2015 Subaru Outback takes on the TFL Cliffhanger: Ultimate Off-Road Review 

Yeah, according to Subaru, you should turn off the traction control for applications like this, as it limits throttle. The torque vectoring function of traction control (breaking individual tires when they slip to send power to wheels with traction) remains active, but the throttle reduction is deactivated. This is ideal for applications like hill climbing where you need a ton of throttle. Guess it's important to read the operator's manual before you post a detailed video review. Sorry TFL.

Traction control hinders hill climbing on dirt roads. I take our 13 OB dirt-roading in Pennsylvania often and always disable traction control. This past Winter I had lots of trouble climbing in deep snow with traction control 'on'. I set it to 'off' and car climbs with no/little effort. Keep in mind traction control doesn't completely disable in order to prevent/control torque steer when flooring the pedal. Let's not forget, this is an AWD not 4x4. No locking diffs and no Hi/Lo. It's a very capable car but I wouldn't take it rock crawling. However, the stock tires all-but-kills this vehicles performance. We live in the East Coast and invested in good All-Weather (not All-Season - yes, there's a difference) tires and the performance all around improved dramatically. Think about it folks, you wouldn't go hiking in dancing shoes...LOL!

That was brutal to watch. Why did he bother to turn off the a/c but not the traction control? Then sits there shaking his head wondering why he's got his foot to the floor and it's not going anywhere.

Would have been a much better experiment had you used the same driver doing the same path for each vehicle. For instance, in my early 20's I got my 4x4 Jimmy stuck one night, so I called my dad to come pull me out with his truck. While waiting for him I thought I'd be nice and get the strap hooked up for him, so I tromp around in the mud hooking up so he doesn't have to. He can pull up, put it in 4 Low and pull me out and go back home. What does he do? He pulls up, parks 20 feet away and gets out to look. I tell him "is that close enough to hook up to?" He jumps in the Jimmy gets crazy left and right on the wheel while going back and forth, and drives the Jimmy about 5 feet behind his truck. He gets out and says "Is that close enough to hook up to?" The moral is, it's not the vehicle but rather the driver and how hard he's willing to be on the vehicle. Having 2 drivers isn't quit the same. Didn't the truck stay farther to the right on the 2nd run?

Did these guys even bother to read the manual? You HAVE to turn off the traction control when driving on low traction surfaces or it'll completely kill any power from the engine to prevent wheel spin.

My 2015 Outback has X-MODE among other off-road features. It also sits higher off the ground (9.7 inches) than any 4 wheel SUV in it's class. It is now a true crossover. It is not a wagon, that is old thinking based on old designs. This re-fabrication is absolutely the best car I have ever owned! The 360 degree steering radius is amazing! It feels like a helicopter! I test drove Mercedes before purchasing an Outback! It beat cars with $60-$70k price tags. Go drive one! It's an underpriced vehicle with low depreciation! Absolutely, heaven to drive, snow, rain, you name it! This vehicle does not disappoint. This is my first 'Subie' and I am sold on the brand! I can see why Subaru has a cult status and high driver loyalty, 75% of owners repurchase...that says a ton about the brand and the car itself!

I've taken my 1998 Outback up more difficult trails than that. It's interesting how so may comments bitch about the CVT....thats not the issue here. First, note the gigantic tree root in front of the rear left tire?? Sure the Ford would get over that with the much larger tires. All he needed to do was more over to the right about a foot! At the end of the day I'll take the Outback over any pickup truck, comfort, handling, milage, reliability.....

That looks like fun! Please continue with more reviews like this so us consumers can get the real world testing. TFL👍

Leave on X-mode, turn off traction control. Maybe that's how you had it running, maybe not. Also put it into manual mode and keep in "gear 1". Wish you would have said what settings you had the car in...

People keep forgetting the outback is not an suv but a wagon. Its still very capable as an offroad vehicle yet its not ment for climbing over logs and rock cawling, get a jeep wrangler for that. Comparing this to the raptor is comparing apples to oranges. The outback is still a great vehicle and gets better gas mileage than most suvs. While ground clearance and ride comfort are a plus, its not a truck and its not an extreme off roader.

