Do you like (dislike) it? Pros/Cons? How's it do in snow and how "noisy" is it (road noise, wind noise)?
Thanks
Thanks
Anyone own a Subaru Outback?
- Thread starter Blackberry Smoke
- Start date
We own a 2012 2.5 Limited.....a fair distance different than the current Gen 5 vehicle which was redesigned a couple years ago.,.....with roughly 50K miles. Thus far, the only money I've put into it are for tire rotations, air filters, and wiper blades (my dealer provides synthetic oil changes and filters at no charge for the life of my ownership). Literally haven't spent another dime on it other than gas and insurance.
I consider the vehicle very roomy.....it's definitely not a small vehicle, even though I think Subarus are often thought as such......and very solid-in-construction (not a breath of wind noise, even from the sunroof). Additionally, nobody in the business does door closing "thunk" like Subie in this price class.
It also hasn't developed a single squeak in the almost 4 years (it's birthday will be 3/16/16) we've owned it after replacing a 2009 Buick Enclave. Gas mileage is as follows for the not-very-powerful (175HP) Boxer 4-cylinder in a relatively heavy (3,538 lbs) vehicle:
EPA: 22 City/29 Highway/24 Combined
COOL MAN: 24-26 Mixed (winter) 27-30 Mixed (summer)
You'll buy the 2.5 for fuel economy.....that was my intent coming out of the gas hog Enclave......not for performance (those drivers purchase the 3.6L). I myself like the CVT; though a lot of people (especially car reviewers) don't. Reliability of this tranny is a little spotty; though, in general, it's quality reputation is decent.
For me, it's been 100% bulletproof thus far, and you'd never know it wasn't a conventional 5-6 speed automaticv given the way Subie has programmed artificial "shift points" into its design. Subie has more experience with CVT's than anyone in the business, and I myself think nobody.....including Honda.....does 'em better. I've grown to consider the Outback's to be a fairly impressive piece of Engineering.
My single biggest gripe with the car is basic engine noise; the Boxer 4 is downright annoyingly loud at relatively low RPM's around town......and after 3.5 years of ownership, I still feel that way. Coming out of the almost tomb-like Enclave, it was a fairly rough adjustment.
Had to own if for awhile before finally realizing to what extent the engine quiets down at higher RPM's (like at highway speeds). If you're on the Interstate, it's more or less as quiet as any other 4 cylinder engine. Not sure if that's been improved in any manner in Gen 5; just be aware of this on your test drive.
Subaru has always been a little behind the curve in luxury features and appointments versus it's direct competitors. For example, we decided to buy Navigation.....remember, ours is a 2012 model......and it's both hard to use and primitive in features (and graphics). However, we liked the big central LCD screen though, and it's very helpful when the backup camera is in use.
Anyway, some of those shortcomings were addressed in Gen 5.....like the Nav system, and things like rear A/C vents and power tailgate. Meanwhile, Subie added the EyeSight Driver Assistance System.....which monitors the road ahead and can activate the brakes when a collision is imminent.....after our model year. I understand it's as good a system of its type as any in the business.
Last thing is tires; standard rubber on Outbacks for a number of years has been Bridgestones (ours has the ContiPro Contact model). Outback owners almost universally dislike the tire; they're critical of both its traction and (more so) handling. Regarding wear, all I can say is we're approaching 50K miles in mixed driving, and we'll easily get another 10K miles of wear (if not more). I would not characterize our overall driving as very aggressive; so your mileage (as they say) may vary.
Meanwhile, Cincinnati is hardly the snowiest region of the country; but this will be my wife's 3rd full winter driving the car to work.....and she says she can't recall sliding or otherwise losing traction even once. Perhaps that's more a tribute to Subie's well-known AWD, but tires will always be a part of whatever experience AWD ultimately delivers; for me, I simply can't complain about the Contis.
Like most Japanese manufacturers in the mass market......meaning Toyota and Honda......their warranty coverage is meh (3/36 bumper to bumper, and 5/60 powertrain). Finally, Subaru has (on average) some of the best resale values across the entire line in the business.
If there's anything more I can add, let me know.
My gf, we live together, has one. Its great in snow and fits a lot in the trunk. The Outback is nice too.
Seriously though, they are great cars. Some of the DIY maintenance is a pain in the ***, like light bulbs, unless you have a 3 yr olds hands. My only other gripe would be it "feels" kinda cheap, as in the materials, sturdiness of doors when closing, etc. Minor issues really, I don't know why, it just feels that way to me.
Seriously though, they are great cars. Some of the DIY maintenance is a pain in the ***, like light bulbs, unless you have a 3 yr olds hands. My only other gripe would be it "feels" kinda cheap, as in the materials, sturdiness of doors when closing, etc. Minor issues really, I don't know why, it just feels that way to me.
Consider a Nissan Rogue. They are nice as well. Better gas mileage and the same features as the Subaru Outback.
I would highly recommend the legacy outback.
I had a 2002 LL Bean 6 cylinder outback and loved it. Drove it everywhere and taught 2 of 3 kids how to drive with it. I tolerated the nickle and diming as the car aged because it was fun to drive, very reliable, and my daughter loved it (gotta keep your family happy) and resisted replacing it. I got rid of the car last year because fuel odor consumed the interior on fill up and the air conditioner would stop working on hard acceleration. Both were expensive repairs. The car did have 160k and never left us stranded. I want my wife to consider a suburu when the mini van finally dies. I think you'd be happy with on. Oh, if you do buy one pay extra for the cold weather package. The windshield wiper defroster is great.
This review should be published somewhere.
This has nothing to do with your question, but I was watching a Blackberry Smoke rig rundown today...
This may not be useful, but I had a 98 Legacy Wagon that I put over 250k miles on. Two years ago I traded it for the car I have now. It did require some maintenance after awhile, but I only traded it because of rust holes starting to develop. It was still running strong.
I had that one so long I got something different just to have something different, but will probably go back to a Subaru when I'm done with this one.
Good mileage, great in snow, could haul tons of stuff ( I had the wagon, picked up washers, dryers etc, and slid them in the back).