Subaru’s Infotainment System Needs to Go: Review

It’s almost 2025. I have a supercomputer in my pocket with an OLED display and a 120-hertz refresh rate that responds to inputs in a fraction of a second. And yet, the $46,000 car I’m testing—a brand-new Subaru WRX tS—still uses touchscreen technology from nearly a decade ago. And it feels it.

Subaru was one of the first automakers to slap a massive vertically oriented touchscreen in the center of its vehicles’ dashboards. Subaru Starlink debuted in 2013 at CES in Las Vegas, but the brand didn’t roll out its behemoth 11.6-inch touchscreen in the then-new Outback until 2020.

Back then, Subaru’s big screen was a big deal; We even praised it for its gorgeous looks and crisp layout. But in the five years since, in-car user interface systems have improved so dramatically that Subaru’s setup is being left in the dust.

Let’s start with the good. The 11.6-inch vertically oriented screen does give you a ton of real estate to work with as opposed to the 6.5-, 7.0-, and 8.0-inch displays available elsewhere in the Subaru lineup. The home screen is organized with large, colorful graphics that are easily visible while on the move. You also get wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which take up 90 percent of the screen apart from a few fixed functions (like climate control and vehicle diagnostics).

And praise be, there are still physical buttons and knobs for basic controls. There’s a volume knob, a front window defroster button, a hazard light button, and driver temperature controls on the left side of the screen, as well as a tuning knob, a rear window defroster button, and a passenger temperature control on the right side of the screen.

But this is where it starts to fall apart.

Photo by: Jeff Perez / Motor1

Pros: Massive Screen, Crisp Graphics, Awesome Digital Cluster, Still Some Buttons

Aside from a handful of hard buttons, nearly all of the climate control options are baked into the base of the touchscreen, which means craning your neck to the very base of this big screen while driving. It’s also prone to glare; Even the faintest bit of sunlight affects on-screen visibility.

The touch functionality as a whole is terrible. I poked and prodded at the screen multiple times to access functions that should require one press. Or, the screen lag was so profound that I accidentally clicked the same option multiple times, taking me past the place I was trying to go. Frustrating. There is, at least, a basic voice command function in certain Subaru models accessible through a steering-wheel-mounted button, which makes things easier.

Photo by: Jeff Perez / Motor1

Photo by: Jeff Perez / Motor1

Photo by: Jeff Perez / Motor1

Even though the graphics are big and crisp, the overall aesthetic feels like something out of an early PlayStation 2 game. The combination of highlighted squircular boxes and a starry night background looks outdated, and the text appears squished at times—as if it’s trying to compensate for the size and orientation of the screen. And if you want to use the baked-in navigation—don’t bother. The hilariously outdated TomTom system (remember them?) is nearly impossible to use when combined with all that screen lag.

There are two USB ports up front: a USB-A and a USB-C. Passengers in the second row have access to their own USB-A and UBS-C ports as well, so there are at least plenty of places to plug in.

Photo by: Jeff Perez / Motor1

Cons: Super Laggy Screen, Terrible Touch Responsiveness, Prone To Glare, Barely Usable Navigation

One of the few highlights of the WRX tS’s interior is the new fully digital instrument cluster. This is one of the first Subaru models to ditch the traditional analog setup—and it’s better for it. The 12.3-inch screen looks crisp, clear, and far more modern than what the center touchscreen offers. There are unique—and genuinely cool-looking—graphics that you can adjust on the fly with the steering controls on the bottom left side of the wheel.

The digital cluster shows a ton of information. The driver-assistance view gives you a clear picture of how Subaru’s EyeSight active safety equipment is working, the full map display shows navigation, and the dual-gauge display for performance driving shows speed and rpms. It’s pretty slick.

Depending on the model, though, you will have to pay extra for some additional safety features. Starlink Safety Plus offers automatic collision notification, vehicle health reports, roadside assistance, a rear seat reminder, and a few other conveniences. It’s free for the first three years, but Subaru asks $99.95 per year (or $9.95 a month) after that.

Photo by: Jeff Perez / Motor1

Starlink Security Plus adds things like remote vehicle discovery and speed and curfew alerts (you know, if you have unruly teens) for free for six months and then $4.95 per month after that. But, it also requires a Safety Plus subscription. Satellite radio is also complimentary in Subaru’s equipped with the option for the first four months, but you’ll have to buy a subscription after that.

Subaru’s infotainment system is nearly a decade old at this point—and it feels it. The screen is laggy, the graphics are outdated, the options are limited, and even though there are a few hard buttons to speak of, the climate controls are utterly frustrating to use. Not to mention the barely functioning baked-in navigation system. It’s hard to imagine Starlink will stick around for much longer. Subaru’s infotainment system really needs a fresh start.

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Jeff Perez / Motor1