2013 Subaru Outback

Rating from Rat Rodder

(5)
Comfort:		4 out of 5
Performance:		5 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		5 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"Everything seems great, but it is new. Lets give it a year. It drives nice and the power for a four cylinder surprised me. Seems to be plenty of room for a smaller vehicle. We got it for the winters. Just have to wait and see."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Just getting around

Rating from new outback owner

(4)
Comfort:		4 out of 5
Performance:		4 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		5 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"I have had the 2013 Subaru Outback 2.5 Premium for a little over a week. Bought new, and this is my first Subaru. I am extremely happy with the build of the car. Build quality is solid and there are no bumps or rattles. My vehicle has black cloth seats, and they are moderately comfortable, with good back support. I did try the leather also, and they are more comfortable than the cloth, but the extra cost of the Limited (with all of its color screens and graphical interfaces) was not my preference. Other interior features that I like are the Bluetooth Hands-free system (also plays music from my Iphone through bluetooth on the radio), and the automatic headlights. Base radio seemed weak at first, but with a little tuning of the features (bass, treble, mid), it's definitely passable, especially with mp3s playing. Back seat room is cavernous. I am 6'2'' and there is space between my knees and the front seats, even with the front seats pushed all the way back. Cargo area is what you would expect, and I like the area beneath the cargo floor where I've added a first aid kit, jumper cables, etc. The four cylinder has enough power for probably 75 percent of buyers. Like other reviewers have said, the CVT takes a little getting used to because it doesn't have the shift points of a standard transmission. The CVT is also noisy (actually noisier than the 4 cylinder itself). I've noticed that the car shudders a little when gears are changed from reverse to drive, very similar to a manual transmission when you are at the clutch's friction point. Coming from a VW, these definitely are not dealbreakers, and most people may not even notice them. Once you reach speed on the highway, the Outback is smooth and has a very good on-center feel. Fuel efficiency seems about right for this four cylinder engine paired with a heavy vehicle, city driving, and liberal use of the air conditioning. Currently, I am getting a little over 26mpg at sea level. The engine requires synthetic oil, and maintenance intervals are 7500 miles. The oil filter is actually on top of the engine, which will make oil changes a breeze. All indications are that this car will last a long time, and I'm looking forward to updating this review once we get some snow!"

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Commuting

Rating from Off road adventurer

(5)
Comfort:		4 out of 5
Performance:		5 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		4 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"This is the 4th Subaru I have owned. I love the styling and rugged looks. Performance on the 2013 is very good. The new cvt transmission works well. My wife especially loves the hill holder function. Fuel mileage is outstanding for an all wheel drive (31) mpg so far on regular fuel. Our only complaint is that the passanger seat should have electronic controls instead of manual. Other than that we hope to put 200,000 plus miles on this outback like we did on our last one."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Commuting

Rating from MotherRunner

(5)
Comfort:		4 out of 5
Performance:		4 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		5 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"Have had our Outback about a month. This is our second Subaru - our daughter now drives our 2001 Legacy. Found an Outback with a manual transmission - rare in the South. Hope it is as reliable and dependable as our Legacy. So far we really like it. Only thing missing so far is a cargo net to keep groceries from rolling around in back ."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Commuting

Rating from new car

(5)
Comfort:		5 out of 5
Performance:		5 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		5 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"I really like my new Subaru, I traded my new Honda CRV in on this and there is a lot difference in the two cars. Subaru is a much better car. more room, feels better driving down the highway. My Honda wore the tires out every 17.000 miles. I will not go back to Honda, I love my Subaru!"

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: N/A

Rating from KB 1959

(5)
Comfort:		5 out of 5
Performance:		5 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		5 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"I purchased a loaded Subaru outback after driving one of the old styles for many years. This new styling provides good viewing vantage point and the seats are supportive for long drives. Make the investment in a Subaru; you won't regret it."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Commuting

Rating from Johnny

(5)
Comfort:		5 out of 5
Performance:		5 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		4 out of 5
Interior Design:		5 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		4 out of 5

