2005 Subaru Outback consumer reviews

Bought my 2005 subaru used at J&B Auto sales in Tunnelton WV. I've had it for 3 months it had 115,000 miles when i purchased it. when its cold it shifts hard & the rear struts feel spundgy a lot of bounce when going over bumps. But other than that so far so good. Get those few issues taken care of & i should have a pretty good work ride.

I've owned my 2005 Subaru Outback Sport since November of 05 when I drove it off the lot with 27 miles on it. I really love the way this car handles, it looks cool, and has generally been pretty durable. However... I have done all the basic maintenance, oil changes, timing belts, EFI service, coolant flushes, all of it when it was required. I have had to replace both rear wheel bearings and both front CV axles. All of this happened around 90k miles. I'm at 139k right now and my car has been in the shop for a week for what I suspect is a leaking headgasket. I don't have oil leak unless the engine is running and I can smell the oil dripping onto something and then burning. (No driveway oil puddles though..) I guess we'll see what the mechanic says, hopefully it can be repaired... Read around for the dreaded subaru headgasket problems. I wish someone would have told me when I had subaru-fever when shopping for a new car....

I have owned my Outback for about 50,000 miles. It now has over 108,000 miles on it, and no problems at all. The car still has the original front brakes. The turbo engine is super fun, I get 20mpg in the City driving normally. Passing on the highway is a pleasure, the turbo really shines. AWD makes cornering in the mountain roads a rush.

nice car my wife loves it. sporty all weel drive.i have never owned a subaru before the only thing is mpg it gets 12.5 in the city. very poor but this outback is a turbo

I use my 05 Subaru Outback Sedan in my job everyday. I work in the mountains of N.C. and the flat lands. Great car in the winter and with decent mileage. My overall rating is as high as I could give. I also have a BMW that sits in the garage. Both are good cars, but for use anywhere and everywhere, the Subaru is hard to beat.

Bought my "new" 2005 Outback with 101,000 miles on it. I did the expected initial maintenence; timeing belts, water pump, oil pump, drive belts an axle etc. Now i have a car that I will drive another 100,000 miles with out a care or worry. I love the feel of the leather seats and since this car will be used to haul around three rottweilers, the ease of cleaning will be a benefit too. This car seems more "refined" then my 98 Outback which was a welcome change but I still think I miss the "tank" feel of the 97 some too. I can honestly say I've owned more Subarus then most people have owned cars in general and never have I got one I would call bad!!

Only reason I sold this Subaru (Outback L.L. Bean LOADED) was because I needed a truck to haul stuff off my property. Hard to part with. One of the BEST cars I've owned. Trips to Vermont in deep snow were effortless!

When we traded our 1999 Outback in it was only because the trade in value could not be ignored. A big mistake. During the warranty period Subaru replaced the powersteering reservoir and then the pump. At 38k the CO2 sensor went South, $450.00 At 85K the suspension on all four corners needed replacement at $1400 then a rear wheel bearing failed which was replaced on extended warranty,but Subaru refused to replace the other "because it did not make noise" hoping that it would last until it becomes my responsibility at 100K Lately the transmission does not shift when cold and then only with a clunk and the remote door locks do not work. To all that Subaru just shrugs. If I ever see another review touting Subarus durability I'll throw up.

2005 Outback 2.5 XT I have put 100,000 miles on this car, so I now feel like I'm qualified to write a review. For me- this car has struck just the right balance between luxury and utility , comfort and performance, style and practicality. I love the turbo- especially going up steep hills on the highway- the car eats them up. Car has held up well, I have had to replace a few items - CV boots are a constant, but I live in Phoenix where the heat is the enemy of all things rubber. One achilles heel on this car (5 speed) is the clutch throw out bearing is good for about 50K. If you are considering buying one- ask when the clutch bearing was last replaced - about a $400 job. Besides that - Outback is a winner in my book.

My wife and I drive about 4,000 miles a year and use a car primarily for weekend trips, often to high mountains in wintery conditions. No daily commuting, not many city miles ? in fact our car is lucky if it gets driven once a week. For us, the Outback has basically been an awesome ? if expensive ? ski pass. We bought it used hoping for many years of low-cost use, and so far it has delivered. It has plenty of interior space for gear but it's not so big that it feels out of place in tight urban conditions. Easy to drive, relatively light on gas (I'm not sure why people like turbos ? they use a lot more gas and seem to break more), and reliable. Works for us.