subaru takes it up a notch with the Harmon Karbon sound system. You know who else uses Harmon Kardon sound systems? BMW. There isn’t a digital dash, but because of the ruggedness of Subaru I think that’s OK. The steering wheel has a lot of buttons on it—it looks like a gameboy control. But that also means it has lots of fun features: heated steering wheel, bluetooth, automated cruise control, automatic high beam assist, lane keep assist, pre-collision breaking, lane departure warning. I could go on and on. She is a safety-feature queen. And even though this is a Limited trim level, most of Subaru’s safety features are standard on all Subaru Outbacks.
Moving onto the infotainment system. I am loving the integrated touch screen. It has Apple Carplay and Android Auto, and is so easy to use. Subaru pulled out just a few key buttons, like climate control and volume, which makes things so much easier—you don’t have to fumble to turn on the air when your kid is screaming from the back seat about how hot they are.
There are two big, deep cup holders in the center. My venti cup is not going anywhere. Audi, take note. The center console is small, but that’s typical for a 5-passenger car. It has 12 volt inside it and 2 USBs under the touch screen. The glove box is a great size. But one of my favorite features is the knee extender in the front seat for tall drivers like me. You can see me trying this out and showing off my Subaru commercial acting debut around the 6 minute mark in my video review.
Second Row
The backseat is pretty spacious with plenty of clearance for rear and forward facing seats. Climbing into the middle seat between 2 car seats I fit fine, a little tight, but fine. And if you have narrower car seats it would definitely be comfortable between them. There are also vents back here, 2 USBs, 2 shallow cup holders in the center armrest, cup holders in each of the doors and in the Limited trim, heated seats.
Car Seat Set Up
Once again Subaru went above and beyond. This time with the car seat setup. There are 5 lower anchors. This gives you the option to install car seats on either outboard sides using lower anchors and the flexibility to put a car seat in the middle and either outboard seat using lower anchors. But remember, you can never have two carseats share a lower anchor. So 3 across could potentially work using the seat belts.
Trunk
The Outback has great trunk space (it fits a single Bob jogging stroller with plenty of room) and nice extras, like all-weather mats and a privacy screen. In the Limited trim you get an auto lift gate that opens by pressing the button or waving your hand over the Subaru logo. This is amazing for when your arms are full of grocery bags and kids. And you don’t look silly kicking your foot under your car.
For an active family looking for a 5-passenger car, the Subaru Outback is hard to beat. It has a spacious second row, it’s comfortable, and has an amazing infotainment system. Just don’t ask me about the CVT transmission. It’s not my favorite but a lot of people love it. Even so, I understand why Subaru has a cult following.