Excited by the new off road testing area... Great vid. Can't wait to see other cars/trucks/suv's.

Had the same ending with my 2013 Outback off roading at Arches. The rocks pushed the front passenger wheel back. She did make it back down and now has a new tire, struts, etc.

I've been on this exact part of that trail a few times in my Tacoma. It's pretty gnarly and is indeed very steep.

Having owned a 2010 Outback (2.5 CVT) and now a 2014 Forester XT and both these vehicles spending lots of time on landfills (as a work vehicle and where a dozer isn't far off if you get stuck), let me tell you this. First off - Subaru's CVT are the best in the business, period. CVTs aren't designed to handle the levels of torque that standard transmission and manuals can (mind you, you'll burn up clutches). Subaru's CVT protect themselves from burning up, or actually snapping as the CVT is pulley/chain, by limiting torque. Max torque occurs while moving from standstill to rolling, and in this case, the added incline increases that level of torque. What you were seeing was the CVT managing engine throttle to limit torque when the Outback was stuck at a stand still (the AWD/Xmode could have put more power to the rears as they weren't spinning - but there just wasn't anymore power available). I have experienced this many times. The trick is just a bit of momentum (even 5 km/hr) as this drastically reduces torque and xmode can do its thing. Subaru's AWD is top notch, add 8.7" of clearance and you've got a more than capable off-road vehicle for the majority of people and the majority of situations. But, yes - the CVT has a limitation, and that's it ability to manage torque.

As a Subaru guy (I'm on my 5th one now) this was pretty interesting. I think that was a fairly good showing for what is essentially an all-weather road car. I'd like to see a new Forester try that with the shorter wheelbase and x-drive system... or even some meaty winter tires. :) Thanks as always for the consistently good content, guys.

Finally a nice stretch of rugged terrain. Not that harsh, but still better then what you guys used to go up on years back. Looks like a good incline too. Nice spot. Keep them coming.

As with other comments, turning off the traction control would have easily got the Subaru up there. It allows full revs and still keeps the system working, whereas with it on it limits the power under your foot. Even in the manual it tells you to do this in certain conditions.

The standard tires on Subaru's stink. We own a 2013 Subaru Legacy and after just 20,000 miles the tires cannot handle the snow at all. We replaced them with Michelin Premier A/S and - surprise - no problem in deep snow at all. They have to know tires make a huge difference and I am glad that they mentioned it. Subaru vehicles for their size are the best offroad cars anyone can buy.

Take the Raptor and install the same tires as the Outback. Then use it as a benchmark. I would love to see the results.

The Outback tyres weren't suitable for the terrain. They didn't have the tread depth to bite through the dust.

Subaru's don't bog down like that. Did you not turn off traction control?

how do you compare the standard all-season tires on the Outback with the Offroad tires of the Raptor?

Great video, I love this new test. the best part was that you benchmarked the raptor so that we could really judge the dificulty. You should do that on every test to account for varying road conditions.

Awesome video, TFL is just the the top top top!

these guys make a Subaru look bad in any situation

BFG on that suby and it would make it. factory tires are a joke. This is a great factory test. thanks for the video!!

I like the original testing protocols you guys have come up with. The Ike Gauntlet and now the Cliffhanger will be stars.

Even though the Subi isn't designed for that kind of terrain (the right side of the Cliffhanger), it was still pretty impressive. I'd like to see two classes of vehicles for this course - the purpose-built trucks and SUV's that should be more than capable of running up the Cliffhanger (4Runners, Land Rovers, etc) and your standard (non off-road specific) cars and SUV's with a 4-wheel/all-wheel drive set-up (any Audi Q series, Porsche Cayennes, Escapes, etc.). There are certainly a lot more of the latter vehicles to choose from but this is a really good addition to the channel. Keep it up!

