2026 Subaru Trailseeker vs. 2026 Subaru Outback Review

2026 Subaru Trailseeker Touring ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Not many station wagons hit the market these days. But this year, Subaru has launched two all-new wagons – the fully redesigned 2026 Subaru Outback and the newly introduced 2026 Subaru Trailseeker.

These two wagons are a similar size and shape. We even tested both of them wearing identical coats of Sapphire Blue Pearl. The Trailseeker and the Outback we tested also had sticker prices of barely $2,000 apart. 

Here’s the big difference: The Trailseeker is sold only as a fully electric vehicle, and the Outback is sold only with gasoline engines. The two also have no parts in common – though the Trailseeker fills the market niche of “electric Outback,” it’s actually a wagon version of the Subaru Solterra EV, co-developed with Toyota. 

For this review, we spent a week testing both the Outback and the Trailseeker so we could compare them in each of eight categories and then name an overall winner. Keep reading to see which one we chose and which one is the best Subaru wagon for you. 

Pricing and Features

You’ve likely heard about electric cars costing more than gas. Sure enough, the 2026 Subaru Trailseeker starts at $39,995 versus $34,995 for the 2026 Subaru Outback. That’s for each car’s Premium trim level, and each car adds a mandatory $1,450 destination charge. Both cars have Subaru’s StarTex leatherette upholstery, heated front seats, and a power liftgate. 

The price gap narrows as you choose more expensive trim levels. The Outback Limited costs $41,715 versus $43,995 for the Trailseeker Limited. And the Touring models, like our test vehicle, start at $45,395 and $46,555, respectively. (While the two cars’ Premium models are pretty similarly equipped, these upper trim levels don’t add all the same features. Still, they’re roughly comparable overall.)

Another factor is how much power you’re interested in. As we’ll discuss later, the Outback at these prices has a 180-horsepower four-cylinder engine. A 260-hp turbocharged four-cylinder is available on the Outback Limited and Touring (it’s also standard on the off-road-focused Wilderness). The turbo Outback Limited XT starts at $44,635, and the Touring XT starts at $47,995 – both more money than the Trailseeker. And every Trailseeker has two electric motors making a combined output of 375 hp. 

In our experience, you’re also more likely to haggle a big discount on an EV, though you’ll have to get price quotes to see if that trend applies to the Trailseeker. Overall, we’ll award this category to the Outback for its much lower starting price. Just recall that if you want lots of luxury kit or a powerful engine, the Outback’s sticker-price advantage drops or even reverses. 

Winner: Subaru Outback

2026 Subaru Outback Touring ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Fuel Efficiency

Even if you spend more money to buy a Trailseeker, you’ll likely recoup that in a hurry when it comes to fuel costs. 

Most Trailseekers, including our test vehicle, get the energy equivalent of 125 mpg in the city, 103 mpg on the highway, and 114 mpg combined. The base Premium, with smaller wheels, improves to 126 MPGe, 107 MPGe, and 117 MPGe, respectively. That’s great efficiency even for an EV, to say nothing of a gas car. The EPA estimates that the Trailseeker will need about $1.09 worth of electricity to drive 25 miles (depending on your driving style and electricity rates).

The Outback gets decent gas mileage for a big, roomy family car. But it’s a lot more expensive to fuel – especially with gas prices elevated as we write. It gets an EPA-estimated 25 mpg in the city, 31 mpg on the highway, and 27 mpg combined with the base engine and 21 mpg city, 29 mpg highway, and 24 mpg combined with the optional turbo. (The Wilderness model gets about 1 mpg less.) They cost an estimated average of $3.69 and $4.16, respectively, to drive 25 miles. Spread over 25,000 miles, the Trailseeker saves you $2,600 to $3,070. Over 100,000 miles, that comes to more than $10,000 in extra fuel costs in either Outback. 

Winner: Subaru Trailseeker 

2026 Subaru Trailseeker Touring ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Range and Refueling

For some people, EVs are a great fit. If you can charge up at home, you take advantage of lower electricity rates. And you can cut the gas station out of your routine – your car refuels itself while it’s parked in your garage or driveway. 

