Subaru Outback Estate 2.5i Field 5dr Lineartronic Owner Review

This is the third Outback version I have had, and seventh Subaru in 13 years in my family. Subaru put in a lot of work to make it a worse car than the previous version! The main issue is that I drive almost exclusively in minor country roads in the Scottish Highlands, what you might call the outback - but this is not a car for those conditions. It is a town & shires car where most deficiencies would not be apparent.

The Eyesight system, specifically the Emergency Lane Keep Assist, and Lane Departure Prevention functions simply can't be trusted in rural and winter conditions. A couple of times the car on black ice tried to put me in a ditch, or a forest. This is not surprising as there are approx. ten (10) pages in the Eyesight Manual outlining circumstances the system doesn't function correctly, or should be switched off. Unfortunately these 2 systems cannot be permanently switched off, but have to be disabled every single time you drive the car, and you get rewarded with a distracting load of warning lights! So frustrating and time-wasting! Subaru are aware of this, but won't change it.
- The Speed Limiter is great on Manual setting, but the Smart setting, which reads road signs, should not be available as it reads signs that don't apply. Like truck limits, or school "20mph when lights flash" sign within a 60mph limit - slamming on the brakes to get to 20mph, even though the lights are not flashing, resulting in getting rear ended by the Artic behind you! But at least you can leave the Speed Limiter permanently in Manual mode!
- The Adaptive Headlights - simply wonderful on major roads. You drive with the full-beam on with traditional blue warning light illuminated but others don't get dazzled. Then you slow down at a hazard and the System plunges you into dipped beam semi-darkness due to falling below a 40mph speed threshold, just when you need light the most! So you manually put it on full beam to see, the full beam blue indicator light is still on just the same, but now you are indeed dazzling other drivers without knowing it! The teeny weeny "A" green light just doesn't cut it. Genius Subaru design work!
- Important manual switches you need in a hurry have been removed and you have to take your eyes off road and fiddle with the touch screen display to turn on heated front seats or engage X-drive, which you tend to use in a critical situation! Strangely, there is no option to isolate the heated rear seats when kids fiddle with them. OK you can put X-drive on the Favorites screen, but then it continually flashes on and off as car speed varies around utilisation speed threshold. So distracting at night, and another victory of style over function, in the last Outback you could use these switches by feel, never take eyes off road. The switches for front and rear demist which used to be touching each other, are now a foot apart, at different sides of computer display - more taking eyes off road. Why?
- Unlike the other 6 Subarus I bought, the New Outback does not go or stop well on snow and ice on standard tyres. I had to buy 4-season tyres (£900) which I never did in 13 years before.
- Reversing camera doesn't really work in total darkness. In last Outback it did.
- Not permitted to program sat nav when moving, not even by the front seat passenger - this is HSE gone mad! You are supposed to use voice control. I said "Inverness Airport" and the sat nav directed us to Union Road, Horwich, Bolton! Useless!

The good thing is that most of these issues, many with real safety implications, could be fixed with a recall and simple software update, based around an Eyesight Driver Assist System (EDAS) "Off" button.
The other good things are the New Outback is quieter with a smoother ride and less roll than last version. I like the heated steering wheel and power tailgate. My Field model looks very sharp in white. But if I still had my 2016 diesel Outback, I wouldn't be buying the new 2021 version till they make the required changes. (Sorry for so many words, but it has to be said!)