Question for you Subaru owners

[JStodd555]

Clymber, what are your total offroad goals? Exploring the fireroads and greenways of VT? If so, a Subaru totally fits the bill.

There are a few things you could easily do to cover those needs. AT's and underbody protection were my first priority with my Forester. Stock, it has decent ground clearance for what I require of it. Larger AT's can offer a mild lift to make up for what you loose with the skid plates. I might suggest you start there and see how "un-improved" the roads are in your travels then adding firmer springs and even a modest lift(up to 2") as needed.

I have 215/65-16 Grabbers on the Forester currently and average 22mpg hauling surfboards, bikes and camp gear around with 50% city driving thrown in there. Offload use for me typically consists of varying gravel roads, some double track and occasional rutted beach access scenarios. Currently stock height hasn't been a huge issue. That said, I'm planning on the stock height King springs(which offer nearly a 3/8" lift) with a 1" fr/1.5"rr top strut lift in the future.

 

[orangeTJ]

I've driven a few Crosstreks and thought they were under powered. The price difference was minimal enough between them and the Outback, that it's a no brainer to get the Outback.

 

[narddog]

I was recently in the same boat as you. Just purchased a '14 Outback after owning/building up a Nissan Frontier. The truck was fun, but totally unnecessary, as I was only using the goods 2% of my driving time. The rest of time the ride was rough(but tolerable) and gas mileage sucked. Enter the OB- very comfortable, space out the wazzu inside for as much gear as you can throw in it...and it's all secure as opposed to an open bed, and it'll get you pretty much anywhere you want to go. As others have said, they have quite the aftermarket support to satisfy the modder in you if so inclined. So far I've added rally armor mud flaps and scored an awesome deal on a set of aftermarket wheels with Cooper discoverer at3 tread. Totally transformed the car. Good luck with your search!

Sent from my XT1096 using Tapatalk

 

[cbal84]

When I built up the Tacoma I was living in CO that I live in VT I haven't really seen a need for the way it is built. From what I have seen its mostly one day rock bash and mud bogging and I'm not into that. I am more into taking the dirt roads or old logging roads and seeing what's out there. I know I will not be able to rock crawl or go thru 3' deep water but I didn't really do that in my truck. Yes I went thru deep water and over some big rocks but in the time I have had my truck I can count on one hand the number of time
Getting 16mpG is starting to bother me though. I have a full size work truck that has and ATV in the bed 90% of the time and I g et better mileage than my Tacoma which I can't figure out for the life of me

I had a wrangler that i bought and built up for similar purposes. the thing is, while i live near some cool off road trails, where i mostly want to go is 4+ hours from me. the places i ended up going were down dirt trails and forest service roads. I can count on one hand the times i needed 4-Low. And i could probably put needed in quotes there. Meantime the cargo space was cramped, my mileage was awful, managing the top was annoying, and it was a pretty spartan experience driving it day to day. In april i met a friend up in utah for a five-day trip and it took me nine hours to get where we were going, and then about 15 miles total, all on dirt. I got 14 mpg that trip. it got me thinking hard about how i actually use my vehicle and what i need. I don't need a winch or 33s or 4-low. I had to level with myself--i'm probably never going over elephant hill. sure, i could, but i don't really need to.

so late may i traded it for a '15 outback. bought some skids for it, and i'm swapping out the stock wheels and tires this weekend, but otherwise, i don't think it needs that much for my 6-8 camping trips a year. I'm taking her to the north rim of the canyon in a few weeks and big sur in august. it's going to get me in and out of sites with no problem, and back on the road it's going to be quiet and fuel efficient. It's definitely not as cool looking, but it makes way more sense for me, which is honestly more satisfying.

 

[CurtStyler]

I think the XV and the 2015 Outback facelift really brought over a lot of people from the truck/suv world. I had a 2008 Hummer H3 with an ARB bumper before I got my Outback. I'm surprised at how many XV builds there are. I love the XV. I had to a hard time going between either the Outback or XV. I ended up with the Outback. I just like the small size and the fun factor of the XV. They are a bit under powered IMO and there's not a ton of storage room, but if you don't need the extra room the XV is an attractive little package.

I do like my Outback, its the most practical solution for me and has let me take tons of road trips these past 10 months. I've put 21,000 miles on in 10 months and I work from home so that all fun driving. I drove from Tampa to Minneapolis last month and from Tampa to Houston before that. I'm heading back to Houston next week. I will warn that if you are coming from a truck and are more used to a truck seating position, the Outback or XV will feel very different. More car like. I'm not a fan, I prefer a taller seat height. Thats just my thoughts on the Outback/XV.

