Subaru Owners?

[Amicus]

I have been happy, overall, with my 2008 Subaru Outback L.L. Bean Edition. (I got it in May 2007 - one of the first 2008s off the boat, they told me.) Its 6-cylinder engine has pop, although 3 or 4 speeding tickets while driving to or from hikes in the first twelve months forced me to alter my technique, so that I mostly waste that pop now.

I know "L.L. Bean Edition" must impress you. That signifies a package of extras designed to please hikers. It was my wife's idea. She doesn't hike much herself but is always looking out for me. I've forgotten what those extras are, except the impress of a pair of hiking boots in the molded plastic mat in back. You could put your boots there after a hike and maybe they wouldn't slide around, or perhaps this is merely decorative.

Mileage has disappointed me a little - about 25 mpg highway/20 in city traffic. Moreover, at my dealer's recommendation, I feed it strictly the "89" middle-premium gas.

I don't know how sturdy these are. Two winters ago, as I was driving on a main NH road to a ski race, a Chevy pick-up descending a snow-slicked side-road on a hill couldn't stop and drove right in front of us. I swerved but clipped the Chevy's rear with my left front, at maybe 20-25 mph. There was hardly a mark on the Chevy but the Subie's front end practically disintegrated. My collision bags didn't pop. I was glad for that but also a little surprised. Since it was her fault, at least her insurer paid for everything, including a rental vehicle for a portion of the 8 weeks I had to wait for repairs. (Some of the replacement parts were scarce.) After major repairs like that, I feared the Subie would never be the same, but it has been just fine.

What I like best about it: (1) handles very well, including in snow (as best I can recall), (2) always starts and no service except routine maintenance, (3) heated seats and (4) GPS Navigator. I wonder how I got along without a Navigator. I have learned, however, not to trust her blindly, especially for rural addresses. If she doesn't know the location of your goal, instead of just admitting that, she makes something up.

 

[erugs]

I've had Subaru Outback Imprezza models and two Subaru Foresters. (My cars are hand-me-downs from my mother when she upgrades, and I'm happy for the great deal I get -- in turn, my niece gets my old cars. She also drives Legacy wagons, but I haven't had one of those come my way yet. I'm happy with the Foresters but yearn for better mileage. I am looking forward to picking my own car at some point but think I would probably go for the Legacy Outback wagon, with good snow-gripping tires. Something a little lower to load my bike/kayak on would be nice.

 

[Jay H]

Watch out for which models of Subaru require premium gas. It depends on the type of engine. That was a big downer for my 2003 6-cylinder Outback.

For the pre-2010 outback models, the XT (2.5L 4-cylinder boxer turbo) and the 6 cylinder boxer LL Bean), required premium fuel. In the 2010 Outback, they dropped the turbo and now just offer the base model in 2 flavors, base, a limited, and a premium and the H6 model...

My biggest gripe with the new outbacks (not sure if the forresters have this flaw) is the roof rack stinks... Will not buy a new Subaru if my '05 one dies because of it. I have told Subaru at their premier event so maybe they will fix it in a later model but their roof rack is not adjustable fore/aft which sucks if you're a sea kayaker and like to carry kayaks.

Jay

 

[Jay H]

I've had Subaru Outback Imprezza models and two Subaru Foresters. (My cars are hand-me-downs from my mother when she upgrades, and I'm happy for the great deal I get -- in turn, my niece gets my old cars. She also drives Legacy wagons, but I haven't had one of those come my way yet. I'm happy with the Foresters but yearn for better mileage. I am looking forward to picking my own car at some point but think I would probably go for the Legacy Outback wagon, with good snow-gripping tires. Something a little lower to load my bike/kayak on would be nice.

Another horrible decision by Subaru for 2010 was to drop the Legacy Wagon... The legacy in pre-2010 models was more or less the same as an Outback but a lot lower in height for those of us that didn't need the ground clearance. But Subaru no longer makes it and you can buy an imprezza wagon or the Outback wagon (or the STI hatchback/wagon)...

Jay

 

[Jay H]

The biggest downside I see with Subaru is that they generally don't have the newest technology. It took years to get a CVT and it isn't available on a Forester yet. They don't have a hybrid option. VSC lagged competitors.

My first model year 2005 doesn't have a Aux jack for say an MP3 player. I concur with you there. Subaru did have a sequential tranny for a long time ago, before the likes of BMW, Ferrari, Porsche, Toyota. I don't know who was the first but I know subaru had one on some of the older models.

I test drove a 2010 outback with the CVT, the base model and felt it was pretty nice, fairly smooth and had decent torque down low, basically compared to my 05 XT which is a beast when the turbo kicks in and pushed... I think subaru might of put their VSC or whatever they call it across the line but not sure... I know the older Outbacks lacked it, other than their top of the line LL bean ones.

Jay

 

[erugs]

There's so much to consider when buying a car! It's not as bad as getting a new cell phone and the investment is so great.

 

[Blue]

I drive a 99 Subaru Forrester, 178k and I'm trying to decide whether to get another Subaru or wait until Toyota prices come down and get a Tacoma. I do love the AWD, and the fact that it was a family hand me down, but the day is coming to buy..

