| wmquan |
My 2003 Saab 9-3's lease was up, so I ended up purchasing a 2006 Subaru Outback 2.5 XT Wagon.
I wanted a second vehicle that wasn't a step down in safety from the Saab. The Outbacks have five-star NHTSA scores and the Legacy's (which are basically Outbacks without the raised suspension) have terrific IIHS scores. The second vehicle needed to ride and seat comfortably, be reliable, have good power, handle pretty well, and be a good, smaller alternative to hauling out the MDX for day trips. And be bought for under $30k. AWD wasn't a requirement but a nice plus in rainy Seattle. So was a higher seating position and good ground clearance.
The Outback XT has the turbocharged 4-cylinder boxer engine. Puts out 250 horsepower, 250 pounds of torque. Weighs about 3,600 pounds, so is actually faster than my fast MDX. The XT is a serious hoot to drive -- the 3-liter, 6-cylinder, normally aspirated boxer is smoother and quieter, but the turbo four is in a league of its own. Motor Week clocked the XT with automatic tranny doing 0-60 in 6.8 seconds.
It doesn't handle as well as the lighter, lower-to-the-ground 9-3 but acquits itself well. The interior is actually richer than my MDX's except there's no plood in the charcoal interior Outback (there is with the taupe interior). It's got a huge dual-panel sunroof.
I probably would have considered the new Acura RDX if it was out, but I suspect its relatively larger size and higher price (beyond our budget) would have offset the richer features. Couldn't wait for it anyway.
Since I had some more miles to burn off the Saab's lease allowance, I kept the Outback in the garage for a few weeks after I bought it. That gave me time to wash it and layer on four coats of Zaino. Zaino can't work miracles on a silver car, but I'm using it mostly for the long-lasting protection.
My thanks to donsev for his inciteful information on Subarus. |
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| theXman |
Nice Ride!
Do you mind sharing some pricing details? Thanks.
:cool: |
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| hammermdx |
| Congrats, nice pics! |
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| carguy1234 |
Nice looking ride.
I hope you have better luck than we did with our '97 Outback. Subaru is still in my "Never Again" category based on that experience. And my dad bought a '98 Outback, and his was even worse. But it sounds like we were in the minority, since other people seem to have good luck with them. |
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| G. COLTON |
I looked at one of these many years ago, probably around 1997 or 1998. I could not believe that even their top model was so spartan. No power seat, only a little manual lever to raise and lower the seat. I said no thanks and left.
Maybe they have improved since then.
G |
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| dvilla |
wmquan,
you should also start posting at subaruoutback.org
i traded my 2001 X for a 2005 LLBean Subaru outback wagon. my wife likes it so much that she took exclusive use of it and so i ended up getting a 2005 X for my exclusive use. good for her, goood for me -- peace and quite in the family. |
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| nightguy |
| That's not a bad looking car. It's one of only a couple of Subaru's that don't come with a factory installed rainbow sticker. :) |
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| screbr |
Very sweet ride. The new Outbacks are good looking cars.
My other ride is a 99 Outback that my wife and I bought brand new that summer. It's now got 93k miles on it, and other than one leaky oil seal fixed under warranty, it's been a solid, reliable car. Not sure why others had bad experiences with the 1st generation Outbacks, but ours has been strong.
I do agree with G Colton's "spartan" observation. Everything is very mechanical in the 1st generation Outbacks. The 2nd Gen came out with a Limited version with Leather and power everything. The newer Outbacks have added even more luxury components to compliment the performance and AWD upside that has always been present in the Outback models.
Check out subaruoutback.org - another great forum in the mold of this one. scoobymods is another good forum with a long history. |
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| wmquan |
quote:
Originally posted by theXman
Do you mind sharing some pricing details? Thanks.
- 2006 Outback 2.5 XT Limited Wagon
- Autodimming Mirror w/Compass
- Subwoofer
- Tow Hitch
- All-season mats
After $1,000 customer rebate, price before taxes, title, and license: $29,432
Subarus usually sell at deep discounts so it's easy to get substantial discounts.
