Subaru Sinks To The Bottom In New J.D. Power APEAL Study

The problem with the infotainment system isn’t complexity; it’s poor design and instability. I’ve had it reboot while driving, and had it take several minutes for the radio to finally turn on. New screens pop up when all that’s needed is a single button. Just this week, my usual “Welcome Brad” has changed to “Welcome Driver B.” It is by far the worst thing about my Outback, which I otherwise absolutely love.

Definitely for most cars. I shop to avoid complex entertainment and control systems. I prefer tactile duals and knobs, small screen and no-look operation. I don't want an iPad glued to my center console.

The infotainment and climate control integration is my biggest and only gripe on my WRX. I hate it so much that I almost bought something else entirely. It still annoys me every time I drive. Give me proper knobs, switches, tactile mechanical controls. Not having to navigate thru screens.

The infotainment and audio experience is much better on my 2024 Subaru Crosstrek than the one found on my Audi Q7. Sure, the menus take a bit of getting used to, but are very intuitive and easy to learn. Sound output is far superior on the Subaru as well. The #17th place rating is certainly not deserved and I wonder if the comparisons are are indeed accurate.

It’s always nice to see an article like this to reinforce the fact that I’m not one of the mainstream sheep who only care about comfort and entertainment in their cars. I love my 2023 Subaru Forester Sport, the look and the driving. No wonder most of the cars are so expensive and plush but are nothing but the latest style.

I love my outback, the infotainment had a learning curve. So I took the time to sit and go through every options just like a new phone. I like that I can find almost every answer I need in one system.

I bought a 2024 Subaru Outback Touring XT a few months ago and I am very happy with it.

We bought our 23 Ascent with the big screen because we liked the big screen in our 20 Outback.

I traded in my 2018 VW Beetle and purchased the 2024 Outback. The car is very comfortable but I hate it and regret my decision. I hate all the “safety” features that ping and whistle. I hate they can’t be disconnected permanently. I want to be in control of my car not the other way around. If this is the future of driving, I’m going to sell it and buy a used car. BTW the gas mileage is less than 19 mpg and not the listed 25 on the sticker. I rate this car a zero.

We bought our 2024 Subaru Outback Premium about 7 weeks ago and could not be more pleased. Every aspect of the vehicle is better than expected and expectations were high, this being our 5th new Subaru. Absolutely nothing to complain about and extremely happy to have purchased this car.

Our 2024 Outback has the huge infotainment center and it is LAGGY! Even with the latest update. They should never put heating and cooling controls on the same giant screen as everything else, that’s my biggest gripe. We picked up a slightly used trailblazer, and it has Infotainment screen separate from the climate controls and it is amazing. I don’t know why Subaru does this. It’s vastly unpopular.

Got a 2025 Subaru Forester (upgrade from a 2017 model) just this month and love it. Very comfortable. And the infotainment system does not seem complex at all. I can navigate it easily. It also was easy to connect Android Auto. Hitting the home button takes you to main screen options. Only took a bit of time navigating to see where things are. I did skim the owner's manual to find certain settings to change on the car. Admittedly I am someone comfortable with computers and not afraid to explore/click/tap on things so not sure if that might ge why I don't find it confusing or difficult.

I have never wanted to underwater on a car loan so badly until I bought an Outback XT Touring. The infotainment system is so slow that it times out when attempting to do things.
I want to enable the heated seat, it'll time out before you can get it to work.
The touch screen is garbage and half the time doesn't register a press which makes it so dangerous to use on the highway.
The fan control is horrible and you have to press it over and over and then suddenly it'll go max when all I wanted to do was increase the speed by one or two.
Never buying another subaru.

Ha! I see I am not alone. This article makes me even happier that I chose to buy a Hyundai over the Subaru Crosstrek. I was so thoroughly confused by the 11" infotainment system, I was willing to test drive the only base model Subaru kept on their lot. But I was terribly concerned and equally disappointed that even the base model integrated the air conditioner controls into the computer display. With the salesperson's lackluster explanation that all cars are becoming heavily computerized, I drove straight to Hyundai and purchased my new comfortable and economic drive. I love my modest infotainment screen and traditional air-con controls.

We absolutely hate the new infotainment system. No need to have HVAC and seat heat controls in it. We had a 2022 WRX, but sold it after a year of ownership because operating the fan blower speed while driving was next to impossible in the car with a bumpy suspension. Also, adjusting the seat heat was a convoluted mess that ends up cooking your butt unless you pull off the road and make the necessary adjustments. These functions don't need to be touch screen.

My wife currently drives a 2020 Ascent (pre 11.6 infotainment) and she loves it. We've owned 4 different Subarus over the years but when we replace my wife's car we'll go with a different brand, that's more user friendly.

Subaru needs to do what Hyundai and Kia do and pay "consulting" and "advertising" fees to JD Power. Their ratings will suddenly improve.

2023 Forester

Too many gadgets! Sales manager gave me work around suggestions for poor vision on roads at night. I feel like I should have kept my 2014 Forester. It was simple but repairs were puling up.

I'll try another brand when I pay this one off. It sucks because I just want a simple reliable car. I didn't want all this crap added.

2 weeks into our 2024 Crosstrek Sport...The infotainment system is a challenge to seniors like us
But overall very happy with the car
Our 1st SUV.

The 11.6” screen is a waste in its vertical layout. With all that screen space we only get about a 6” rear backup view. This is deficient compared to many other vehicles.

What a hatchet job and poor journalism. It takes generic comments from the (already out of date) study and users then to freeman only one particular brand. I've been driving my 2025 Subaru Forester Premium for about two months now and find it an excellent vehicle, a perfect upgrade from my 2021 model. The Infotainment screen just takes a little time to learn to navigate. Why is it car owners complain when all they need to do is RTFM! To pretend that any car is not a complex device is insane
It's just lazy to complain about features that are ready to learn with some effort!

Just bought my 7th Subaru. An Outback. The technology is WAY to complicated!

I have 2024 outback onyx xt I bought new 5 months ago. I do find the info tainment system puzzling at best. When it does what I'm trying to get done, I am very pleased with it. It seems like there is rarely a time when I drive the car or if I attempt to do anything with the infotainment system while I'm driving, it does what I expect. While listening to songs I've been hearing for 30 years, I'm able to understand words that I never could before showing me that the system is doing a great job with the audio quality.

It's not that it too hard to navigate starlink, though it could be easier. It's the lag time and lack of responsiveness. It's really bad. The CV tranmission also feels mushy and an takes away from the driving experience. It's just not a fun car to drive in any way, but nonetheless I do like my outback wilderness, just not love...