MotorWeek

Hi, I'm John Davis and this is MotorWeek !

We're backtracking to a backpacker's delight, the new Subaru Outback Wilderness... Then, consult an expert to separate oil filter facts from fiction... It's brickyard history at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum..., before stretching out our drive home in the speedy Audi RS3... So, come drive with us, next!

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JOHN: This 7th gen Subaru Outback hit the streets just a few months ago, looking more like a true SUV than ever.

But for some people, going outback is just not enough, they want the true Wilderness experience.

So, pack your gear and grab your boots, and join us as we venture into the Outback Wilderness once again.

The all-wheel-drive Subaru Outback has proved to be a capable performer both on and off road, surviving for many years as a fantastic wagon trapped in an SUV world.

And while, it has grown more and more SUV-like over the years, Subaru finally embraced the genre last year with the arrival of this 7th gen.

Wilderness is, of course, their sub-brand of most capable vehicles, geared towards people who do actually take their gear off road or at least want to look like they do.

And they haven't reinvented the wagon wheel here, as most of the spec sheet reads the same as last year.

That means, standard X-Mode Dual Mode all-wheel-drive, 9.5 inches of ground clearance, underbody protection, 17 inch wheels with all-terrain tires, matte black trim, copper accents, and a beefy ladder-type roof rack rated for 800 pounds.

The front end features a rugged brush guard motif, and there are big auxiliary LED lights up front and in back.

Powering the Wilderness is the XT line's 2.4 liter turbo boxer-4 with 260 horsepower and 277 pound-feet of torque.

It, and the accompanying CVT, carry over unchanged from last year.

Paddle shifters allow you to work manually through eight virtual gear ratios.

One mechanical aspect that has changed is an upgraded suspension with new electronically controlled dampers, which go a long way in helping it drive exactly like every other Outback.

That means that even with the off-road-specific upgrades, ride quality remains great, feeling plenty comfortable at highways speed with seemingly no additional road noise coming from the all-terrain tires.

There is perhaps a tiny bit more body roll, but that showed up at the track more than on the street.

When going through our cone course, it felt plenty stable and in control, with good steering feel and moderate understeer.

There was a bit less grip from the all-terrain tires, but not enough to raise any concern for us or the Outback's stability control systems.

With the turbo, the Wilderness had noticeably more pep in its step off the line compared to the standard Outback we had here at the track a few weeks ago, getting to 60 a full 2.0 seconds quicker at 6.0 seconds flat.

We could really feel the power come on north of 3,500 RPM, and power delivery stayed strong the whole way down the track.

Our best quarter-mile time was 14.6 seconds at 96 miles per hour.

Smooth and straight forward summarizes the experience in our braking test; though with less grip in the tires, stops from 60 were a bit longer than the standard Outback, but still fine, averaging 114 feet.

(SUV whooshing by) When living out its true purpose wandering paths unpaved, the Outback Wilderness has plenty of ground clearance and traction to accomplish most tasks short of outright rock crawling.

Exclusive to the Wilderness is a dual-function version of their X-Mode all-wheel-drive setup with more drive mode choices and Low Speed/Low Ratio Gradient Control.

Inside, you'll find the typical roster of Wilderness upfits: Logos, all-weather floor mats, and durable StarTex interior upholstery with contrast stitching, though buyers can now upgrade to this Nappa leather, if they wish.

Subaru's infotainment setup has improved greatly in recent years; icons are much larger on the 12 inch touchscreen and less menu diving is required for simpler tasks.

Front seat comfort has also gotten much better compared to last gen, rear seat legroom remains plentiful, and there's a good 34.6 cubic-feet of space for cargo in back; expanding to 80.5 with the rear seatbacks folded.

Government Fuel Economy Ratings are 21 city, 27 highway, and 23 combined, though we averaged just 21.2 miles per gallon of Regular.

All for an average Energy Impact Score, with use of 12.9 Barrels of Oil Yearly and 6.4 Tons of CO2 Emissions.

Wilderness pricing comes in at $46,445; 10-grand over a base Outback, but 3-grand less than a top Touring XT.

While, we do really like the more SUV direction of the new Outback, the 2026 Subaru Outback Wilderness seems to complete the transformation, offering, to this point, more capability and rugged style than any other Subaru.

And that's something we can all appreciate, whether we actually plan on venturing into the wilderness or not.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway recently hosted the third annual Battle on the Bricks endurance sports car race.

As part of the festivities, spectators explored the newly renovated Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, which now includes a permanent Penske Gallery filled with historic race cars and artifacts, while also paying tribute to Roger Penske, whose name has been in the Indy 500 winners circle more times than any other.

Well, our Stephanie Hart met up with Team Penske to get the inside track.

STEPHANIE HART: I'm here at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway where Battle on the Bricks is underway and Porsche Penske Motorsport is right in the middle of all of the action.

