2010 Subaru Outback Overview Change Vehicle

This 2010 Subaru Outback review explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2010 Outback, and includes Subaru Outback safety, reliability, and fuel economy information.

The 2010 Subaru Outback is completely redesigned, and the main improvement pertains to interior room and comfort. A stretched wheelbase adds four inches of additional rear seat legroom over the previous model, and a rear double-wishbone suspension design enhances cargo space and carrying capability. Front and rear overhangs are shorter, ground clearance is greater, and the Outback is wider and taller to add interior space. Other changes include a continuously variable transmission (CVT) as an alternative to the standard manual gearbox on the 2.5i models, improved fuel economy across the board, and a new 3.6 R performance and luxury model.

For 2010, Subaru better separates the two different Outback models that it sells by clearly defining the Outback Sport as a trim level offered on the Impreza hatchback. That leaves the bigger, Legacy-based Outback free to stand on its own. Subaru also simplifies its Outback lineup, offering 2.5i or 3.6 R models in base, Premium, and Limited trim. So easy. So simple.

The Outback 2.5i and 3.6 R models have air conditioning, power windows, power mirrors, power door locks, remote keyless entry, cruise control, and a tilt and telescopic steering wheel. A basic stereo with a CD player and auxiliary audio input jack is included, along with a height-adjustable driver’s seat and reclining 60/40-split folding rear seats. Automatic headlights, a trip computer, a roof rack, and a Hill Holder feature for the transmission are standard, too. The 2.5i model has 16-inch steel wheels with plastic wheel covers, while the 3.6 R model includes 17-inch alloy wheels.

Move up to Premium trim and you’re rewarded with a 10-way power driver’s seat, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, automatic operation for the driver’s window, ambient interior lighting, a covered dashboard storage bin, and dark tinted rear glass. Both versions get fog lights, while the 2.5i model adds 17-inch alloy wheels. Choosing Premium trim is also the path to desirable options like a power moonroof, a 440-watt Harmon Kardon audio system, Bluetooth phone connectivity, and an All-Weather Package with heated front seats, heated side mirrors, and a wiper de-icer system.

The Outback Limited is the luxury model, equipped with perforated leather seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, premium Harmon Kardon sound, and power front passenger’s seat. The 2.5i model also gets a standard CVT. A navigation system, a reversing camera, and Bluetooth streaming audio are exclusively optional on the Outback Limited.

Subaru offers a choice between two engines for 2010, further simplifying the process of selecting an Outback. The 2.5i models have a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with horizontally opposed cylinders, a design commonly called a “boxer” engine or a “flat-four.” The benefit of this design is a lower center of gravity, which contributes to better handling. This engine is available with a new six-speed manual gearbox or a new continuously variable transmission (CVT), and delivers 170 horsepower to all four of the Outback’s wheels through a standard all-wheel-drive system. Fuel economy is best with the CVT at 22 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway. If you choose the manual transmission, expect 19-mpg city and 27-mpg highway. Note that in certain states, Outbacks equipped with this engine are rated as a Partial Zero Emission Vehicle (PZEV).

The new 3.6 R model is equipped with a boxer-type engine, too, a 3.6-liter with six cylinders and 256 horsepower, harnessed by a five-speed automatic transmission. We will miss the old 2.5 XT model’s turbocharged four, especially in higher altitudes, but this new 3.6-liter should prove gutsy enough. Fuel economy is 18 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway.

Subaru takes the safety of its customers very seriously. Every model is designed around what the company calls a Ring-Shaped Frame Reinforcement structural engineering, which is supposed to deflect impact energy away from the car’s passengers in the event of a collision. Additionally, the 2010 Outback is equipped with six airbags, antilock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist, and stability and traction control. Subaru also notes that the new Outback’s entire front seat structure is designed to lessen injury in a rear impact, not just the head restraints.

So how does this come together in crash tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS)? Quite well. The NHTSA gives the Outback 5-Star ratings across the board, except for rollover resistance, which receives a strong 4-Star rating. The IIHS is impressed, too, giving the Outback a Top Safety Pick award for 2010.

Reliability predictions are not quite as impressive as the Outback’s crash-test performances. J.D. Power and Associates says it expects the Outback to provide slightly below average levels of dependability over time, but Consumer Reports is much more optimistic and thinks the Outback will return better than average reliability.

We’ll get this off our chest right up front: we’re not big fans of the 2010 Subaru Outback’s new look. But, since styling is secondary to practicality when it comes to a car like this, our opinion doesn’t matter. What’s important to keep in mind about the Outback is that Subaru has improved the car in every way, eliminating almost any rational reason to skip it in favor of something else. Roomy, safe, fuel efficient, dependable, and able to get through almost anything Mother Nature can throw at it, the affordable and ridiculously practical Subaru Outback gets a big two thumbs up from Vehix.

By Christian Wardlaw