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Consumer Reviews of Subaru Outback | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Honest review | Posted on 17 May 2020 |
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Review
Its my first review in car forum. Not new to driving and certainly not new to cars. Outback is my 6th car over the last 20 years of driving. Been driving it for 2 years now and decided to give an honest review about this car. Mine is the 2016 model.
Suspension setup determines the comfort level when a car is moving. Outback shines in this area and comes with heaps of features. If you switch these features to auto, you can simply start the car and drive off whether it is day or night. Next is the reliability of this car. A 2.5 NA car will go a long way before it fails you. If you are concerned about FC, then you should not look at cars beyond 2L in general. This is just my experience with cars. Now Outback is a SUV afterall. Its balanced power and weight remind you the reason why you buy a SUV. Cornering ability and acceleration are not in the DNA of a SUV. I will be happy to drive in comfort and even let motorcycles overtake me. This is my mindset when I bought the Outback. I do not think I will drive it until the end of its COE but I think I will remember this car as a good family car with happy kids no matter where the destination is. Interior wise, it is solid build and almost everything is black in colour. Something I like actually.
Finally, if any subaru fan or staff at MI reading this. CVT in particular 2nd to 3rd gear ratio can be shortened to reduce whine/drone for Outback. Its not a TC car.
What I like
Spacious
Drives well
Interior is mostly black
Almost unblock view no matter where you turn your head
Spot on suspension setup for a SUV
Reliable engine that may last for a long time (only time can tell)
Air-con is actually quite cold at 24 degrees
Power is adequate for occasional sprint to 100km/hr in a very comfortable manner
Interior is built to last
What I do not like
Steering wheel is a tad heavy to turn
FC gauge temperamental (sometimes say 600km to go, half an hour later say 450km to go) Refresh every 30 minutes I know but by 150km? I m old school so able to drive without looking at these data and know it is time to pump petrol
Brakes can be a little more sensitive
Brake disc can be a tad bigger. Looks small for 18 inch rim.
A all-rounder family crossover with slightly mediocre power | Posted on 13 Aug 2019 |
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Review
Owning outback 2018 for slightly more than a year. So share some of my views on this ride.
The engine is the same as last generation outback, a 2.5L NA. So performance wise should be the same. What is new on this car is memory seat, eye sight, upgrade console supporting car play. Some car mag also highlighted some CVT optimization, which I have no idea.
Power wise, decent but definitely can't outrun a turbo charged hot-hatch. In sport mode, and a heavy right foot however, I can do overtaking with ease, thanks for the good handling.
It has permanent 4WD, so I can corner with high speed if I ignore the comfort level of the back-seat passengers. (normally, I will get an earful from Mrs if I do that). During one of the trips to the north, we encountered pouring rain. But the car performed very well. I could still drive at 80km/hr without worrying about aquaplaning. I think it must be the 4WD helping to plant the car on the ground.
The car is very roomy, and high ground clearance than normal sedan. It is comfortable to sit in. With high ground clearance also means I can drive through puddle of water where sedans have to park at the side and wait.
It comes with eye-sight, which packs with all the high tech features like lane departure warning, collision prevention, blind spot monitoring and adaptive cruising. They are useful but I can also turn them off if I want. Other features like electric tail gate and harman kardon speakers.
What I like
1. Permanent 4WD
2. eye sight
3. Spacious
4. high ground clearance
What I do not like
1. 2.5L is not powerful enough.
2. FC is bad for heavy right foot.
A car for all purpose (pre-eyesight version) | Posted on 04 Aug 2019 |
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Review
My first Subaru was a 2005 Forester and I have grown to like Subaru's AWD system. I owned an Outback since 2016 and enjoyed the car ever since. The exterior styling was striking with strong lines and stance. The interior is typical Subaru and could use a little updating especially with the headunit that came without Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.
Space in the Outback is aplenty with a carnivorous boot, you will never run out of space. WIth the 2nd row seats folded down, you can easily fit a whole road or mountain bike in it with the wheels attached. There will still be space left over for many other things.
