Consumer Reviews

Amazing vehicle with awesome capability - 18,500mi

by Rocky Mountain Subie Owner from Arvada, CO on Mon Jan 12 2015

I bought my 2014 Outback Premium 6MT in May of 2014, and it has served me very well thus far. I will start with the "bad" parts first: - Ride can be a little rough if you are on a badly paved road, but this is to be expected with a chassis and suspension designed for use off road. - Standard tires (Continental All Seasons) leave something to be desired, but that is easily remedied. Now for the good: - Performance: For a car that weights nearly 4000 lbs, the 174hp/176lb/ft of torque engine is quite peppy. Mated with the 6 speed manual transmission, this thing will carve up mountain roads of varying terrain composition. I never feel like I have needed "a little more push." - Economy: In the city, I have been averaging about 26mpg. Highway has been 31.5mpg. Worse I have gotten was 19mpg (heavy snow, bad traffic, and very cold). Best was 35mpg. - Styling: Aggressive front fascia with good body lines. Large fog lamps a major plus. Projector lamps give excellent nighttime visibility. - Practicality: This is the definition of this vehicle. With 31+ cu. ft. of cargo behind the back seats, the car is already amazingly spacious. Fold the seats down and you can run with 71+ cu. ft. of storage. Good on fuel, so you can go further with whatever you do. The special adjustable roof rack system is fantastic as well, allowing easy use and stowing of the crossbars when not in use (just fold them away) which can be done in just a couple of minutes. - Comfort: I spend many hours a day in my Outback, and I am never in pain or tired from driving this car. It has been amazing on roadtrips and while camping, as you can easily sleep in the back trunk area with seats down (I am 6' 4"). As stated earlier, ride comfort may be somewhat rough on potholed roads, there isn't much vertical jolting, and the car will smooth out most bumps in the road. - Off-road Capability: For being a family wagon, this vehicle does exceptionally well. Most obstacles can be cleared by just simply driving over them with the 9" of ground clearance. If you have to lift a wheel, the Outback will keep the car moving foward with little to no wheel spin. Best road I have taken my Outback on was that of Mt. Sherman. I drove it all the way up to the upper parking area (roughly 11,000 ft), where rocks are averaging about 8" across. The car handled it like a champ with 24 gallons of water and a weekend of camping gear in the back. - Reliability: Never gotten me stuck or made me feel unsafe. Oil changes are every 7500 miles. Oil might be a little more difficult to find, as it uses 0W-20, but it is available. Very little oil usage to be reported (as all engines use a little, even brand new cars). - Handling: No qualms here. The Subaru Vehicle Dynamics control helps keep the car moving in a straight line with a clever use of brake and gas. ABS is standard and works superbly. The Traction Control can be turned off, which just allows for extra wheelspin to get the into those fun powerslides in the snow or when you need to keep wheels spinning in off road situations (if it is on, the engine power will be reduced to prevent the wheelspin, even with your foot planted). Overall: I cannot say enough good about this car. I had a 2001 Outback before it, and the 2014 definitely lives up to the Outback name created then, and then some. I look forward to many, many more miles with this vehicle.

Purchased a New car

Uses car for Commuting

Does recommend this car!!

64 out of 64 people found this review helpful. Did you?

Love This Car

by Needed a wagon from Stephentown, NY on Sat May 24 2014

I am rather fussy about a car and how it looks, handles and if it meets my needs. I have friends who have Subaru Outbacks and I was very impressed with the cars. I went to a dealership near me and I did a test drive and was very impressed. The ride is very smooth, I loved the all wheel drive - I live in a snow belt - the car looked great and the color was perfect. It drives like a dream, holds the road in bad weather, has heated seats, heated side mirrors and heated windshield wipers. I got a very good deal and bought it then and there and have not had one regret. Roomy, fits my needs and looks great too. I also liked the hands free cell phone system, the satellite radio, the fact when I put it in cruise control it holds the speed when going downhill - just a great car and for me it was a terrific purchase.

Purchased a New car

Uses car for Just getting around

Does recommend this car!!

21 out of 21 people found this review helpful. Did you?

Glad to be Back

by Mountain Driving from Fort Collins, CO on Mon Oct 28 2013

The 1999 Subaru Outback was the first brand new car I purchased. I drove and loved that car for 12 years! Then I made the mistake of thinking AWD was the same among manufacturers and I purchased a Nissan Rogue. Boy did I miss my Subaru and how it drove in the snow! I have put just 700 miles on my 2014 Subaru and I am SO glad to be back in the comfortable, stable, safe ride that is Subaru! I can't wait for the snow! I will never drive another manufacturer's vehicle!

Purchased a New car

Uses car for Transporting family

Does recommend this car!!

7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Did you?

Good value and local service

by New Subie from Richmond VA on Sun Aug 04 2013

Impressed with the styling, size, reliability ratings, all wheel drive and cvt transmission, as well as good mileage. Very comfortable on highway although not much pick up on initial takeaway (its the 4 cyl). Seems like a good value for the price range and the extended dealer warranty was good incentive. Hope to drive it at least 200,000 miles (last car was a Lexus @ 230+ mi.)

Purchased a New car

Uses car for Just getting around

Does recommend this car!!

5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Did you?