But it’s effortless to hop in a gas-powered car and take a long road trip. In an EV, that takes some extra time and planning. And the same applies if you can’t charge at home. 

Most Trailseekers go an EPA-estimated 274 miles on a charge (the Premium edges that up to 281 miles). That range drops on the highway versus lower-speed driving, so you’ll have to stop more often if you’re covering ground on the Interstate. Recharging to 80 percent capacity at a DC fast-charging station, like a Tesla Supercharger, takes at least 28 minutes. (DC charging speeds drop off sharply after 80 percent, so owners are usually advised to stop there at a DC station.)

That charging speed isn’t bad for an EV, but it’s nothing like putting some gas in an Outback’s tank. And the Outback goes an EPA-estimated 432 to 486 miles on a tank of gas (turbo vs. non-turbo engines), with range improving rather than dropping as you cruise on the highway. 

Also keep in mind that public charging stations can cost as much as a gas station to use; you give up most of your fuel savings if you can’t charge at home. 

Winner: Subaru Outback

2026 Subaru Outback Touring ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Exterior Design

The redesigned 2026 Subaru Outback looks less wagon-like than before. It has long been the station wagon variant of the Subaru Legacy sedan. But the Legacy has been discontinued, and Subaru used its freedom to make a taller, boxier, more SUV-esque Outback. It still has the approximate proportions that it used to have – a longer, lower body than the typical SUV. But its details say “no way, not a wagon.” Subaru hopes this will broaden the Outback’s appeal, but it also threatens to alienate wagon-loving loyalists. To the latter, we’ll note that the new Outback still isn’t overwhelmingly big, like it can appear in pictures. It just has squarer corners. 

The new 2026 Subaru Trailseeker looks more like the Outback used to. It’s a little lower and a little curvier. Its blank front grille and big plastic fenders mean it’s not exactly a pretty car. But it’s more in line with the Outback’s old aesthetic of a tougher-looking station wagon. We’ll let you pick your aesthetic winner. 

Winner: Tie  

2026 Subaru Trailseeker Touring ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Interior Design

Inside, the Trailseeker and Outback are quite different. That’s because the Outback is an in-house Subaru design while the Trailseeker’s dashboard comes straight from Toyota. Each interior has its quirks and strong points, but our pick is the Outback overall.

The Outback has a big new touchscreen at the center of its dashboard. It measures 12.1 inches and complements a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster. If this seems like an excess of screen real estate, keep this in mind: The old Outback also had a big screen, and the new one works a lot better. It responds to your taps much more quickly and reliably, and its graphics are cleaner. Better still, Subaru rescued the climate controls from the touchscreen; they have physical buttons instead. That makes more room on the screen for your digital displays while also making the controls much easier to use. We don’t love how the touchscreen looks a smidge too big for its space, bulging up in the middle of the dashboard. But functionally, the new Outback is easy to use, and the cabin is nicely finished. 

The Trailseeker isn’t bad, either. It shares the newly upgraded Subaru Solterra’s interior (again, both are shared with the Toyota bZ electric cars). A big 14-inch touchscreen dominates the dashboard like in a Tesla, but it’s paired with some physical buttons and knobs plus a gauge cluster in front of the driver.

We’ll award the Outback the win for a few functional reasons. Its new climate controls are easier to use than the Trailseeker’s largely screen-based system. Its conventional gear selector is also fuss-free versus the Trailseeker’s twisty knob. The Trailseeker has no glovebox. The Outback’s smaller touchscreen is better divided, letting you see different functions side by side rather than needing to choose, say, your GPS map or your radio information. And not everyone will love peering at the Trailseeker’s gauge cluster over the top of the small steering wheel. 

Let’s be clear: We didn’t hate the Trailseeker’s interior. Its simpler, less cluttered dashboard has clear appeal, and the controls are still easier to use than many new cars. But the Outback takes the win. 

Winner: Subaru Outback

2026 Subaru Outback Touring ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Passenger and Cargo Space

We mentioned how the Outback got taller and boxier in its new redesign. That’s not just for show. It also yielded a roomier interior for both passengers and cargo than the Trailseeker. 

