New member! Subaru Outback- San Diego

[Marc1904]

I bought a 2011 Subaru Outback last April and it has been an amazing time ever since. I found the limits of the stock tires several occasions... and learned, the hard way, how much mud/water could an Outback with factory tires get through. Almost totaled the car on that one.

So I've only added a few accessories so far:
-Yakima Load Warrior roof rack
-Yakima Space Cadet roof box
-Home made spare tire/Hella 500 light brackets for rack
-Interior cargo nets
-Curt 2" hitch
-19mm WRX STi rear sway bar
-Hankook 225/70/16 Dynapro ATm with a full size spare

After looking at all the other forums, this seems to be most focused on something I would like to work towards. For now, I'll just be driving all the trails within weekend driving distance on San Diego.

As a side note, if any of you are near San Diego and want to take me on a trail sometime, let me know!

 

[98roamer]

Welcome and enjoy, I know I have.
My Wife and I are comparing the 100 series LC, 4 gen 4Runner and the 4Gen Outback for our next vehicle, so I'm really looking forward to your thoughts on your Outback and how your trips go.
Thanks
Lance

 

[Redline]

Welcome.

Nice that you are getting out in your car.

 

[CA-RJ]

Welcome! Looks like you are having fun with your car. Post up some more pictures. I've always been intrigued by Outbacks that are used off-road.

 

[Rallyroo]

Nice looking Outback that gets to play in the dirt. And on steelies too.

 

[Marc1904]

Welcome and enjoy, I know I have.
My Wife and I are comparing the 100 series LC, 4 gen 4Runner and the 4Gen Outback for our next vehicle, so I'm really looking forward to your thoughts on your Outback and how your trips go.
Thanks
Lance

Thank you! Those were all vehicles that I had looked at when the time came to trade in. I had a 2004 Lincoln Navigator that had every little feature you could imagine from the factory, but it averaged around 16mpg on a good day, which is just too much for my daily driven vehicle... In the end, the only 2 "SUVs" that I was deciding between was the Outback and Forester... the Outback seemed like a more daily driven friendly vehicle, so it was bought.

The car is the most amazing thing i've had, and would recommend one to anyone. I've done a ton of the 'easy' trails that are listed in the books that I have and some websites...
so far:
-Canyon Sin Nombre
-Almost all of the Otay Truck Trail area
-Los Pinos Road
-Most trails in Ocotillo Wells (actually got lost in there at night and plowed my way out!)
-McCain Valley Road
-Sierra Pelona (Angeles mtns)

It's been through mud, ice, dirt, sand, rocks and water... so far so good. I did get stuck in a puddle at one point and almost totaled my car, but that was my fault.

 

[Marc1904]

Welcome! Looks like you are having fun with your car. Post up some more pictures. I've always been intrigued by Outbacks that are used off-road.

Here's a few more pics. I really need someone to start coming and taking pics... parking, getting out and running up a hill to take a pic gets old.

 

[Rallyroo]

Here's a few more pics. I really need someone to start coming and taking pics... parking, getting out and running up a hill to take a pic gets old.

I know that feeling. Even worse, is that I seem to always end up as the "official" photographer when on group trips. So I don't have too many pictures of myself with my rig unless it's a group shot that I end up getting in. It's the "photographer's curse".

 

[CA-RJ]

What model Outback do you have? Manual or auto? What kind of fuel mileage are you seeing with your all-terrains and roof basket?

 

[Marc1904]

What model Outback do you have? Manual or auto? What kind of fuel mileage are you seeing with your all-terrains and roof basket?

It's a 2.5i with CVT. The day after I got the tires, I drove from SD to LA. On the freeway, I averaged 29.2mpg. Over the weekend, including a slow moving 15 mile trail through the mountains, the average ended up being 26.4mpg.

The few times I've driven with the basket on was to Anza Borrego, which felt like it was uphill both ways with a strong headwind... the first day the average was 20mpg... the second day with a little less wind the trip averaged right around 23.5mpg, which seems pretty reasonable, as I got 25mpg on the same route with no basket. I also tried to drive with the fairing off the basket, but that caused a really annoying howl coming off the tire and did nothing for the efficiency.

 

[Stev0]

Wikkid outback! Dont see much of the newer ones in the bush yet

 

[Marc1904]

Wikkid outback! Dont see much of the newer ones in the bush yet

This one has almost been lost TWICE now! Once in a small lake and once in the desert... my front and rear bumper guards are scraped up now from hitting the ground... and when I take it in to the dealership for service, the Subaru people are always really excited to see that week's pictures and videos. They get all happy when people "use their Outback like it's meant to be used" (quote from them)

 

[dustboy]

We're thinking about one of these, I test drove one with the same drivetrain and found it to be a little lacking in oomph, especially on the highway. How is it at getting up long hills at highway speed and 2-lane passing??

 

[TeufelHunden]

Hey Marc, I do a lot of wheeling in my Forester and live up in Oside. Next time you head out, drop me a message or something. I spent alot of time up in the mountains with my Forester and am not afraid to take it anywhere. Fish Creek Basin out near Ocotillo is pretty cool too.

 

[Marc1904]

We're thinking about one of these, I test drove one with the same drivetrain and found it to be a little lacking in oomph, especially on the highway. How is it at getting up long hills at highway speed and 2-lane passing??

It is lacking power to make it "fast" but it does have enough power to push it along the highway. I made a 1400mi round trip with a packed to the ceiling car towing a trailer, another 500 or so pounds and still managed to get around 26mpg. This was with hills, mountains, dirt road driving. With an empty vehicle I really haven't had any problems passing/merging/hills/mountains.
Don't get me wrong.. 170bhp in a car this size doesn't make it fast by any means... but it's not slow enough to be annoying.