Subaru Outback Luggage Test | How much cargo space?

I'm reporting to you from my home in Portland, Ore., which is pretty much ground zero for Subaru Outback ownership. They're absolutely everywhere, challenged only by its little Crosstrek brother for new-car ubiquity. A big reason for that is owners (of which I know many) actually take them on outdoorsy weekend adventures. Ground clearance, all-wheel drive, copious space for gear and actually useful roof racks make an actual difference — it's not just for show, as is often the case with crossover ownership.

Well, the ground clearance (8.7 inches) and all-wheel drive (standard) are a given, but just how much space are we talking about in the Outback? The specs say there's 32.5 cubic feet behind the raised back seat, which is comparable to most compact crossovers. The rare ones that run bigger include the Honda CR-V (39.2 cu-ft) and Subaru's own Forester (35.4 without the panoramic sunroof), but remember that much of their volume is up high in the greenhouse since they are taller vehicles. By contrast, the Outback is deeper, which can not only be seen with the back seat raised, but when lowered, it's a few inches longer. If this test involved a trip to Ikea, I'm pretty confident the Outback would do better than those compact SUVs as a result.

But, this is about luggage, not boxes of Bjorgorfen parts, so let's pack up the Outback for a hypothetical Pacific Northwest outdoorsy weekend adventure.

So here is what you're working with. Note that rubber trunk tray and cargo cover are actually standard on all but the base Outback trim level.

As for that cargo cover ...

Upper left: Here it is in place. Duh.
Upper right: Like many other vehicles, especially wagons, there's a channel that runs up the D pillar that lets you quickly raise the cover without fully retracting it.
Bottom left: Here's a better look at that channel.
Bottom right: Because the back seat reclines, you could end up with a gap between seatback and cover. This little filler piece is attached to a tension rod that easily adjusts by hand.

OK, onto the bags. As usual, I'll start by keeping the cargo cover in place. And as always, I use two midsize roller suitcases that would need to be checked in at the airport (26 inches long, 16 wide, 11 deep), two roll-aboard suitcases that just barely fit in the overhead (24L x 15W x 10D), and one smaller roll-aboard that fits easily (23L x 15W x 10D). I also include my wife's fancy overnight bag just to spruce things up a bit (21L x 12W x 12D).

Easy cheese, everything easily fits with the cargo cover still in place. Not surprisingly, the Outback's Legacy sedan sibling managed to also fit all these bags ... and in fact, there was even more space left over since the Legacy's trunk is clearly longer than the Outback's wagon cargo area.

Of course, that changes when you remove the cargo cover and start digging into the garage for extra outdoorsy weekend adventure items.