Subaru Outback, what to look for?
Discussion
I’m hoping I can get some pointers as I’m looking to buy one of these as my winter/general/station carpark/carting kids/tip runs runabout with occasional long distance stints. Wife will be driving it as well.
They seem good value, pretty reliable and competent despite being on the thirsty side. I’m 95% decided an Auto 3.0R is the one as there seems little price difference yet a chasm in terms of soec.
They seem good value, pretty reliable and competent despite being on the thirsty side. I’m 95% decided an Auto 3.0R is the one as there seems little price difference yet a chasm in terms of soec.
- Is is worth going for a facelift (circa late 07) with SI drive? Did they add or improve anything useful? Or just go for a pre-06 cheaoer tax version?
- Why does it seem most are in that odd gold/green colour?
- At what miles do the big bills come in at? Should I avoid 120k miley examples?
- Can I play Spotify on my iPhone through the car (3.5mm jack?) or am I going to have to buy CDs? Or headphones!
- I’ve discounted the later model, CVT lineartronic thang mostly due to CVT, cost and its looks but should I consider one?
- Legacy seems to offer nothing over the Outback, am I missing something?
I’ve had a 2.5 `05 Outback for nearly 3 years now & have found it very useful as a load lugger & surprisingly comfortable. I did miss the 100 odd horses having given up my Saab Aero but have got used to it. Local traffic is so frustrating anyway it hardly matters. I did fancy a 3.0 but couldn’t find one in time, watch for the £500+ tax bracket as you have indicated.
I’ve put two new rear hubs on it, which I think should have been done under warranty ages ago, a new exhaust for under £90 from Ebay & a set of tyres. It`s been perfectly reliable other than these items in terms of starting & everyday use even in nasty winter conditions. A recall has looked at potential rusting brake pipe & replaced the passenger airbag. If it has the big glass sunroof I`d check it out very carefully. Timing belt would be something to look for but cost is about the same as other cars.
There is https://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/109-gen-3-200... to help with any niggles.
I did spot this: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Subaru-Outback-2-5-Auto... which looks pretty clean.
Being a bit dodgy in the lower back the height has been handy & gives clearance on muddy lanes on the way to the fishing.
I think I`d probably get another if mine clapped out & not be worried about age. It`s pretty rare to see another but I`ve got a dealer 10 miles away if I need it & importcarparts are excellent for service items. I find the newer models remarkably ugly & pricey.
Good luck if you go hunting for one.
I’ve put two new rear hubs on it, which I think should have been done under warranty ages ago, a new exhaust for under £90 from Ebay & a set of tyres. It`s been perfectly reliable other than these items in terms of starting & everyday use even in nasty winter conditions. A recall has looked at potential rusting brake pipe & replaced the passenger airbag. If it has the big glass sunroof I`d check it out very carefully. Timing belt would be something to look for but cost is about the same as other cars.
There is https://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/109-gen-3-200... to help with any niggles.
I did spot this: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Subaru-Outback-2-5-Auto... which looks pretty clean.
Being a bit dodgy in the lower back the height has been handy & gives clearance on muddy lanes on the way to the fishing.
I think I`d probably get another if mine clapped out & not be worried about age. It`s pretty rare to see another but I`ve got a dealer 10 miles away if I need it & importcarparts are excellent for service items. I find the newer models remarkably ugly & pricey.
Good luck if you go hunting for one.
I sold my 3.0R outback earlier in the the year. Still miss it
It was a great car and was utterly reliable, having said that it did demand regular maintenance. I covered up to 20k miles a year in it. It was the facelift version with the SI map. I kept mine in sport most of the time - it didn't seem to be any less economical than the eco mode. sport sharp is fun for the traffic light grand prix and pressing on across country. I haven't ever driven the older version so cant comment on whether its better or not. Obviously there is a road tax saving with the older version.
I managed almost 27mpg over 4 years and 70k miles, but spent most of it cruising on dual carriageways - if you are confined to town traffic you are not going to see that.
