The 2020 Subaru Outback XT Is Back With Even More Turbocharged Power!

As the best-selling model in Subaru's portfolio, an all-new Out

back

will be a big deal and for

2020

Subaru is bringing

back

an all-new engine option that we haven't seen in the Outback since 2009 - that's right, a turbo. The engine is back in stock and although this Onix xt edition doesn't actually have a hood scoop to indicate it's a turbo, it offers up to 260 horse

power

and 277 pound-feet of torque, so today I'm on Usul Beast right outside a Fort Bragg, California to test this new

turbocharged

XT Onix Edition, but the big question I want to answer is whether it was worth waiting 10 years for the new turbo to come out, that's what we're here to find out , so to start. the driving part for the

2020

Outback.

I'm on the 2.5 liter engine first. Now this engine has always been the best seller in the Outback. However, it is a completely new engine for the 2028 model year. It is the same

power

train that I showed you in the Forester it has 90% new parts and 182 horsepower, so it only has 7

more

horsepower compared to the previous generation, but 70 to 75 percent of buyers bought this engine that, honestly, the previous one was very lethargic, it took almost 10 seconds to get to 60 and this one compared to the previous one. One thing I'm noticing is that the CVT is very responsive in this car.

Subaru does a very good job with its Lineartronic CVT, of course, we will move it to the turbo engine later, which has a different CVT, but Basically, when I put my foot down, it is very fast to imitate shifts, adjust the gear ratio and put the engine in the center of the power band. Honestly, this motor should have enough power for most people, not for me, but for most people. You'll probably just drive this thing and say you'll feel good. I'd say 0-60 is around the 8.2 second mark, maybe around 8 and a half seconds, it's an improvement but it still leaves me wanting power, just keep that in mind.

This engine is only rated to tow a maximum of 2,700 pounds. If they want to count

more

, they will want to opt for the turbo. Now that this is a completely new platform, it is a global Subaru platform. Subaru also says that they have toughened up. and they have made some adjustments to make it more comparable to the Outback, it is 70% more rigid than the previous generation and you immediately feel that this car feels much sportier, it feels much safer and more stable than the previous one. It doesn't feel horrible, it just had a very soft suspension and steering, it was a little numb and slow, it felt like you were driving a crossover whereas this one feels more like you are driving a car.

I mean, Subaru likes to call this. in the crossover it's a truck, it's the best-selling truck that you can buy here in the United States and that's the beauty of the interior because it's a well-selling truck now in typical Subaru style, the visibility here is really good, excellent. lines of sight from the front, the side mirrors have repositioned it, that beep you keep hearing is the active lane change alert every time you don't see lines, it will beep and turn it to say it's turning itself off, it also has lane centering, which is new this year, which helps keep the car centered in the lane instead of lane keeping, which would simply make it ping-pong back and forth.

The side mirrors you can see here have been repositioned, so Super says you can see a little better. and there is a little less noise. They focused a lot on the sound insulation of this car. They say it's about three decibels quieter compared to the previous generation. Now I'm testing it on this pretty bumpy gravel road and it's not really gravel, but it's not. the quietest road here in Fort Bragg and here in Northern California, I have to wait until I bring it back home to DC to really taste the silence. It's much quieter than you know in previous Subarus.

I also find the seats really comfortable. The view from behind is really good. The steering on this car really is a big improvement for me. I like the way the steering feels. I like how this car feels like a car. It sits low, like a car, but you also get the You feel like you're not driving it right in your car, especially when you look back, there's a lot of room, there's a lot of glass area back there and it was definitely something Subaru wanted. conserve because that's where the core strengths are. Now the suspension has been completely redesigned this year, it still has a multi-link double wishbone on the rear struts at the front.

