2026 Subaru Outback looks hideous

[edyvw]

You say you like cladding? You should check out the 2026 Outback Wilderness edition! Soon Subarus will not even have paint, they will be 100% plastic cladding and sell like hotcakes to their collective

That is ok. People who buy them keep mountain towing shops in business.

 

[Rand]

Subaru are not greatest styling.... I like ugly cars sometimes, but that front grill woof!
Good thing it doesn't get bigger every generation like BMW.... oh wait.


Obligatory:

 

[Dave Hess]

I honestly don't know how some vehicles make it into production without people losing their jobs. I don't hate the overall design language, the attached alternate look (silver colored) compared to the what is coming out (Green), means they were so close to getting it right, but wow is that ugly. It looks gaudy, cheap with all the blocky black plastic over the wheel wells/doors/front, and weirdly disproportionate like it's trying to be the Griswold summer vacation car. I think the silver mockup looks really pretty good. I can't imagine these are going to sell well.

Wondering what you all think?


View attachment 298063View attachment 298064View attachment 298065View attachment 298066

I agree Subaru goes overboard with waaaay too much plastic.i

 

[Rand]

I agree Subaru goes overboard with waaaay too much plastic.i

it looks worse in pics.

I've been hit twice in parking garage now on that plastic.. and no damage..
also once at intersection car went wide and hit me waiting to make left at light.. no damage.

Those plastic bumpouts on the wilderness
And what are those fog lights supposed to look like??

Wilderness should have gotten bigger tires.. IMO. look tiny from side.
Going to put all that plastic on it.. make the wheel well big enough to go up to at least a
245/65r17??!?
(225/65r17 stock size)

 

[Blagoje]

And what are those fog lights supposed to look like??
View attachment 298328

I have those same fog lights on my 2025 Subaru Outback Wilderness and they are excellent in terms of light output. I agree that the 2026 edition looks very out there but as long as those lame, trendy slim headlights aren't awful all should be well.

 

[meep]

As a Tacoma owner, and the 4th Gen does look a little overbaked, id like to say it’s pulling from possibly Asian style cues, but then I think of GM truck grills, ford explorer slant, newer bmw maw, and the challenges with pedestrian safety drivers.

If someone put a 97 outback front end back out there, it would sell like hotcakes now. Slender headlamps, low hoodline, similar to the Camry of the day. We don’t get hoodlines like that now.

 

[SubieRubyRoo]

Subaru fans will always tell you how reliable their example of one has been but never how much money has been dumped into maintenance to keep it reliable. Diff fluid increments, having to replace 4 tires if one gets banged up later in their lifespan. I like the concept believe me. They are extremely capable I loved a 2016 Impreza 2.0i we had around the shop. Compared to other awd alternatives, it without a doubt was more expensive to put miles on.

It’s quite obvious that not only have you never owned a Subaru, but your entire worldview is informed by only people who believe whatever a dealer tells them.

Nothing is different with differential OCIs, and the scare about replacing 4 tires is as well. Stop drinking the Kool-Aid.

 

[Pterostylis]

The last good looking Subaru was the brat.
They were called the Brumby down in Australia and didn’t have the stupid rear seat set up.

 

[edyvw]

it looks worse in pics.

I've been hit twice in parking garage now on that plastic.. and no damage..
also once at intersection car went wide and hit me waiting to make left at light.. no damage.

Those plastic bumpouts on the wilderness
And what are those fog lights supposed to look like??
View attachment 298328


Wilderness should have gotten bigger tires.. IMO. look tiny from side.
Going to put all that plastic on it.. make the wheel well big enough to go up to at least a
245/65r17??!?
(225/65r17 stock size)

What is going to push that? 4lbs dfference between tires if Yokohama G015, more resistance. MPG will drop, that CVT will struggle.
When I said mountain towing shops are in business bcs. Subaru, I was not joking. People putting larger tires, Mickey Mouse transmission, high altitude, no real transmission coolers, and yeah, they go Kaput, fast.

 

[burbguy82]

yes, ugly

 

[Pterostylis]

Is that praise or sarcasm?

A little of both. The fender flares are ugly but I’d still drive one, especially if they’re easily replaceable after damage.

 

[NA4U]

Oh lord! I need to go move my bowels now after looking at that KIA Tasman!

 

[Blagoje]

What is going to push that? 4lbs dfference between tires if Yokohama G015, more resistance. MPG will drop, that CVT will struggle.
When I said mountain towing shops are in business bcs. Subaru, I was not joking. People putting larger tires, Mickey Mouse transmission, high altitude, no real transmission coolers, and yeah, they go Kaput, fast.

My last job working in the automotive industry was as a service advisor/manager at a large franchise Subaru dealership. Based on that experience when I decided to purchase my 2025 Outback Wilderness 2 months ago I made absolute for certain to get the best Subaru backed warranty (8 years - 120k miles GOLD PLUS) and a glass protection package which would replace an unlimited amount of windshields. Think about why someone who has worked extensively for Subaru might do that before you ask...

 

[4wd]

The Kia Tasman - “hold my beer”
View attachment 298118

Okay - see post #24 and add high resolution

 

[vwmaniaman]

Beauty is only skin deep but ugly goes clear to the bone.