I would imaging all the cars you would be looking at will have had the exhaust replaced, if not you are looking at £500 for a powerflow custom stainless job.
brake discs are probably ok for 20 -25k miles
the H6 is a glorious engine and chain driven, but can develop small oil leaks. suspension/ARB bushes are considered consumable service items - might be better if you upgrade to polybushes
Seats are awesome - the most comfortable I have enjoyed. the stereo is good, mine had an in dash 6 cd changer, I never found plugging in my phone was that great, but I never really pursued it
It was a great car and was utterly reliable, having said that it did demand regular maintenance. I covered up to 20k miles a year in it. It was the facelift version with the SI map. I kept mine in sport most of the time - it didn't seem to be any less economical than the eco mode. sport sharp is fun for the traffic light grand prix and pressing on across country. I haven't ever driven the older version so cant comment on whether its better or not. Obviously there is a road tax saving with the older version.
I managed almost 27mpg over 4 years and 70k miles, but spent most of it cruising on dual carriageways - if you are confined to town traffic you are not going to see that.
I would imaging all the cars you would be looking at will have had the exhaust replaced, if not you are looking at £500 for a powerflow custom stainless job.
brake discs are probably ok for 20 -25k miles
the H6 is a glorious engine and chain driven, but can develop small oil leaks. suspension/ARB bushes are considered consumable service items - might be better if you upgrade to polybushes
Seats are awesome - the most comfortable I have enjoyed. the stereo is good, mine had an in dash 6 cd changer, I never found plugging in my phone was that great, but I never really pursued it
Have a 3.0R Legacy, you can remap the H6 and if you have SI drive you can map for instance S# and it turns it into a wild thing indeed. Its a really understated car and prices for face lift models seem to be going up, probably due to rarity - not sure on Outbacks.
You can get a Legacy outback and I am pretty sure it will not dissapoint, best to take for a drive.
I cant see myself ever getting rid of my car as its pretty impossible to get something like this nowadays, will probably keep on the drive when the time comes to get some dreary electric POS or something.
You can get a Legacy outback and I am pretty sure it will not dissapoint, best to take for a drive.
I cant see myself ever getting rid of my car as its pretty impossible to get something like this nowadays, will probably keep on the drive when the time comes to get some dreary electric POS or something.
I have a facelift Outback 3.0R, it's a great car. I'm currently on a 3000 mile trip in France, average mpg at the moment is 32. Si Drive is more than just a variable throttle map, it also alters the auto box change points. Paddle shift is very useful and effective. It's a dual personality car, you can waft around in Intelligent or Sport mode, rarely going above 3k rpm, or hit the S# button on the steering wheel and take advantage of the smooth linear power all the way to the rev limiter. Wonderful engine. With proper regular and preventative maintenance, it's been utterly reliable - I bought it at 130k miles with a full Subaru history. Peerless in snow and on the rough, very comfortable for long distances. Overall it's a very well built, capable car, and unique in it's abilities.
Sad Weevil said:
Si Drive is more than just a variable throttle map, it also alters the auto box change points.
Sort of....the interaction isn't entirely known as I don't think it's been reverse engineered.It maps throttle position to requested torque. The TCU appears to use the requested torque value for it's shift points - so when you switch it, it'll feel like it's adjusted the behaviour of the box.
If you rescale the requested torque values, you can get some very different behaviour from the box.
The latest models are worth a look as they are excellent with good equipment, comfort, practicality and reliability.
The only downside is the cvt box on the smaller engined versions as it just feels as though it revs too high but for no additional power when you put your foot down. A bit like a conventional auto on a 1.0 petrol engine or similar. If you can get a 6 cylinder car though the cvt is a completely different proposition.
I've got a 3.6R with the cvt and it is superb. I couldn't find anything remotely comparable to replace it with when I moved back to the UK so I brought it back with me. The s mode changes the fuel map and gearing a bit whilst S# gives even more power and higher engine speeds.
