Running costs
Subaru Outback running costs
Fuel for a Subaru Outback costs about £1,841 to £1,841 a year, depending on the version, at 7,792 miles a year and today's pump prices. Vehicle tax and the MOT take the yearly bill to £2,096 to £2,096, before insurance, servicing and repairs. That is the mileage Subaru Outbacks really cover, from their MOT odometer readings, against 6,727 miles for the average car.
- Fuel a year £1,841–£1,841 at 7,792 miles
- Vehicle tax a year £200 registered from April 2017; older cars £410–£410
- MOT £54.85 maximum fee, once a year
- Fuel per mile 23.6p the most economical version
What the fuel costs
Each version's official combined figure, turned into a yearly cost at 7,792 miles and the current UK average of 171.5p a litre for petrol and 198.7p for diesel, from 8,148 forecourts. Figures are WLTP for versions listed between 2019 and 2025.
| Version | Official mpg | CO2 | Fuel a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol 2.5 7 versions, 2019–2025 | 33.0 | 193–193 g/km | £1,841–£1,841 |
Vehicle tax
What a car pays depends on when it was first registered, not on when you buy it.
- Registered on or after 1 April 2017 £200 a year, whatever it emits
- Registered March 2001 to March 2017 £410–£410 CO2 bands J for this model
- List price over £40,000 when new +£440 a year for 5 years
DVLA rates as published on GOV.UK, checked 19 September 2026. Rates change in the Budget. Paying monthly or every six months costs more than a single yearly payment.
MOT and what it tends to find
The test itself is capped at £54.85 for a car, and a Subaru Outback needs one every year once it is three. 24.3% of Subaru Outbacks fail first time, so on roughly one test in 4 the fee is the small part of the bill.
What actually fails one, and what it means: Subaru Outback common problems.
Subaru Outback running costs: common questions
How much does a Subaru Outback cost to run a year?
Fuel works out at £1,841 to £1,841 a year, from the official economy figures for each version, the 7,792 miles a Subaru Outback averages, and today's average pump prices. Add £200 vehicle tax and up to £54.85 for the MOT and the yearly total is £2,096 to £2,096. That is before insurance, servicing, tyres and repairs, which we have no figures for.
How many miles a year does a Subaru Outback do?
7,792 on average, worked out from the odometer readings DVSA records at consecutive MOT tests. The average car covers 6,727 miles, so Subaru Outbacks do more than average. It is the reason these costs are the model's own rather than a figure for a notional 10,000 miles.
How much is the road tax on a Subaru Outback?
£200 a year for one registered on or after 1 April 2017, whatever it emits. One registered between March 2001 and March 2017 is taxed on its CO2: Subaru Outbacks fall in bands J, which is £410 to £410 a year. Cars with a list price over £40,000 when new pay £440 a year on top for 5 years.
Are the official mpg figures realistic?
The WLTP figures used here are closer to real driving than the older NEDC ones, but they are still laboratory tests. Most drivers see a little less, and short journeys, cold weather and a roof box all cost more than the figure suggests.
What is not in these figures?
Insurance, servicing, tyres, brakes, repairs, parking and depreciation, which is usually the biggest cost of all. We publish figures we can source: fuel from official economy tests and live pump prices, tax from DVLA rates, the MOT from its maximum fee. We do not estimate the rest.
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Official economy and CO2 | Car fuel and emissions information Vehicle Certification Agency | July 2000 to 15 September 2026 | 98 VCA records | 15 September 2026 |
| Average annual mileage | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 7,750 MOT tests | 15 September 2026 |
| Pump prices | Fuel Finder open data Fuel Finder statutory scheme ONS Postcode Directory Office for National Statistics | Prices at 19:32 on 31 October 2026 | 8,148 filling stations | 31 October 2026 |
- Fuel cost is miles ÷ mpg × the price of a gallon, using the model's own average annual mileage and the current UK average pump price. A gallon is 4.546 litres.
- Official economy figures come from the laboratory test in force when each version was sold: WLTP from 2018, NEDC before it. NEDC figures are optimistic against real driving.
- Plug-in hybrid figures assume a charged battery at the start of every journey, so no yearly cost is shown for them. Electric cars are priced per kWh, which depends on where they charge, and we do not publish a charging price.
- Vehicle tax rates are DVLA's, published on GOV.UK and checked on 19 September 2026. The MOT fee is the maximum a test station may charge, from GOV.UK.
- Insurance, servicing, tyres, repairs, parking and depreciation are not included.
Source: Vehicle Certification Agency car fuel data. Crown copyright.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Source: Fuel Finder, the UK government’s statutory fuel price scheme.
Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right 2026.