2024 Subaru Outback 2.5 iT EyeSight Review

The competition in Malaysia's mid-size SUV market has been increasingly fierce in recent years. Family users and consumers who frequently travel long distances tend to prefer vehicles that balance off-road capability, space, and safety. The Subaru Outback 2.5 iT EyeSight, which launched in September 2024 as a D-segment model, highlights its core selling points in its full-time all-wheel-drive system, EyeSight active safety features, and class-leading spaciousness. In this test drive, we focus on verifying its suitability for daily practicality and long-distance driving.

From the exterior, the Outback retains Subaru's robust family style. The front features a hexagonal chrome grille, complemented by sharp LED headlights on both sides, giving it high recognizability. The body lines extend from the hood to the rear, with 18-inch alloy wheels on the side. The tires, sized 225/60 R18, balance on-road comfort with light off-road traction. The rear design is simple, with horizontally arranged LED taillights, and silver skid plates under the rear bumper enhance its SUV attributes. The minimum ground clearance of 213mm is higher than most urban SUVs in the same segment, allowing it to handle rural dirt roads or waterlogged roads after heavy rainfall with more ease.

Stepping inside, the interior primarily features a dark color scheme, with the center console covered in soft materials and adorned with silver trim, offering a quality feel appropriate for a price around RM280,000. The 11.6-inch vertical touchscreen serves as the visual centerpiece, supporting Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with smooth operation. However, some functions require touchscreen interaction, making blind operation slightly inconvenient while driving. The instrument cluster is fully digital and can display different information interfaces for various driving modes, providing clear visibility. The front seats are generously equipped, with the driver’s seat offering 10-way electric adjustment and the passenger seat with 8-way electric adjustment. The backrests and seat cushions provide good support, ensuring comfort even during long drives. The rear seats boast impressive space—with a wheelbase of 2745mm, a 175cm passenger would have two fists of legroom and one and a half fists of headroom. The center floor bump is not too high, making it comfortable for three passengers to sit side-by-side without crowding. The trunk offers a regular capacity of 522L, which can be expanded by folding down the rear seats, sufficient for carrying family travel luggage or large items. In terms of storage space, the front and rear door pockets can hold two bottles of water each, the central armrest box is relatively spacious, and the front row includes two USB ports and a wireless charging pad (though not specifically marked on the test drive model, it was available during the actual test).

In terms of power, it is equipped with a 2.5L naturally aspirated Boxer four-cylinder engine, delivering a maximum horsepower of 188PS and a peak torque of 245N·m, paired with a CVT gearbox and a full-time all-wheel-drive system. In daily driving, power output is smooth, with no abrupt thrust during initial acceleration. However, when the accelerator is pressed deeply, the engine revs up beyond 3,000 rpm, and power surges significantly. During overtaking, as long as you accelerate in advance, there is ample confidence. The CVT gearbox simulates eight speeds, and during rapid acceleration, the shift logic is clear without obvious slippage. Driving modes include Eco, Normal, and Sport. In Sport mode, the throttle response is more sensitive, suitable for mountain roads or scenarios requiring quick acceleration. Fuel consumption is moderate; in congested urban conditions, it is around 9-10L/100km, while during highway cruising, it can drop to about 7L/100km, which aligns closely with the official combined fuel consumption figure of 7.3L/100km.

The handling and chassis performance are among Outback's advantages. The horizontally opposed engine lowers the vehicle's center of gravity, combined with the full-time all-wheel-drive system, controls body roll well during cornering, and offers precise steering with minimal play and a stable feel when driving at high speed. The suspension system is MacPherson strut at the front and double-wishbone at the rear, tuned for comfort. It effectively absorbs minor road bumps, and vibrations are not directly transmitted to the seats when passing over speed bumps. However, when quickly passing large potholes, the rear suspension may experience slight residual oscillations. As for noise control, wind and tire noise are present at high speeds but not obvious. Engine noise enters the cabin when the revs exceed 3,500 RPM, but during daily driving, the revs mostly stay below 2,000 RPM, so the overall quietness is good.

Safety features are a highlight of the Outback. The EyeSight system includes adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, automatic braking, and forward collision warning. In actual use, the adaptive cruise control maintains a safe distance from the car in front on highways, the lane departure warning alerts when the car is veering out of the lane and gently corrects the steering, and the automatic braking responds promptly to effectively avoid low-speed rear-end collisions. Seven airbags, lane-change assist, and rear parking sensors are also fully equipped, providing a high level of safety.

In summary, the core advantages of the 2024 Subaru Outback 2.5 iT EyeSight are its full-time all-wheel-drive system, comprehensive safety features, and spacious interior. Compared to its peers like the Toyota Fortuner or the Mazda CX-8, the Outback has better on-road handling and more comprehensive safety features, but it doesn't match the off-road capabilities of the Fortuner or the luxury feel of the CX-8's interior. It is particularly suitable for people who value family travel safety, often drive long distances, or occasionally need to handle unpaved roads, especially those who recognize the reliability and safety of the Subaru brand.

Overall, the Outback is not a model that pursues power performance or luxury but is a well-balanced and practical family SUV. Its full-time all-wheel-drive and EyeSight system are its biggest plus points. Priced at 280,000 ringgit, it is in the mid-range among D-segment SUVs and offers good value for money. If you need a vehicle that can handle both city commuting and light off-road conditions, while offering top-notch safety features as a family car, the Outback is worth considering.