A Subaru Owner Gets Only 18 MPG on a 25 MPG Rating on their 2025 Outback XT, and Short Trips and Winter Gas May Be the Culprit

A Subaru Owner Gets Only 18 MPG on a 25 MPG Rating on their 2025 Outback XT, and Short Trips and Winter Gas May Be the Culprit

An 18 MPG average on a 2025 Subaru Outback Touring XT is low against its 25 MPG combined rating, but cold weather and short trips can explain much of it. “Winter gas” is real, since it has roughly 2 percent less energy than “summer gas”, but fueleconomy.gov says short cold trips can cut a gas car's mileage by up to 24 percent. If your own mileage looks low, track it for a few full tanks, combine errands into longer drives, and check again in spr…