2016 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited Arrival

Good things come to those who wait. Patience is a virtue. Blah blah blah. But it’s true. Had we gone with a long-term 2015 Subaru Outback, the first year of the fifth generation, we would’ve missed out on the 2016’s improved safety features (addition of lane keep assist to the EyeSight driver-assist system and availability of Subaru’s Starlink safety and security package, which adds such nets as SOS emergency assistance and automatic collision notification) as well as retuned electric power steering and, on our 2.5i Limited trim, revised Stablex dampers. Thankfully, we haven’t needed any of the Starlink’s services thus far, but the LKA has come in handy, and the reworked steering and suspension have proved rewarding when presented with a twisty mountain road.

Prior to hitting any mountain road, though, we took the Outback to the test track. Weighing in at a healthy 3,702 pounds—258 more L-Bs than our 2014 Forester 2.5i Touring—and featuring Subaru’s familiar combo of a 2.5-liter, 175-horsepower flat-four and CVT, the Outback 2.5i Limited sauntered from 0 to 60 mph in 9.5 seconds and eclipsed the quarter mile in 17.4 seconds at 82.1 mph. (The Forester, by the way, is a half-second quicker to 60 and the quarter.) See, I told you patience is a virtue.

On the bright side, the Wilderness Green 2.5i Limited has felt adequately powerful for the daily rigors of Southern California commuting, not to mention frugal at the pump. Further, the Outback, wearing 18-inch alloys with 225/60 Bridgestones, needed 126 feet to come to a halt from 60 mph and 28.4 seconds to complete the figure eight, with average lateral acceleration of 0.80 g. (The Forester did the aforementioned in 120 feet, 28.6 seconds, and 0.78 g, respectively.)

At a base price of $31,545, our top-of-the-line Limited came with a power hatch, leather-trimmed interior, dual-zone ACC, heated front/rear seats, and keyless entry. For $3,090, we added a power moonroof, navigation, and the EyeSight driver-assist system. Another $354 covered all-weather floormats ($81), a rear bumper cover ($105), a cargo net ($78), and a rear seat back protector ($90), bringing the bottom line up to $34,989.

2016 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited
BASE PRICE	$31,545
PRICE AS TESTED	$34,989
VEHICLE LAYOUT	Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, -door SUV
ENGINE	2.5L/175-hp/174-lb-ft DOHC 16-valve flat-4
TRANSMISSION	Cont. variable auto
CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST)	3,702 lb (56/44%)
WHEELBASE	108.1 in
LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT	189.6 x 72.4 x 66.1 in
0-60 MPH	9.5 sec
QUARTER MILE	17.4 sec @ 82.1 mph
BRAKING, 60-0 MPH	126 ft
LATERAL ACCELERATION	0.80 g (avg)
MT FIGURE EIGHT	28.4 sec @ 0.57 g (avg)
EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON	25/33/28 mpg
ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY	135/102 kW-hrs/100 miles
CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB	0.69 lb/mile

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