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What's In A Name:
I got a real kick out of Brad over @TrailRecon naming his vehicles. His favorite is "Doc", and his new Jeep is named "Bonnie Dick" (named after a ship and I’m just not ready to roll out the sarcasm on this yet).
I've never been one to name my vehicles but I thought, why not have some fun.
My first choices were "Ninja1" which is overused would have enlarged my ego so much, I wouldn’t be able to get into the car. Next was "Recon1", since I was doing recon for Ted on our last adventure but it's to cliché and I think it’s taken by Brad for one of his other vehicles. My other choice, "Adventure 1", is also a bit cliché. So, after much contemplation, we have "Margaret". No, not an old girlfriend, but a new one that likes to go on adventures and camp with me. But hang one, let me explain.
I wanted a single name, like Brad's "Doc". My car is named after Margaret Hamilton who is at the center of two of my passions, space flight, and computer science.
Margaret Hamilton was the first female software engineer (a term she came up with) at NASA.
She was responsible for the team writing and testing all onboard in-flight software for the Apollo spacecraft's Command and Lunar Module and for the subsequent Skylab space station.
Her idea to implement safeguards against unexpected human inputs or system events came about when one day, her daughter decided to “play astronaut” and pushed a simulator button that made the command module computer crash. Hamilton realized immediately that the mistake was one that an astronaut could make, so she recommended adjusting the software to address it, but she was told: “Astronauts are trained never to make a mistake.” During Apollo 8’s moon-orbiting flight, astronaut Jim Lovell made the exact same error that her young daughter had, and fortunately, Hamilton’s team was able to correct the problem within hours. But for all future Apollo flights, protection was built into the software to make sure it never happened again. Over time, Hamilton began to view the whole mission as a system: “part is realized as software, part is peopleware, part is hardware.”
According to Hamilton regarding the 1202 error:
The computer (or rather the software in it) was smart enough to recognize that it was being asked to perform more tasks than it should be performing. It then sent out an alarm, which meant to the astronaut, 'I'm overloaded with more tasks than I should be doing at this time and I'm going to keep only the more important tasks'; i.e., the ones needed for landing ... Actually, the computer was programmed to do more than recognize error conditions. A complete set of recovery programs was incorporated into the software. The software's action, in this case, was to eliminate lower priority tasks and re-establish the more important ones ... If the computer hadn't recognized this problem and taken recovery action, I doubt if Apollo 11 would have been the successful Moon landing it was.
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Hamilton_(software_engineer)
Requirements for Vehicle
When I started shopping for my next vehicle, I wanted something a little more capable than Brenda. The Highlander made it 180k miles with only super minor maintenance till I broke an engine mount (I think) and the suspension probably may have been expensively tweaked. Brenda had pinstripes on the exterior and a dent in the oil pan and a windshield that was way past due for replacement. I had two 3,000 mile trips coming up along with other adventures planned and needed reliability for the drive, camping, and other planned adventures. A short list of my requirement included:
Comfortable seats given my back issues along with long trips.
Good “avionics”, since I was sick of the Carplay add-on that I had crashing.
Smooth ride for long trips. Call it touring mode.
Quiet. It’s just something I value in a car.
Off-road capability. Better than Brenda, but not meant to be an overlanding legend.
Good MPG. Gas was over $6/gal when I was shopping.
The Car
I started looking more closely at Subaru when my brother lent me his 2025 Outback with Turbo to go camping. I was impressed with the ride and improved entertainment system (avionics) over what I had. Steve took me on some off-road with it and it performed well. The sideways mounted boxer engine sits low, lowering the center of gravity, so the cornering and handling performance is much better than what I’m used to. And lastly, Subaru hybrid AWD is known to be one of the best in this class, utilizing mechanical AWD with computer driven differential breaking along with other tweaks that Subaru has perfected over the last 10+ years.
