2021 Subaru Outback XT // Rugged, High-Tech and Distinctly Subaru!

What is happening on you tube? As you probably know, the Outback is a very important vehicle for Subaru and it is also a vehicle

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ly appreciated by consumers with its complete redesign last year. Both of those things are only increasing, so we're taking a look. in today's latest

2021

example to see what additional updates are coming in now, so with that all said, let's move on and see what makes this

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a best seller year after year, so let's start with the exterior now of course , like me. said that this was completely redesigned last year so as expected there won't be any big changes to the design so on the front you have that typical Subaru grille which has a smooth round shape and then most of models will have the silver bar running across the top, but if you go for the Onyx Edition it will actually be a smoke color and then the silver or chrome around the outside will now be darker on the

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er entry levels.

We also have the silver accent here at the bottom and then here on the side we have our LED headlights and this is one of our

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changes because Subaru has nicely included retrofit capabilities into all trim levels for 2021, so everyone They are completely LED. with retrofit capabilities, which is a really nice touch to finally have down here, we have LED fog lights and that comes on all but the base model. Now, of course, the Outback is a

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vehicle, so with that Subaru it does include the cladding, of course. in the front as well as around the wheel arches and also because Subaru doesn't include super large wheel options, so with this fully loaded Touring model, as well as the Limited, you have this 18 contrast alloy inches if you opt for the Onyx edition. which also has an 18 inch alloy but it's blacked out and finally at the lower end of the line you have 17 inch alloys and jumping over here to your mirrors you'll notice that with this touring model we have the exclusive satin silver type of accent.

To close things out, we also have the LED turn signal and as for the other features, they are spread across the different trim levels, but here, with this Touring model, of course, we have them all. We've got power folding, we've got blind spot monitoring, we've also got optional auto dimming, now as Drew mentioned up front, the interior is kind of like an outdoor off-road vehicle, so of course you're going to have this roof big. rails on the sides and a lot more black cladding here on the rear which this black model disguises very well now as for other things you'll notice as far as the rear design, you'll have this nice tail. lights that were new last year and are mostly LED, the brake light is LED, however the turn signal reverse view will be incandescent and drop.

We have a great Touring xt badge and then also down here on the higher end models. We're going to find this nice silver diffuser that I think really enhances the design. Now Subaru always excels when it comes to safety systems and this interior is no exception as its entire vision suite is standard on all models. Additionally, the Limited and Touring models will also include rear automatic braking, but that will still sum up the exterior design of this interior. However, I know there's a really luxurious cabin inside, especially in this Touring model, so let's take a look at it, but Before we do that, go ahead and hit the subscribe button below so that in the 2021 Outback you'll find Subaru's smart entry system on the Limited trim and above, and this comes with your typical key fob and of course when you choose that smart entry system.

You'll have sensors behind the door handle, so all you have to do is grab behind them and take your first look inside this cabin, as you may remember from last year's complete redesign, it really changes almost everything in this cabin and it really provided It has an upscale look, especially here with this fully equipped Touring model. Now, of course, each trim level can't be as luxurious as this Touring, so its base and premium models will come with cloth seats. Its Onyx edition comes with Startex Water. limited tough material comes with real leather and then the fully loaded touring comes with this nappa leather which of course is a very high quality leather now as for its color options it has slate black in its base model the 3d premium limited comes in slate black, titanium gray or warm ivory and finally when you choose the fully equipped Touring, that's where you get the exclusive java brown and as you walk past your door here, you'll find the same brown leather up here. the armrest with the contrast color stitching detail, this entire center area is also covered again in leather with a contrast color stitching detail and then the top will be soft to the touch.

Here you will find memory seating for two in both the limited edition and the tour. In addition to four fully automatic windows, then moving down here to the seats, we have the 10-way power seat that comes on almost every trim level, it has two-way lumbar support and we also have a manual thigh extension and, like before. By saying this is nappa leather, you are talking about one of the best leathers you can get in the automotive industry and in fact it feels really soft, very soft and supple, and I like the color contrast stitching, like I mentioned when At first glance at the cabin, you're definitely impressed by how exclusive everything looks, but once you get in and start touching things, you admit it because you have very good materials on board, so on the upper dash everything It will be a soft touch plastic, however, here in the middle we have a large strip of a brown synthetic leather material with color contrast stitching and that runs around the screen and to the other side, now down on this model on tour we have a piano. black accent plus leatherette and then even more leatherette that goes over here where your knee is going to touch and of course in typical Subaru style everything here fits perfectly.

Now start, you are limited and above just press the button to start. As far as its gauges go, this is basically the typical Subaru setup: you've got two analog gauges and a 4.2-inch multifunction display right in the middle, and you can use the steering wheel-mounted controls to cycle through some of the basics. Information now, um, many other Subarus, as you may know, have a second six-inch screen at the top of the dash, but here in the interior, it's actually going to be integrated into the top of this main screen. We'll talk about the main screen a little bit later in the video, but as far as this auxiliary screen, you have several different sections including things like weather x mode and things like that that you can cycle through here and we're going to turn it around.

