The Subaru Outback 2.5i S - A very rough diamond
Discussion
Owned for just over two years so I thought I'd write a brief review. Also, I have just happily sold it
I've ran approximately 20 cars and bikes over 20 years, but only a few have had posts on here.
Previous car was a 2007 Nissan Cube. Hated by me and Mrs BakerStreet. Before that it was a Discovery 3, which was loved by everyone.
Cube
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Discovery 3
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
I also have a 1983 Series 3 Land Rover, which I've owed for 10 years.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
I bought the Subaru because I needed the below:
Higher than average ride height to clear our driveway
Heated seats
Auto gearbox
Petrol
Estate
The Good Bits
Handling
Surprisingly good for a high riding estate. Steering has decent feel and if I had fitted new shocks on it, the body roll would have been reduced along with the comical rebound (you were still lolling about ½ a mile beyond the speed bump you just drove over)
The engine
Previous owner fitted a center silencer delete so mine was always a bit louder than stock, but then the backboxes blew out and it sounded awesome, but was very loud. Wife refused to drive it at that point and she already didn’t like it.
But even with that, the engine was smooth and didn't use a drop of oil in the two years I owned it.
Heated seats were powerful and worked really well.
And that is the end of the Good bits
Durability
I get the impression that the drivetrain will go on for many more thousands of miles. It will be the body and other components that write it off...or rust.
I'd also trust the Subaru start and get me where I am going when its -10c and there is 5inches of snow on the ground. Also, the petrol engine had minimal electronics to go wrong which will work in its favor too, especially when you compare it to the dielsel offerings in the same group (XC70, All Track, A4 All Road and Skoda Scout)
Momo steering wheel was a nice shape but looked like it had done many more miles than car had actually done.
The Bad…
Ergonomics
Simply awful. My wife and I are both 5ft 9in ish and struggled to get comfortable in the car. Pedal area was unusually high and the seat had very limited movement. The comedy part was it was practically on the limit of the runners despite my average height!
Your knee rests permanently on the handbrake handle.
Seats were some of the worst I have sat in/ I struggle to see how my mid 2000s Saabs both with north of 180k on the clock had much much better seats than this god awful Subaru. You legs just hung over the side the support just wasn't good enough
If you rested your elbow on the arm rest, your hand didn't naturally reach the gear lever, which felt really weird.
Fit and finish of the car was just poor. Indicator stalks that felt like they should have been fitted in a mid 90s Cavalier. Many rattles too. Dash also cracked and started peeling away too.
Parts
This proved to be a massive headache. Needed brake lines. Ended up having to get those from Germany. Exhaust from Poland and a power steering pump Slovakia.
Wheel bearing required multiple calls to parts companies from me and my garage.
It needed a cat pipe as well. Ordered what I thought was the right one…turned out it wasn't. Was going to be a Subaru made part and £1200 and we couldn't find one. Garage had to repair the existing unit.
Interior Storage
Woeful. No rear door pockets
Boot side pockets are practically useless and no side wells either.
Interior was generally cramped and I'm fairly convinced there was less space in that car than. Ford Focus estate.
Thirst…
I only do about 3000 miles a year, so it's not a massive issue, but I wasn't expecting it to be a bad as it was. Most tanks netted 21mpg, but I did a lot of short journeys
Central Locking
You had 30 seconds from unlocking the car to starting the engine otherwise you had to lock and unlock from your drivers seat. That got annoying very quickly especially when the exhaust blew and it was rumbling on the driveway whilst you strapped kids in the car.
CVT
From what I read, Subaru invented the CVT and it was certainly much better than the on in my Nissan Cube. Very spritely from standstill, but as Chris Harris said, makes a sound like a cow giving birth. However, I'm not listing the CVT as a negative.
Summary
If you need a high riding estate and you have discounted the XC70, Passat AllTrack and Skoda Scout, then this will certainly do the job, but the interiors on the previously mentioned cars would be worth paying the extra for as the Subaru in my view just didn't cut it in terms of quality and comfort. I could have lived with the quality, but the comfort factor was a big issue.
The rough diamond term is used, because they are crude in terms of luxury, but very tough and practical when required. I can understand why they have a decent following.
Proved to be hard to sell though as no premium badge and mine was only the S model too, so no leather, sunroof or parking sensors.