The suspension redesign has been attributed, of course, to the improved handling, which is very important, the overall layout in this instrument cluster, everything here. You have good sight lines here, so that's the only thing about Subarus, annoyances are very few and far between with this car. I especially love the way this big tablet looks that I talked about in my last video where I went in depth with the tablet system here, that screen that held all the other information is now on top of the tablet, so It's nice that Subaru integrated it into one system, as opposed to all these different systems they had now in the previous generation. this car also comes with paddle shifters it has up to 8 different ratios there is no sport mode here on the transmission i will have to try pumping the turbo later in the afternoon and we will try it to see if it has sport mode but you can see with the paddle shifters that It doesn't really respond like I would like when you're downshifting, but I like the way it responds when you're actually upshifting, it actually feels like a real shift.

This is probably one of the most compelling paddle shifters with eight virtual ratios on a CVT, so those of you who hate CVTs drive a Subaru CVT and it's actually really good, so I'm not surprised you know people who They drive these things. You don't

even

know it's a CVT, it will fool you into thinking it's just a traditional automatic, so one statistic that Subarus shared with us is that people who buy rear-end cars actually take it off the road, people will lift it up and They will change it. they'll add aftermarket skid plates to the tires and all that, with Subarus, off-road capabilities are always a huge factor in this car and they've said they preserved all of that for the new generation;

It's still eight point s

even

inches. of ground clearance, they've actually introduced an This is the first stage of off-roading. The circuit is basically a small dirt and gravel road, this is where you really notice the improvement in ride quality on the Outback. I mean, the old one definitely had a smooth ride quality that was too soft and floaty at times, this one is still smooth, however. it doesn't feel as floaty, it once was, it feels a little more pressed, a little more settled, the steering is also still really excellent here on this kind of slippery road and I activated the X mode here, you can Also, just turn it on and turn it off through the screen here there used to be a physical button, they removed it, now everything is integrated into that screen and their symmetrical all-wheel drive system is something that Subarus are very good at. known for and honestly there's no thinking to do with this car you just put it in or on and off the to places where Jeeps take their Wranglers and all that, but for most of you know people who live an active lifestyle, you'll know something like this and this is enormously sufficient.

For most people it has enough ground clearance and sits high enough to not be too high. It has very good visibility. The address is nice. It is easy to drive this car on the pavement and it is also easy to drive the car off-road. pavement, so the base engine is fine for most people, however, the turbo engine is really the one I want to drive because it marks the return of a turbo and over a decade, so let's jump to that XT model and Let's see how it compares to this base engine. So while the all-new 2020 Outback this is where it actually rises into the air to reveal a top mounted air cooler now in my first interior video that I showed you guys.

In fact I showed you the base engine. It was a perfectly adequate 2.5 liter naturally aspirated engine. This is a 2.4 liter direct injection F24 engine. This is the same engine that is in the 2019 Subaru Ascent, it is a fantastic powertrain, it is paired with a high torque CVT transmission, so technically it is a different CVT than the base 2.5. It now makes 260 horsepower, like I said, 277 pound-feet of torque now if you're keeping track of the numbers, which is about 4 horsepower more than the old six-cylinder and about 30 pound-feet more torque compared. with the old six-cylinder, so you get much more torque at lower rpm than is achieved with much wider torque.

Now the big news with the turbo is that it has increased the towing capacity from 2,700 pounds to 3,500 pounds and the fuel economy is also greatly improved. It is now rated at 23 city, 30 highway which is a 3. mpg improvement overall over the six and this only requires using regular gas, you don't have to put premium fuel in it as this one weighs around 3900 pounds , so it weighs about 200 pounds compared to those without a turbocharger. In the style of this particular one, this is the Onyx Edition, which is the lowest trim level of the XT. It's basically a premium trim with some black accents to make the grille look a little more aggressive or youthful.

I see it's blacked out, the headlights are slightly blacked out, you get LED headlights as standard with an LED daytime running light, incandescent turn signals and LED fog lights, you also get that tour grade front camera system so that's nice , he is a super type of shot. On some of the top-level equipment of the top version from the side profile you can see that the wheels are blacked out. These are 18-inch wheels with a sort of five-spoke directional design. They are actually the same wheels on the Touring just with a slight different finish, it looks good with the gray exterior this one offers.