Just beyond the racetrack here is the Motor Speedway Museum.

It features a really special gallery chronicling Team Penske's rich and impressive history over six decades.

(engine revving sounds) JONATHAN DIUGUID: Roger Penske is not only a successful race team owner, but he's a successful business man.

And he's integrated his racing teams into the ethos of his business too as well.

So, the product that we put on the track-- execution, presentation, and perfection-- is really important.

Because it shows not just on the racetrack, but also in his business world, so that's the foundation of the Penske team brand and image.

STEPHANIE: Jonathan Diuguid is now President of Team Penske, overseeing the full program.

Twenty years ago, Penske Racing hired him to work on the Porsche RS Spyder program.

Not long after, in 2008, this race car, the Number 7 Porsche RS Spyder won the 12 Hours of Sebring.

JONATHAN: It's special because it won that race as an LMP2 prototype and raced against the higher horsepower LMP1 cars, but was still triumphant on that day.

STEPHANIE: Today, it's prominently displayed in the Penske gallery next to a replica of the Number 7 Porsche 963 which is racing in the Battle on the Bricks.

As you may recall, it produced the second consecutive Rolex 24 at Daytona overall victory for Porsche Penske Motorsport in January of 2025.

I had the chance to take a closer look at it with one of its drivers, Nick Tandy.

NICK TANDY: You're not just driving for yourself.

It is a real team sport, the endurance stuff.

We share the car between drivers, up to four drivers sometimes at Daytona.

Here at Indy, we will have two.

You've got to work together with everybody in the team, from the people that designed the car in its infancy back in Germany, to the...to the tire engineers at Michelin that help us and develop with us, to everybody in the pit crew and on the engineering support stands.

It's a team sport and we all win together, but we also lose together, so it's good fun.

I enjoy it.

STEPHANIE: I also explored this phenomenal gallery with its other driver - Felipe Nasr.

We had a good time discussing how number 7 Porsche 963, compares to the Number 7 Porsche RS Spyder.

FELIPE NASR: Oh, that's pretty awesome that they are facing each other here.

So, you see the older generation with the newer generation.

You see the size of the cars, how they've changed, uh, the closed cockpit and, uh, all the details, aerodynamics, and that's...that's what racing is all about, is the evolution from time to time.

STEPHANIE: There have been so many successful race car drivers that have come through Team Penske since the '60s and many are honored throughout this gallery.

JONATHAN: I would say Mark Donohue is probably the one because he started it with Roger, um, and-- and was the foundation of building Team Penske; and the second is probably Helio Castroneves because he's, um, won the Indy 500 three times with-- our team and four times total.

Um, So he really speaks to, uh, what the goal of the team is, and that's to be successful on the racetrack.

STEPHANIE: The gallery also showcases nine Indy 500 race winning engines, highlighted by the innovative and powerful 1994 pushrod power plant engine nicknamed "the beast."

Enough said.

JONATHAN: The Mercedes engine that won the race in...in 1994 there is special because it exercised what would be considered a loophole in the regulations that allowed them to build a very specific race engine for...for this race and create a lot of horsepower.

That loophole was closed very soon after that, so a lot of effort was put in just to win that one specific race, but, um, it'll go down in history and it is well worth it.

STEPHANIE: As Battle on the Bricks heats up at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the team reflects on Roger Penske's game-changing impact on motorsports over the last 60 years, well documented here in the Penske Gallery.

To date, Team Penske is the most successful team in the history of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and likely always will be!

GREG CARLOSS: Acura is used to breaking stereotypes, so it's no surprise they'd color outside the lines for their first EV, this one year-only Acura ZDX.

Over six months with us, it made it through the coldest and snowiest Mid-Atlantic winter we've had in some time.

Snow mode provided the all-wheel-drive traction to traverse unplowed side streets, while using the car's pre-heat feature meant a warm and toasty environment was waiting for us each morning when we unplugged.

Our main objective this spring has been keeping these 22 inch wheels out of potholes as we worked the odometer up to its final 9,256 mile reading.

Despite being a performance- oriented Type S model, this ZDX still offers a lot of comfort for daily driving; one of the benefits of an adaptive air suspension, which goes a long way in providing the type of premium ride you'd expect from an Acura.

With the ZDX's departure we're rolling the alphabet back to A, starting a long-term adventure with Acura's ADX utility.

But first, we'll spring forward with an update on our Mitsubishi Outlander on the next MotorWeek Long-Term Road Test Update!

JOHN: We all know an oil change isn't complete without a new oil filter too, but there's more to changing it than "just because."

So, we brought in the experts, including our own Dan Maffett, to separate fact from snake oil on this week's "Your Drive."

(car engine starts up) DAN MAFFETT: Hi, guys.

I'm here with Kent Levine of Highline Warren and we're going to talk about filtration.

