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BeanoNYC

BeanoNYC

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OK, I see a lot of Suburus around Ski Country. My ski buddy has an outback and loves it. My truck is, yet again, in the shop and I'm thinking about cutting my losses. I've put 75K of both highway and heavy city (read: Belt Parkway, everyday) on it since 2004 and am likely to do the same on my next vehicle. I'm also foreseeing 0% financing within the next month during Feb Sales. My suburu questions (In no particular order):

1) Reliable or not?
2) Service costs for maintenance.
3) How good are they in foul weather, particularly snow.
4) Symmetrical AWD vs AWD vs 4WD
5) Outback vs. Forrester
6) Good on gas?

Thanks in advance. DMC, I may recall that you drive a suburu, no?
 
Though I don't drive one, my ski buddy (who sports a duck-tape SkiCheapOrDie.com bumper sticker on his ski box) has been driving these for years. It doesn't seem like it needs to be fixed often. As far as snow goes, we've driven through some nasty weather without worry and maintained good speed. I think the fact that they are not top-heavy helps.
 
I dig em..
Small car - awd... fits a ton of stuff... Reliable..

Put lots of mile one them
 
BeanoNYC said:
OK, I see a lot of Suburus around Ski Country. My ski buddy has an outback and loves it. My truck is, yet again, in the shop and I'm thinking about cutting my losses. I've put 75K of both highway and heavy city (read: Belt Parkway, everyday) on it since 2004 and am likely to do the same on my next vehicle. I'm also foreseeing 0% financing within the next month during Feb Sales. My suburu questions (In no particular order):

1) Reliable or not?
2) Service costs for maintenance.
3) How good are they in foul weather, particularly snow.
4) Symmetrical AWD vs AWD vs 4WD
5) Outback vs. Forrester
6) Good on gas?

Thanks in advance. DMC, I may recall that you drive a suburu, no?
Click to expand...

Yo Beano. I've been in a '99 Outback since July. Here's my take on your q's:

1) With 128k on my wagon, no major repairs yet, although there are some well known problems with my generation of legacy/outbacks. The new ones get generally good reliability marks. Particularly robust engines.

2) Average, parts are getting cheaper, as they have become very popular, esp. this part of the country. Far cheaper than my S4, that's for sure.

3) So far, my Subie with all seasons has proven as capable or more so than my S4 with winter tires. I attribute this to having the same weight as the Audi, but narrower tires and better ground clearance. In general, just about the best vehicle with such a low center of mass in the snow.

4) You wouldn't notice a difference. AWD systems are old enough that most of them now, despite different mechanicals, are begining to perform comparably if not the same, and are transparent for the most part. Only with the exception of not having 4WD low capability. I'd love to be able to lock all the differentials but that would add a lot of cost to an AWD car. But this is not one to worry about, IMHO.

5) I'd go Outback. Actually has more interior cargo volume, slightly bigger, lower ride height, lower CM. Slightly less ground clearance but I wouldn't notice much difference. Plus I think the Outback looks better.

6) Results may vary. The new ratings are the one thing that turns me off on them, however- with 128k miles on my Outback, I just recently got 27 mpg on a tank of gas driving up to Washington, that was about 80% highway, 20% "city" driving.

Hope that helps. If you have any more specific questions for me let me know.

Also, my Outback is a 5 speed, if that makes any difference.
 
As of the past three weeks, I'm in a 2004 Subaru Legacy Wagon. It has 58K miles on it, but is a fleet car from work used in a lot of stop and go scenarios by traveling salesmen. Because of that, it does feel kind of 'rickety', much like you'd expect out of a rental car with similar mileage.

It definitely does not fail to impress in the snow. I've had situations where I've had to drive through 10 inches of snow and it pulls right through with no problems. Gas mileage seems to be decent, mid 20's overall.

If I do have one complaint, it's that it has absolutely zero passing power on the highways. Then again, it feels particularly less powerful to me because my previous ride had a pretty potent V6 in it.

The one person you should definitely consult is Campgottagopee. He's a Sales Manager at a Subaru dealership and certainly will be able to let you know if you're getting a good deal or not when you go to buy one.
 
