2008 Subaru Outback consumer reviews

I've bought six new vehicles in the last 10 years and finally found a car that isn't in and out of the shop.Reliabilty and value is great.Were photographer's and spend much time in the mountains of Montana.The all-wheel drive system, along with the VDC gives you the confidence in the snow we need to go just about anywhere.I always feel in control with the Outback.Plenty of room for our equipment and easy to access.Well built and solid....Were totally impressed.Certainly buy another one.

Overall the Outback is a great car. Some issues I've had with it in the first three months of ownership are cheap interior plastic part. Although the interior design is nice, the plastic center console, radio buttons, rear plastic lining the interior hatchback area all scratch easily. Overall mileage is pretty poor for a 4-cylinder even when driving economically. That's to be expected though with all wheel drive. It's ironic that the mileage for the smaller 4-cylinder is the same as the optional 6. I've had a rattle in the dash area which has been hard to reproduce at times when at the dealer. The rear hatch also rattles really badly when cold outside

I've owned only CR-Vs as my utility vehicle, but have always admired the Outback. I am a car fanatic, and have had more cars than I can count in my day. In October 07, I finally joined the Subaru fold and I haven't looked back! My 08 Outback Si automatic is the gorgeous Newport Blue. Having the heated cloth seats in the Pacific Northwest makes every drive a joy. Maybe focusing on the heated seats first trivializes what is overall the most practical, comfortable and best handling AWD on the market today, but finding heated CLOTH seats without having to buy leather was a key selling point for me! I researched for months before finally test driving the Outback. Again and again, reviewers noted that the 4cylinder automatic did not have enough power. After test driving the Outback for an afternoon, I found this assertion to be wrong for my type of driving. Not once did I feel I didn't have adequate merging, passing, or climbing power. I was sold on the Outback, and took advantage of Costco invoice pricing and the $1500 rebate. More important to me than jackrabbit starts are handling, safety and ride comfort. My 08 Subie has all in spades. The turning radius and "point and go" handling is confidence inspiring as is the ground clearance of the AWD. WA state just experienced horrific flooding, and after driving my Subie through torrential downpours for days in a row, I was amazed at how solidly she hugs the road. Not a single moment of hydroplaning or slippage. Two weeks ago, I put my two dachshunds on their dog bed in the back and headed to the WA coast. Averaging 29 mpg on that trip was a delight, and I had great fun putting the Subie through the twisty roads. It's no wonder the Outback is one of the most popular vehicles in the Northwest. It is a beautiful piece of engineering with a much needed interior freshening. My only request of Subaru at this point would be to put auto up windows and auto locking door features in. But, that is just a tiny quibble. I would not hesitate to recommend an Outback to anyone looking for something more practical, cheaper and with better handling characteristics than an SUV.

I chose the Outback XT Ltd for its combination of power, all-wheel drive, road clearance, and reliability. The looks, features, and refinement of the latest generation got my interest going. The ride is fairly firm but well-dampened, and very quiet at 75 mph+. It is easy to blow past 80 without realizing it. The body feels very solid. The seats are firm but not too, and have excellent, adjustable lumbar support. Visibility is good all around. There's a little turbo lag. The stick shift has nice, short throws and is pretty crisp. The first four gears are well-spaced, but a taller 5th or better yet a 6th gear might improve fuel economy. Still, the transmission is well suited to the engine and is a pleasure to use. Handling is good except toward the limits. There's good on-center steering, but turn-in is slow and hesitant. If the driver has set up properly for a curve, body lean and understeer are mild. However, an abrupt lane change or correction makes it feel like the rear is about to slide. So I've doubts about emergency maneuvers and the ability of the stability control to cope. It seems this is mostly the fault of the OEM Bridgestone Potenzas: they?re squirmy under higher cornering forces. Tires with a stronger sidewall and grippier tread would most likely help. Fuel economy is about what I expected; not shabby, not great: 19-20 mpg in town, 26-27 highway. I have some quibbles. The auto climate control hunts for the set temperature. The audio and climate controls are too small to find by feel and lack intuitive simplicity. However, kudos for the steering wheel stereo mute button. It'd be nice to have auto-up to go with the auto-down driver window. An MPG gauge residing within the speedometer bobs in rhythm to the accelerator. The seat cushions could be a little longer (I'm 5'11"). The back seats could use a little more leg and foot room. Other reviewers have complained about the lack of interior lighting. Perhaps Subaru fixed this on 08's because the front reading lights go on with the rest of the lights providing adequate light. Cargo area is sufficient but a little tight for my two Labs. The front seats have to be moved forward to accommodate the rear headrests. Quibbles asides, I'm very pleased with my new Subie. It goes from rough trailhead to long-legged interstate flyer without missing a beat. Count me a Subie convert.

This is our fifth subaru and it appears to be the best one yet. We drive extensively to our childrens homes in Cohasset MA and Ridgefield CT from Rochester NY, almost monthly. We've never incurred a weather or road condition that made us question the car's reliability nor ability to deal with all road conditions. When weather is questionable we leave the Acura at home and use the Outback. This is one great car.

I live in a place where all of the little nuances of the Outback's design are useful. Anchorage, AK has slick ice and deep snow from late October through March--at least. The clearance, the all-wheel drive, the cargo space, the roof rack system, all add to the car's value in this environnment. I've been getting about 24 mpg average, and over 30 on the hwy. The standard boxer engine is slightly underpowered, but that can be compenstated by the 5 speed manual transmission. No wonder Subaru is the car of the National Ski Patrol!

I owned a 2001 Impreza previously; its phenomenal AWD ability to dodge unexpected obstacles in the road at full speed saved me from very serious injury/death at least twice! Don't walk away from near-death lightly; I replaced that worthy trooper with an automatic transmission 2008 2.5i Outback: outstanding choice! This car is a good, solid, cargo-carrying jewel. This car is for sensible people who don't believe that it's all about drag-racing to the next stoplight; this crate would go through anything but water deep enough to float in! I was amazed to discover that I recently got 33.3 mpg going from Gettysburg to Phila suburbs! Show me another AWD which can do that? Excellent assertive styling; sufficient power-to-mass ratio to keep you out of trouble; it would not be realistic to consider this solid intrepid car underpowered. It is a great overall car and I wouldn't hestitate to drive it to the Yukon; you pick the season. Excellent feature to have IPOD aux plug to connect to your stereo! Great rugged styling, best Outback ever built. Handling is positively silky for a car this large; wonderful. Third Subaru I ever drove, and man I love this car; well done Subaru...I wouldn't drive anything else anymore. Seriously consider getting Satin White; this ain't a refrigerator white; it glows like silk...