Nope. Too loyal of a fan base to care what they look like IMO.
2026 Subaru Outback looks hideous
- Thread starter PWMDMD
- Start date
4wd
$50 site donor 2026
Looks like the south end of a mule heading north 
My guess is that more sales will trickle into the forester. IMO, it's SLIGHTLY better/less *****. I'm still baffled as to why Subaru dosent offer the turbo in the Forester or the Crosstrek. They are really missing out.
Here is what google's AI says -
Subaru's overall sales and the specific Outback model's sales have experienced declines, with a 32.1% drop for the Outback in May 2025 and an 8.6% company-wide decline in Q2 2025, attributed to the 2026 model's late reveal, higher pricing, and a shift towards SUV styling which may not appeal to all buyers.
Reasons for the Sales Decline
Subaru's overall sales and the specific Outback model's sales have experienced declines, with a 32.1% drop for the Outback in May 2025 and an 8.6% company-wide decline in Q2 2025, attributed to the 2026 model's late reveal, higher pricing, and a shift towards SUV styling which may not appeal to all buyers.
Reasons for the Sales Decline
- Buyer Hesitation:
The mid-April reveal of the 2026 Outback led many potential buyers to wait for the new model, causing sales of the previous 2025 model to drop.
- Increased Price:
The 2026 Outback is more expensive than the 2025 model, with a starting price hike of over $5,000 for the new Premium trim, which is now the entry-level model.
- Styling Changes:
The 2026 Outback has a new, boxier, and more SUV-like design, moving away from the traditional "lifted wagon" format. Some customers may not prefer this new styling, which could impact sales.
- Transition to a New Model:
The shift from one body style to a completely new generation and the removal of the base Outback trim also contributed to the sales figures.
- General Market Conditions:
Subaru has projected a general sales decline for FY2025 and has also seen an overall decline in Q2 2025 company sales, indicating broader market pressures beyond just the Outback.
Last I looked, many purchasers of Subaru vehicles are not drawn to that purchase by the aesthetics.
The nose makes me think Exploder for some reason.The new Forester is even worse IMO.
That Blue Oval could be swapped and I'd hardly notice as I don't track Subaru or the Explorer much at all. They're all ugly and vehicles that don't fit my use cases.
While I'm not necessarily a fan, I don't think it looks any worse than it's competition. In fact, to me it looks like Subaru is trying to make the new Outback look more mainstream. Now it is just as boring as the Toyota and Hyundai and others, that it competes against.
I just looked at the press release pics, to get a better idea of what it looks like. Except for all the plastic trim, it really doesn't look to bad to me. It looks a lot like they were trying to make it look like full sized domestic SUV's, and it does that. But the excess plastic trim does need to go.
I just looked at the press release pics, to get a better idea of what it looks like. Except for all the plastic trim, it really doesn't look to bad to me. It looks a lot like they were trying to make it look like full sized domestic SUV's, and it does that. But the excess plastic trim does need to go.
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Almost more vehicle in front of the front axle than behind it. Wow that is ugly. Approach angle is horrible.
AZjeff
$50 Site Donor 2023
Not much different that the '25 Forester below as far as the amount of cladding. Sharper edges and the meaningless shapes molded in here and there are more prominent. The wheel arch cladding looks like they didn't get the fit right and stuck it on anyway. As noted the Outback looks like a CUV now not a lifted wagon.
4wd
$50 site donor 2026
Maybe it’s a built in stop so they don’t even try
Is that praise or sarcasm?