Here on the steering wheel of course we have electric power steering and Subaru includes a leather wrapped steering wheel on all models except the base model, now as for the heated steering wheel which will be included on both the 2.5 and the xt touring . models but only the xt Limited trim and then the wheel itself will be manual tilt and telescoping, but now let's go ahead and talk about the interior storage because after all, this is a family vehicle so we'll start under the center console. on two different levels so you have a little bit of storage here on the top level, you can press the second button and that will reveal a larger amount of space.

Now it looks like this is pretty decent, not very big, but we have a felt. At the bottom, many of you will be happy to see that we actually have a CD player on board and then they also have a 12 volt outlet. Now go ahead and grab our coupons. It looks like we can split them in half here. and pushing them in they fit, although not very well, it could be a little bigger now, in the front, we have two very large and deep cup holders and Subaru has added a small adjustable piece to raise it. a bit and then here you will find a wireless phone charging pad that is available as an option, as well as two USB charging ports that now return to the gear lever.

This is just your traditional style shifter so you can back up to drive and you can crash. here on the left if you want to do some manual shifting and Subaru nicely includes electric shift paddles on all models, not just this xt version and when we reverse you'll find a backup camera standard on all models and we do. they have active trajectory as well as that rear automatic braking system, when in reverse the mirrors tilt down at least here on the Touring trim level and then there's another thing I want to point out with the Touring and Onyx edition: there is no 360 degree camera however there is a front camera so you can press this button here and it will bring up the front camera which will help you in parking or off road situations so basically you have a 180 degree camera instead of a of 360.

Then, right next to the shifter, you have the electronic parking brake, so that's basically going to take us here to this gigantic screen, since a lot of what's left inside the interior is here on this panel , now what you're looking at. This is the large 11.6-inch touchscreen, which is standard on all models except the base model, which instead comes with two seven-inch screens. Now I'm going to go over some of the features here. I'm going to start from the bottom, which is To be dedicated to our climate controls, this part will always be the climate controls and Subaru boasts that it actually has a separate processor from the main infotainment system that will always maintain the climate controls.

Pretty quick weather now that it has some physical buttons on the side. to adjust your temperature, which I think is good, you can adjust things like your zones and your fan speeds right here on the screen, if you click this button, this will increase both your temperature and your seat controls, so what has heating. Seats are standard on the Premium model and above, which is the vast majority of them, but if you want ventilation, you'll need to have this Touring fully loaded. I'm going to go ahead and approach our knob. This is for the 576 watt Harman.

Kardon sound system here on the fully loaded Touring model as well as the Limited model, so let's go ahead and grab a sample. Yes, the overall sound quality is actually very good. I am definitely impressed with this sound system. Okay, so without further ado, let's go ahead and dive in. in the starlink system a bit. I'm not going to go into a lot of detail on this because we have a

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nical help video available if you want to learn more about this, but as you can see, this is very similar to what other Subaru models, we have a little bit of different guidance.

You have mosaics with different applications. Here on the Touring model we have the built-in navigation system powered by Tom Tom and as you can see the graphics look pretty good. and the screen is pretty responsive now as far as other important things to mention you have standard Android Auto and Apple Car playback capabilities and then I went ahead and jumped into the settings here to check out one of the new features of 2021 and that's our part rear. The seat reminder system is standard on all trim levels, so when you leave the vehicle, it reminds you if you opened and closed the rear doors that there could be a child or animal in the back and it's also new for 2021 Detects if people are not wearing their seat belts in all seats, not just the front ones, they now move up, you have a frameless autodynamic mirror with a built-in compass and three universal remote controls for tasks in the limited model. and above, now on the very At the top you will find a standard size sunroof, there is no panoramic option as Subaru owners usually put things on the roof like a canoe or something and this will be standard on your 2.5 touring and then on your xt limited and xt torque.

Now, of course, the Outback is a family vehicle, so here in the back seats this is a very important part of this vehicle and I am very, very impressed sitting here, first of all, I feel extremely comfortable thanks to these beautiful seats here in the back and there's also plenty of room back here, so you'll have 40 inches of rear legroom and 39 inches of headroom, which is about the same as the Subaru Forester. It doesn't really have many competitors to compare it to, but I definitely have plenty of room and a seating position behind, I'd say seven inches of legroom and my feet.they can slide under the seat now as for your features of course this is a loaded model so you will have plenty Some will have vents that will be standard and then they will come down we have two USB charging ports and we also have heated rear seats two stages that will be standard on the Limited and Touring versions or on any of the xt versions. and then if you fold down the armrest, you have cup holders inside and I also want to mention that you can also recline these back seats.

