2026 Subaru Outback Turbo or Non-Turbo? Comparison Review

Turbo or Non-Turbo, That Is the Question

The new-generation 2026 Subaru Outback is offered with two engine options split across six trim levels. Entry level models like the Outback Premium, Limited and Touring use a naturally aspirated 2.5L Boxer four-cylinder engine. This engine produces 180 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque.

Higher trim levels: Wilderness, Limited XT, and Touring XT, feature a turbocharged 2.4L Boxer engine making 260 horsepower and 277 pound-feet of torque. Both engines use a CVT transmission and come standard with Subaru’s Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system.

So, the question is, which one is right for your needs? Do you need a turbocharged Subaru Outback or is the non-turbo good enough to satisfy needs and wants? This review will compare the two. Featuring the 2026 Subaru Outback Limited and the 2026 Subaru Outback Wilderness. The great thing about the new 2026 Outback is you’re picking a winner no matter what when it comes to interior space, value, and rugged terrain capability.

New 2026 Subaru Outback is Not a Wagon and That’s Okay

Yes, the new-generation 2026 Subaru Outback is not technically a station wagon. Or estate, if you’re reading this overseas. The new Outback is not a wagon, and that’s okay. Sure, it’s another SUV thrown into an overstimulated, oversaturated market. But the 2026 Subaru Outback will coast on its reputation. A reputation its predecessors wagons worked tirelessly and reliability to build, maintain, and uphold.

What the 2026 Subaru Outback offers in a market full of all-wheel-drive capable crossover SUVs with “rugged” appearance packages is capability. This is one SUV you can bank on to get you up and over on a trail that isn’t marked as a school zone. That’s why people love the Outback. It’s capable of handling roads littered with bad weather conditions or reaching a picturesque camp site far from the safety of a national park visitor’s center parking lot.

Plus, while it may not be a wagon in character, it is in spirit. This SUV does look like a wagon if you look at it from certain angles. It has a boxy roofline, squared front end, and ambition fender cladding to remind (or distract) you into thinking of the older wagons long enough to put on your rose tinted glasses. The new 2026 Outback is taller, higher, and larger on the inside.

2026 Subaru Outback Interior is a Great Place to Put Stuff

Across the 2026 Subaru Outback lineup, each trim level delivers on interior storage space. This two row SUV doesn’t need to show off with a third set of seats. Thus, leaving that rear restate open for more important things than seat belts and upholders. The 2026 Outback offers a fantastic amount of rear cargo space with easy, mechanically, folding rear seats to increase storage space to fit surf boards, ice chests, tool bags, spare parts, or normal items like strollers and luggage.

Second row seating is ample and comfortable. Passengers complemented the smoothness of the ride quality considering the SUV’s rugged personality. They also noticed the spacious amount of leg and elbow room they had to work with while riding in the back.

Up front, the driver is treated to a straightforward, round, steering wheel with the classic Subaru emblem. The steering wheel offers a series of buttons and controls that may be dawning to people who don’t bother with tech. But those familiar will appreciate the analog controls you can reach without taking your hands off the wheel. An important detail I’ll mention later.

The center screen shares it’s spotlight with analog buttons on the bottom. Most of all, I really appreciate Subaru’s decision to not try and reinvent the wheel with a complicated automatic shifter. It is a down-to-Earth PRNDL lever that you pull down and up to select a gear. Although I do miss the manual parking brake – as I do in most modern vehicles.

Turbocharged 2026 Subaru Outback Wilderness

The model shown in photos is a Crystal White Pearl 2026 Subaru Outback Wilderness. The Outback Wilderness starts at $44,995. As shown, this SUV carried an MSRP of $50,535. Little pricey for Subaru but it does come fully loaded with a rugged appearance package.

The Outback Wilderness comes standard with a host of upgrades. The standard 8.7-inches of ground clearance is increased to 9.5-inches with a raised, independent suspension and a set of all-terrain tires wrapped around 17-inch wheels. The suspension is tuned for off-road use with electronic dampers. Exterior features include matte paint graphics, bronze accents, roof rails with an 800-pound static load capacity, and LED fog lights.

This model also included the optional $4,090 interior package. This package includes Nappa-leather upholstery with copper stitching, a power moon roof, ventilated front seats, power folding side mirrors, and a 360-view camera.

Non-Turbo 2026 Subaru Outback Limited

The model shown in photos is a River Rock Pearl ($395) 2026 Subaru Outback Limited. The Outback Limited starts at $41,715 and stays under the $45,000 if you don’t go for any options. Not that you need more as the Outback Limited comes standard with a moon roof, comfortable upholstery, and many features like adaptive cruise control, lane assist, and heated seats.