The 2.5L Boxer never failed to perform, chugging out torque when you need it. You could tell the difference between driving a 1.4L or 1.8L turbo engine vs a 2 or 2.5L engine. The CVT is smooth and linear giving a very comfortable drive behind the wheel. Sure the fuel consumption can't be compared to a smaller engine car but one should expect that when considering a Subaru. I averaged 450km per 40L of petrol with 50% Highway.
The AWD system like all subbies allow the Outback to be solidly planted to the road. I am always confident behind the wheel whether the road is dry or wet.
In summary, the Outback is a great family hauler with distinct Subaru characteristics. I only wish the the infotainment system is more modern.
What I like
- Subaru AWD system
- Smooth CVT
- Relatively quiet cabin
- Boot that swallows everything
- Electric Tailgate
- Commanding view of the road
- On point steering
What I do not like
- Body is a little soft. Getting dents seem to be a given. Then again, could be where I park.
- Dated infotainment system. Almost useless voice assist.
- Purchasing and delivery of vehicle experience ain't that great. I collected the vehicle at the sheltered car park in Subaru Leng Kee.
Presently i am driving a Subaru B9 Tribeca 2008 model. | Posted on 21 Feb 2017 |
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Review
I was wondering does the all new Subaru Outback comes with a 3.6L with the new eye sight system?
OR
The 2.5L comes with the eye sight system?
What I like
Seen the video on youtube, and it seems to be a very good system where safety is concern, especially where singapore road user are impatient as well as road congestion.
What I do not like
Lack of options to choose from.
Lack of lumbar support.
Lack of auto seats & seats memory for both fronts seats.
Lack of rear air con.
Great SUV for family | Posted on 07 Sep 2016 |
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Review
Test drive on 5 Sep 2016, together with FXT.
The exterior is great, car is lower than FXT, which mean more comfort for the passengers, especially for backseat passengers.
The interior is spacious, backseat passengers felt more comfortable compare to FXT, we squeezed in 3 adult and 2 kids inside, same as FXT.
Driving is pleasure, smooth and comfort, lack of Turbocharge engine will mean lack of surge of powerful push when acceleration, even though it is a 2.5l engine. Due to the lower height of car, the passengers backseat felt lots more comfortable then FXT, also because of this car is slightly wider than FXT, also because there is air-con vent for backseat.
What I like
Large spacious.
Great visibility.
More stable due to lower height compare to FXT.
Blind spot sensor.
Good handling.
18" rim.
Harman/Kardon audio system.
Air-con vent for backseat.
What I do not like
Fuel Consumption due to AWD
Engine not powerful enough for 2.5l
Higher road tax compare to FXT (around SGD200/year)
Lack of front collision sensor.
Smaller sunroof compare to FXT
Only 3 times of free serving. (1K,5K,10K)
Good value for money for a car from Japan | Posted on 05 Sep 2016 |
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Review
Very spacious and comfortable car to be in.
driven the Outback back to back with Forester on same day with a small area of wet roads.
Bodyroll is not as much compared to Forester.
Seats are very supportive
Space on the rear row is very good.
Can sit 3 little boys and 1 adult.(tried only in showroom)
Car is not fast off the line due its weight and NA engine, but once on the move, it does build speed pretty well. Land change from 60-90 is good. 2.5L better as its NA. NA forester have no such poke, only the XT Forester gets more poke.
Lovely car to have. Amount of features and goodies in and on the car is plenty. Some features may not be used locally.