It's a strange sensation at first though. Drive normally and the cvt just holds the engine at about 1100 rpm regardless of what speed you're doing so you're getting maximum efficiency all the time. Put it in S# and hoof it and the engine goes up to about 5500 rpm immediately and stays there while the cvt makes the wheels go faster and faster. It doesn't feel quick as you don't have the sensation of the engine speeding up 3 or 4 times as it goes through the gears like a conventional transmission would but it certainly piles the speed on quickly enough as the engine is at peak power the whole time rather than going up and down across a power band.
The comfort and ride is great. I've done over 2000 miles in less than three days without issue.
The only downside is the cvt box on the smaller engined versions as it just feels as though it revs too high but for no additional power when you put your foot down. A bit like a conventional auto on a 1.0 petrol engine or similar. If you can get a 6 cylinder car though the cvt is a completely different proposition.
I've got a 3.6R with the cvt and it is superb. I couldn't find anything remotely comparable to replace it with when I moved back to the UK so I brought it back with me. The s mode changes the fuel map and gearing a bit whilst S# gives even more power and higher engine speeds.
It's a strange sensation at first though. Drive normally and the cvt just holds the engine at about 1100 rpm regardless of what speed you're doing so you're getting maximum efficiency all the time. Put it in S# and hoof it and the engine goes up to about 5500 rpm immediately and stays there while the cvt makes the wheels go faster and faster. It doesn't feel quick as you don't have the sensation of the engine speeding up 3 or 4 times as it goes through the gears like a conventional transmission would but it certainly piles the speed on quickly enough as the engine is at peak power the whole time rather than going up and down across a power band.
The comfort and ride is great. I've done over 2000 miles in less than three days without issue.
AndrewT1275 said:
I've got a 3.6R with the cvt and it is superb. <snip> It's a strange sensation at first though. <snip> The comfort and ride is great. I've done over 2000 miles in less than three days without issue.
Interesting. I’ve kinda avoided the newer, CVT thing due to possible complexity and “general feeling” that it’s not quite as workhorsey. And it’s quite a bit more money. But I should maybe take a drive. Thanks for the modern take, appreciated.It's definitely still a workhorse and seems as robust and reliable as earlier models. Mine was bought as you can get 2 bikes in the back without taking the wheels off, or 2 sets of golf clubs and trolleys in the boot under the load cover with the seats up.
You also get new tech like the Eyesight system which makes long journeys or heavy traffic effortless.
Prior to purchase I also tested a Discovery Sport. The Outback was better equiped, more comfortable and far more solidly built. The fully loaded Outback was also 30% cheaper than the base spec Disco Sport.
As someone above said - vastly underrated cars in the UK.
You also get new tech like the Eyesight system which makes long journeys or heavy traffic effortless.
Prior to purchase I also tested a Discovery Sport. The Outback was better equiped, more comfortable and far more solidly built. The fully loaded Outback was also 30% cheaper than the base spec Disco Sport.
As someone above said - vastly underrated cars in the UK.
Subaru is far more reliable than what comes out of JLR, the recent survey I think had them at the bottom of the pile, or above Tesla. The fact not more Subarus are driven in England is a mystery. Going back to S#. it changes the nature of the car entirely, if you hoof it in S# the rev limiter goes nuts and keeps on going and going urging you to change gears (in a manual anyway), even doing 80 at 3k rpm in S# if you floor it then it will keep going to silly speeds very rapidly indeed, mine is remapped but even before that it was still rapid
Slight thread hijack, but along the same lines as the OP. I'm looking to replace my Saab 9-5 Aero saloon with an estate, but as it will also probably take on the main family car role from our Jeep Grand Cherokee, I too am considering an Outback. I've always liked the look of them, and as silly as it may sound, I sort of think of them as a 4-wheeled Barbour jacket. They just seem to suit every job you could ever need a car to do.
