• Loads of passenger space 
• Boot not as big as you might expect 
• Excellent cup holders and cubby storage 

How much space is there?

Passenger space is generous, with plenty of room for four adults or five at a pinch. Up front there’s plenty of headroom, a driver’s seat that goes back far enough to accommodate long legs and plenty of width, too.

Rear space is arguably even more impressive. The roofline has been raised when compared to its predecessor so there’s ample headroom even for tall adults. Rear legroom is generous, although three in the back is a little more of a squeeze.

For a start there’s a big hump in the floor for the central passenger to straddle, while the seat they’re perched on is quite a bit higher and flatter than those either side. Still, that’s not particularly unusual in this class.

Boot space and storage

With 561 litres of space behind the rear seats, and 1,750 with them folded down, the Outback has improved on the previous model to provide ample stowage for most scenarios, including space-demanding activities like camping. It’s a broad boot space well over a metre wide, which means you can easily fit large items, such as a barbeque. 

Even so, it’s not as big as you might think in terms of outright capacity. With the rear seats up it has less room than the smaller Volkswagen Golf (611/1,642 litres), SEAT Leon (620/1,620 litres) and Skoda Octavia (640/1,750 litres) estates. Compared with similarly priced SUVs such as the Volkswagen Tiguan (510/1,486 litres) and Suzuki Across-Toyota RAV4 twins (580/1,690) the advantages of the estate bodystyle are clear to see. 

It comes with a powered tailgate as standard, with 60:40 split folding for the rear seats, and a low boot floor, it’s well catered for active users. What it lacks are any clever storage solutions, such as a false boot floor with adjustable height.

Up front, large door pockets, a reasonable glovebox, and generous centre console collectively provide much storage for personal paraphernalia. There is also a cubby slot in the dashboard that will happily hold a smartphone. 

Is it easy to park?

The Outback is a reasonably large car, primarily in length, and it does feel its size. However, it’s very easy to gauge the Outback’s extremes. Aided by superb all-round visibility, the Outback is simple to park, even in tight urban street parking situations. 

All three trim levels come with a reversing camera and sensors to help you, too. 

Safety

• Excellent safety features and driver-assistance tech 
• Five-star Euro NCAP safety rating 
• ISOFIX points on both main rear seats 

The Outback has a great reputation for safety, and it’s well justified. This version comes with the fourth-generation iteration of Subaru’s excellent ‘Eyesight’ safety package. From the driver’s perspective it all works very well, with good adaptive cruise control, and a lane-keeping system that’s not too intrusive on motorways and A-roads.

The system includes:

• Advanced adaptive cruise control with lane-centering function
• Emergency lane-keep assist
• Speed sign recognition with intelligent speed limiter
• Lane-departure warning with steering wheel vibration
• Lane departure prevention (which also recognises dividing lines such as grass and road edges)
• Pre-collision braking system with expanded support for collision avoidance at junctions 

The five-star Euro NCAP crash test result shows this car provides very good levels of protection for everyone on board. The body structure is very solid and in addition to all the safety software, the Outback comes with a lot of airbags. All three trim levels benefit from automatic LED headlights and wipers, and we’re pleased to report they switch on and off as and when they should. 

Watch: Subaru Outback crash test video