The 2026 Subaru Outback is already a contentious vehicle. To some loyal buyers, taking the vehicle that proved wagons could work in America if you just raised them up, added cladding, and eliminated the last vestiges of wagon-ness, is a form of betrayal. Never mind that the Legacy is dead and thus any reference to a sedan can no longer be made, so the type of person to buy an Outback usually does so because they don’t want something blocky and chest-beating in appearance. Holding the line on pricing would’ve gone a long way, but the line has most certainly not been held: while the old Outback starts at $31,415 including freight, the new one will run you at least $36,445. Ouch.
Granted, they aren’t exactly equivalent trim levels. It seems that Subaru missed the memo that people want simple and inexpensive cars again, so the base trim is gone for 2026 and the range now kicks things off with the $36,445 Premium trim level. With a digital gauge cluster, pleather, and a power liftgate as standard, it gets some of the toys the old Onyx Edition had, but the result is a machine $1,965 more than the old Outback Premium and $5,030 more than the old base Outback. That’s a somewhat strong ask considering the new Outback still uses the same naturally aspirated 2.5-liter flat-four as the old one.
Want a typical blend of mod-cons like a moonroof, heated rear seats, leather upholstery, and premium audio? The 2026 Outback Limited will run you $43,165, including freight. That’s $2,025 more than the old Outback Limited with no real changes in equipment, other than the digital cluster that every new Outback gets anyway. It’s a similar deal with the $46,845 Outback Touring, $3,145 more expensive than the old one, with the only add being hands-free highway driving assistance.
Then we get to the turbocharged models. The new $45,815 Outback Limited XT is $2,335 more expensive than before, the ruggedized, $46,445 Wilderness trim is $3,315 more expensive than before, and the $49,445 Outback Touring XT is $3,295 more than before. Same 260-horsepower 2.4-liter turbocharged flat-four, same CVT, the only adds over the outgoing models other than the engine are 19-inch wheels and a 360-degree camera system on the Limited XT.
Oh, but it doesn’t end there. The new Outback Wilderness also offers two option packages, one that costs $2,045 and includes a moonroof, a 360-degree camera system, and GPS navigation, and one that costs $4,090 and includes all of that plus ventilated leather seats. Tick that second box, and you’re looking at a $50,535 Subaru Outback.
While four-figure price hikes could be understandable if something dramatically new of significant engineering substance was going on beneath the surface of the new Subaru Outback, it rides on the same platform as the old one, uses the same powertrains as the old one, and seems more evolutionary than revolutionary under the polarizing skin. Plus, dropping the base trim just doesn’t feel like a good read of the room. A few grand at this end of the market is enough for the new Outback to butt heads with some brilliant family-hauling machinery like the Hyundai Santa Fe and, for high-tier trims, the posh Toyota Crown Signia, options that really give shoppers something to think about. Thankfully, if you’re looking for a deal, the new Outback hasn’t arrived yet, and now might be the time to pick up a 2025 model before the big changeover.
Top graphic image: Subaru
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