I went with the Forrester for carrying drumsets around... Otherwise I probably woudl've gone for the Outback.. My bass drum fits in an Outback by i can't see over it...
 
Marc said:
DHS.... time for new shocks maybe?
Click to expand...


certainly feels that way. it's former owner's territory was NYC, so it's probably seen it's fair share of pot holes. Lke I said, hard for me to be a good judge on the car as it has been treated like a rental. Can't complain though, at least I'm putting 50K miles a year on someone elses car and dime now than my own.
 
Probably loose/worn tie rod ends too. Early for that stuff no doubt, but not unheard of under conditions like you'd see in NYC. Going to school in Worcester was hell on my cars' suspensions.
 
We have an 05 Outback - my impressions:

1) Reliable or not?
yes so far, but we only have 37,000k on it.

2) Service costs for maintenance.
I'd say average, our 30k maint cost about $450.

3) How good are they in foul weather, particularly snow.
Excellent, but ditch the stock all season they really suck (even for all seasson).

4) Symmetrical AWD vs AWD vs 4WD
We have the base model so whatever version of AWD that is. No traction control (you can get it), but we drive standards anyway and like to have more control (at least the impression of it for better or worse). I can still make it spin out if I want.

5) Outback vs. Forrester
Outback a little more upscale inside and has a nicer ride (impression for test drives). The Outback has more horizontal (floor space) cargo space, the Forrester has more vertical.


6) Good on gas?
OK, we get 23-24 on mixed driving with more city than highway (with snows and a cargo box). Pure Highway is closer to 28-29.
 
LOVE my '03 Outback. With Blizzak tires on it, I never fear the bad weather (but still, drive slow and remember that the tires will get me going, not necessarily stop me), though my all-seasons never let me down before I had the snows.

Car's been very reliable, only 2 "breakdowns" in 5 years and 101,000 miles: the fuel pump went around 60K and on New Years the serpentine belt tensioner seized. I can fit a ton of stuff in it, and with the split back seat skis easily ride inside.

The lower profiler than the Forester means easier access to the bike racks I have up top but still plenty of ground clearance for those nasty woods roads. It's also longer than the Forester. The new Outbacks are super-sweet, too. You might be able to find a standard tranny but most are automatics (I'm told the AWD system works better in an automatic). The newer ones have traction and stability control, also recommended.

I highly recommend making sure you have the cold-weather package: seat heaters, side mirror defrosters, and defroster strips for the windshield wipers, which make a huge difference.

Good cup holders and weather band on the radio, too. :)

Oh, maintenance is about average. The big services (60, 100) ran me $650 but I have an H6 so they cost a bit more. I got 26/23 mpg when I got the car, but when I put the beefier tires on it, that gave me 25/22. All depends on what you want on there. Now that I have snows, I don't need the beefier tires in summer.
 
me and my girlfriend have been test driving outbacks and foresters for the last couple weeks. we are both pretty set on the outback, foresters don't seem as responsive and definately aren't as comfortable, imo. My question is, how does the 2.5i 4 cylinder hold up? I know they put out 175 hp, but a non-turbo 4 cylinder engine seems small for that big of a car (seems fast during the test drive, but concerned how fast it will stay for the lifetime of the car)? Most 4 cylinders get doggy as they get older? I'm just wondering if its worth spending a whole lot more money to get a 2.5 turbo? Seems like that might stand a better chance of staying peppy for the lifetime of the car? Any input?
 
danny p said:
me and my girlfriend have been test driving outbacks and foresters for the last couple weeks. we are both pretty set on the outback, foresters don't seem as responsive and definately aren't as comfortable, imo. My question is, how does the 2.5i 4 cylinder hold up? I know they put out 175 hp, but a non-turbo 4 cylinder engine seems small for that big of a car (seems fast during the test drive, but concerned how fast it will stay for the lifetime of the car)? Most 4 cylinders get doggy as they get older? I'm just wondering if its worth spending a whole lot more money to get a 2.5 turbo? Seems like that might stand a better chance of staying peppy for the lifetime of the car? Any input?
Click to expand...