I know the OP mentioned the Forester. I'm actually thinking of test driving a Forester to see how I like it. It's a bit more of an upright seating position and the larger windows make the cabin feel more open. The cargo area is not as deep, but it is taller which is nice. The biggest problem is that Xmode is only available in the Forester XT. I have come to really like XMode on my Outback. It gives you a slightly lower gear ratio for offroading. The end result is better throttle control under 15 mph when in the dirt. It's not a drastic difference, but it does make for a much smoother ride when slowly offroading. I have also heard people say the Forester is a little lacking in build quality compared to the Outback but I can't verify that myself.

Anderson Design Fab makes some of the more popular lift kits for any of the Subarus right now. It's basically a steel spacer lift but works very well and has been tested a lot offroad over the past year. $500 for the kit gets you 2". You may or may not need it. I don't have a lift on my Outback, I just put on 245/65R17 Cooper AT3's (about an inch and a half over stock and an inch wider, the largest you can fit on an Outback) and the car has been great for forest service roads and some beach driving. I average 29.5 MPG on the highway and 25 MPG around town. My Hummer H3 used to get 11 City/14 Highway. Everything car has Pros/Cons, but I have been recommending Subarus to my friends and family. They get great milage and are more capable than most people give them credit for offroad. They won't go as far as you Tacoma, but if you just hit dirt roads and the occasional light trail they are great.

The metric I made up to compare vehicles was cost per 1000 miles of highway driving. My Outback at 29.5 MPG is about $76/1000 miles (assuming $2.25 gas). My old Hummer was $161/1000 miles. I gotta say I love the savings!

Hope that helps a bit. Good luck with your search!

 

[ADVSubaru]

I have a '14 Crosstrek loaded with an ARB Fridge Freezer and a roof top tent. Here are mine main gripes with the platform:
(1) The engine is underpowered when its loaded up. Pathetically underpowered. The CVT only compounds the issue.
(2) There is no room in the trunk with a Fridge Freezer AND you lose a rear seat. If you have a fridge freezer, plan on utilizing a trailer or a roof rack for more storage.
(3) Overall the Outback IS the better platform to work with - you have a 3.6 option which are bulletproof, tons more cargo room, and just more space overall.

If I knew what I know now, I would've gotten an Outback with a 3.6. But since I have the Crosstrek, I make it work 8^). Plus I like how small it is. Pick your poison.

Just for reference, my Crosstrek is lifted 2" with 205/75R15 General Grabber AT2's and depending which roof top tent I go with, I can get 22mpg (ARB) or 26mpg (James Baroud).

 

[calicamper]

The 3.6 is a great engine. Currently the oldest design in the line up. I'm on my second 2.5 EJ. I found with all my towing and Sierras and western states adventures that the 2.5 got it done and the rest of everyday life it was great.
The 3.6 owners I've compared notes with over the years share the same experience I have that cooling capacity limitations between the 3.6 and 2.5 is the primary limitation both 3.6 and 2.5's start to sweat it in the 1800lbs towed range. The extra power of the 3.6 for sure above 6000ft is a big reason I would go 3.6, but I visit 6000+ft only a few times a yr so I went 2.5 again when we got a new Subaru for more rear seat room. The old 2.5 at 180,000 was still 100% and had actually done two 2500 mile trips just before we decided bigger rear seat was a must.

 

[Clymber]

When I originally started to think about getting a Subaru I was all about the Crosstrek but after time I started to think it was going to be way to small for the gear and throwing the dog in the back seat also. I'm now stuck with the decision of the outback or the forester. I think the outback looks better stock so leaning that way.
What are the biggest tires that will fit on the outback stock. I know if I ask at the dealer you get the bs answer that they don't recommend do that and why would you want to. I would rather real world advice not what the company says.

 

[orangeTJ]

What are the biggest tires that will fit on the outback stock. ... I would rather real world advice not what the company says.

www.subaruoutback.org has some great info too.

 

[orangeTJ]

When I originally started to think about getting a Subaru I was all about the Crosstrek but after time I started to think it was going to be way to small for the gear and throwing the dog in the back seat also. I'm now stuck with the decision of the outback or the forester.

The Forester is essentially the same interior (front seats, dash layout, etc.) as the Crosstrek, but the roof is higher, which allows for seats that sit higher off the floor, which is nice.... but the Forester has a stiffer ride than an Outback. That's one thing that turned me off of the Forester. My JKU-R rode better than the Forester.

X-Mode is awesome! You can't get it in the Crosstrek (unless something changes for 2017)

 

[tddockery]

Tire size depends upon which year Outback.

I have a 2008 Outback 3.0R, with a 1" Subtle lift kit + lifted King Springs, using stock 17x7 rims (a necessity for me as I upgraded to the much larger GT brake system) and the largest tire I can run (and am currently running) without rubbing is 225/60/17. This size tire for offroad use is only available in the Yokohama Geolandar AT/S.

Hope that helps!

Dan