My budget will be at the lower end of the scale, so circa £3k. This appears to get me a pre-tax increase 3.0R, a lower mileage 2.5 or a slightly later diesel model. It won't do a massive mileage with me, and I've never been a diesel fan, but the '08 diesels I see seem to be nicely specced, I hear the economy is good from them, and it would be nice to have a newer car of course. Is a 2.5 petrol a very poor relation to the 3.0R? Any issues to be really aware of with 2005-2008 models? I know I've been spoilt with the 9-5 Aero for both power and spec, but I know the Outback won't be the same type of car so it maybe not fair to garner comparison. I keep looking at 3.0R's that have done 100k and all I hear is MrsB. telling me that its too high a mileage, even though we al know that when the Apocalypse comes, all that will be left on the Earth are cockroaches and Subarus........
My budget will be at the lower end of the scale, so circa £3k. This appears to get me a pre-tax increase 3.0R, a lower mileage 2.5 or a slightly later diesel model. It won't do a massive mileage with me, and I've never been a diesel fan, but the '08 diesels I see seem to be nicely specced, I hear the economy is good from them, and it would be nice to have a newer car of course. Is a 2.5 petrol a very poor relation to the 3.0R? Any issues to be really aware of with 2005-2008 models? I know I've been spoilt with the 9-5 Aero for both power and spec, but I know the Outback won't be the same type of car so it maybe not fair to garner comparison. I keep looking at 3.0R's that have done 100k and all I hear is MrsB. telling me that its too high a mileage, even though we al know that when the Apocalypse comes, all that will be left on the Earth are cockroaches and Subarus........
Sad Weevil said:
Peerless in snow
This.I have had many AWD/4WD cars and my 3-litre Legacy with Nokian tyres remains the very best I've ever driven in the snow.
As others have said, the exhaust rots. I bought an H&S centre section but it didn't have the muffler box and was too loud. They do them with a box so that was my mistake. Beautiful engineering though.
Standard brakes seem susceptible to juddering (friction hot spots) so I bought a full set from EBS which performed perfectly for about the same price as OEM versions.
Front brake calipers needed a rebuild at 100K miles and as none were available "off the shelf" anywhere, I had to wait a week while mine were rebuilt.
Rear wheel bearings whined. Subaru wanted £880 to replace them. I found a supplier on eBay who was based in Detroit. Cost for both hubs, delivered to my door in the UK, was £110 and it took me a couple of hours to replace them - 1 and a half hours for the first one and half an hour for the second one (once I worked out what I was doing).
I loved that car and put a ton of miles on it. I only sold it because my wife gave me her Merc ML.
MrOrange said:
Well, it looks like I've bought myself an Outback, 3 litre, nice spec, lower tax band, great history and nice condition (from the photos). Complete with winter tyres it's going to cost me not much more than a new iPhone. Pick it up on Saturday, I can't wait until it snows.
You'll be laughing at all the 'supposed' 4x4s who are well and truly stuck.Stick some Nokian all seasons on and you'll be unstoppable (in a good way)
I have a 2.5 SE which I've done about 40k miles in. As above, replaced 2 hubs for wheel bearings (one rear, one front), brakes all around (disks and calipers - calipers seize frequently which can be confused with brake judder - NEVER leave unused with handbrake on as rears are most prone), full stainless exhaust to replace the mild steel (made of cheese) original. Replaced belts when I bought it (DIY), then just regular sevicing.
Simply the best car I've ever had.
Edited by Stig on Thursday 13th September 17:56
MrB. said:
Slight thread hijack, but along the same lines as the OP. I'm looking to replace my Saab 9-5 Aero saloon with an estate, but as it will also probably take on the main family car role from our Jeep Grand Cherokee, I too am considering an Outback. I've always liked the look of them, and as silly as it may sound, I sort of think of them as a 4-wheeled Barbour jacket. They just seem to suit every job you could ever need a car to do.