Engine
I looked at Toyota because mine was so well made, bullet proof. I loved the 6 cylinder Toyota engine. The problem was that everyone was going to 4 cylinders with turbos. Toyota’s entire line of vehicles in the light truck, SUV, and crossover categories only had 4 cylinder engines (most with turbos). This is something relatively new for Toyota. They, naturally, had some transition pains and I didn’t feel they were all sorted out on their turbo engine for this class of vehicle. Subaru however has been shipping production 4-cyl turbos since 1983 in their cars, and the engine that powers their Outback is pretty much the same as the one in the Legacy, WRX, and others for many years. This one is a 2.4l turbo boxer engine delivering 260hp, and 277 lb-ft of torque.
The Subaru powerplant is mated to a continuous-variable-transmission (CVT), which a lot of car enthusiasts poop on. But Subaru’s have been known to have perfected the current design over the years to be pretty much bullet proof if you take care of them. Subaru CVT uses a chain not a belt, and has better lock-up (less slip) than its competitors CVT. It’s a bit odd driving one but I’m used to it now, and at times, I like it better than a standard transmission.
When I looked at the 2026 Outback model year improvements over 2025 Outbacks, I was convinced:
Quieter
A tad larger
Much improved multimedia / avionics, using more physical buttons
(supposidly the tech came from Toyota which was a huge improvement).
The instrument cluster was among other small improvements.
Subaru didn’t really mess with the engine and I think that’s a good thing.
27 mpg Highway (but I’ve gotten 29 mpg on the flats at sea level so far)
Wilderness Trim!
At first I thought the “Wilderness”trim to be a bit of a gimmick but it delivers more value than just cool looks:
Only ships in turbo
9.5 inches of clearance over the standard 8.7 inches
The Outback Wilderness introduced a new electronically controlled suspension which softens the ride when in off-road X-MODE
They revised final drive ratio for stronger low-end acceleration and climbing.
Dual-function X-MODE for off-road.
Full-size spare tire!
Some under-armor. The skid plate is better than expected so time will tell if it's marketing or functional.
Roof rack handles more weight (which I take advantage of).
Bigger alternator (something I’m really glad about)
Improved approach angle
AWD is tuned for faster differential lockup
All the cameras. (The ones pointing down from the side mirrors are invaluable)
Bling (who doesn’t want some bling?).
Aggressive Styling, AKA, tons of extra plastic to make it look like a Ford Raptor (ha!)
Many Subie fans don’t like it but a lot of people stop and ask me about it.
So far, Margaret rocks. I chose silver since that won’t show the pinstripes that I inevitably get (like the ones I just got in Oregon).
Modifications To Date
Margaret isn’t meant to be an “overlanding machine”, but more of an off-road, vehicle that takes me up more difficult dirt roads and gets me to the top or the trailhead and goes camping.
To Date (8/2026)
- Ham radio install.
Obviously the first task was to move the mobile radio into it’s new home. I used a factory mount point on the roof rack to ensure it would be tied down and grounded to the frame for a rock’n counterpoise. I ran the feedline using a very small rg178 to RG58 through the back hatch and up to the center console. It was powered short-term using power from the stock cigaret lighter adaptor (which wasn’t enough). Mounting inside the center console was easy, industrial velcro (I love that stuff). You can see the Powerpole connector between the cup and the radio that is for external stuff. Autostop Eliminator
The factory “autostop” feature shuts down the engine when you come to a stop which is now mandatory. This can be disabled using a button but it goes back to default after an engine restart. My issue is on turbo engines, there is a tremendous amount of heat that is generated and needs to be dissipated using air, oil and coolant flow. I didn’t want the engine to stop after I get off the freeway at the ramp (especially after climbing a hill. The idea that active cooling has come to a stop at the worst possible time is going to be really hard on the engine, then it starts up again. This upgrade causes the car to remember if you turned off the autostop feature and keeps it there unless you turn it back on. There is a cottage industry that is making this mod and it only takes 10 minutes to install. I didn’t mind it on the Highlander except it destroyed the battery.
Accessory Power Plug Changes
I absolutely hate that automobiles can’t switch from the ancient cigarette lighter outlets to something else. You can never get a solid contact and accessories vibrate free. Therefore, everything is Anderson Powerpole. I used these from Powerwerx to replace the one in the center console, the back, and mounted one low on the passenger side for other stuff, like a radar detector.- Power distribution upgrade.