What I like
Large spacious Interior
quiet engine and good soundproofing, road noise is low when on highway speed(80-90)
Good high SUV view
Large boot with almost flat folding floor
What I do not like
missing SI# mode, only have SI version
no Turbo
limited choice of aftermarket wheels
Exciting, Energetic Boxer | Posted on 20 Aug 2016 |
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Review
i really loved the punchy engine when tested it out,however it is a 2.5 litre,hence i believe that subaru can improve on the car engine to give it more horses under the hood.although not very powerful,do not expect a 2.5litre engine to be slow and draggy like the xv,it is still very good in terms of performance,on par with thi really loved the punchy engine when tested it out,however it is a 2.5 litre,hence i believe that subaru can improve on the car engine to give it more horses under the hood.although not very powerful,do not expect a 2.5litre engine to be slow and draggy like the xv,it is still very good in terms of performance,on par with the mitsubishi outlander. exterior wise,it lacks the led running day lights otherwise perfect. however, the two reflectors at the back bumper of the car may not be to some of the drivers liking. if these two features are improved on, i believe that the outback is as good as or even more upmarket than most continental cars. interior of the outback is surprisingly huge thanks to the 2.7m wheelbase,giving rear occupants lots of legroom. personally, i would not hestitate to sit back in the subaru during long trips. if you are someone that uses the ns highway commonly, i believe that you will need to have good stability on high speeds. when i sat in my friends outback on a trip to kedah, we travelled along the highway. there were five occupants in the car,the was no sign of sluggishness nor was there any squeeze on the car. hence i can confidently say that the outback 2.5 litre has good engine power and lots of comfort due to the suspension which is neither stiff nor bouncy. the rear vents made the hot weather ignorable. thus, it is a very cool car to be in when compared to cars with weaker aircon,like the cr-v and x trail. the visibility of the car was also great. i can see the roads clearly with no pillars or any parts of the car blocking. driving the outback is more relaxing and less tiring thanks to the auto rain sensors , auto headlamps,blind spot warning and cameras in the car when parking. steering wise, the outback gave good road feedback,the steering does not make me feel that i am driving a 1.6 ton car. it also has more than 200mm of ground clearance, giving you the ability to park at any place without scratching the bumpers which is commonly seen in mazda 3 and mazda 5 which only has 95 and 100 mm of ground clearance. at the back of the outback, the boot space is phenomenal!!!! i just cannot believe how much it can win other suvs of about the same size. however great the outback is, there are some drawbacks of the car, for example the fuel consumption. the monster is thirsty. another problem is that in singapore road tax is expensivee mitsubishi outlander. exterior wise,it lacks the led running day lights otherwise perfect. however, the two reflectors at the back bumper of the car may not be to some of the drivers liking. if these two features are improved on, i believe that the outback is as good as or even more upmarket than most continental cars. interior of the outback is surprisingly huge thanks to the 2.7m wheelbase,giving rear occupants lots of legroom. personally, i would not hestitate to sit back in the subaru during long trips. if you are someone that uses the ns highway commonly, i believe that you will need to have good stability on high speeds. when i sat in my friends outback on a trip to kedah, we travelled along the highway. there were five occupants in the car,the was no sign of sluggishness nor was there any squeeze on the car. hence i can confidently say that the outback 2.5 litre has good engine power and lots of comfort due to the suspension which is neither stiff nor bouncy. the rear vents made the hot weather ignorable. thus, it is a very cool car to be in when compared to cars with weaker aircon,like the cr-v and x trail. the visibility of the car was also great. i can see the roads clearly with no pillars or any parts of the car blocking. driving the outback is more relaxing and less tiring thanks to the auto rain sensors , auto headlamps,blind spot warning and cameras in the car when parking. steering wise, the outback gave good road feedback,the steering does not make me feel that i am driving a 1.6 ton car. it also has more than 200mm of ground clearance, giving you the ability to park at any place without scratching the bumpers which is commonly seen in mazda 3 and mazda 5 which only has 95 and 100 mm of ground clearance. at the back of the outback, the boot space is phenomenal!!!! i just cannot believe how much it can win other suvs of about the same size. however great the outback is, there are some drawbacks of the car, for example the fuel consumption. the monster is thirsty. another problem is that in singapore road tax is expensive
What I like
1. POWER OF ENGINE
2.BOOT SPACE
3.LEGROOM IN FRONT AND AT THE SECOND ROW
4.GREAT AUDIO SYSTEM
5.NOISE INSULATION.
