Thread: Subaru Outback - AWD Station Wagon

Hi all,

I'm looking at upgrading my daily driver, I currently do over 1000kms a week so am driving a small car which is great on fuel, but isn't as good for my hobbies and toys.

I was looking at a few different station wagons, later model (08ish) VW Golf and Ford Focus Wagons (petrol and diesel) which seem to be good on fuel, comfortable, reliable and enough room for carrying all my crap, but I really miss having a 4x4/AWD vehicle.
I then came across the Subaru Outback and Legacy models which got me thinking.

Anyone here own a a Subaru Outback or Legacy around 06-09ish? Looks like there are good deals to be found in this year range with about 100,000kms.
Wanting to know if anyone has found them to be exceptionally unreliable/reliable and what they are like on fuel.
I know they are no 4 wheel drives, but they seem to be surprisingly capable offroad and I wouldn't be doing anything extreme anyway.

Or if anyone can recommend something else similar I can be looking into, would be swell.

Cheers

My wife has an 09 Outback. Its very nice and she loves it to bits. Other than the kids always leaving the doors open and flattening the battery we have had nothing but a great run from it. We were unsure with the Subaru so got the dealer to throw in a mechanical warrantee. Never used it. Im tallish (1.85cm) and I would think I might get a little cramped if it were my vehicle to use everyday. Running around town Im unsure of the exact economy but it doesn't red flag for excessive running costs. She has the 2.0L. We tried a 1.8 and it was a bit gutless and the 2.5s all looked a little thrashed.

None of my 4 Subarus have been that new, but had a good run out of all of them.

Don't know of any particular problems with the later ones. I'd back a Subaru for reliability over a VW any day too.

We've got a manual 04 outback. Bought it two out three years ago, it's been great so far.
Only issue I've had with it was when a tyre was slightly smaller wad put on. It put some warning lights on.
Tyres were all the same size according to marking, but slightly different rolling diameter.
Something to be aware of with them being a locked dif

Originally Posted by puku

We've got a manual 04 outback. Bought it two out three years ago, it's been great so far.
Only issue I've had with it was when a tyre was slightly smaller wad put on. It put some warning lights on.
Tyres were all the same size according to marking, but slightly different rolling diameter.
Something to be aware of with them being a locked dif

Same Applies if one wheel is getting excessive ware compaired to the rest
example you dont want 4 or 5 mm difference.

Hi, I have a 2009 2L TDiesel Outback for a work vehicle. I really like it, drives well with plenty of torque. Being the diesel it is quite economical. I average around 8.5-9 L/100 km with most of that driving on country roads carrying a bit of gear and not mucking around. If using on open road and using cruise control its more like 6L/100km. At work we have 3 other Outbacks, all 2.5 petrol that go well but a bit thirsty. We seem to find once getting to 150,000ish km we start having issues with the running gear, but the roads/farm tracks we drive on will certainly have a factor in this. Any Qs just PM if you wish. BJ

Just brought an 09 outback 2.5l petrol. Love it. Great car. Probably average on economy tho. Maybe 600k per tank. Good leg room and boot space. Capable offroad, one of the better awd systems.

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Cheers guys, appreciate the help. Good to get reviews from people I can trust (more so that American websites anyway).

Originally Posted by Vapour

Just brought an 09 outback 2.5l petrol. Love it. Great car. Probably average on economy tho. Maybe 600k per tank. Good leg room and boot space. Capable offroad, one of the better awd systems.

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Any idea of what L/100kms? I would be driving 200kms a day setting at 100km on SH1 so pretty good conditions to get good economy.

Around 10, but I'm not overly careful. Also check for cruise control if you want that the jap import ones may not have it

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Originally Posted by Beetroot

Any idea of what L/100kms? I would be driving 200kms a day setting at 100km on SH1 so pretty good conditions to get good economy.

The older ones (early 00s) do around 8.5-9 for open road driving, newer ones should (hopefully) be a bit better.

I've got an 06 outback. Bloody nice wagon, all leather and what not. Very tidy example. If you are stop starting round town the 2.5 and 4wd does drink a bit, (bout 8-9ks/l) but shes pretty economical on the open road (12-13km/l. Drives nicely too.
They still have that slightly grabby auto they have always had, even the new ones suffer from it a bit.

My only gripe is that I would like another gear (only a 4 speed) and the jap tires that came on it are junk.

We had to shop around to find a good one, most of the $8-9k ones were pretty rough. I think in terms of car for the $ you cant do much better.

Ive had four Sube's including a 96 Outback, was a nice car till I got hold of it ( well for the first 4 years anyway then gave it death for the next 6 haha ) Shit I took that a few dodgy & very muddy places & it ate em up

Currently I drive a 08 Forester and it runs well, handles like a go cart & is great on gravel / shit roads but you need at least a 2.5 otherwise they can be a bit gutless

Like the others have said - In general the modern 2003 onwards models are very good, well built, handle fantastic & are well appointed with good stereos. They are quite thirsty though, I average around 11-12lt per 100k's ( this includes town / city ) and on an open road trip it will still be between 9-10lt per 100.