Good vehicle

by Outback from California on Wed Apr 30 2014

This is the first Subaru I've owned. I am very pleased with the interior and exterior. The stereo system is lacking a bit on power but then again I'm not bumping music down the street like teens so I can deal with. The drive is smooth and comfortable. I have the 2.5 engine and I have to say that I'm a bit disappointed with the power it puts out, but I'm reminded that my gas mileage is better than expected (27avg) which is great for someone like me who commutes almost 100miles a day. I would have gone with the 3.6 engine, but after reading how low the mileage was I opted for the 2.5 engine. I like that I have all wheel drive at all times and that I have tons of room on the inside. I wish Subaru gave you better options for adding accessories. Overall a great car, it has been very reliable so far and if it continues to be a pleasure to drive in the next few years, I would definitely consider buying another Subaru.

Purchased a New car

Uses car for Just getting around

Does recommend this car!!

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Did you?

Happy new Subaru owner

by Dogrunner from South Texas on Thu Jan 16 2014

We wanted a 4x4 or AWD we could travel in in comfort, with room for our gear, and large Golden Retriever. After looking at and test driving the competition, quickly settled on a fully-loaded Outback. Couldn't be happier. All the luxury and comfort of a much more expensive car, but all the utility of a Swiss army knife. It handles beautifully, and is designed as thoughtfully as a yacht, with tightly-engineered hidden features. And the eyesight system, with adaptive cruise control and lane departure features is a dream. Even on a crowded freeway, just set the cruise control for the speed you want, and the length of the buffer you prefer, and the system automatically adjusts to the traffic ahead of you - no need to brake and reset the controls every time traffic slows down. Love this car!

Purchased a New car

Uses car for Just getting around

Does recommend this car!!

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Did you?

So Far, So Good

by The Cowboy from Los Lunas, NM on Wed Nov 06 2013

I have less than 700 miles on the Outback so it is a little too early to give good judgment. I am 6 ft, 240 lbs. The drivers seat is fine, but would like a little more room for legs between the console and the door. Compared to the other brands of the same classification, it was about the same. Too bad the Outback doesn't have the height of the Forrester. That would have made the decision easier. I preferred the head space of the Forrester and other brands I test drove. I was disappointed that accessories come in packages that may include things you don't really want, but to get the accessories that you do want, you buy it all. I wanted the Navigation, and Back up Camera, but the only way I could get it was with a Moon Roof and/or Leather Interior, or get one without the other in a color I didn't want. Seems like it would be possible to make the electronics something that could be installed by the dealer. It was possible with my P/U. I got the wagon so I could cross-country ski when I can't really use my horses in the high country. Didn't like having to use my P/U, Dually, Extended Cab, 4x4, in the snow, just to carry x-country skis on single lane, snow covered roads. This smaller, AWD, ought to work out fine. We'll find out this winter. The Outback drives well, turns in a short distance, accelerates better that you might think for a 4 cylinder engine. The first couple of fill-ups showed that my combined gas mileage was 28.8 mpg. I live out of town, so most of my miles are highway. I like driving it.

Purchased a New car

Uses car for Outdoor sports (hiking, cycling, etc.)

Does recommend this car!!

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Did you?

Great Practical Car!!!

by Happy Lady from Tobyhanna, Pa. on Fri Jan 02 2015

I bought my car in February 2014. First off i have to say it is very comfortable. I have a sciatic nerve and if a car seat isn't comfortable it gets bad. I haven't had any problems with it while driving my car and I sometimes drive for 2-4 hours at once. I have a 3.6R limited. It has heated front seats, sunroof, leather and remote start. I like the roof rails too. They are even practical they go long ways when not needed and when needed the unlock and go across the roof.I don't have a lot of extras in it. I didn't want the navigation. I felt my cell phone updates quicker and I already had a portable navigation. When going up mountain hills it does really good. Handles the turns well too. Had eight inches of snow at Thanksgiving and the car handled great. Gas mileage isn't that great but it is an all wheel drive. I was looking at big suv's and the gas on the subaru is a couple of miles better in all areas. I have children and four dogs. Even though the big suv's give more space, I like the handling and comfort and pick up in my subaru. At times I can feel some rough spots but all in all the subaru is a winner to me hands down.It is one of the most practical cars i have ever owned and I Love vehicles :)

Purchased a New car

Uses car for Transporting family

Does recommend this car!!

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Did you?

New car breaks down, wanted to love it

by AllAroundOC from Irvine, CA on Wed Jul 18 2018

The outback had the makings for a decades long vehicle. Unfortunately, it had mechanical problems from the get go. The problems started getting serious. After only 4 years of owning it I faced a situation where the steering column would lock my keys into the ignition, and also I would have dangerously low oil 2 weeks after changing the oil. Of course, Subaru was extending the warranty for this issue on some of their other models, but not the Outback automatic. Tried to work with this, but they basically scammed me.

Purchased a New car

Uses car for Commuting

Does not recommend this car!!

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Did you?

Outback Still Delivers

by Practical Commuter from NC on Wed Jan 01 2014

Love the Eyesight System and the new higher profile of the vehicle. However, I find the Navigation System a bit slow and sub-standard in ease of use and accuracy relative to your basic portable Garmin. So far, highway mileage is less than advertized.

Purchased a New car

Uses car for Commuting

Does recommend this car!!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Did you?