My budget will be at the lower end of the scale, so circa £3k. This appears to get me a pre-tax increase 3.0R, a lower mileage 2.5 or a slightly later diesel model. It won't do a massive mileage with me, and I've never been a diesel fan, but the '08 diesels I see seem to be nicely specced, I hear the economy is good from them, and it would be nice to have a newer car of course. Is a 2.5 petrol a very poor relation to the 3.0R? Any issues to be really aware of with 2005-2008 models? I know I've been spoilt with the 9-5 Aero for both power and spec, but I know the Outback won't be the same type of car so it maybe not fair to garner comparison. I keep looking at 3.0R's that have done 100k and all I hear is MrsB. telling me that its too high a mileage, even though we al know that when the Apocalypse comes, all that will be left on the Earth are cockroaches and Subarus........
Unless you get a diesel, mpg on the 2.0/2.5/3.0 isn't going to be hugely different, all between 20-30mpg depending if you'te doing stop start or long runs. the 3.0 is a peach of a motor - cam chain, smooth as anything (you have to listen really hard to tell it's running at idle) and will do lots of miles. 100k is nothing. They need 5w30 oil and regular changes so make sure the service history is good. My budget will be at the lower end of the scale, so circa £3k. This appears to get me a pre-tax increase 3.0R, a lower mileage 2.5 or a slightly later diesel model. It won't do a massive mileage with me, and I've never been a diesel fan, but the '08 diesels I see seem to be nicely specced, I hear the economy is good from them, and it would be nice to have a newer car of course. Is a 2.5 petrol a very poor relation to the 3.0R? Any issues to be really aware of with 2005-2008 models? I know I've been spoilt with the 9-5 Aero for both power and spec, but I know the Outback won't be the same type of car so it maybe not fair to garner comparison. I keep looking at 3.0R's that have done 100k and all I hear is MrsB. telling me that its too high a mileage, even though we al know that when the Apocalypse comes, all that will be left on the Earth are cockroaches and Subarus........
Tall_Paul said:
MrB. said:
Slight thread hijack, but along the same lines as the OP. I'm looking to replace my Saab 9-5 Aero saloon with an estate, but as it will also probably take on the main family car role from our Jeep Grand Cherokee, I too am considering an Outback. I've always liked the look of them, and as silly as it may sound, I sort of think of them as a 4-wheeled Barbour jacket. They just seem to suit every job you could ever need a car to do.
My budget will be at the lower end of the scale, so circa £3k. This appears to get me a pre-tax increase 3.0R, a lower mileage 2.5 or a slightly later diesel model. It won't do a massive mileage with me, and I've never been a diesel fan, but the '08 diesels I see seem to be nicely specced, I hear the economy is good from them, and it would be nice to have a newer car of course. Is a 2.5 petrol a very poor relation to the 3.0R? Any issues to be really aware of with 2005-2008 models? I know I've been spoilt with the 9-5 Aero for both power and spec, but I know the Outback won't be the same type of car so it maybe not fair to garner comparison. I keep looking at 3.0R's that have done 100k and all I hear is MrsB. telling me that its too high a mileage, even though we al know that when the Apocalypse comes, all that will be left on the Earth are cockroaches and Subarus........
Unless you get a diesel, mpg on the 2.0/2.5/3.0 isn't going to be hugely different, all between 20-30mpg depending if you'te doing stop start or long runs. the 3.0 is a peach of a motor - cam chain, smooth as anything (you have to listen really hard to tell it's running at idle) and will do lots of miles. 100k is nothing. They need 5w30 oil and regular changes so make sure the service history is good. My budget will be at the lower end of the scale, so circa £3k. This appears to get me a pre-tax increase 3.0R, a lower mileage 2.5 or a slightly later diesel model. It won't do a massive mileage with me, and I've never been a diesel fan, but the '08 diesels I see seem to be nicely specced, I hear the economy is good from them, and it would be nice to have a newer car of course. Is a 2.5 petrol a very poor relation to the 3.0R? Any issues to be really aware of with 2005-2008 models? I know I've been spoilt with the 9-5 Aero for both power and spec, but I know the Outback won't be the same type of car so it maybe not fair to garner comparison. I keep looking at 3.0R's that have done 100k and all I hear is MrsB. telling me that its too high a mileage, even though we al know that when the Apocalypse comes, all that will be left on the Earth are cockroaches and Subarus........
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