2012 Subaru Outback consumer reviews

I have owned 4 Subaru vehicles in my life -- 3 Outbacks and 1 Forrester. Wasn't a big fan of the Forrester -- but have always liked the Outback. It was perfect for me -- a single female, a roof that was 'reachable' for loading bikes, kayaks and canoes, excellent in winter driving conditions, and great safety ratings. I just turned in my lease on the Forrester for a 2012 Outback -- and couldn't be more disappointed with the roof rack. All previous Outbacks had a roof rack that served a person's needs just great. Not the new one. That one feature has colored how I feel about the Outback in every other category. I am an outdoor enthusiast -- I bike, hike, canoe, kayak, alpine ski, cross country ski, etc. I went to load my kayak recently (which is a 17'+ boat) and realized that when I put my Thule rack crossbars on the rack, I have about a TWO FOOT spread for a 17+' boat! Not exactly the kind of security you want. I can probably figure out some other set-up, but will have to invest in NEW fittings to fit their rack -- which is going to limit the # of boats I can haul because it doesn't give me enough width across the car to carry my canoe and my kayak. Subaru markets this car to people who live a rugged outdoor life -- and then they put a roof rack on that is really limiting. If all you want to do is haul a luggage rack on top -- I guess it's fine. If you want to haul some serious toys -- I urge you to look very closely at their set-up. I am so frustrated that I can say with fair confidence that Subaru has lost a customer for life. How could they get that soooo wrong? Why fix something that wasn't broke?

I have owned 3 Subaru Legacy wagons. The new Outback is not a wagon but an SUV in disguise. It has less storage room in the back than the other wagons I have owned. I do appreciate the return of the hillholder and tilting steering wheel features but miss a five speed stick shift, and the traditional oil pressure, temperature, and ampere gauges.

I purchased a Subaru Outback about six months ago. My close friend bought a Toyota Venza about one month ago. I didn't even know about the Venza when I went for the Outback. I wish I had. I have experienced reliability problems with the Outback. On top of that, it's no where near as attactive as my friend's Venza. She got two years free maintenance with her Venza. The Subaru dealer service has been very expensive for service. I wish I bought the Venza. The Outback isn't a horrible car, it's just no where near as nice as the Venza.

I bought American new cars (Chevy and Chrysler products) until my first Toyota Corolla, which we loved. After my second Toyota Corolla was totalled in an accident, we started to upgrade to a Camry. Test drove Camry, RAV 4, Jeep Liberty, Jeep Patriot, Hyundai Sante Fe, Tucson, and Sonata. Drove the Outback by accident (at the Jeep lot) because we liked the crossover look. LOVED THE CAR FROM THE WORD GO. Drove a Forester for comparison - there is none. After a week of thorough reserach (and I do mean THOROUGH), we settled on the Outback. This is the only car my wife has ever become emotionally attached to, she loves it that much! Great handling, excellent ground clearance, very comfortable cabin, great looks and styling and still fuel efficient. Comes loaded for "basic" plus one option package. Two months in an absolutely no buyers remorse. Can't wait to get it in the snow, but that may have to wait a little since we are in the northern part of Alabama.

Purchased 2012 3.6R Limited in May deciding not to wait for 2013 update, and am very happy with our decision. Overall acceleration is excellent although the 3.6 boxer engine is not the smoothest at idle. It is much quieter that the 2.5i four cylinder Outback with the CVT however. Mileage thus far has been much better than expected (and a lot higher than the EPA ratings of 18 city and 25 highway). In a mix of 60% highway and 40% city I've been averaging 25+ MPG for each of the past three tank fulls. Highway mileage has been in the upper 20s. The five speed automatic transmission is decent and has manual shift capabilities. It's not a smooth as my Hyundai was, but the shifts are not abrupt either. Handling is very good aided by the low center of gravity of the boxer engine. This vehicle is not a sports car, but for its ride height, it handles well. The ride is almost as smooth as a large sedan, and bumps are absorbed well by the chassis. The ride is better than any SUV in which I've driven. Interior comfort is outstanding with plenty of leg and headroom for a 6'6" person. Rear comfort is also very good, and my kids like the reclining seats. Steering has a slightly off center feel, but turning radius is good for a vehicle this size. Harmon Kardon stereo system is okay (I expected better sound quality), but high definition local radio does sound very good. The cargo area is large and very well laid out with a rubber mat standard. Visability is excellent. Safety ratings from NHTSA and IIHS are very good - a must for us since we have two children. We considered several other vehicles including the Hyundai Santa Fe (one star rear passenger crash rating), Toyota Venza (harsher ride) and the Toyota RAV4 (too small and interior quality was not as good in our opinion). Overall, we are very pleased with the Outback 3.6R so far and are looking forward to benefiting from the 8.7 inch clearance and AWD next winter.

Owner of Premium 2.5 just over 4 months with over 4,600 miles. Past week ended with a 1000 mile trip to the mountains and 400+ mile to the beach. Purchased Outback to replace two vehicles: Accord LX and 4Runner SR5. Comfort exceeds that of Accord and its first venture into the sand reassured me of why I chose this car. The Outback obviously does not have the offroading capabilities of the 4Runner, but handled the softstuff and rutts confidently. Some sacrifice of offroad capabilities in exchange for the 23 city mileage and 31+ mpg hwy I have gotten seems reasonable. The seats are comfortable, the fit, finish and apppointments are pleasing and the ride is quiet on the highway. One complaint would that on acceleration, its a little buzzy and that on intersate climbs it works a little harder than I would like. Overall this car provides the comfort and economy of sedan and the utility of an SUV. For the money it may be a near perfect compromise.

Couldn't be more satisfied. Live in the North GA. mountains. Alll wheel drive is a must along with plenty of storage for shopping trips to Atlanta. That's a 75 mile trip. The vehicle I traded was a big eight cyl. SUV. With the cost of fuel edging up and up, I do enjoy saving a few bucks, how about 29 MPG with my 2012 Subaru Outback.

We purchased the 2.5 premium model and so far are very happy. The visibility is great, super comfortable and rides very smooth for a crossover. It has great cargo room. We drive 50/50 city/hwy and we are getting 25mpg. The only disappointment is the sound system. My 2000 Cavalier and 2006 CRV had a better sound system. We will be adding a hitch to tow a smaller boat so will be curious as to how it handle that.

Would never have considered a Subaru. We stopped at the dealership to look at a used Ford Edge. Decided to look "just to be nice" and we had time. We were impressed with what we saw & the value. Came home and did extensive research and decided to go back & purchase the Subaru. We cannot be happier. Mileage is better than expected. Great vehicle, comfort and options. My daughter is looking at one also now. Would recommend this vehicle to anyone. Great for those who enjoy the outdoors. It's not for "old people" like I had considered Subarus to be. You should at least stop by & look! Good luck!

Love the CV transmission, the roominess for passengers (front and back seats),the integrated roof rack bars. Looking forward to towing our pop up camper this summer.