Cool taillight designs are a fun trend in the automotive world. You may have noticed the H-shaped lights on the new Hyundai Santa Fe, or the four round taillights on the 2024 Nissan GT-R that mimic its tailpipes. LED lights and smart technology are also popular, like the Audi Q6 e-tron, which boasts taillights that can be personalized by the owner. Only one new car has managed to blend the old with the new, offering modern taillights that have a rather primitive, but useful built-in tool — a ruler.
The Subaru Outback was fully redesigned for 2026 and now has full-length LED taillights that stretch across the back gate. The vehicle isn’t cleverly hiding a tape measure somewhere like a James Bond gadget, but there are marked, regular graduations across the taillights that resemble a ruler. The taillights stretch out more than two feet, though they are slightly curved, making it difficult to use the entire span for measurement.
The redesign has had mixed reviews thus far, though it’s for sale at time of writing. Gone is the wagon-like design, replaced by a boxier model that looks more like an SUV. Reviewers have complained about the square wheel arches and the taller roof. Are the taillights destined for the same fate, or will buyers appreciate their look and practicality?
The most obvious question is what use will these taillights have for owners? The answer is, not a lot, at least nothing that requires precise measuring. The markings on the lights are not spaced out for any standard U.S. measurement, including inches, and they don’t appear to match the metric system either. It’s designed for quick measurements, not precise calculations, and could be useful when you’re camping, at the home and garden store, or while at work on minor home improvement projects.
The 2026 Outback may be the first SUV with a built-in measuring tool, but Subaru is not the first automaker to come up with the idea. Ford has included rulers in several of its pickup trucks, including the F-150, and RAM molded in a ruler on the underside of the center console lid of the 1500.
There’s much more to the 2026 Subaru Outback than the hidden ruler in the taillights, though. Along with the standard all-wheel drive found in most Subaru models, the redesigned Outback offers hands-free driving assistance, a turbocharged engine, a 12.1-inch touchscreen, and much more. Whether you like the redesign or not, you may just find a use for that built-in ruler.