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The Subaru Outback Sport XT is a very comfortable and practical five-seater car for families. Let's jump straight in and see how it stacks up as a BabyDrive…

BabyDrive Verdict

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One of my favourite things about XT versions of the Subaru Outback for families is its towing capacity of 2.4 tonnes, or 400kg more than a regular non-XT Outback, but also the extra engine power to do so really confidently. For those of you looking for a comfortable five-seater car for your family that isn't a big 4X4 but has the ability to comfortably tow a caravan or camper trailer for school holiday family trips, this has that ability while being great for everyday life commutes, school drop offs etc.

Subaru Outback Sport XT featured

My next favourite thing about the Subaru Outback (XT or otherwise) is that it is a fantastic car for tall families. In the back of the Outback are ISOFix points in both outer rear seats. They are behind a flap of the seat fabric. They're not within plastic guides but are nice and easy to connect to.

Subaru Outback Sport XT ISOFIX child seat anchorages in the second row

There are top tether anchorages in the backs of all three seat backs. They are easy to connect to through the boot.

Subaru Outback Sport XT top tether child seat anchorages in the second row

We could fit three Infasecure child seats easily across the rear seats of the Subaru Outback Sport XT. I installed the Infasecure Quattro Onyx and Infasecure Achieve More forward-facing…

Subaru Outback Sport XT with three child seats installed in the second row

… and the Infasecure Adapt More Infant Capsule rear-facing behind the driver. As I said, the Subaru Outback Sport XT is a great car for tall families: With the rear-facing Infasecure Adapt More infant capsule installed, we could fit a 186cm driver in front of it or even taller front passengers in front of forward-facing child seats.

Subaru Outback Sport XT legroom with rear-facing child seats installed in the second row

Rear passengers are kept comfortable in the Subaru Outback Sport XT with air vents in the back of the central console box. They are great, so you can keep little passengers at the right temperature while driving along. There are also USB sockets for charging rear passenger devices and heated seat controls for older passengers.

On the back of both front seats are multiple map pockets. These are great for fitting all your kids' books, iPads and toys.

Subaru Outback Sport XT legroom with forward-facing child seats installed in the second row

If you are only using the two outer rear seats, there is a fold-down armrest in the central seatback with two cup holders. They will hold a child's drink cup or a reusable or disposable coffee cup fit in them, too.

The rear door bins are a good size and will hold a refillable water bottle and there are storage wells in the handles too.

Front passengers are just as comfortable, with two cup holders in the central console that will hold a reusable or disposable coffee cup and a practical-sized central console box.

The glove box will hold a wallet and iPad with the manual…

… and there is a phone charging pad in front of the gear lever.

The front door bins will hold your refillable water bottle, and an iPad fits, too. There are also storage wells in the front door handles.

It's great to see the Subaru Outback Sport XT retains its glasses case in the ceiling as so many car manufacturers are getting rid of them, and it leaves nowhere for glasses to go out of the way of kids' hands where they won't get scratched!

The Subaru Outback Sport XT has a very large boot, which fits 17 shopping bags from empty, which is comparable to the Subaru WRX Sportswagon that holds 16 bags and the Mazda6 wagon that holds 15 bags.

Subaru Outback Sport XT boot space for shopping with two rows of seats in use

The Thule Sleek, future-proof, multi-configuration pram with a single seat…

Thule Sleek

…will fit in the boot of the Subaru XT with eleven shopping bags.

Subaru Outback Sport XT boot space for shopping with tandem stroller pram if two rows of seats are in use

The Thule Urban Glide 2 is the ultimate all-terrain stroller…

Thule Urban Glide 3

… with the back wheels removed, it will fit in the boot of the Subaru Outback Sport XT with 10 shopping bags.

Subaru Outback Sport XT boot space for shopping with single stroller pram if two rows of seats are in use

The Thule Spring, lightweight and one-handed folding stroller…

Thule Spring

… fits in the boot of the Subaru Outback Sport XT with 13 shopping bags.

Subaru Outback Sport XT boot space for shopping with compact pram if two rows of seats are in use

Or you can fit two 90L, one 70L and one 40L Thule Chasm duffle bag in the boot of the Subaru Outback Sport XT.

Or a medium/large size dog.

Subaru Outback Sport XT boot space for dogs with two rows of seats in use

The boot floor of the Subaru Outback Sport XT is nice and flat for an emergency nappy change, with good storage areas in the sides behind the wheel arches and a 12V charging socket.

As well as bag hooks.

The interior of the Outback is neat and clean, with minimal buttons and dials on the dash.

The large, flat, integrated media screen makes it feel clutter-free.

Most controls you would normally find on the dashboard, like the air conditioning, are now within the screen. The climate controls remain at the bottom of the screen so they are easy to locate and use while driving.

Within the media system, you can customise the settings of the car easily in the drop down lists.

The Subaru Outback Sport XT has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, so you can easily access your phone, apps, podcasts, etc, while driving.

When you put it in reverse, the rearview camera image only fills the top half of the screen, so you only get quite a small image but it is very clear.

You can change your viewing angles and turn the parking sensors off easily on the screen too.

The Subaru Outback Sport XT is a great combination of off-road reliability, towing ability and around-town or suburban comfort and practicality for families. Being the Sport XT model, this Outback has excellent power, so it has good acceleration and feels sturdy, solid and capable on the road. It is a comfortable ride for all passengers onboard, and visibility is good.

Overall, the Outback makes a very practical BabyDrive, especially with its ability to fit three Infasecure child seats in the back whilst maintaining excellent legroom in the front for tall passengers and having a big boot that can hold a double Thule pram.

The New Subaru Outback has a five-star ANCAP safety rating and has seven airbags as standard.

Dual frontal, side chest and side head-protecting airbags and a driver knee airbag are standard.

 

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BabyDrive Indepth

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Tace Clifford
About Tace Clifford
Tace Clifford founded BabyDrive in 2017 after discovering a huge information gap in mainstream car reviews that left new parents and expanding families in the dark when it came to one of the biggest purchasing decisions of their lives.

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