Balance is key to vehicle shopping, and while a stylish exterior may grab you, it’s what’s inside that is the most important.
The editors at WardsAuto, which covers the auto industry, look at these things very carefully, and put out an annual “Wards 10 Best Interiors & UX” list. UX means “user experience.” This year, we’re proud to report, one of the winners is the 2026 Subaru Outback in its Touring and Touring XT trims.
To come up with its list of finalists, WardsAuto judges looked at 28 models that were either all new, redesigned or mostly refreshed. Their metrics included aesthetics, design harmony, comfort, connectivity and infotainment displays, advanced safety system content, and overall value. In other words, they were as concerned with good lucks and comfort as they were with vehicles’ usability, safety and overall value.
Restyled and Better Than Ever
The 2026 Outback was given a major restyling and the result is some new technology, a calmer, cleaner interior design.
“The Outback Touring has the most luxurious Subaru interior I’ve ever seen. The rich brown and black surfaces are beautifully textured and give a premium look. There are also high-end features such as seats that are ventilated as well as heated,” WardsAuto Judge Drew Winter said. He’s referring to leather-trimmed perforated interior upholstery with front ventilated seats and heated front and rear seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and 12-way power-adjustable driver’s seat with lumbar support and adjustable thigh support. The headliner material is fabricated from recycled plastic bottles.
Outside, the Outback’s profile grew two inches in height. The cargo space grew by two cubic feet at 34.6 cubic feet. It’s also two inches taller with a 43.3” floor width.
Tons of Tech
The Outback has two big screens: 12.1” infotainment and 12.3” digital gauge cluster. There’s a newer, more responsive processor with cloud-based voice recognition, hybrid nav system and standard Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™ compatibility. Responding to consumer tastes, climate controls are buttons and knobs.
And of course, this is all combined with the Outback Touring’s 2.5-liter Subaru Boxer® four-cylinder engine (182 hp) or the Touring XT’s 2.4-liter turbocharged Boxer four-cylinder engine (260 hp) paired with Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive, Eyesight® Driver Assist Technology, MySubaru® Connected Services and some attractive optional packages for enhanced safety and comfort.
While the WardsAuto folks singled out the Outback Touring/Touring XT, Schomp Subaru has an array of Subies – enough to meet every driver’s vehicle needs or desires.