Thanks for coming out, I appreciate you.

KENT: Thanks for having me.

DAN: So, I see you brought a lot with us today.

Let's talk about oil filters.

Um, Is there anything about oil filters that makes them better or worse than others?

Maybe components?

KENT LEVINE: Absolutely.

Well...today, you have an extended oil change recommended by the OE.

So, the filters have to keep up with that technology.

You have oil doing its job, but then the filter has to keep the dirt out of your engine, has to keep it flowing.

And there's media inside the filter that captures that dirt, and that media will keep the engine flowing and return clean oil into your engine.

DAN: That's great.

Now, are there different types of media inside there?

Maybe...I see you brought a couple different versions here.

Are they synthetic, non-synthetic, things like this?

KENT: Absolutely.

What we like to do is a "good, better, best," and we like to call it a premium.

There's a mid-grade, and there's a synthetic.

So, what happens is each filter, like we have a parts master filter here, adheres to a certain standard.

And this will match OE; and then you can go above that standard to a synthetic media which is, this happens to be a synthetic blend, which captures more dirt in the end and lasts longer.

DAN: Oh, that's fantastic.

So, if someone is looking to do one of these installs themselves, do their oil change in the garage, are there any install tips or application tips for the installation?

KENT: Absolutely.

The first thing you have to be aware of is, when you take your oil filter off, you want to then clean the housing.

We do a good job of cleaning that-- the metal debris, all the dirt that's on that housing-- because what could happen is when you screw the new filter back on, if there's dirt there, that could leave pits mark-- pit marks in here, and that can cause a leak.

Next thing we like to do is just tell the DIY-er or the technician to lube the gasket.

The next thing we like to tell people is, you know, a lot of folks will have their way of spinning it on and spinning on too tight.

That can actually flatten out the gasket.

There's also spinning it on too loose.

As a rule of thumb, you go to gasket contact and then go three-quarters that one turn, and that does the job.

DAN: Yeah, so you just snug it up.

Don't go too tight.

KENT: Absolutely.

DAN: So, if someone is doing it at home, are they worried about brand specific, uh, filters or should they be able to trust the aftermarket?

KENT: Absolutely.

If you go into your aftermarket shop locally or your local lube-- lube shop, where you live, they have a filter that adheres to what is called USCR standards.

And these standards have a minimum rating of 95 percent efficiency of 30 microns.

What the aftermarket likes to do, and this is done through tests at the factories, is go above that standard.

So, you can absolutely trust that the aftermarket filter is at or above the OE standard.

DAN: That's really great to hear.

Well, I appreciate you coming out.

I learned a lot.

KENT: Thank you.

Thank you.

DAN: Guys, I hope you learned just as much as I did.

If you have any questions or comments, hit us up, right here at MotorWeek .

JOHN: Had enough?

Well, neither have we, so let's turn key into another QuickSpin!

JESSICA RAY: The Kia brand continues to grow here in the U.S., coming off yet another year with increased sales.

Playing a big part in making that happen is their biggest utility vehicle, the Telluride, which kicks off a 2nd generation for 2027.

Our QuickSpin took us to Santa Barbara, where an abnormally green backdrop due to all the recent rains in Southern California had us thinking about all the green Kia is likely to be bagging up with this latest Telluride.

For its second act, Telluride gets a wheelbase stretch of almost 3.0 inches, with overall length growing just over 2.0 inches.

More notably, it trades its pseudo-rugged shape in for some sleek EV-like vibes similar to Kia's EV9.

It has also left its V6 engine behind, offering two versions of a 2.5 liter turbo-4: One outputting 274 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque, the other using hybrid assistance to deliver 329 horsepower, 339 pound-feet of torque, and 35-combined mpgs.

BRIAN ROBINSON: With the overwhelming success of the first-gen Telluride, the biggest challenge here, uh, for second-gen, uh, was obviously not mess that up, and, uh, I think mission accomplished as far as that's concerned.

The new turbo engine has plenty of pull off the line, and you can get the hybrid version if you need more; uh, the longer wheelbase has certainly smoothed things out on the road, and, uh, I've been doing some pretty gnarly off-road stuff here in the X-Pro version.

So all-in-all, uh, job well done.

JESSICA RAY: X-Pro models get standard all-wheel-drive, additional suspension travel, an electronic limited slip differential, all-terrain tires, recovery hooks, and over 9.0 inches of ground clearance.

Regardless of trim, Kia attempted to deliver a "segment above" interior with more standard content, nicer materials and improved tech.

Cargo capacity increases from 21.0 cubic-feet to 22.3, and additional travel for the 2nd row seats provides improved access to the 3rd row.

With all the upgrades, base pricing for the 2027 Kia Telluride still starts just over $40,000.

And we'll have more QuickSpins, soon!

