Subaru Legacy/Outback MPG: what owners actually get
Owners report 32.0 mpg from a Subaru Legacy/Outback, about 97% of the official figure. On its NEDC-tested engines that is 97%, better than typical: the median NEDC-tested car in this 8,216-engine dataset returns 82%. The tables below give the figure for every engine and generation we hold. Add your own at the bottom and the averages get better for the next buyer.
32.0mpg
Real-world average, all engines
97%
of the official combined figure
20–54
Range reported by owners (mpg)
250
Owner submissions
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Subaru Legacy/Outback (2004 - on)
2004–on · real average 32.0 mpg · owners report 20.0–54.0 mpg · 250 submissions
Engine
Official (NEDC)
Official (WLTP)
Real MPG
% of official
Owners report
2.0
32.1–32.8
–
30.3
93%
–
2.0 D Sports Tourer
47.9–49.6
–
45.1
93%
–
2.0 Sports Tourer
31.4–32.8
–
30.9
96%
–
2.0 TD
50.4
–
45.3
90%
–
2.0 TD Sports Tourer
47.9–49.6
–
45.9
94%
–
2.0i Sports Tourer
32.8–34.9
–
31.6
93%
–
2.5
33.4
–
33.2
99%
–
2.5 Outback
32.3
–
31.7
98%
–
2.5 Sports Tourer
33.4
–
31.4
94%
–
2.5i Lineartronic Sports Tourer
33.6
–
32.6
97%
–
3.0
23.3
–
24.7
106%
–
3.0 Outback
28.4
–
25.2
89%
–
3.0 spec B Sports Tourer
23.0
–
25.4
110%
–
Subaru Legacy/Outback
2009–2014 · no real-world average yet
Engine
Official (NEDC)
Official (WLTP)
Real MPG
% of official
Owners report
2.0 D
47.8
–
46.1
97%
–
2.5i Lineartronic
33.6
–
35.9
107%
–
All figures in miles per gallon (UK). “Owners report” is the spread of individual submissions for that engine.
Add your Subaru Legacy/Outback Real MPG
What does yours actually do? Read it off the trip computer over a full tank or work it out from litres and miles. No postcode, no sign-up. The more people add, the better the averages get, and this page stays free.
Subaru Legacy/Outback fuel economy questions
What is the real-world MPG of a Subaru Legacy/Outback?
Owners report an average of 32.0 mpg across all Subaru Legacy/Outback engines with data, about 97% of the official combined figure. The engine tables on this page give the figure for each engine and generation.
Why is the Subaru Legacy/Outback real MPG lower than the official figure?
Official figures come from a laboratory test cycle, not the road. Cold starts, short trips, hills, load, tyres and driving style all cost fuel the test does not see. A gap of 10 to 30 per cent is normal; a much bigger gap on one engine usually points at a fault, a heavy right foot, or a diesel that never gets warm.
Where did the Honest John Subaru Legacy/Outback Real MPG page go?
The site closed in August 2026 and its Real MPG section went with it. This page is where the Subaru Legacy/Outback figures now live: rebuilt from the archived dataset, with the official figures kept alongside, and reopened for new submissions.
If you used the Honest John Real MPG section before the site closed in 2026, this is where the Subaru Legacy/Outback figures now live. The owner-reported averages above were rebuilt from the archived dataset (archived page, 2024-12) alongside the official NEDC and WLTP figures and new submissions from CarAdCheck readers, and the section is open so they keep improving. Real-world figures also feed the running-cost estimate in our free advert check.
CarAdCheck is not affiliated with Honest John or Volkswagen Financial Services. How we rebuilt Real MPG.