You can see that the mirrors are also darkened. This is the same size as the non-turbo version, so you're not really going to change that at the rear of the vehicle. See the taillights are also slightly off, they have like an incandescent turn signal and LED combination, there's only one XT badge, that's the only way you know this is the

turbocharged

engine and the badges are off because remember that this is the Onyx edition it also doesn't have visible exhaust tips so again it's very subtle, you won't know it's a turbo model until you look at the back or drive the car now inside if you want to see what you have.

To offer here, the Onyx Edition offers its own unique interior, it's actually something they call star text, it's a type of waterproof synthetic leather wrap material that's basically only offered in this two-tone combination of gray and black with the green stitching you still have. obviously, the 11.6-inch screen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, the 180-degree front view camera system and it is practically identical to the latest Touring model that I showed you in my previous video; Update not inferior to its season, this Onyx edition does not. They have ventilated seats, they only have one heated seat, they also lose the memory function, but enough about the exterior and interior differences, you guys are dying to know.

I'm dying to know how this new turbo model works. Drive on let's get going and look what it has so the unique feature of the Onyx Edition is the fact that it has a kind of dual mode X mode system where on the screen here on this little part of the eyebrow lip , you can see that there is a normal mode for X mode. a land of snow and then there is also deep snow and mud. Now we're on our way to this beach called Playa Musel, so I'll probably be able to try the deep snow and mud part.

Lee sat in the sand, but Before we get to that part, let's go out on this gravel road and see how the xt version does, so I'm going to put it in the snowy dirt because this is a dirt road and essentially what It is x mode, dual mode x mode. What the system does is like a traction management system, kind of like what you see in a lot of other cars. HEIt will harness the power of more 5050 to give you better traction. You can see that this road is definitely not as smooth as me. I thought it was going to be, but the Outback definitely handles it like a champ.

The suspension absorbs a lot of bumps, but you find yourself going back and forth a lot. The AMA Drive system, honestly, Subaru's all-wheel drive system is known to be one of the best. in the industry and it just moves forward very easily, you don't really have to do anything now, there were a couple of cases where the system, you know, started spinning its wheels and you had to go back and try again. and then you floored it and then you had to activate X mode and you could feel the all-wheel drive system trying to appropriate the power from the wheel that has traction and of course some of that will be limited to your tires this car only Yokohama all season tires so if you put some Meteor tires on it it will do much better but compared to the 2.5 it drives pretty much the same but has a lot more torque honestly the engine doesn't make turbo noises in this thing.

You wouldn't even know it was a turbo because it doesn't have an air intake on the hood, it doesn't have a knock. -Whistling sounds until I put my foot down and I feel all that torque because that's what the base engine is essentially missing, but you can see this little trail here, oh it's pretty bumpy and there's some dips there, but the car is handled. It's okay, I haven't bottomed out yet, although we scraped the front end a couple of times in some steeper areas, so you have to slow down. I mean, eight point seven inches of ground clearance is good, but it's not like 11. inches, you'll fit in like a Jeep Wrangler per se, but I imagine this type of off-road driving is probably what most owners will do. of an Outback.

I mean, I wouldn't expect this to get any bolder, you know, crawling or like deep mud because, again, it has no skid plates, it has limited tires, but it shows the capability of Subaru's all-wheel drive system and that's always been a selling point for Subaru, so Subaru can still claim a lot. That's all, the powertrain is good and will get you through some pretty challenging terrain, at least by the standards of normal people, the ones who don't drive all the time, so the 2.5 liter engine may be the one that More People buy, but I'm more interested in driving this turbo version if it has the same turbo engine from the Subaru Ascent, but this car weighs about 400 pounds less, so when you put the pedal to the metal it takes a second to get going, but once it does. you felt a really nice torque boost, it has a different CVT, it has a high torque CVT because we have about a hundred more pound-feet of torque and eighty more horsepower and you definitely feel that extra punch and it makes the new Outback a lot It is more attractive, especially to driving enthusiasts, because, like the 2.5-liter engine, the chassis has been significantly stiffened and the steering has been improved.

