The Subaru Outback Beats 6 Toyota And Lexus Models In Latest Owner Reliability Survey

When it comes to reliability, we think of Toyota and Lexus models as they have been best of all automakers for years. But in the latest Driver Power survey from Auto Express, the new Subaru Outback (2015-present models), is rated higher by owners than six Toyota and Lexus models and scores #2 only behind the Volvo XC40. It’s not a surprise because the Outback wagon also scored a perfect 100 in a recent Top Cars for Long-Term Satisfaction survey from CarFax.

The most recent results of the most reliable new cars are based on the latest Driver Power survey data from Auto Express. Car owners were asked about their satisfaction with the standards of build quality and reliability. The results come from owners who have owned the car for 3 years, offering an accurate snapshot of a car’s reliability in the initial period where problems are most likely to occur.

Outback scores #2 in the top-10 most reliable models

Auto Express says, “The Outback might be thirsty and a little unremarkable to look at but it won’t let you down with a 97.24 percent reliability rating and a 93.55 percent score for build quality. The 13.5 percent of owners who did report faults said the issues were mostly electrical.”

Subaru didn’t change the exterior styling in the new-generation models much but that’s by design. Subaru didn’t want to mess with the remarkable success the Outback has had in the past, and they have no real competition in the wagon segment.

Subaru didn't change the 2020 Outback styling much

Where Subaru did make big changes to the new 2020 models is under the hood. The new Outback comes with a new 2.4-liter turbocharged engine that improves fuel mileage. The Outback XT engine gets an EPA estimated 23/30 city/highway mpg and 26 combined mpg. That’s a substantial improvement over the old 3.6R six-cylinder, which was rated at 20/27 city/highway and 22 combined mpg. You can read the complete comparison here.

The top-10 most reliable new cars in the Driver Power survey

1. Volvo XC40 - 98%
2. Subaru Outback - 97.24%
3. Nissan LEAF - 97.04%
4. Lexus CT - 96.80%
5. Lexus RX - 96.60%
6. Toyota Prius - 96.56%
7. Peugeot 3008 - 96.09%
8. Toyota Yaris - 96.07%
9. Toyota Corolla - 96.06%
10. Toyota C-HR - 95.95%

The previous generation Subaru Outback scores higher than six Toyota and Lexus models in the latest owner reliability survey. It will be interesting to see if the newly-redesigned 2020 Subaru Outback scores so well in three years. Stay tuned.

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Denis Flierl has invested over 30 years in the automotive industry in a variety of roles. All of his reports are archived on our Subaru page. Follow Denis on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Subaru Report. Check back tomorrow for more Subaru news and updates at Torque News!

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Photo credit: Subaru