"I never thought I would purchase a Subaru. My search was long (more than 2 years) and ran the gamut from the Honda CR-Z to the Hyundai Santa Fe and even the Chevy Volt. I saw a Subaru Outback at a dog agility trial and liked the looks and decided to explore further. I knew I wanted 4 doors so my dogs would have easy access and I wanted space. I did not care for the ride of SUV's, though the Santa Fe was intriguing. After hours and hours of online research I was not convinced it was the car for me, but decided to take one for a test drive. I set it up so that I could test drive the 4 cylinder and 6 cylinder versions back-to-back. Based on the online reviews I expected the 4 to be rather anemic and figured coming from a 6 cylinder Honda Accord that I would definitely prefer the 6 cylinder. The test drive was stunning. I loved the handling of the Outback. The interior for me was crisp and very pleasant. The power of the 4 cylinder was surprisingly good. While the 6 was peppier, I actually liked the 4 better. Within 3 weeks of my test drive, I had located a previously owned 2013 Subaru within 250 miles of my home thanks to Cars.com. I took a ride to Modern Subaru in NC and drove home that day with the Outback. The dealership treated me very well and the deal was smooth and easy. In terms of the car I have only been driving it a short time, but I have experienced driving in the hills and mountains of NC, on the highway, in the city and all around my local area. I can not say enough positive things about the vehicle. It has surprised me by surpassing all my expectations. I was initially leery of the power (or lack thereof) of the 4 cylinder engine. Let me assure you, it is NOT a problem. Peppy and smooth. Absolutely no regrets. The gas mileage has been beyond expectation. On a recent highway trip I averaged 36 MPG (temp in 70's...no air, just sunroof open) and around town I have been averaging 28 MPG. Originally I was not interested in the Navigation system because I read so many reviews that it was overly complicated and no good. My Subaru does have the Navigation system and in retrospect, I would have been disappointed if I had settled for a model without it. The system is not hard to use...maybe not uber intuitive, but reasonable. The screen is brilliant and the navigation provides the driver with plenty of useful information. Radio is just fine, easy to adjust settings/equalizer and it is definitely premium quality, if you know how to use it. Finally, mine came equipped with the EyeSight system. This was not on my list of desired accessories, but after driving with it for 30 minutes, I can not imagine ever having a car without it. The adaptive cruise control is wonderful and makes long highway drives extremely easy. The system alerts me when I wander out of my lane and also when the car in front of me at a light moves out and I am turned away checking on the dogs or something. Subaru got it right. The car is rugged enough to feel manly with just enough frou frou to satisfy and impress anyone. Bottom line, it is FUN to drive. I LOVE my Subaru."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: Used

Primary use for this car: Just getting around

Rating from Feed Your Head

(3)
Comfort:		3 out of 5
Performance:		4 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		4 out of 5
Interior Design:		3 out of 5
Value for the Money:		4 out of 5
Reliability:		2 out of 5

"If you read the fine print on the warranty, you will see that anything falling from the sky, including rain and snow is not covered under the warranty. Now if a tree or nuclear fallout fell on my car I wouldn?t expect Subaru to cover that, but the finish should be able to stand up to everyday elements like rain. In my case the chrome finish did not stand up to normal rain and sun, and it is not covered. I also had tree sap eat through the paint, and Subaru would not cover that either. Given the marketing of this car for outdoor adventures, the paint should be able to stand up to normal pine sap. The paint on my wife?s Suzuki held up just fine. So, if you plan to beat your car up, don?t worry about this. But, if you want it to look nice, try another brand."

I would recommend this car to a friend: No

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: N/A

Rating from They call me MR. Subaru

(5)
Comfort:		5 out of 5
Performance:		5 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		5 out of 5
Interior Design:		5 out of 5
Value for the Money:		5 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"I have owned the 2013 Subaru Special Appearance Package for 3 weeks today and it's been great so far. I really like the key free feature. Gas mileage seems to be right on so far. The seats are really comfortable which was one of the selling features for me vs. the Mazda. Seems very solid. Never thought i would buy a Subaru, but I'm pleased that i did!"

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Commuting

Rating from Busy Mother

(5)
Comfort:		5 out of 5
Performance:		5 out of 5
Exterior Styling:		4 out of 5
Interior Design:		4 out of 5
Value for the Money:		4 out of 5
Reliability:		5 out of 5

"Amazed at how smooth the ride is, comfortable seats, and loads of room for both driver and passengers :). Gas mileage is much better than expected. Overall very happy with my purchase"

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: New

Primary use for this car: Transporting family