6.DESIGN OF THE INTERIOR
7. REAR VENTS WHICH ARE POWERFUL
8.TECHNOLOGY WISE,IT IS VERY PRACTICAL
9.CLEAR ROAD VIEW
10. ROAD PRESENCE
11.ELEGANCE OF THE OUTBACK
12,RIMS WHICH ARE 18 "
13. CLEAR AND EASY TO READ GAUGES
14.LED DAY TIME RUNNING LIGHTS
15. STEERING
16.HEADROOM
17.GROUND CLEARANCE
18.RIDE OF A LUXURIOUS VEHICLE
19.SIDE MIRROR INDICATORS
20.LED TAIL LAMPS
21. QUIETNESS WHEN IDLING
22. KEYLESS START OF ENGINE AS WELL AS ENGINE
23.ELECTRIC PARK BRAKE
24.LEATHER PADDED ARMRESTS
What I do not like
1. HIGH ROAD TAXES THANKS TO THE 2.5 LITRE ENGINE
2. 2.5 LITRE ENGINE SHOULD HAVE GENERATED MORE HORSEPOWER
3.FUEL CONSUMPTION COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER HOWEVER ACCEPTABLE CONSIDERING THE WEIGHT OF THE CAR
Very good car overall | Posted on 23 Jun 2016 |
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Review
Used to drive a 2011 forester xt and initially was having difficulty to decided if the outback would be the right car as the forester was really a fun vehicle to drive (smaller and more horses under the hood). However, after test driven the outback and found that it offers a very relaxing drive and very spacious. Finally bought one and had it delivered a couple months ago. The impression of the outback has grown better...More comfortable, quite, good fuel consumption and feels safe. The performance is totally acceptable (unless if one was carrying a full and heavy load) and handling well. No regret.....
What I like
- the size
- comfort levels
- styling
- very spacious
What I do not like
nothing really....however, if I have to put something...it would be the retractable cover that feels it can be broken anytime if you do not handle it with care.
Huge & Tall Wagon (or SUV?) | Posted on 06 Jun 2016 |
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Review
I'm torn in between. Should it be identified as a Stationwagon or Crossover or SUV? It's pretty tall, drives like a wagon, goes and behaves in off road condition better than some SUVs (as seen on online videos), comfortable interior and full of features that some Continentals do not offer (extra options alternatively). Sturdy drive, high observable driving cockpit with great display and decently quiet on well paved roads. Great Harmon Kardon sound system connected to the awesomely easy to operate Subaru audio entertainment. Bluetooth connectivity is easily paired. Enjoying the ride so far and I hope to get plenty more joy for the next many years, until COE prices recedes again that is...
Have been driving in a well behaved and cultured manner during this running in period to maximise the fuel. 7.8litres / 100km (Summary since collection). Getting slightly more that 500km with 1/8 of the tank indicator left. (Last top up at same mark. 1st top up was until 7/8 indicator). Pretty decent consumption but hopefully it gets even better beyond the first servicing.
Can't comment much about power though since I've been rather disiciplined with the handling and careful not to stretch beyond the 3k RPM. Doesn't sound gruffy when pushed slightly.
What I like
1. High road clearance
2. Smooth ride and comfortable drive so far
3. Easy to use factory fitted entertainment system
4. Quiet ride (but check road surface)
5. Lots of features.
6. Head turner (due to its rarity on the road)
7. Big & Spacious interior
8. Read ari-con
9. AWD with multiple drive options (I Drive; SI Drive, Rear/side collision warning / alert)
10. Reasonably priced.
What I do not like
1. Lower OMV
2. No eyesight system (may likely push the price further North)
3. no-DRL
4. More colour options (similar to that of the Canadian / US Market)
5. More freebies from MI perhaps?
Best looking outback from Subaru | Posted on 02 Mar 2016 |
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Review
Test driven the new Outback with new gearbox - acceleration is normal for a car of this size & running on a 2.5L NA engine. It is a pity the Outback does not utilize the same engine as the Forester 2.0 XT. Car handling is excellent with comfortable suspension; Cabin is good unless when reving the engine hard.
What I like
(1) Exterior look good - except the rear bumper (w/ 2 red reflective markers)
(2) Good handling - feels safe with AWD; good suspension height.
(3) Improve cabin sound insulation - a lot of space for passengers & stuffs.
(4) Lots of features - value for $$$
What I do not like
(1) Rear bumper design
(2) No turbo
Improved Outback | Posted on 08 Dec 2015 |
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Review
Went for a test drive recently. The outback is really eye catching vehicle on the exterior. It is a much improved version of the hey day of the legacy outback wagon. It's taller, wider, sleek, sexy headlights. It is basically a bigger version of the Legacy. Red pearl colour in particular is appealing.