I didn’t like plugging anything into the car electrical system given I feel that I’m driving a computer. In addition, the tiny wires that deliver power to the radio can’t deliver enough juice. I brought power in from the battery, using a solenoid that I mounted in the engine compartment so that it is only supplied when the ignition is on. I tapped a fuse in the engine compartment as the trigger. The wire is routed through a factory grommet into and under the center console into a Anderson powerpole distribution block that allows me to supply power to the replaced accessory power plugs in the front, radio, radar detector powerpole, and spare that is used to power a DC/DC charger for the house battery (more on that below). 
StarLink Mini
When on a long trip or campout, I mount a Star Link Mini in the sun-roof compartment. It’s powered by the house battery and is switched since it uses a lot of power when it’s not needed.House Battery
I did a test run with a small Bioenno LiFePO4 battery pack and a small DC/DC charger to run the Dometic refrigerator for a road trip. I wanted it to run even when the engine was off so I didn’t have to worry about stuff going bad. It also was a chance to test my idea of using Starlink mini. Both worked great, and the Starlink was super handy when doing a re-plan while in a national park (NPs never seem to have cell service).
The actual setup uses a modified hardened case with LiTime 100ah battery, Victron smart shunt, smart fuses, 300 watt solar MPPT controller, Powerpole outlets (30 & large 50 amp outlets), USB plugs. This will run the refrigerator for several days for refrigerator and Starlink for a long time. I used velcro to attach a fused distribution block to the outside so that I don’t have to fuse every single item that I attach.
- Victron DC/DC Charger
I needed something a bit bigger than my small DC-to-DC LiPO charger and I wanted it to play well with the smart alternator on the car so that when the voltage drops, it goes off-line. It puts out 30amps which is more than enough. I like their new 50 amp model that allows you to dial down the power draw but I didn’t want to pay the premium for that. So that it's removable, like the battery box, it's mounted on a wood shelf, on mounting brackets that the box sites on. Solar
I have a Renogy 200w solar panel. Although I’ll probably never see 200W unless the sun goes supernova, it will easily produce 10 amps of charge power for the battery. I can add two other panels with their own MPPT controllers if my load gets high enough or it’s cloudy. It will easily charge the battery from the trailhead after an evening running the refrigerator and Starlink.Tools and Tool Bay
I removed the stupid styrofoam over the full size spare in the rear and use tool bags to hold factory jack and tools. I added a bag of my own tools, jumpers, tow strap and an air compressor so I can air down if needed. There are other miscellaneous items in there, like my cool shovel multi-tool that rocks.
Future Mods
I might need better skid plates. From Primitive racing or RalliTek. There are multiple, with a main front, as well as transmission and rear differential.
Wheels after I ware out what I have.
Cargo Nets
Paint protector (hoping I can buff out the pinstripes that I have.
REVIEW
Likes & comparisons to Highlander
Quiet
Great ride for touring.
Seat memory. Love this.
Face detection sets up seat and mirrors (cool but weird)
Digital instrument cluster
Can modify what is displayed from vehicle.
Can display map on left in PFD and something else on the MFD.
Huge step up in Infotainment system (avionics) from 2025 model and Highlander
More capabilities
Bigger main screen
Navigation can be displayed to instrument cluster too.
Digital vehicle status
Tire pressure readouts and more.
- Lower center of gravity provides a better touring experience and will probably be better off-road.
Cornering / slalom performance is much better than the Highlander and it feels like a smaller car.
Camera views for reverse and Birds Eye and other views when driving.
Front camera is very usable, especially when parking and off-road. Love the birds eye view when parking since you can see if you are in the red zone without getting out for example.
Lots of smart implementations,
Like backup camera gets cleaned when rear window wiper on.
Voice commands for vehicle functions (not sure why I need a command to turn on AC but whatever) and it sucks by the way.
Speed Volume Control (increase volume as road noise increases)
Adaptive cruise following changes distance based on your speed!