It's still electric, but it gives you a little more sensation. The suspension feels incredibly tuned. I mean, there is no different suspension. tuning into this one is not at all sporty. I imagine Subaru will do something with the legacy sedan version of this car, if you really want a sport sedan, it's still supposed to be a family crossover, but what I want to do, I want. Try slamming the brake a little and putting your foot down, there's no sport mode here now, it feels like it goes from zero to 60, maybe less than seven seconds, the old six cylinder was about seven seconds.

I would say this is around six. Honestly, I need to try it again in DC. It feels very fast. It'll easily keep up with a six-cylinder version of the Honda Passport or, if it only comes with six, the 2-litre turbo instead of the Santa Fe. It feels quicker than that for sure and the CVT is well matched to the engine. I mean, every time your foot comes down to the floor, you know you're automatically going to change ratios and all that, this is adequately fast and if you're going to say heavy loads, I know 3500 pounds is the maximum or if you're going to be carrying people regularly taking this on longer trips you'll want the turbo and that's the thing is the gas mileage of the turbos at 23:30 is not that far off from the base engine which is 26 33 so you lose three mpg but you also gained three mpg with this engine compared to the old 6 cylinder models, so again Subarus gives us more torque, more horsepower, better fuel economy, it's a win-win situation, so it makes sense to get this engine if They have the money to do it now, just like the base engine, the visibility here is really excellent.

I have blind spot monitoring on this particular one, which is optional, by the way, you have to pay more up front. on the premium Subaru it includes vertical vision, which has its new front lane centering feature and its advanced adaptive cruise control, but I have to say that when pushing it through some corners, the tires definitely feel like they need more grip, but they It feels more like it's me. I'm driving a car, the thing about this is that you always remember that it's a truck, which makes me appreciate it a lot because I don't feel like I'm driving an SUV.

You sit a little taller, but he remembers you. constantly this is a truck which is good because you bought a truck you didn't buy an SUV despite what Subaru says and wants you to think it's an SUV and all that, now this one has paddle shifters too you can basically tell. It will offer you eight different modes right now. It's in second gear. It's doing a very good job maintaining the gear ratios because we're on this curvy road, and I imagine most Outback owners wouldn't push their cars any harder anywhere. anyway here but yeah this thing is fast it's really fast and I like the extra power so if you're going to go for the Outback I recommend you spend the extra 8k and go for this XT version now this in particular that I'm Driving the Onyx edition has a couple of differences from the Touring model I drove.

The seats, for example, are not ventilated, this is the material they have, it is waterproof and all that, they are really comfortable. In fact, Subaru says it's not necessary. be ventilated because the material does a very good job of regulating heat, so it doesn't get as hot as it would in leather like real cowhide, so even though the new Outback isn't exactly a sporty truck, that's the legacy of what he does. gives you really great ride quality, even on some offroad trails on gravel roads, this took a lot of hits, it also performed extremely well, much better than truck based SUVs or a pickup truck in general, the ride quality Handling on the road is also extremely comfortable but it's not overly floaty like the previous generation so they've done a really good job retuning the suspension, steering, responsiveness and even though it's a CVT I don't hate it , I don't hate it, I mean there are times when yes, it reminds you that it's a CV machine by the way the engine sounds, however what you will find in everyday driving is that most of you will be driving this thing to work or the mall or whatever you have.

Lots of power and daily driving and while the 2.5 is adequate, this makes the interior much more desirable so I'll have to give it to Subaru. Replacing the six-cylinder was a good idea on their part, especially since the fuel economy is much better. But in terms of silence, the new Outback is also much quieter than the previous generation. Subaru added thicker glass to the windshield side windows and added more sound-deadening materials, so you'll notice that it has significantly less road noise than the previous model, the engine also stays relatively quiet until you really push it because it remembers which is when the CVT will remind you that it's a little louder, but in terms of a vehicle you'll drive every day on road trips as a Daily Driver, it's pretty easy to see why this sells so well and I don't mind.