Inside the vehicle, you'll be amazed at how much space there is inside. It has a luxurious feel, with seriously a lot of seating space for passengers. Driver's seat is positioned nicely and the driving view is excellent, it being a tall vehicle. Boot space is obviously great too, being a wagon. I feel this is the outback's selling point - loads of space for the family. In fact, it beats the forester flat in terms of space.
Tech has also been improved for the Outback. Electronic seats, cruise control, reclining rear passenger seats, electronic parking brake, larger screen for reverse camera and interactive system, auto tailgate, rear air con vents. Really not too bad!
The drive however is lackluster. I test drove the forester XT before this so in comparison, this is really a far cry. You can really feel the weight of the car when moving off, and the 2.5 NA engine felt insufficient to move this monster. The Lineartronic CVT didn't help that much either, although I felt in Sport mode, using paddle shifters made it a little better to drive. The drive is smooth though, so if you're the type of driver that likes a simple safe smooth drive, then you can give the Outback a shot.
What I like
- HUGE interior space
- Smooth drive, with acceptable body roll and handling
- Nice pearl red
- Interior Tech is Ok, Luurious feel
What I do not like
- Lackluster Drive. The engine should be upgraded to a turbo in my opinion.
- Price point. Actually the car price is ok. However, the OMV of >$20k means you can only take a 50% loan max. That can be a consideration for most folks.
- 2.5 NA = high road taxes!
Very attractive SUV alternative | Posted on 30 Jun 2015 |
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Review
With grandsons and their gear, a wagon or SUV would be the practical choice. After living with a W123 Wagon, then 2 V70's in a row when the children were younger, I have come to realize how practical such cars are when there are prams, bikes and safety concerns. I test drove this new Outback which is prettier than all the previous ones - which I had actually considered vs the Volvo V70 more than a decade ago. I find SUVs a bit imposing and clumsy to drive so I thought why not try the Subaru. I must say the interior is much better than I remembered. The drive more compliant and quiet with very good handling and excellent turning radius. The CVT which is not my preferred gear train, performed quite responsively and with the paddle gear shifters you can get the beast hustling. Space is excellent. Took it for an extended road test and I must say it is now near the top of the list of cars I am considering to change my current aging XJ6L.
What I like
Space, comfort and the offered service and warranty 5 + 5 years looks good.
Rugged looking, can do what is suppose to do with hill decent and X-mode but unlikely to use them. Looks less imposing than SUV but probably performs better than most off road.
What I do not like
The car is slightly underpowered but I can live with that is speed constrained Singapore. The only thing lacking is navigation - but otherwise it has almost everything the E-class Wagon ( 80+K more expensive ) has in terms of creature comforts. Car will be better when a turbo 2.0 will be available. Pricing could be a little more competitive though.
Outback offering a practical solution | Posted on 08 Jun 2015 |
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Review
I was originally in the market for the Subaru Legacy and couldn't help but notice the evident similarities between the Legacy and this new Outback. I have never been much of a crossover lover but seeing that the Outback looked so similar to the car I originally wanted and with even more space offered, I hopped into one and gave it a go.
The Outback was in instant hit with the missus (shes a sucker for all things spacious). It is a surprisingly easy drive given that the Outback is far from bitty. Driving position is pretty close to perfect and the console dials are all easily within reach.
The Outback isn't a slow vehicle but I expected a little more punch from the 2.5L engine. However, reminding myself that this is a crossover, the ample space in the car made up for it.
What I like
- Comfortable and confident drive
- Well-built
- Good amount of space
- Easily maneuverable
- Well thought out ergonomics
- Decent fuel consumption
What I do not like
- No GPS
- Not the zippiest crossover (expected a little more fun since it is a Subaru)
Review
Well balanced ride that honest, simple yet fairly well equipped. Having driven a Lexus GS sedan and a Harrier before the Outback, I feel the Outback is a great middle ground between the two in terms of ride and handling. What it lacks in power, it makes up in a more linear delivery and a better ride than the GS. It's not as comfy and soft sprung as the Harrier, but its handles with more confidence. Of course what's important is your particular reference point and emphasis, to me I prefer the Outback to my previous rides!