JOHN: The vast majority of new internal combustion vehicles we test these days have four or six pistons under the hood.

So, it's rare indeed to find a new car sporting a 5-cylinder engine.

And while that may sound odd, that's far from all that makes this Audi RS 3 something really special.

So, take five from whatever it is you're doing and come along as we take this five for a spin.

Cramming a bigger engine into an existing car to get more performance is a longstanding tradition in the gearhead world, and while the 2025 Audi RS 3 is not packing a V8, it does upgrade to a unique inline-5-cylinder engine, replacing the ubiquitous 4-cylinder turbo found in the standard A3, and in just about every small European sporty car these days.

The first Audi RS performance model to make it here to the U.S.

was the 2003 RS6 sedan.

This limited production 4-door performer was indeed packing a V8, ripping to 60 in just 4.8 seconds, and it further impressed us with its agility.

But that 4.2 liter twin-turbo V8's 450 horsepower is only 56 more than what the inline-5 turbo in this pint-sized powerhouse RS 3 delivers; while sending 369 pound-feet of torque to all four-wheels through a 7-speed automatic and standard quattro all-wheel-drive.

It feels like an absolute rocket ship when you're driving it around, and that's before you even tap into RS Performance Modes, where it goes full animal with hyper throttle response, transmission shifts that are sometimes more abrupt than you're expecting and gnarly sounds coming from the RS Sport exhaust system with black oval tips.

We had high expectations rolling up to the start line at Mason Dixon Dragway, and indeed quattro had this thing hooking up and absolutely blasting to 60 in just 3.4 seconds.

You can really feel the power pour on, with quick automatic shifts barely interrupting the flow, as we cleared the quarter-mile in 12 seconds flat at 116 miles per hour.

That's all mostly the same as the last RS 3 we tested 3-years ago.

The big change for '25 is the RS tuning of the Torque Splitter.

Functioning as a next level rear differential, each drive shaft has its own clutch pack, and when called upon to do so by the ECU, based on acceleration, steering angle, G-forces, throttle position, gear, and yaw angle, it can send up to 100 percent of rear torque to an individual wheel.

In practice, it's constantly distributing power to where it can be most effective at rotating the car while applying maximum power.

To simplify it even further, it absolutely rails through corners with no oversteer or understeer, while turning in more aggressively than before, providing lots of feedback the whole time.

Solid brake performance, too, with the Dynamic Plus Package's upgraded ceramic setup resulting in no fade, minimal nosedive, good feel and nearly consistent 98-foot stops from 60.

(car whooshing by) RS transformations to the interior include unique LED ambient lighting, dark gray trim, RS Sport seats, premium audio system, and an RS steering wheel with RS Mode buttons and aluminum shifters, all done without upsetting Audi's usual perfect balance of sporty, luxury, and techy.

Front seats remain very comfortable, with rear seat room subcompact tight.

The virtual cockpit gauge panel gets some unique displays, and while there are perhaps a bit too many touch-sensitive controls for our tastes, some actual switchgear does remain, keeping most things easy to operate.

And the 10.1 inch central touchscreen is intuitive to use.

Upgrades to the RS 3's exterior start up front with an updated design for the singleframe grille, Audi rings dressed in Anthracite, larger air intakes, and new LED Matrix headlights that have a special startup sequence along with a unique checkered flag pattern.

The taillights have also been updated, while down low, a new rear diffuser integrates those big oval exhaust tips.

Two different 19 inch wheels are available; these matte finish dark gray alloys are part of the Carbon Package; and adding the Dynamic Plus package will get them wrapped in ultra high-performance summer tires.

Government Fuel Economy Ratings are 20 city, 29 highway, and 23 combined.

We averaged 25.9 miles per gallon of premium, earning an average Energy Impact Score with 12.9 Barrels of Yearly Oil Use and 6.4 Tons of CO2 Emissions.

When you get to this level of performance, there are not too many bargains out there, and we'd say the RS 3 is appropriately priced at $64,695.

You could add another 10-grand onto that with options, but you don't really need to.

When it comes to big performance in small packages, that's something the Volkswagen Group has been delivering for years.

But, with this 2025 RS 3, Audi has taken things to a whole new level; and its raucous 5-cylinder engine makes it something truly special.

Well, that's our show, I hope you enjoyed it.

Now, for more MotorWeek , including daily news updates, podcasts, and even complete episodes, cruise on over to PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

And I hope you'll join us next time for a Toyota best-seller now redesigned, the new RAV4, and Cadillac's next volley of electric V performance, the LYRIQ-V.

Until then, I'm John Davis.

We'll see you right here on MotorWeek !

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Learn more at AutoValue.Com and BumperToBumper.Com.

We're Tire Rack.

We test tires, then share our results.

We stock over a million tires.

We offer multiple installation options.

We do this because we believe tires matter.

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