Closet cheapskates, fire up your calculators. 

The 2020 Outback begs scrutiny by deal-finders, penny-pinchers, frugal-enthusiasts, affordable-aficionados, and their ilk. 

Subaru offers the Outback in base, Premium, Limited, and Touring specifications that hardly skimp on features. Every Outback gets active safety features, a generous touchscreen for infotainment, power features, Bluetooth connectivity, all-wheel drive, and cloth upholstery for about $27,500 top start. We give it points for good base features, another for the touchscreen (more in a minute), and one more for its value relative to competitors. It’s an 8. (Read more about how we rate cars.)

The base Outback isn’t bad but it doesn’t offer many options. It’s equipped with twin 7.0-inch touchscreens for infotainment and vehicle functions, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. In addition to power features and cloth upholstery, the base Outback is equipped with two USB charge ports, 17-inch wheels, a split-folding rear seat, and LED headlights. 

We’d be happy with an Outback Premium, which costs less than $30,000 to start, and adds an 11.6-inch tablet-style touchscreen for infotainment, two more USB charge ports for rear-seat riders, power-adjustable driver’s seat, heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, and sound-insulating front windows for a quieter cabin. Keyless ignition, navigation, blind-spot monitors, a power liftgate, and moonroof are on the options list. 

The top Outback Touring gets a driver attention monitor, a front-view camera, nappa leather upholstery, a heated steering wheel, and cooled front seats. With the base engine, the Outback Touring costs about $38,400. The uprated engine, which is available on Outback Limited and Touring wagons adds $2,350 to the bottom line. An Onyx edition adds blacked-out trim, the uprated engine, and is equipped similarly to the Outback Premium, costs less than $36,000. 

Outback infotainment

One of the biggest changes for the 2020 Outback is its 11.6-inch touchscreen infotainment, which is standard on every Outback except base models. 

The tablet-style touchscreen is clear and sharp and doesn’t fade in the sunlight. It’s equipped with standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, but we have mixed feelings. The presentation for both smartphone systems is small and takes up less than half of the touchscreen. The information presented below the smartphone systems is mostly redundant, and we say the best way to use your phone is via Bluetooth connection. 

The home screen is filled with easy-to-read icons and simple buttons for climate control along the bottom (although it’s not immediately clear in Outback Touring models how to activate the cooled seats). Vehicle information, weather, and other display functions are along a swipeable strip at the top. 

Sometimes long, deliberate presses are needed to launch apps, zoom in, or flip through radio stations. When equipped, the TomTom navigation system reminds us that there’s no substitute for a distraction-free, front-seat passenger with a smartphone and cell reception. 

For Subaru diehards who’ve used the automaker’s 7.0- and 8.0-inch touchscreens before, the 11.6-inch touchscreen won’t be a radical departure. If you haven’t been in a Subaru for a while, welcome to the future. 

But we caution against expecting an iPad experience in your new Outback—it’s not as responsive. 

Review continues below