Subaru Outback review

Interior design has never been a Subaru strong suit, and despite a rethink to squeeze in a surprisingly responsive 7.0-inch touchscreen interface, the Outback still isn’t an inviting proposition inside, with shiny plastic and messy, garish typefaces galore.

That said, it’s less of a bugbear than in other Scoobies, since the Outback is designed to be abused and dirtied, and this hard-wearing cabin feels like it’ll absorb a lifetime of hard knocks and muddy scuffs. There’s stacks of room in both rows of supremely comfortable seats too, but at 512 litres, the boot’s not as big as you’d think. You get more room in the rear of the new Ford Mondeo Estate, if not the overall versatility.