If you guys would have disabled the VDC the ECU wouldn't have killed the engine RPMs. Traction control stays active even when VDC is disabled, it allows for more wheel speed. Know how a car works before testing it. 😉

terrible example of how to drive the outback, I have owned Subaru's in the past and I can say that turning the engine traction management off would of allow you to continue climbing the hill. The computer was minimizing the engine power output thus causing the hang up. Whenever you are off-roading especially with a Subaru you turn the traction system off so the computer can focus only on the VDC(brake locking action); the computer cannot successfully manage both especially with the hill climb. Why don't you guys next time learn about the electronics before you make a decision for the final verdict. All in all thanks for the entertaining car and truck reviews!

Great vid as always keep it up TFL FTW

Like all your videos...an excellent review , entertaining and informative. Thanks from Kerry in Australia.

This was a fun video to watch. The Raptor looks like a great truck, but costs quite of bit of money. The Outback came up a bit short compared to a dedicated ORV, but what else would you expect? Got my 2015 Outback with eyesight about 1000 miles ago. Didn't like the green color online, but in person it is very nice. Anyways......if you want to drive over tree stumps, get a Raptor, Jeep, a tank, or a LR. The Outback wasn't built for that. For me it is a snow and ice vehicle, for someone else it's for 2 track and logging trails, for someone else it is for steep and hilly climbs, and someone else lives on a bumpy dirt road. The Outback can do it all and do it with comfort. I love the CVT and I have lots of power with the 3.6. I can afford the LR, but I prefer the Subaru for value, safety, and reliablity. This is a comfy and quiet ride, lots of room front and back, plenty of techy gadgets and who cant appreciate all the seat warmers? Combined gas mileage average over the first 1000 miles for me was 25.6 mpg. What's not to like?

Can you guys bring more 4WD and AWD like the jeep cherokee and renegade, mazda cx5, Honda crv, Toyota rav4, Ford escape, I wander how good they are and compare with the raptor is good but i think is better vs. a grand cherokee cause is more like a regular car (SUV)

Finally an off-road review!! :)

Just got me one of these '18 used Subaru Outbacks. Gonna put on a lift kit with offroad tires. Can't wait to see the trail results.

Take your traction control off and gun it. U guys ever 4 wheel before. Dam city slickers

I'm actually sold. The tires that come on the Outback are terrible even on dry roads, but that's the same with just about any small crossover. So, you have this little 4 banger boxer with 175 hp with traction control on for some reason (not sure why, but you can clearly see it in the video), and the Outback has a CVT at that and is a PZEV (in short, this vehicle gets better emissions ratings than a Toyota Prius by California's standards and tests)... plenty of 2 and 3 wheel action while still climbing, all that and so much more in a crossover that weighs about the same as a Ford Fusion. Can you imagine what this vehicle would do with the same tires as the Raptor? Yeah, a 2.5i Outback Limited starts around $32,000 and the Raptor starts at over $50,000. I've owned a Legacy, 3 Outbacks, and a WRX but tried something different and bought an Escape. I was going to try the Edge next and later something else by them, but for the price, I'm going to go back to Subaru. I'm actually going to get the Forester XT at the end of the month, and videos like this are the reason. There's no reason a little 175 hp Subaru with all season passenger tires should be able to do all it does while still getting 33 mpg, being a PZEV, having a quiet CVT with paddle shifters, electronic tail gate, etc... for about $20,000 cheaper than the offroading truck that struggled just as much. I will happily drive my "soccer mom" vehicle anyday before going anywhere near the trucks that scream "big truck compensates for my small ..." Thanks for the video! Cannot wait to trade this Escape in for another Subaru!

funny chaps these two. One in T-shirt, another in winter jacket lol. Props for TATRA sticker! :)

This may be my favorite segment of TFL

Test the BF Goodrich AT's on the Subaru please. You will get a lot of views with it!

Hey, i have an idea... the Subaru outback is a great car for the weekend warrior. mountain Biking, Surfing a remote spot..And you can drive it the office on Monday and not look like you are in Toorak Tractor. Could you try the Cliff Hanger again and put some decent tires on it... I would love to see if it makes a difference... :) As i will be buying one of these when i get back to Australia from China in September. Cheers, and great channel guys... love your work. Tristan.

Loved the review, great job! If possible could you please do the cliff hanger with the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport and the Subaru XV.