Outbacks with the regular 2.5 liter H4 engine are significantly cheaper. But I feel those are underpowered for my tastes. |
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| wmquan |
quote:
Originally posted by carguy1234
I hope you have better luck than we did with our '97 Outback. Subaru is still in my "Never Again" category based on that experience. And my dad bought a '98 Outback, and his was even worse. But it sounds like we were in the minority, since other people seem to have good luck with them.
Sorry to hear about your old Subaru.
In recent years, Subaru has pulled very close to Toyota and Honda in most reliability scores (Consumer Reports, JD Power). With some models, they've actually exceeded their counterparts.
The current Outback is rated "above average" by Consumer Reports, though not "well above average."
So, statistically, it's likely a Subaru is quite reliable.
So far, the only issue I've noted is a clicking wiper motor. Might need to be replaced but haven't been motivated enough to go to the dealership yet. |
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| wmquan |
quote:
Originally posted by G. COLTON
I looked at one of these many years ago, probably around 1997 or 1998. I could not believe that even their top model was so spartan. No power seat, only a little manual lever to raise and lower the seat. I said no thanks and left.
Maybe they have improved since then.
G,
You're right, I wouldn't have bought a Subaru back in 1997-1998. And the last time I shopped a Subaru was in 2003, but the Forester didn't have side curtain airbags (and still doesn't, only head protection for the front). I wouldn't have bought a 2005 Outback because there were issues in the 2005 Legacy's IIHS side-impact test. This was resolved for 2006 and the Subaru does great now, so it went back on the short list.
Indeed, Subaru has come a long way. I think people who drove older Subarus would be surprised with the newer offerings. I think Subaru realized they needed to make their interiors more competitive.
My Outback XT is not the top-of-the-line Outback, but has most of the items you'd routinely expect from today's higher-trim line Honda (EX) or Toyota (XL), and more:
- 8-way power driver's seat with manual lumbar
- 4-way power passenger's seat with manual lumbar
- Five-level heated front seats
- Dual-zone automatic climate control
- Electroluminescent gauges
- Trip computer
- Autodimming mirror
- Turn signals in side mirrors
- 6-disc in-dash CD changer
- Split-cargo cover and cargo tray is included
- Available navigation system (I did not get it)
- Shift buttons in the steering wheel
Additionally, the quality of interior materials is high, as good as if not better than Honda and Toyota (though not Lexus-level, not surprisingly). In fact, the interior quality appears better than my 2001 MDX. The Outback's dash console is soft-touch, as are most upper surfaces. There is faux aluminium trim with the charcoal interior, plood with the taupe interior.
Now, there are some areas where I think Subaru is behind Hondas and Toyotas. Most notably with the advanced electronics:
- No satellite radio option
- Nav system is behind Honda's (everyone's is behind Honda's!)
- No Bluetooth
- No OnStar/telematics
- No aux-in jack for MP3 players (someone has a $45 mod that gives a way to hook in)
- Wimpy cupholders in the rear.
- A lot less convenience storage than a Honda/Toyota (e.g. tiny glove box, small center console).
- This is a bummer: you can get in higher Outbacks audio controls in the steering wheel, or shifter buttons, but not both. The Outback XT's give you only the latter. Very annoying.
Nevertheless, I think Subaru's are now a lot more palatable to the mainstream buyer. The main drawback to the Legacy/Outback is that while they are mid-sized, they are on the smaller, narrower side of that class. So Accords and Camrys provide more passenger and trunk space (when comparing the sedans).
For me, the relatively narrow body was a big plus for a second, smaller vehicle to be the MDX's garage mate. And my kids aren't big enough to need a large amount of rear seat room.
Add to this an excellent AWD system, and top-notch crash test scores, and Subarus aren't just for niche buyers anymore. |
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| wmquan |
quote:
Originally posted by nightguy
That's not a bad looking car. It's one of only a couple of Subaru's that don't come with a factory installed rainbow sticker. :)
It is true that Subaru's marketing department has made an effort to reach out to those with "alternative lifestyles." E.g. they've used Martina Navratilova in their advertising. That's fine with me.