Now walking up to the back door of this

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interior was nice enough to include a hands free on the Limited Models and above so what I have to do is wave my hand and put my elbow next to the emblem and it will open and , once you do, you'll find a pretty impressive amount of space: 33 cubic feet of space. behind the second row seats, which expands to 76 cubic feet if you fold them down, if you're curious how it compares to the forester, which is very similar but a little smaller, and as for how Subaru finished it , here we have it. a very nice rug along the floor and if we lift it up, it will find a little more space and then on one side we have a net.

It also has levers to fold these 60 40 split second row seats, as well as a cargo cover. Now, of course, in this fully loaded model we have four. way power adjustable seats and then in front of the passenger, if we open the glove box, you know this is where I like to stick the coupon, so I'm very pleasantly surprised with what this interior has to offer as it feels very well lined. very wide and it's also very deep so if we didn't have a ton of other junk in this you could put a lot of stuff in here and you also have this little storage cubby right here now up top we have a sun visor with lighting and a mirror and you can also take it apart and extend it hey yeah having driven many times the standard engine found in many subarus when you get in the xt you will definitely notice a difference so like i say this is the xt um and it comes with the new turbocharged 2.4-liter flat-four and the power is really good, it's got about 80 more horsepower than the standard engine, so you'll definitely, like I said, notice it.

The difference, yes, for sure, is that last year we both took the liberty of driving. We drove the standard engine and the xt and I will say it is a very substantial improvement so if you are really concerned. about maybe a little more performance than just the point a to point b kind of deal, i would highly suggest you take a look at the xd now if you go for that regular version, which will be a 2.5 liter box or four cylinder . 182 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque yeah definitely impressed by the torque when you know you first come off the line you know it really feels responsive in the way they tuned both the engine and transmission continuously variable, so of course.

As you know, most Subarus come with a CVT at the moment, but like I said, really very responsive, I'm very impressed by this, especially coming off the line, plus you also get the eight simulated gear shifts, which I appreciate it and you don't. You don't have to go full throttle, you know, some competitions won't simulate unless you really go full throttle, but Subaru does the simulation anyway, which allows it to have a more natural feel, so you don't really notice. that you have a CVT and catching up here I want to mention that you know this is a Touring Outback so it's not just about the engine it's also about having a luxury experience here and I have to say this is very very awesome.

I've always really enjoyed the way this interior drives, it really soaks up the bumps as well as something like a Subaru Ascend, so really good job from Subaru and I'll go ahead and get a sound level reading here at 50 miles per hour. and We're looking at an impressive 53.2 decibels, which once again proves that it's a very luxurious experience inside this cabin, both in ride quality and noise level, because I think it's even lower than the Subaru Ascent and That right there is going to be our big hit of the day, like I said, I don't want to reiterate it too much, but you have a really luxurious experience, this feels like a luxury, you know, crossover, but you still have all the capability. what do you expect from a subaru and then on to the air ball today this is an xt touring and we just thought maybe it should have some special touches on the exterior if you go with the xt because it's more like your performance oriented model So maybe it would have been nice to see some different wheels or different parts besides the badge on the rear on the fully loaded xt versions.

Now let's go ahead and mention fuel economy, so before we do I want to mention that of course this is a Subaru so it will have standard symmetrical all-wheel drive across the lineup which is impressive but as far as On its standard engine it will get to 26 city 33 highway 29 combined and if you go for the I should also mention the driving dynamics with the xt, it's actually not much different per se than the normal one. version of the Outback um, that's not a complaint, it's just that the regular version of the Outback with this new generation really puts a lot more emphasis on driving dynamics now, as far as the price goes, the prices of this Outback are going to increase around 150 dollars. this year the price increase is pretty negligible so the base model will start at 26,795, the premium 29,1045 limited 33,595. the anks edition is 35,145 and then the 2.5 eye touring is 37,495 xt limited 37,995 and xt touring top dog which is what we have here is 39,945 now this one also has some little option packages plus the 1050 destination charge takes this to $42,133 which is literally like the highest point you can get in this lineup of the interior and I'm still very impressed with all the luxury you'll get here, as well as the complete package for that price, that's right, and as to whether you should pay the extra money and get the xt over the regular model, I think.

It just depends on your priorities, like I said we've driven the regular model before it's perfectly acceptable for most people's needs and you'll get a little better fuel economy but if you want a little more you know more sport. I want that extra speed that really feels good, especially in a Touring model. I think the xt is worth upgrading. Well guys, that's going to be it for this in-depth review of the 2021 Subaru Outback xt Touring. We really appreciate you checking it out and if you do. I've made it this far in the video, hopefully that means you enjoyed watching it, so be sure to subscribe on the button below and when you do you'll find tons of other automotive content, especially a lot of content about this Subaru line as well as their competitive set.

Anyway, we'll see about it next time as we test out more of the latest automotive delights.