Ive got a 2013. These "traction control systems" are designed to keep you from sliding off a snowy road. Not climb up a rocky hill. Turn the electronics off and let the awd figure it out. Ive gone up steeper and more rutted terrain in mine

You'd get a more accurate benchmark if it were the same driver. Hate it when videos like this use different drivers and then say they have the best results...

what rubbish, he drove straight into the root which was half way up the wheel - its a physical impossibility to roll a wheel up a step which is 50% or greater than the wheel size. If He had inched to the right just a little it would have been straight up. offroad driving technique apparently consists only of putting your foot to the floor, not looking where you are going . . .

I am given to understand that you need to disable traction control in certain situations in order to allow some wheel spin.

I love the aspect of bringing the raptor. Brings perspective

Raptor beat Outback?! I ll alert the media!

Nathan and Roman... I like watching you guys most of the time! But this review is so stupid. As any off-road person knows...if you can't get over a tree trunk...cut it into pieces or drive around it. You also fail to realize after using all the gas in the Raptor to climb this hill...you would then have to walk home. Possibly due to the Raptor running out of gas, frame bent, issues w/ transmission and suspension. I'll take the Subaru Outback, XV, Forrester, WRX, STI, drive around the trunk and have plenty of gas to get me home and headache free.

Correct me if I am wrong, but aren't you suppose to deflate the tires before crawling like that? No idea why you would leave traction control on though.

SUBARU IS AMAZING I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEW MODEL OUTBACK 2015!

who leaves traction control on when offroading? what you need to do on a hill climb is to maintain some speed and keep your wheels spinning.I'm not an expert but I know traction control is no good for that

How can a vehicle with street tires get over a deep root. Seems like they purposely got it stuck... RU-vid has videos of Subarus going over worse conditions with less HP... Nobody would have went that way directly over the deepest part of the root... That was the wrong approach...

Older Subaru's with a manual transmission used a reactive system for the x-drive. There were no electronics (active) systems to interfere with thy driveline so more of the power was added to the wheels that were slipping. And more of the power was divided equally to the wheels. Pure viscous couplings at all 3 differentials is the best all wheel drive system. These electronics are cheaper & are easier on the driveline.

did you try with the traction control off? still it did pretty well, and im sure it would have made it without a cvt

I will climb that hill for you in my 2011 Manual Outback - The driver obviously has little or no experience in that vehicle because I have climbed terrain similar to that and had no issues with it. Was Traction control on or off ? Thats the trick. Your Ford also has a very unfair advantage with the tyres it has on

Your approach angles were all wrong with the Outback. Plus, you didn't turn traction control off...

But you have to admit, the Suby is the "BEST" awd car out there, I'm hooked!!!

obvious question, but did you turn off traction control in the outback?

Subaru has some explaining to do. They have claimed for a long time that their front and rear and center diffs are limited slip fully locking meaning we should see all 4 wheels spinning shortly after the point of no traction. Didn't see that at all. This is a nice looking vehicle but its off road prowess is seriously questionable and seemingly overstated on the part of Subaru.

Great music track. Turn it up LOUDER so that it drowns your car review out completely. Better yet? Lose the music.

My wife’s Outback was on solid ice and i turned off traction control and I drove up a steep hill from a standing start. I could only make it in my lifted YJ with new BFG Duratrac 33x12,5x15 with a good solid run at it and I spun nearing the top.

I would like to know what would happen if you had deflated the tires, to get more grip... Did you check with any off-road expert what tire pressure is best to tackle this kind of terrain?

I wonder if this has anything to do with the CVT. I'd like to see a manual have a go at it. I've seen videos of subarus w/ CVTs unable to climb simple 4" curbs from a stop.

They need to turn off traction control when off roading.... These guys are suppose to be experts?!?

Seems like there was a lot of weight on the rear right tire but it wasn't getting much power (no loss of traction). I really think a locking center diff would have done wonders in this since the rear wheels really needed the power but weren't getting it.

Just goes to show how important A/T or A/T-S tires are for driving up steep grades on dirt or other loose surfaces. Now I kind of want to go out there and test my XC60. I put Geolandar A/T-S tires on my last XC70 which is not really possible with the 20s on the new XC60s... Geolandars take the capabilities to a new level, just make sure to keep DSTC in Sport or off.