Choosing Between the 2026 Subaru Outback Boxer Engines

Deciding whether you need a turbo in your 2026 Subaru Outback goes beyond the price tag. Anyone who lives in high elevation will say they need the added performance a turbocharged engine offers. But these SUVs were road tested in South Texas, where the nearest mountain range is nearly 1,000 miles away. So take that into consideration.

Having said that, if you don’t live a mile in the sky or plan on driving up there too often, I’d recommend the non-turbocharged Subaru Outback.

The reason being that it just feels more like a Subaru. The signature sound of the non-turbocharged 2.5L Boxer engine is more audible compared to the 2.4L turbo. You feel the rumble under the foot when you lean on the throttle. Sure, 180 hp isn’t a lot by modern standards, but it’s plenty for the Outback to get up and go. It never felt like it needed more power on the highway or on the trail. Best of all, the fuel economy was impressive, averaging over 30 mpg on regular 87 octane gasoline. Towing capacity for the 2.5L Boxer engine is rated at 2,700 pounds.

The 2.4L turbocharged Boxer engine in the 2026 Subaru Outback offers a significant increase in power. Fuel economy is lower than the non-turbo 2.5L but still averaged a little over 25 mpg on the highway during long distance travel. It’s EPA fuel economy rating is 23 mpg combined, with 21 mpg in the city and 27 highway. Premium 91 octane fuel is “recommended” to deliver its optimal 280 hp performance, but you can get away with regular gasoline. Towing capacity for the 2.4L turbo Boxer engine also increases to 3,500 pounds.

The turbocharged engine is the way to go if you want, and need, the extra power. But if all you want is a Subaru, the naturally aspirated 2.5L Boxer engine feels more engaging. The turbocharged 2.4L engine is quicker and stronger, but it makes the Outback feel like the dozen other turbocharged, mid-sized, SUVs with AWD.

Subaru Outback Driver Mitigation System

Subaru’s Driver Mitigation System (DMS) is also known as Driver Focus. Another name for it is Eye Sight Driver Assist. On modern Subaru vehicles starting from 2019, you’ll see a symbol in the corner of the instrument cluster that looks like an eyeball trapped inside a box. If its green, that means the Eye Sight Driver Assist system is active and working. If it’s amber orange, the system is not active.

But! The real concern is when you go into settings on the center screen. Select Vehicle, select Driver Mitigation System and toggle it off. The infrared camera mounted on top of the center screen, hidden behind a gloss black border, does not turn off. The camera never turns off, and I discovered this while driving at night, which is the only time you can spot the creepy red lights lurking behind the black bar. In the daylight, it’s virtually unnoticeable.

Now, this infrared camera is marketed as a safety feature meant to monitor the driver’s face and detect signs of impaired or drowsiness. The intention being that the car will sound off warnings to alert the driver. This system continuously scans the driver’s face looking for signs of fatigue or distracted driving. If your head nods down for a second too long, or looks away from the view in front of the windshield.

Its also used to remember driver profile settings. So your face is literally a profile picture for the vehicle. Which according to Subaru, can be used to automatically adjust the memory seats to your preferred settings when you select a driver profile. So instead of adjusting the seat by hand, using power buttons, or the memory seat button that’s been fitted to vehicles for decades. You can now set up a profile (who doesn’t love doing that?), and allow the camera to scan, remember, and monitor your face. Because that’s easier? Better? You be the judge.

When shopping for a new 2026 Subaru Outback, ask the sales rep if the model you want has Driver Focus or DMS. It comes standard on high end trim levels but not included on all models. Frankly, I’d opt out of having it.

Infrared Camera is Always On and Its Creepy

Advanced safety features are great. But there is a line between looking out for a driver’s safety and being overprotective. I’ll gladly deal with the risk and responsibility of being a driver if it means more freedom. Safety in the modern age is always sold for the price of privacy.

While driving the 2026 Subaru Outback Touring XT, I noticed the infrared camera was still on after I turned off the Driver Focus Mitigation System. I switched it off and on a few times and the camera only blinked but stayed on. I found that incredibility intrusive and unsettling. The shade of infrared red is too close to the iconic red signaling recording on regular cameras. So it feels like you’re being watched with no way to turn it off.

As driver monitoring software becomes standard in modern vehicles going into 2027, I’m going to have to start taping over these cameras with electrical tape.