Subaru had a conundrum in the late 2010s. Outback and Forester families loved their vehicles, but they were outgrowing them. Subaru needed a larger three-row option to keep those customers in Subarus.

We’ve driven different test vehicles during our family’s annual summertime journey to the glacier-heaped hills of Michigan’s Grand Traverse region. This year, our transport came in the form of a 2025 ...