Ultimate test with traction control. How? How can you say, repeatedly, "traction control light is flickering at me" and not make the connection that it needs to be turned off? Ya know, with the button. The traction control button. The one that has come standard in almost every car for the last twenty years.

should have turned traction control off

Good videos. Thanks.

Okay, two things here, 1) you should have turned off traction control and 2) Stop steering all the way to the left. Yanking the wheel like that while having traction control on will pretty much kill all the torque going to the wheels.

I was surprised at how easily the subaru went up the "normal" side, with its little tires and -2-.-5L engine- [edit: it's a 3.6R] . I wonder if the 3.6L would have gone further up the cliffhanger, & what impact better tires would have? I really wish subaru re-engineered their engines. 170HP or w/e isn't enough for a car that large and a 2.5L engine, and the 3.6 is just so thirsty, but the numbers are better. 

Why don't you put more agressive tires when you do offroad?? i would

8 years later and these comments are a salt mine. God Bless TFL for not removing this video

I have a forester it will do the same thing till you turn the vdc off. But you can not turn it completely off. It will still modulate the brakes but it allows for much more wheel spin.

X Mode is unnecessary. They simply could have turned off the traction control, even in a Subaru without "X Mode," and been up the trail just fine. Is this video supposed to be a joke?

Hey guys, did you have the traction control off? It's supposed to be off.

Not bad considering they were running 'street civies' for tyres. I put J-Trax All Terrains on my Forester; and it handled tracks like that no trouble at all.

Have you turn off the powercut VDC/TCS via VDC button? Its look like the vdc sense slip, then try to cut the power...

Turn the traction control off and redo this...

LEarn to drive offroad before doing offroad test!

Great, do more - especially in the snow!

Fun video. Why did you not try it without the X-Drive turn on, turn the traction control off and just let her rip? I am an automotive technician, and would have liked to have seem how it compared. thanks! 1. with X-Drive 2. with out X-Drive 3. without traction control. this would give you a lot of data about what kind of terrain Subaru programed the PCM to deal with, and the kind of wheeling they expacted that system to helpout. Thanks again zac b

This review is hugely flawed! All that was tested in this was how big the tires were. The rut that stopped the Subaru didn't stop the Ford, because the profile of the tire was a lot bigger on the Ford. The rut was probably 15% of the Ford, but 40-50% of the Outback.

Subaru wont canibalize their own product line... The model that is suposed to be able to deal with a road like that is the Forester.... The outback is capable of some off road, but at certain point... At the end of the day, the Outback is a family state wagon vehicle. The Forester includes X-Mode, which is a system specifically designed for Off Road situations.

That looks like a perfect place to test AWD/4x4 drivetrains. Now a mash-up off all the awd systems on the market!

This was great 👍

4Runner could do that pretty easily as well

Very impressive nevertheless. Would be interesting to see how far the Forester gets.

is the raptor an lsd that you can lock? or is it open until you lock

Would love you guys to put good AT tires on some of the SUVs y'all have tested and try these trails again. Forester XT with all terrains would be fun to see.

Turn the traction control off. Traction control will reduce power when you start slipping.

Best in class AWD? I seen a video where a legacy couldn't back over a curb because of its useless CVT. A 96' Civic climbed the curb no problem.

Why didn't you engage the low range on the outback like you did on the Ford pickup?

would it of gone further if the traction control was off?

To everyone saying turn the traction control off: the TC isn't the problem -- the CVT is bogging down. If you would have done this in the previous generation (back when CVT wasn't the only option...) with the 6-speed to the automatic in the 3.6R, it would have made it up just fine. Subaru's with CVT's suck. Period.

Get.... off... the... gas....

1st, turn off traction control, those traction control warning lights are telling you it's freaking out and braking all the wheel. 2nd go into manual mode and keep in it "first". You could hear the CVT straining from that not being enabled.

did you guys ever test the 2016 toyota 4runner limited on that trail. if so could you please send me a link to it. thank you