Both cars are comfortable five-seat vehicles. And both are packed with comfort amenities: standard heated front seats, plus available heated steering wheels, ventilated front seats, and heated rear seats. But the Outback wins for adults in the backseat in particular. Its rear seat is higher, and there’s more foot space under the front seats. The Trailseeker still has room for everyone, but they’ll be a little more comfortable in the Outback. 

The Outback is also a cargo winner. It fits 34.6 cubic feet behind its rear seat and 80.5 cubic feet with the rear seat folded down, up 2 and 5 cubic feet respectively from last year’s Outback. The Trailseeker has 31 cubic feet behind its rear seat and 73 cubic feet with the rear seat folded – slightly less than the old Outback. 

The Trailseeker takes a slight edge for towing capacity, rated to handle up to 3,500 pounds. The Outback only matches that rating with its extra-cost turbo engine; the base engine tows just 2,700 pounds. Just remember that a trailer would cut sharply into the Trailseeker’s electric range. Overall, the roomier Outback wins this category. 

Winner: Subaru Outback 

2026 Subaru Outback Touring ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Driving Impressions

Electric cars are known for being quick, smooth, and quiet, and the Trailseeker checks each box easily. It rockets effortlessly to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds. That doesn't make it the fastest EV on the market, but the base Outback would take twice as long to hit 60. Whether you’re pushing hard or driving gently, it’s serenely quiet. The ride is comfortable, too. And while the Trailseeker isn’t a corner-carving sports car, it’s easy to drive and not clumsy. Its electric battery under the floor lowers its center of gravity, too.

The Outback also feels more agile and responsive than an SUV, while its suspension takes the edge off bumps beautifully. It’s a pleasant vehicle to be in. But its gas engines have neither the horsepower nor the silence to keep up with a good EV. We tested the base 180-hp engine, which is serviceable but makes plenty of noise. Even the optional 260-hp turbo doesn’t transform the Outback into a sporty or luxurious car; at best, it becomes less objectionable than the base model’s noise and speed. If you’ve never tried out a good electric car before, the Trailseeker is a revelation. 

Winner: Subaru Trailseeker

2026 Subaru Trailseeker Touring ・ Photo by Brady Holt

Off-Road Capability

Subaru developed the Trailseeker with a measure of the brand’s typical off-road capability. It has 8.5 inches of ground clearance, X-Mode all-wheel drive with specialized modes for dirt/snow versus mud/deep snow, and hill-descent control. Still, the Outback goes even farther. 

The Outback has a slightly higher ground clearance of 8.7 inches standard. And unlike the Trailseeker, it has an extra-capable Wilderness model with 9.5 inches of clearance plus all-terrain tires, an adaptive suspension, and other adjustments. We didn’t take our test cars off-roading, but while both Subarus should get the job done, the Outback would give us more confidence in messy conditions – especially the Outback Wilderness. 

Winner: Subaru Outback 

2026 Subaru Outback Wilderness ・ Photo by Subaru

Final Thoughts

We’re fans of electric cars. We like how they drive. We like charging up at home rather than going to gas stations. And we like how they slash our fuel bills. If you’re reading this review, it tells us you’re open to an EV – despite drawbacks like shorter ranges and longer refueling times than a gas car. And if we’re right about that, we think it's worth it to trade the Outback’s slightly bigger backseat and cargo hold, its slightly easier controls, and its slightly superior off-road capability for the Trailseeker’s greatly superior efficiency and driving manners. We don’t mind a slightly higher sticker price, since the Trailseeker’s fuel savings should pay for themselves – and maybe we’d even haggle ourselves a nice discount anyway. 

The Outback has broader appeal. If you can’t recharge an EV at home, or you take frequent long road trips – especially to remote locations with few charging stations – it’s an effortless car to live with. Its extra space and functionality are wins, too, if you can handle what you might consider its aesthetic compromises. 

But if an “electric Outback” can work for you, the Trailseeker hits the mark. 

Winner: Subaru Trailseeker 

2026 Subaru Trailseeker Touring ・ Photo by Brady Holt