If the effectiveness of the AWD system is a priority, the Subaru obliterates its competitors.



^ I've seen other detailed analyses on the drivetrain and coupled with the boxer engine layout, one can't achieve a finer balanced engine (3.0L) or more efficient power transmission.

I own '06 Legacy - 3.0R (5AT). Prior to that I'd owned several performance Mitsubishis in various stages of tune for 8 years. When I selected the Subaru I was in the market for something that was well-specced, comfortable, quiet and didn't look shit.

I chose the 3.0 N/A (the same between Legacy and Outback) specifically because I don't like the sound of I4 engines and my research and test drive concluded that the H6 configuration offered an engine that was superbly smooth, particularly at idle where it's barely discernible. It's a peaky engine (180-4kW @ 6500rpm and 297nm torque @ 4200rpm) and in the automatic I find that that it's maybe a little lacking below 4000rpm - the engine has Subaru's own variable valve timing system and intake valves and timing are optimised for this rev range. Discernible cut over sensation in first only really. Once you're in the revs, the car's really alive - I've not driven the manual version but from what I hear they are the better "driver's car" if you know what I mean.

The speedo under-reads by about 8km/h. The automatic has long gears, 1st will go about 70km/h and 2nd 110km/h so if you're wanting to extract the best power from it one needs to drive it like a Honda. These vehicles are fitted with a factory rear LSD - I don't know if it's 1/1.5 or 2 way LSD I've simply not looked into it but you don't often get that as factory - it's very good to have as I hoon around where my inlaws live on gravel. Mean.

On the open road it's awesome. 100km/h (indicated) you're sitting at around 2100rpm - with 215/45/17 tyres inflated @ 36psi the best I've managed by absolutely nana'ing / cruise controlling from Bombays to Te Rapa is 12.7km/L and that's motorway only, as soon as I got off the expressway and went urban that was destroyed. It is pretty thirsty around Auckland - 8.3km/L.

The leather interior (if in good condition) is quite comfortable - the 3.0 also has heated front seats, if that's important. I've not traveled further south than Taupo in my car so never needed them but I know they work.

Headlights turn off when you turn off the ignition - bit handier than an annoying flat battery or "beeeeeeee" noise which one could ignore. There is a parking light rocker switch on the steering column if you really need to turn on your parking lights. Oh speaking of lights, the 3.0 (not sure if the 2.0 has these) lights are auto-leveling. Headlights are HID.

McIntosh sound system is desirable, it's a really good standard system - look for the McIntosh label above the CD input slot. It should have 4 speakers in each front door, a speaker in each rear door and then a sub in the rear parcel shelf. Best standard system in a garden variety car IMO. If you can get a later 06 model onwards, it'd be a facelift model and would have slightly better features such as radar guided cruise control and audio controls on steering etc. Seats are also memory which I lament not having as my wife and I are more than a 1' different in height.

When I get a new car I change all the fluids that I either can't see or look bad. Since I bought mine apart from routine maintenance I've changed a RF wheel bearing.

Annoying things:

* Power windows, only driver's is one touch - even from driver's panel!
* If you lock the windows, even from the driver's panel you can't operate the passenger windows whilst the lock is in place???
* Air conditioning: Turn it off and turn it back on, it doesn't remember your previous setting - defaults to aircon on.
* Heavy on petrol around town but hey, what can one expect from a 3.0L AWD automatic...

Cool things:

* Trim and layout of controls is very good, I really like how the petrol flap / boot lid controls are flush with the driver floorpan.
* Car feels very sure footed even under tight steering angles and generous application of throttle.
* Minimal road or engine noise.
* 4 ANCAP star safety rating.
* Large boot (sedan with ski fold down thingy)
* Been reliable as.
* Just simply best bang for your buck.

Following off Ryan's comments I recently brought a 2006 legacy and I love it. Mines the 3.0r facelift model. I actually got it for my missus but I try steal it whenever I can. If you get the facelift model there's a feature called SI drive which is way cool. Can put it on an economy mode which basically dulls the accelerator, or a sport mode which is pretty much standard car. Then my favourite which is sport sharp. Plenty of power if it's needed. Economy mode apparently saves 10% in fuel.
Another nice thing about the 3 L is the chain driven engine, no cambelt.

Also not sure how true this is but I was told the 2.5L are bored out so the engines weaker? That may be bull though not sure.
Short answer though is its a great car



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I have a couple of mates with 08-09 3.0r station wagons. Both have over 250,000kms and they have no issues with them at all.

I really like them, almost bought one for the missus, but couldn't find one I really liked. You get a lot of car for the money-that's the best thing about subarus I reckon!