| 5th Gen BS (2015-2019) | 2.5L FB25 H4 / 3.6L EZ36 H6 (TR580 / TR690 Lineartronic CVT) | $650-$900 | 3/5 | FB25 oil consumption: Subaru issued TSB 02-157-14R with a formal consumption test and short-block replacement remedy, and extended powertrain coverage to 8yr/100k on affected cars - it is concentrated on 2013-2015 builds, so check the level on any early 5th-gen; Head gasket weeping is the long-standing Subaru boxer reputation and shows up on higher-mileage FB25 cars; RepairPal's cross-model head-gasket estimate is $2,538-$3,337; Subaru extended CVT powertrain coverage from 5yr/60k to 10yr/100k on a wide range of CVT vehicles including the Outback - check whether your VIN qualifies | Cheap used all-wheel drive - buy one with oil-consumption and cooling-system records, not one without |
| 6th Gen BT (2020-2026) | 2.5L FB25 H4 / 2.4L FA24 turbo H4 (TR580 / TR690 Lineartronic CVT) | $600-$850 | 4/5 | A meaningfully better car mechanically - the head-gasket and oil-consumption reputation belongs mostly to earlier engines; The 2.4L turbo takes 5W-30 rather than 0W-20 and shares the 60,000-mile plug interval, so it costs a little more to feed; Early 2020-2022 units had well-documented Starlink infotainment freezing and reboot complaints addressed by software updates | The modern pick - the naturally aspirated 2.5L is the cheapest Outback to run |