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Subaru Outback Mounts A Strong Year-End Finish - Falls Short Of The Top Forester

The 2021 Subaru Outback is at retailers now and it’s one of the most popular models. See how it stacks up against the Forester SUV.

There’s a saying, it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish that counts. The redesigned Subaru Outback started the year slow but finished 2020 with a bang. The 2021 Subaru Outback is set to have a good year because the wagon beat the popular Forester SUV in September, October, November, and December. But it still fell short of being the top model in SOA’s stable of cars.

Subaru of America reports Outback finished December with 17,272 vehicles delivered to customers compared with Forester’s 16,006 sales. Even with topping Forester for the final four months of the year, the Forester finished ahead of Outback for the year to take the top sales position away from the most popular wagon in America.

2021 Subaru Outback, features, specs, pricing

The hot Forester shot out to a huge lead in the first eight months, and Outback couldn’t stage a comeback big enough to win. Outback finished 2020 with 153,294 total sales compared with Forester’s 176,996 sales, a 23,702 model lead.

Part of the reason was because of COVID shutting down the Subaru plant in Lafayette, Indiana. But Subaru Indiana Automotive, also slowed production of the redesigned Outback because of some quality issues before coronavirus hit the U.S. and shut everything down.

2021 Subaru Outback, features, specs, pricing

What is the price of the 2021 Subaru Outback?

The 2021 Outback comes in seven trim levels. Base is priced at $27,845, Premium ($30,095, Onyx Edition XT ($36,195), Limited ($34,645), Limited XT ($39,045), Touring ($38,545, and Touring XT ($40,995). Pricing includes $1,050 destination.

What’s next for the Outback?

The 2022 Outback is in the third year of its lifecycle after the wagon's full remodel in 2020. The 2022 wagon will get modest upgrades. Look for Outback to get the next-generation EyeSight X driver-assist technology. There is a strong possibility there will also be a new Outback Wilderness trim too. You can read our full report here.

The 2021 Subaru Outback will be a top-selling model for Subaru of America this year again. It offers a unique car-like ride but still comes with standard all-wheel-drive, 8.7-inches of ground clearance, and SUV utility. Outback stages a strong finish but falls short of being the top model for 2020.

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Denis Flierl has invested over 30 years in the automotive industry in a consulting role working with every major car brand. He is an accredited member of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press. Check out Subaru Report where he covers all of the Japanese automaker's models. More stories can be found on the Torque News Subaru page. Follow Denis on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Photo credit: Subaru