They talk about "Voice assist from the passenger seat". Not sure why that's a thing.
Lane centering functions is almost self driving. Works well but quick to cut off when it can't see the lane markers. One model is hands-free and I hear it works really well.
Backup breaking works (and it can be turned off)
Phone app
remote start with environment controls
Vehicle kill switch if it is stolen
Vehicle issues
- Adaptive suspension in X-MODE. Suspension changes if you go into X-MODE. This is the first year they've done this.
Audio system is good
Eyesight - Subaru's Driver assist, complex multiple cameras +
Good adaptive cruise control
Lane centering (almost hands free) (touring is only one that it truely hands free)
Lane centering is different than lane excursion alarms (improved)
Resume assist (will resume after stopping )
Adaptive cruise following changes distance based on your speed!
Heads up EyeSight monitor indicators are cool but a bit distracting.
A friend who has the same vehicle was saved when he started to pull out and another vehicle ran the stop sign. Cameras detected and stopped his car.
Lane clearance is smarter than the Highlander in that it will turn on a warning if have a turn signal on but a fast moving car isn't in your blind spot yet but will be.
Owners manual and the others are extremely detailed, you just have to find what you are looking for (best to download all of them and just search). Documentation tells you exactly when a features works, when it won't, how to turn off or override, or when the vehicle will turn it off.
Improved turning radius (over 2017 Highlander)
Improved AWD (over 2017 Highlander) It rolls in quicker and more reliably. The combination of mechanical and electronic implementation works well. Suggest you watch some reviewers drive it through difficult AWD conditions to understand how to use it.
Full size spare tire is a huge plus if you have to change on the trail.
Leg room in back seats is awesome.
Infotainment / Avionics much much better than the 2025 that I've driven over 500 mi.
CarPlay unit will leave music on in the back speakers and put the phone on the front speakers.
Upgraded seats rock
Glad it has the larger alternator.
Say what you will about new car collision detection but it might have saved me a couple of times, one when there was a high speed crash a few cars in front of me and the second when some idiot crossed three lanes trying to get into a gas station. I hit the brakes both times but Margaret was there first.
Offroad Test:
Used the tires that came with the Outback Wilderness and the first good test of the Outback Wilderness/Subaru Raptor to Tule Mtn. worked well. I have been up to Tule before and I got much further than I did with the Highlander. I definitely needed AWD several times. After watching several reviewers drive it through difficult AWD conditions, I think it really helped me use it. It took discipline not to let off the gas when one tire would start slipping, since you need this to cause AWD to kick in full. It worked really well. A bit unnerving to be up on three wheels however.
I never rubbed the under carriage, nothing missing from underneath, no warning lights on the dash, and no dents in the oil pan... so success.
A recent adventure to multiple summits with W6TED further tested AWD and X-MODE. I could feel the difference in the suspension change, and really like the lower end gear/torq for steep climbs. Also, X-MODE changes the throttle response so that it rolls in the power smoothly, so you don’t jerk it. Well thought out and the only thing I had to stop for was extreme up-hill with super loose dirt (which was a test more than a need since I had to stop anyway).
Dislikes / Nits
You can't disable the "Engine Auto stop / start" permanently. I prefer the engine keep running to cool engine and especially turbo. Requires an aftermarket add-on to resolve this.
Requires the Autostop eliminator since you can’t turn this off and keep it that way.
Dark as fuck in there at night. Inside lighting sucks and continues to suck! The glove box is a black hole. The “brighter lite in the cargo area is a joke”.
Less storage for various shit compared to Highlander yet it is the same outside dimensions. I can't figure this out. The 2017 highlander had 3 rows and still a lot more storage! The car is definitely smaller than the highlander but I don’t notice it till I try to store extra crap.
More alert bells and alerts. A lot of shit like, keep your eyes on the road, and other stuff.
Lots of Telematics back to Subaru
XM radio doesn't mute when making a call but no big one.
Can't get an Outback Hybrid in 2026 but not sure I want the first model of this.