On the other hand, Subaru has aggressively gone after folks who are into outdoor sports. Skiers, mountain bikers, rock climbers, kayakers, etc. Hence they use people like Lance Armstrong in their advertising.
Subaru actually sponsors many of those outdoor sports's national organizations. E.g. the Internatinal Mountain Biking Association, the American Canoe Association, etc.
Members of those organizations actually qualify for an additional discount (on top of incentives) that Subaru funds. The only trick is that you have to be a member for 6 months before being eligible for the discount. |
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| wmquan |
| Thanks for the recommendations on subaruoutback.org. It's a great forum. It doesn't have the same technical level as legacygt.com, but it's a lot more manageable and friendlier, like acuramdx.org. |
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| nightguy |
quote:
Originally posted by wmquan
It is true that Subaru's marketing department has made an effort to reach out to those with "alternative lifestyles." E.g. they've used Martina Navratilova in their advertising. That's fine with me.
And I wasn't taking any shots at them, you or anyone else. It just never ceases to amaze me that I almost always see one with a sticker during my commute to work. Maybe it's the same one.
When the Paul Hogan marketing first started, we gave my friend Joe and his fiance a lot of grief about buying one until we had a huge snowstorm. I've never seen a car take a plow drift like that. Simply amazing.
I actually like their cars despite the "spartan" interior. The only thing I don't like are the frameless windows. Or have they improved that ? |
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| wmquan |
quote:
Originally posted by nightguy
I actually like their cars despite the "spartan" interior. The only thing I don't like are the frameless windows. Or have they improved that ?
Have you sat in a newer-model Outback XT or 3.0R LL Bean? I suspect you won't find their interiors spartan at all.
The LL Bean's have a nice mahogany wood steering wheel. We test-drove an 3.0R LL Bean first, and I took some photos:
Unfortunately, frameless windows seem to be their calling card. I think there are some supposed technical reasons they do it, but I'm not as crazy about them. A lot of reviewers criticize them.
I often close a door by grabbing onto the door frame around the window and slam it shut. Doesn't feel right to do it with frameless windows.
I also do not like how the door juts out and seemingly threatens little kids (especially the rear door, where the kids are around). I definitely consider this a negative:
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| nightguy |
quote:
Originally posted by wmquan
Have you sat in a newer-model Outback XT or 3.0R LL Bean? I suspect you won't find their interiors spartan at all.
Indeed. They are still small for a guy like me but much nicer. I can't tell if you like this car or not. ;)
BTW, what camera are you using to snap these ? Those are some well-balanced pics. Are you taking them at that resoution or shrinking them ? |
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| mkaresh |
Nice car. To my eye the interior styling is very similar to Acura's, especially the center stack and console, though the materials aren't quite as nice.
I've personally considered a Legacy GT wagon from time to time. With a manual.
This is one of the cars I'm already collecting reliability data on. Initial results in a couple of months. |
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| wmquan |
quote:
Originally posted by nightguy
Indeed. They are still small for a guy like me but much nicer. I can't tell if you like this car or not. ;)
BTW, what camera are you using to snap these ? Those are some well-balanced pics. Are you taking them at that resoution or shrinking them ?
Oops, missed this post until it bumped recently.
I run almost all of my photos through PhotoShop -- just a habit I've developed. But usually I just do an auto-level. If it still looks weird, I change the curve. The camera itself is no big deal -- old Sony DSC-V1.
The photos are hosted on SmugMug; I upload them at the full 5mp resolution I take the photo in, but SmugMug will resize them to various sizes.
It was pretty cloudy when I shot the photos, so I shot them with both +0.3 and +0.7 EV exposures, and picked which one looked better (camera doesn't do that bracketing automatically like some of the D-SLR's will). That meant less work in PhotoShop leveling and curves. |
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