Car Forum World

Anyone got anything good or bad to say about Subaru outbacks before I go purchase one?

I have two Subarus, a 1995 and 2003 Legacys, which are mechanically the same as the Outback. The Outback has body cladding to make it look more "outdoorsy" and it's raised a bit, otherwise the Outback is same to the Legacy.

Anyway, the cars are pretty dependable, though the manual transmission in the 1995 car failed at 135k miles. That car also has an oil leak that smokes and smells some, but it doesn't otherwise use any oil. Both cars are reasonably peppy and comfy, and the 2003 car has excellent handling and brakes. Other than the transmission fix, all other maintenance was routine. The 1995 car now has 157k miles on it and is going strong.

One more thing. I take care of my cars pretty well but the 1995 Subaru just looks great after all these years. The paint is in great form, it has lots of shine and there's no rust anywhere.

I recommend Subarus they're a good value for the money.

I own two Subarus and two other cars.

Good car that will last a long time..if you want to read reviews of the car itself.or any possible issues that people are having with it., go to edmunds.com you may be able to read the editor reviews. Check out the forums for issues.

I have had more cars than Carter has little liver pills but the Subaru outback is by far the best car I have ever owned. it's the best all round car I have ever seen. Unlike lots of people, I put a car through heII and the Outback has done the best of all of them.

They are usually good cars that will last you a logn time. they're well built and can get you through the winter as they're built for more rugged conditions than other wagons.

Best friend runs the dismantle shop/shipping department at a salvage yard, there's a big backlog for Subaru Outback engines now, they seem to blow head gaskets rather easily, and when they do, they take out the cylinder heads. He typically has ten twelve on backorder. And these aren't high mileage cars 60 75k miles

If it was me I would not get an outback, I'd get an Impreza WRX STI, but that is just me. As for the head gaskets blowing out I know of one 90's model impreza that had the problem and it was a $200 fix, after that whatever you told the car to do it flat out did. No mods on it and it was at 250,000 miles last time I checked. I have never heard of a Subaru of any kind that got less than 100,000 before it was taken off the road. Maybe offroading is what could because a short life span, no I doubt that too. It all just depends on how you treat the car and what you're going to do with it.

I have a 98, Outback restricted wagon that has 279,000 miles. it is been a great car. I had the dreaded "head gasket" problem at 264,000 miles. When the work was to be done it has been suggested that the short block be replaced because it would not last much longer. After a $4000 rebuild it is running great and I hope to reach 500,000 miles with it.

If you think about purchasing a 98 or 99, be sure the engine stops knocking after ten minutes of running. The 98's and 99's were pretty noisy at start up but Subaru claimed it was normal and could go away after the engine warmed up. They called it "piston slap". If it continues to knock after warm up, it may be prepared for the "head gasket" fix.

The transmission auto has been replaced at 84,000 miles but from what I hear, Subie trannies are pretty dependable and my failure was rare.

I'm not hard on the car and 95 % of the mileage on it's from highway driving. Good luck with your buy.

Outback are great cars.based off the Subaru Legacy..I'd like to see them sometime in a turbo edition model. I don't see that coming anytime soon.