2012 Subaru Outback consumer reviews

My brother lives in central New England and loves his Subaru's so I knew they are good in bad weather. I was trading in a gas guzzling pick-up truck(which I loved) and wanted a fuel efficient (atleast 25 mpg), awd vehicle that was reliable and roomy. The outback seemed the best candidate and so I purchased a 2012 premium version with the 2.5i engine/cvt transmission and the all weather/moonroof package. This is a solid, well made car that is perfect for where I live (in the blue ridge mountains of Virginia). It handles the twisty roads like a go-cart, is comfy for my 6'2" frame and has lots of unexpected conveniences (heated outside mirrors, heated seats, blue-tooth for my cell, xm, ipod usb). All the controls are really simple and sensible to use and never really had to refer to the owners manual except for the push button handbrake! I have been averaging 26 mpg in mixed driving and it will get better as I get more miles on the engine. My big concern was acceleration as I was used to a 400 hp Tundra with ridiculous amounts of torque. Well, I would say the 4 cylinder is adequate and I am already getting used to it. It runs about 2000 rpm at 80 mph on the highway. I considered a 3.6R engine but it seemed that 5 mpg less was not sensible. Overall, excellent car!

I bought a 2012 Ouback 3.6 Limited a few weeks ago. The vehicle runs great, gets great gas mileage, and is nice inside; just what I expected. The vehicle has the upgraded Harmon Karmon radio (no nav) and frankly, the radio is horrible. There is a constant hissing sound while on am, fm, xm, and bluetooth (less on bluetooth than the others). While I don't expect a factory car radio to sound like a home stereo system, the HK radio is truly bad, so much so that I just have to turn the radio off after about 10 minutes. Subaru techs have listened and confirmed the sound and all of us hear the same issue in other 3.6 Limited's. Subaru of America has been informed of the issue but who knows if and when this will get fixed. Certainly if it's not fixed soon, I'll trade it for a different brand and won't buy the Forester I had planned to for one of my children. Buyer beware. Subaru, please fix this issue ASAP!

It scares this mid-50s owner to say this but, the Outback 2.5i Limited is a FUN car to drive. Coming out of a sedan was a hard decision. The Outback has lived up to all of my expectations. It has plenty of comfort, room and versatility for a long trip outdoors or to haul friends around town. The 2.5i engine and fuel tank offer the best highway range for a CUV, all while keeping up with the traffic. Don't worry about loosing the 6-CD changer with the 2012 year. The new model will take anything coming through a USB port or audio jack, even a memory stick with mp3 or wma audio files. Is it a perfect machine? No. Subaru should offer a gray leather seat color option for ALL exterior colors. The ivory color is bound to get dirty after a few month's use, maybe sooner if the jeans get wet after a hike in the rain. The headrest does not cradle my head as much as desired, probably because of a safety regulation.