There are a fuck-ton of indicator lamps... maybe a good thing? Why not also display actual issue somewhere for all of them (some do have a text message displayed) Like, if the overheat is blinking vs. on steady and maybe a prompt on what to do. Smart cockpit checklist since if no steam, stop, keep running idle and open hood.
Throttle is touchy and acceleration is a bit lumpy (car and driver) when the turbo kicks in. It’s difficult to get a smooth acceleration. (not the case when using X-MODE however).
Wireless charging is a waste of space. Doesn't work, and I hear that a LOT, even on past models. I’d like to replace it or remove it.
It comes with a pack of books but the “Operating Manual” has to be downloaded PDF. WTF!
The built-in voice command, activated by saying "Hi Subaru", is an embarrassment to the Subaru name. The list of commands, like turn on seat heaters, and setting the temprature are silly, it doesn't work at all for me. Maybe if I learn Japanese. I gotta believe that this was some pet project of someone at Subaru.
Misc. Thoughts:
It has one of the most complicated infotainment and smart systems in a car I've ever seen and the excessive gongs are part of the package.
The hesitation off the starting blocks is odd. I understand turbo lag, but this is something else I think. When in X-Mode however, it changes the throttle control for smooth starts, eliminating the lumpiness of it.
- The book on "EyeSight", their system for collision avoidance, lane centering, and adaptive cruise control, is bigger than the operating manual. If you want to know how shit works, it's probably in there. Every feature has a section on why it might not work (bigger than the description of how it works sometimes).
Conclusion
So far, I think I made the right choice. It’s smaller and lighter than my old highlander and some of the competitors in this space. I really enjoy the tech upgrade and the improved MPG.
As a touring vehicle, it has a smooth quiet ride and slolems like a much smaller car. The tech, has possibly saved me from bending metal a few times due to crazy California drivers. At times, it can be a bit too bossy however. The two different display panels makes it handy when I want to put google on the display in front of the driver and Gaia on the main display for off-road.
Off-road, it performs better than my old highlander, with the AWD more than willing to kick-in and climb difficult dirt roads, riding on three wheels when needed. I like the smaller feel, lower center of gravity on and off the road. I’ve taken Margaret to the limit in Oregon and California and was actually surprised at the performance. The adaptive descent mode is awesome, as is the electronic damping when in X-Mode.
Margaret lands right in the intersection of my needs for touring and off-road. She gets me to difficult to access trailheads, and to the top or close to it on difficult terrain. Could it do more off-road, sure, but I don’t really think I’ll be lifting it or adding light bars and such. It doesn’t have the giddy up of a 6 cyl but I’ll take the weight savings, better gas mileage, and lower center of gravity that goes with the turbo-4.
In all my research, if turbo owners change the oil at 1k break-in, and oil and other lubricants before manufacture recommended intervals, there’s no reason it should go to 300k miles.
Specs
- 2026 models are all made in Japan
- Engine: 2.4-liter turbocharged BOXER 4-cylinder
- Horsepower: 260 hp at 5,600 rpm
- Torque: 277 lb-ft at 2,000–4,800 rpm
- Transmission: Lineartronic CVT with 4.44 final drive ratio and manual mode
- Drivetrain: Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive with dual-mode X-MODE
- Fuel Economy: 21 mpg city / 27 mpg highway / 23 combined
- Ground Clearance: 9.5 inches
- Approach Angle: 20.0 degrees
- Breakover Angle: 21.2 degrees
- Departure Angle: 22.5 degrees
- Length x Width x Height: 191.7 x 74.0 x 68.3 inches
- Wheelbase: 108.1 inches
- Wheels & Tires: 17-inch matte black alloy wheels wrapped in all-terrain tires
- Upholstery: StarTex water-repellent material with anodized copper interior accents
- Suspension: Raised, trail-tuned suspension with electronic adaptive dampers
- Roof Rails: High-capacity fixed roof rails for rooftop tent or gear attachment
Nice! I like your battery/solar/fridge setup. We got a Forester Wilderness a few years ago for almost exactly the same reasons you describe.
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