 

[spencer]

I really, really wanted to love my Outback but I just don't. I like it for sure, but I don't LOVE it. I'm 6'4" and 250 and it's kind of cramped for me.

Sure, the AWD is wonderful and I often appreciate the little extra clearance.

I forgot who started this thread but if you are a larger person, you might want some serious miles in the driver's seat before buying. Specific complaints include front seats that are nicely contoured (i.e. wings, back support, etc.) but for someone with a much narrower frame (both shoulders and love handles) and not enough leg room. I've recently learned that the tiny backseat is a drag, too.

When we bought ours ('07) we test drove the Outback and the Forester a lot. I was more comfortable in the Forester (and I happen to be one so that would have been a bonus) but the Outback drove much better. I presume it's the longer wheelbase but anyway, it just felt much smoother and straighter on the road.

Oh and I get pretty mediocre gas mileage. I've been averaging about 24 (5 spd, year-round, sometimes with racks) since I got it. If I make a conscious effort to drive slower, I can get 28 on the highway.

I think it's a very good value and I don't regret buying it b/c there just weren't any other options for what we wanted but next time around (probably in another 8 years) I will look pretty hard at other available AWD wagons (or helicars, perhaps) before buying another Outback.

 

[spencer]

their roof rack is not adjustable fore/aft which sucks if you're a sea kayaker and like to carry kayaks.

Jay

that's what I thought when I looked at one the other day, too, but then a friend who just bought one said they have a weird part that swings out and is actually much better than it appears. Did you see one up close and confirm that it stinks? I haven't seen what my friend was talking about but the rack as it appears in regular pictures looks darn near useless.

Even the rack on my '07 is hard to adjust fore/aft enough to feel good about carrying my Penobscot 17 long distance.

 

[erugs]

I bought an accessory rack for my '02 Forester, which I am also able to use on my '06 that allows me to move the bars back and forth for longer or shorter span. But what I don't like about the '06 factory rails they attach to is that these rails don't have tie-in holes as the '02 did.

Oh, and I just learned that I shouldn't remove the front ash tray and use the cubby as a slightly larger storage unit. It has a hole at the back edge and it took me quite a while and a variety of tools to pull out the Shuffle I had popped into the area for safe keeping (after unplugging the earpiece). While fishing around for it I also found two sets of nail clippers and bobby pins but no $$$$. The ashtray is in place again until I can configure a safe alternate liner for the cubby.

 

[Jay H]

that's what I thought when I looked at one the other day, too, but then a friend who just bought one said they have a weird part that swings out and is actually much better than it appears. Did you see one up close and confirm that it stinks? I haven't seen what my friend was talking about but the rack as it appears in regular pictures looks darn near useless.

Even the rack on my '07 is hard to adjust fore/aft enough to feel good about carrying my Penobscot 17 long distance.

Yes, I went to my local Subaru's "Love at first sight" introduction event to introduce the new 2010 Outback (this was Sept '09) and got to look precisely at the new roof rack. Because of the swivel feature which makes it intergrate into the roof rails, they cannot be moved fore/aft. I asked why to the salesperson and he said it was to reduce the (wind) noise in the cabin. I'm sure it also helps with the gas mileage, maybe 1mpg or so from what I've read...

The spread of the crossbars I believe (I got them to bring out a measuring tape was about 30" I think (I don't remember the exact spacing). My kayak's cockpit's coaming is about 30" long with the coaming around 32"ish. A cockpit area is the strongest part of a kayak so I normall strap my straps around it on a J-carrier. So, not only do I adjust my crossbar spacing to allow for the straightest run of the straps, I also adjust the crossbar to reduce the rear overhang in a long sea/touring kayak.

So, not only do the new 2010+ crossbars not allow you to adjust the spacing, it doesn't go fore/aft. And since the roof rails have no gaps in them (unlike my 2005), you cannot simply buy a Thule 450 crossroads and use Thule crossbars. I asked the salesperson if (when the stock crossbars are integrated into the rails) the crossbars are structurally sound, i.e. I am allowed to use the crossbars as a rail, the salesperson could not give me a definitive answer other than "probably". One could use the 450 crossroads and thule crossbars to adjust the gap, but that doesn't fix the lack of a fore/aft movement and completely missed the whole point of Subaru having a flexible platform for which to carry gear... now, isn't this is what all of us gear-heads buy a subaru???? A good AWD car, good clearance that helps us enjoy the great outdoors!!??? Heck, I almost bought my Subaru sight unseen..

I mean, I'd almost forget the wagon and buy a Subaru Legacy which is the 4-door sedan, which doesn't come with a roof rack because of the Outback design. Or the imprezza wagon, but that is smaller. I do like to sleep in the back when I can...

As I mentioned before, this isn't really an issue if all you're carrying are bikes, skis, a cargo box...

I've heard nothing but really good things about the outbacks in terms of safety, I've seen rollovers and head ons and I've heard good stuff about how good these cars do in crashes from the people that count, the EMTs and the police.

With the CVT in the new Outbacks, gas mileage is OK, but one common complaint about the 2005-2009 models is gas mileage is kind of crappy...



Jay