It would be surprising if Subaru crossed 200,000 units a year by the 2020 calendar year, so despite the age of the current generation, it remains the best-selling model in the Subaru lineup here in the United States for the last few years last month, In June 2019, Subaru managed to sell around seventeen thousand five hundred units, which easily makes it the sales leader by several thousand units, the Forester was right behind it, so after spending some time driving the new 2020 version, I wouldn't be surprised to see Subaru dramatically increase its sales. What they've done is take everything we liked about the previous generation, but address some of those problems, the flaws that I have mainly luggage acceleration, lackluster fuel economy and the dated infotainment system.

This all new version riding on that new platform has really impeccable road manners, as you saw the steering wall again, it's not sporty, it's comfortable, it's fine for family use, the ride quality is really nice, The base engine power is adequate, however, if the turbo engine power is really what sets the new Outback apart and I imagine that many owners looking for this or many more buyers looking for this will probably opt for the turbocharged model. Subaru expects around 30% of people to opt for the turbo, but I'd really like to see that number increase to closer to 50%, especially if they're looking to buy something.

I like this and actually hauling things now with all that said What are some faults of the new Outback? There really aren't too many. I mean, sure I'd like it to be a little sporty here, but that's where the legacy comes from. sedan version that, according to Subaru, will be available later this year. I mean, I'm sure the styling is a bit bland looking, it doesn't really look that different, however, I do like some of the black accents you get with the Onyx Edition to remind you that this is a non-family car. It's a sports saying or anything like that, it's not something you're going to show everyone because the beauty of this car is really on the inside, it's what it offers in terms of technology in terms of safety. in terms of value and it offers a lot for that, so with all that said, it's time to give the new Outback a hit in rpm rating.

Now, starting with the redline for real world use, I'll easily give this car a 9. out of 10 points simply because I mean, look at it, it's a giant truck with a great back seat with a nice, comfortable interior, a large cargo area, give this a 9 out of 10 points, moving on to the e for efficiency, I would give the Outback a 7 out of 10 points just because I mean yes, it gets good gas mileage, especially for what it is , but of course there are other vehicles like hybrids that get much better gas mileage, but for what it is, I give it a 7 out of 10 points on the move.

As for the desirability of the D4, I wanted to give this one a higher score, but I don't really consider it desirable in the way a Toyota super or sports car would be, so I'd give this one a 6 out of 10 points. for desirability because remember it's still a truck some people really like trucks most Americans really hate trucks now they move on to the L for longevity. I would easily give this an 8 out of 10 points because it is a Subaru, these are reliable but they are not the most reliable. reliable, but I would easily give it a higher score due to the fact that I went to the eye of innovation, this is where I have a bit of difficulty with the score.

I finally set that 7 out of 10 points because I mean yeah they introduced a turbo it has that new screen in terms of innovation what I really felt like I lost points is in the design I wanted this to stand out a little more on the outside and I'm going to pass to the N for Need for Speed ​​I actually wanted to give this thing two scores but I had to settle for one score and that's a six out of ten because I think the base engine is too slow for my taste, it will be fine for about 80% of people.

However, the turbo is fast and will be on par with much of the competition with six-cylinder engines and, last but not least, Ian's final redline for expenses. Now I really wanted to give this one a higher score, 8 out of 10 points. simply because I think Subaru priced the Outback very well, it's only three hundred dollars more than the previous generation and you get a lot more standard equipment, so for twenty-six thousand six hundred dollars plus $1,000 destination it's a great deal, this one in particular It is the cheapest. turbo model, you can get their stickers for thirty-four thousand three forty-five plus one thousand dollars per destination, so you're looking at around thirty-five thousand dollars, it's honestly not a big investment and it reallyyou can get many compact SUVs. be that expensive and if you are looking for something like a Honda Passport or a Ford Edge, they will easily cost you five to ten thousand dollars more.

Keep in mind that you can opt for this for up to around forty-one thousand dollars. at a very high level, but I hope that with everything said. I hope you enjoyed my full overview of the 2020 Subaru Outback onyx edition xt. If you're also looking to see the latest cars I'm testing, be sure to follow me. on Instagram at the red line highlight reviews like us on Facebook and as always guys, keep subscribing to the red line YouTube channel for the latest reviews. Thanks so much for looking. I'll see you all in the next video.