With 8.7 inches of ground clearance and all-wheel drive, the wagon is easily able to navigate inclement weather and even muddy, rutted roads for maximum go-anywhere capability, select the Wilderness model, which boasts 9.5 inches of ground clearance as well as a beefed-up suspension, skid plates to protect its underside, and a drive mode selector with Snow and Mud modes. Still, most Outback owners are more concerned with ride quality and the car's ability to handle light off-road driving. While the turbocharged version was considerably quicker, it was plagued by the same recalcitrant transmission. The Outback we tested with the standard engine delivered unremarkable acceleration and lazy transmission behavior.

Of course, all Outbacks have standard all-wheel drive, which is a Subaru staple (except for the rear-drive BRZ sports coupe). Both mate to a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) that mimics an eight-speed gearbox to mitigate annoying engine drone. The Outback lineup features a pair of flat-four-cylinder engines: a 182-hp 2.5-liter is standard and a 260-hp turbocharged 2.4-liter is optional.

Among those, we'd opt for the more affordable package that adds blind-spot monitoring, a hands-free power liftgate, and passive entry with push-button start. The Outback Premium comes standard with an 11.6-inch touchscreen, a 4G LTE mobile hotspot, heated front seats, a power-adjustable driver's seat, more USB ports, and options that aren't offered on the base model. We don't think the turbo's improved acceleration and the 800 pounds of extra towing capacity are worth the money considering what buyers will be looking for in a vehicle.

While it's only available with the standard 182-hp four-cylinder, upgrading to the turbocharged 260-hp engine costs at least $6000. We think the Premium model has the best set of standard and optional features for the price.

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