What have I bought to replace it…See another thread
I've ran approximately 20 cars and bikes over 20 years, but only a few have had posts on here.
Previous car was a 2007 Nissan Cube. Hated by me and Mrs BakerStreet. Before that it was a Discovery 3, which was loved by everyone.
Cube
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Discovery 3
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
I also have a 1983 Series 3 Land Rover, which I've owed for 10 years.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
I bought the Subaru because I needed the below:
Higher than average ride height to clear our driveway
Heated seats
Auto gearbox
Petrol
Estate
The Good Bits
Handling
Surprisingly good for a high riding estate. Steering has decent feel and if I had fitted new shocks on it, the body roll would have been reduced along with the comical rebound (you were still lolling about ½ a mile beyond the speed bump you just drove over)
The engine
Previous owner fitted a center silencer delete so mine was always a bit louder than stock, but then the backboxes blew out and it sounded awesome, but was very loud. Wife refused to drive it at that point and she already didn’t like it.
But even with that, the engine was smooth and didn't use a drop of oil in the two years I owned it.
Heated seats were powerful and worked really well.
And that is the end of the Good bits
Durability
I get the impression that the drivetrain will go on for many more thousands of miles. It will be the body and other components that write it off...or rust.
I'd also trust the Subaru start and get me where I am going when its -10c and there is 5inches of snow on the ground. Also, the petrol engine had minimal electronics to go wrong which will work in its favor too, especially when you compare it to the dielsel offerings in the same group (XC70, All Track, A4 All Road and Skoda Scout)
Momo steering wheel was a nice shape but looked like it had done many more miles than car had actually done.
The Bad…
Ergonomics
Simply awful. My wife and I are both 5ft 9in ish and struggled to get comfortable in the car. Pedal area was unusually high and the seat had very limited movement. The comedy part was it was practically on the limit of the runners despite my average height!
Your knee rests permanently on the handbrake handle.
Seats were some of the worst I have sat in/ I struggle to see how my mid 2000s Saabs both with north of 180k on the clock had much much better seats than this god awful Subaru. You legs just hung over the side the support just wasn't good enough
If you rested your elbow on the arm rest, your hand didn't naturally reach the gear lever, which felt really weird.
Fit and finish of the car was just poor. Indicator stalks that felt like they should have been fitted in a mid 90s Cavalier. Many rattles too. Dash also cracked and started peeling away too.
Parts
This proved to be a massive headache. Needed brake lines. Ended up having to get those from Germany. Exhaust from Poland and a power steering pump Slovakia.
Wheel bearing required multiple calls to parts companies from me and my garage.
It needed a cat pipe as well. Ordered what I thought was the right one…turned out it wasn't. Was going to be a Subaru made part and £1200 and we couldn't find one. Garage had to repair the existing unit.
Interior Storage
Woeful. No rear door pockets
Boot side pockets are practically useless and no side wells either.
Interior was generally cramped and I'm fairly convinced there was less space in that car than. Ford Focus estate.
Thirst…
I only do about 3000 miles a year, so it's not a massive issue, but I wasn't expecting it to be a bad as it was. Most tanks netted 21mpg, but I did a lot of short journeys
Central Locking
You had 30 seconds from unlocking the car to starting the engine otherwise you had to lock and unlock from your drivers seat. That got annoying very quickly especially when the exhaust blew and it was rumbling on the driveway whilst you strapped kids in the car.
CVT
From what I read, Subaru invented the CVT and it was certainly much better than the on in my Nissan Cube. Very spritely from standstill, but as Chris Harris said, makes a sound like a cow giving birth. However, I'm not listing the CVT as a negative.
Summary
If you need a high riding estate and you have discounted the XC70, Passat AllTrack and Skoda Scout, then this will certainly do the job, but the interiors on the previously mentioned cars would be worth paying the extra for as the Subaru in my view just didn't cut it in terms of quality and comfort. I could have lived with the quality, but the comfort factor was a big issue.
The rough diamond term is used, because they are crude in terms of luxury, but very tough and practical when required. I can understand why they have a decent following.
Proved to be hard to sell though as no premium badge and mine was only the S model too, so no leather, sunroof or parking sensors.
What have I bought to replace it…See another thread
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