We just sold our 2025 Subaru Outback specifically because the software experience was bad.

To exit a climate control modal on the screen you have to find and tap a tiny red "X" box in the furthest corner of the screen from the steering wheel.

God... Subaru's whole interface is a horrific looking clusterfuck. That big-ass screen and it's just a huge waste.

I've driven the 2025 and the 2024. The 2024 not only had all the crappy UI, but the driver assistance features were also alerting you constantly, and they were terrible. I was amazed how much they toned it back and improved it with the 2025.

Still wouldn't buy either of them personally. The constant nags and alerts are so fucking annoying and distracting. The seat belt chimes that don't shut off and get louder and louder make me want to rage so hard. I am religious about wearing my seatbelt, so there's absolutely no reason for it to piss me off so bad.

Cathartic to read this! Just had a very similar experience with a Subaru from the same generation as yours.

While that particular issue isn't solvable, I am open to any advice on coding tools that might allow one to unlock other settings or make changes like "ensure auto-stop is fully disabled across restarts and drivers".

I have a lot of trouble understanding how Subaru dashes turned into the modern monstrosity they are. They were very functional and well laid out for years. Now, geez, I’d need to be an octopus to drive a Subaru.

That's an absolutely disastrous UI choice!

I despise our Outback's climate settings. It seems every time I start the car it picks a random temperature to set each side to. It'll be 30 deg outside and you look down wondering why its getting hotter and the car is set to 30 deg inside.

Last year I was trying out cars for a new purchase and was excited to try out the Subaru Outback. After one drive I decided I would never buy a Subaru because of their software. Lots of annoying noises, ugly, and no physical buttons. It was terrible.