I am driving a Legacy with the standard 4 cyl. The car is a company car that as seen some abuse, but even at that, I could probably out run the thing. ZERO pick up
 
danny p said:
me and my girlfriend have been test driving outbacks and foresters for the last couple weeks. we are both pretty set on the outback, foresters don't seem as responsive and definately aren't as comfortable, imo. My question is, how does the 2.5i 4 cylinder hold up? I know they put out 175 hp, but a non-turbo 4 cylinder engine seems small for that big of a car (seems fast during the test drive, but concerned how fast it will stay for the lifetime of the car)? Most 4 cylinders get doggy as they get older? I'm just wondering if its worth spending a whole lot more money to get a 2.5 turbo? Seems like that might stand a better chance of staying peppy for the lifetime of the car? Any input?
Click to expand...

Ours isn't that old at 37k, but it has plenty of power for what I need and a little downshifiting will give you the power you need to pass. Plus you don't have to pay for premium fuel like you do with a turbo. That said you won't win any races and I notice a slow down when the car is fully loaded (dog, 2 kids, back and storage box full).
 
I don't own one but was car shopping and looked very closely at both the Forester and Outback. The Forester is in the last year of the current model run and will have a major redesign in 09. I drive in a lot of traffic and did not want to deal with a manual tranny. And I didn't want a turbo or 6 cyl. engine both of which get a little poorer mileage and require premium (you can run the 6 on regular with a little loss of power) fuel. Otherwise I liked just about everthing about the Outback except I felt the performance of the regular 4 cylinder engine with auto tranny was just too sluggish. And that was the deal killer for me. Everytime I test drove one (I even rented one for a week last year) I just felt the base engine with automatic was just not strong enough.
 
BeanoNYC said:
OK, I see a lot of Suburus around Ski Country. My ski buddy has an outback and loves it. My truck is, yet again, in the shop and I'm thinking about cutting my losses. I've put 75K of both highway and heavy city (read: Belt Parkway, everyday) on it since 2004 and am likely to do the same on my next vehicle. I'm also foreseeing 0% financing within the next month during Feb Sales. My suburu questions (In no particular order):

1) Reliable or not?
2) Service costs for maintenance.
3) How good are they in foul weather, particularly snow.
4) Symmetrical AWD vs AWD vs 4WD
5) Outback vs. Forrester
6) Good on gas?

Thanks in advance. DMC, I may recall that you drive a suburu, no?
Click to expand...

Q1 Yes, very much so. Don't take my word for it look on line anywhere.
Q2 Maintance cost are very reasonable. Some of the reccomnded services will be a bit higher due to having 2 differentials.
Q3 Wicked good. Depending on where you normally travel you may want dedicated snows, but trie OEM stuff first to see what you think.
Q4 Symmetrical is just that. Due to the H4 engine allthe "shafts" in a Subie are of eqaul length. (symmetrical) Which does a few things. Allows for a better balanced car resulting in excellent handling. Also virtually eliminates tourque steer.
Q5 Personal choice. I like the Outback better. More ground clearance, not by much (8.4 vs. 8.1), but you never know. Also quiter ride due to higher insulation qualities
Q6 Yep, as good as you'll get for anything AWD

Good luck and have fun:snow:
 
RISkier said:
Otherwise I liked just about everthing about the Outback except I felt the performance of the regular 4 cylinder engine with auto tranny was just too sluggish. And that was the deal killer for me. Everytime I test drove one (I even rented one for a week last year) I just felt the base engine with automatic was just not strong enough.
Click to expand...

Yup, having a 5speed makes a big difference in performance.
 
RISkier said:
I don't own one but was car shopping and looked very closely at both the Forester and Outback. The Forester is in the last year of the current model run and will have a major redesign in 09. I drive in a lot of traffic and did not want to deal with a manual tranny. And I didn't want a turbo or 6 cyl. engine both of which get a little poorer mileage and require premium (you can run the 6 on regular with a little loss of power) fuel. Otherwise I liked just about everthing about the Outback except I felt the performance of the regular 4 cylinder engine with auto tranny was just too sluggish. And that was the deal killer for me. Everytime I test drove one (I even rented one for a week last year) I just felt the base engine with automatic was just not strong enough.
Click to expand...

True dat--unless you go w/ a turbo you wont win any races in a Subie. But most people know that when buying them. They get them mainly because they're one of the safest cars on the road.
 

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