 

[HemiBenny]

Reminds me of the Mazda cx-50 type look. Looking more like a Forester which always to me was not very pretty but very functional.

Put the drink down! That looks nothing like a CX-50.

 

[edyvw]

My last job working in the automotive industry was as a service advisor/manager at a large franchise Subaru dealership. Based on that experience when I decided to purchase my 2025 Outback Wilderness 2 months ago I made absolute for certain to get the best Subaru backed warranty (8 years - 120k miles GOLD PLUS) and a glass protection package which would replace an unlimited amount of windshields. Think about why someone who has worked extensively for Subaru might do that before you ask...

Well, I live in Colorado, so by default I know several people who drive them. I give them persistence on windshield issues. I had windshield issues on VW Atlas. Colorado is generally known as hostile to windshields. But, I had to replace on Atlas windshield 5 times in a year. I lost patience, got rid of the car. But Subaru? It is insane. You walk on parking lot (and Subaru’s here are like mushrooms after rain. I think biggest volume dealer in the country is here in Colorado Springs) and cracked windshields galore.

 

[SubieRubyRoo]

You obviously didn’t read what I said. It’s quite obvious you never turned a wrench and listened to all the people who tell you don’t need to do the maintenance? If you try to run a subi 100k without changing the cvt or diff fluid, you will have a failure. Owned 2 Imprezas. 2016 2.0i. Traded one for a 2019 that is a terrible vehicle. My wife drives a crosstrek. Other manufacturers awd use electric motors to independently control the rear wheels so you can replace a tire at a time and it doesn’t matter. Anyone who takes care of their vehicles properly is drinking the koolaid? Stop drinking the baby batter Liberace.

I’m on my 7th Subaru and have never “overdone” maintenance, nor ever suffered a catastrophic failure. My currently-owned 2007 Impreza is still on factory HGs at 202k miles. So spare me the window-shopper sob story.

My personal take is, avoid the dealer service and you’ll be just fine if you’re doing your own. I blame inferior fluids and incompetent wrench turners. The mechanicals are no better or no worse than the average other manufacturers’ offerings.

And as far as me not turning a wrench, literally the only thing my vehicles have ever been to a dealer for is an alignment. And nobody with any sense would run their diffs or transmissions 100k+ thinking everything was peachy, so why try to single out Subaru when 90% of manufacturers have the same lingo in their manuals?

 

[Blagoje]

I’m on my 7th Subaru and have never “overdone” maintenance, nor ever suffered a catastrophic failure. My currently-owned 2007 Impreza is still on factory HGs at 202k miles. So spare me the window-shopper sob story.

My personal take is, avoid the dealer service and you’ll be just fine if you’re doing your own. I blame inferior fluids and incompetent wrench turners. The mechanicals are no better or no worse than the average other manufacturers’ offerings.

And as far as me not turning a wrench, literally the only thing my vehicles have ever been to a dealer for is an alignment. And nobody with any sense would run their diffs or transmissions 100k+ thinking everything was peachy, so why try to single out Subaru when 90% of manufacturers have the same lingo in their manuals?

Subarus are extremely low maintenance and what needs to be done is typically made to be very easily completed by design. The only maintenance items I go to the dealership for are brake fluid changes because I don't want to deal with the liability and spark plug changes because those typically are such a PITA I would just rather pay someone to do it so I don't have to deal with it.

Other than that oil changes are as easy as they come on any vehicle I've ever seen, especially if you get something like a valvoMax or fumoto oil drain system. Aside from that you are looking at air filter changes, engine and cabin, and tire rotations. Check your fluids and tire air pressure. That's pretty much it for every Subaru.

 

[IndyIan]

My last job working in the automotive industry was as a service advisor/manager at a large franchise Subaru dealership. Based on that experience when I decided to purchase my 2025 Outback Wilderness 2 months ago I made absolute for certain to get the best Subaru backed warranty (8 years - 120k miles GOLD PLUS) and a glass protection package which would replace an unlimited amount of windshields. Think about why someone who has worked extensively for Subaru might do that before you ask...

I read the eyesight windshields are actually thinner? Our '18 "blind poverty" model, seems to eat rock hits with the best of them, with one serious chip but I got it filled quite a few years ago, and its not spreading.
Ours is nearing 120k miles and the only slightly early issue has been the muffler, and some heat shield rattles to track down, and a grumbling rear wheel bearing that I need to take care of.

For what we do, it seems to do all things well enough, and gets decent mileage, so I'm thinking getting either a 16-17 manual, or another 2018-19 to replace my Focus. The '20+ newer ones with big screens and DI that seems to have no benefit for anything I do, just potential liabilities.
Its too bad they don't make a real wilderness model with a low range transfer case, sway bar disconnects and a LSD, and trim down the overhangs, but I find the regular one just fine, for old washing out logging roads, etc, and its still fun to pick your way through any trail near the limits of your vehicle.
Subaru did make the bumper covers out of some flexible tough plastic, as we've pushed in a corner in winter, with no cracks, and just heated it up and pushed it out. I've never had another bumper cover do that trick, they always seem to crack the finish at least, if not the plastic right through.