bigreen505 said:
Going back to the smaller, lighter theme ...
Does anyone know how what a Subaru Outback is capable of, you know, outback?
Okay, first of all, I'll apologize in advance if it's a breach of etiquette to answer a post this old (may of 06), but I didn't see another answer, so here's mine:
I had a 99 Outback Wagon (OBW) as my previous vehicle (traded it in last month on an 04 Tacoma 4x4.) As with anything else, there are pluses and there are minuses.
Mine was a 99, auto, with the standard 2.5l flat-4 motor and the "rocky mountain edition" package (which was basically a cold weather package: Seat heaters, mirror heaters and windshield wiper heaters.) It was a great little vehicle for my last couple of years at law school in Laramie, Wyoming (where Winters are pretty harsh.)
Pluses:
* Comfortable and reliable - never had any problems with it (although you have to be careful with the 1st Gen - 95-99 - Outbacks as the 2.5l engine is notorious for blowing head gaskets.)
* AWD works great in snow, icy conditions, wet roads, and well-groomed dirt. Combined with the low CG you can really get crazy in the curves on dirt roads.
* Surprisingly large for a compact wagon.
* Decent (though not spectacular) MPG. I averaged 21-24 in the city and 25-31 on the highway, using cruise control. Combined with the 15.9 gallon tank, that gives over 400 miles highway range, better than my Tacoma.
* Factory roof rack can be adapted with commercial parts to take a Yakima or Thule rack.
* A surprising number of off-road parts (lift kits, 'roo bars, etc) are available, most of them from Australia, where Subarus are quite popular.
* Very maneuverable through city traffic; visibility and handling are great.
Minuses:
* Hauling capacity is just too small for 2 people, IMO (this is why I traded it for a Tacoma) NOTE: I think it would be fine for one person who didn't mind traveling light.
* (This one is personal to me - your mileage may vary) I didn't care for a lot of the "high end" options, i.e. power windows, power door locks, RKE, etc. My fear was that these things would break when I was in the middle of nowhere and I'd be stuck with a window down and a rainstorm coming in.
* While the Subaru is certainly capable, it does seem rather flimsy in comparison with an actual truck.
* Probably the worst aspect of the Outbacks is the miserable approach and departure angles, caused by excessive overhang at both ends. Really, this is the one thing that keeps the OBW from being a better off-roader. The worst offenders here are the '00-'04 models which have a large plastic air dam hanging from the front bumper. The '05-up models have a smaller air dam, as do the '95-'99 models.
* Breakover angle sucks, too.
* Rear driveshaft sits in a "tunnel" that can get packed with mud and makes a very unpleasant noise. This actually happened to me while I was hunting in Wyoming.
* Seats are rather flimsy and will wear out (spring material crushed down) after just a few years.
* The seat heaters usually break (on mine only the driver's side worked), and I never could get the mirror or wiper heaters to do anything.
Honestly, I think a Forester would make a better Expedition vehicle, even though it's shorter overall, just because it has slightly better approach/departure angles (although when they redesigned the Forester in 2003, they did add more front overhang.) '
A couple other things to consider: Besides the problematic head gasket, another reason to avoid a 95-99 Outback in favor of an 00- up version is that starting in 2000 all of the OBW's got a rear LSD. The '99 and earlier versions were never available with LSD.
An OBW or Baja with a mild, 3-4" lift would be a pretty capable vehicle overall. As long as you understand and respect its limitations, it can take you pretty far.
Hope this helps! :wavey:
