2001 Subaru Outback consumer reviews

My wife bought this wagon from her parents last year ('08). Her parents were told by a dealer, shortly after they bought it in '02, that it had the motor (2.5L) replaced already...really?!?! Whether that's true or not, the car held up it's end very nicely since then. It's not old, but it has 175K and a rust problem (thanks NY!!). I spent a good $500+ on parts this year since her parents didn't want to sink any money into it last year (hence selling it dirt cheap to us). I can say, for the miles, 2 front struts, a knock and camshaft sensor, catback exhaust, rear wheel bearing and control arm bushing, front caliper, pads and rotors all around and a tranny fluid change are pretty good for the amount of miles. The most expensive part ended up being a set of tires; sadly, 1 is almost shot already due to noticing too late that the rear end was out of alignment (control arm bushing loose). The motor and tranny are very smooth and are leak/smoke free. You really have to hit the gas to climb a hill and the car does not have much power, especially with passengers. Very comfortable ride with lots of space front to back! Heated cloth seats are wonderful when -20* outside! Heater and a/c are amazing! Worst con: avg mpg in low 20s with 4 cyl. Car is way too heavy, even with AWD. Best mileage was 26 on hwy trip. The gas mileage and rust holes are making us look for something else likely in the coming spring.

Bought new in '01, have 120K miles on it now. Car has been incredibly reliable. We have 4 cyl with 5 speed manual. Had one major issue-- at about 85K miles, the head gasket was leaking. Estimate was $3K for repair-- but it turned out to be covered by a recall- so it was no charge. Pluses: - still very comfy - heated seats are great! - Interior materials have held up well to 8 years of wear. - we have averaged about 24 MPG Minor complaints: - Interval wipers are not adjustable- you can't vary the rate. - keyless entry system has stopped working

I got this car 6 years ago and it is just the right size for hauling bikes, kayaks, and camping in the back end (barely but it works!). The only thing I have had to replace is the hydraulics in the trunk...great little car. Hope it lasts me another 6 years.

i bought this car used at 96000 miles. up here in snow country, Maine, all wheel drive is the way to go and i would rate this car very highly as practical, safe transportation. it has started every day and gotten me through lots of snow and rough roads with all season tires. the layout and dimensions of the car are convenient and practical for both passenger and cargo carriage. i have run into serious mechanical problems that i did not expect with a subaru: the transmission went, requiring replacement, at 120 000 and right now the engine is being rebuilt because of a ring failure and leaking head gasket. i am a careful driver and maintenance fusspot so this has not been an abused vehicle. the transmission replacement cost $1300 (parts and labor) and the head gasket/short block replacement will cost about 3000 +-. these sorts of main item failures seem excessive and make me question subaru reliability. that said, my research suggests that both ring and manual transmission failures are pretty rare issues for these cars so i might have just had bad luck. head gasket replacement, though is pretty standard. i would buy another one simply because, for the money, noone else offers the features i want= manual transmission, all wheel drive wagon.