Soon getting a new car. We have looked at so much. What do you think about the Subaru Outbacks owners?

Here is a review of the Subaru Outback:

The Subaru Outback is a raised AWD wagon that is a good alternative to an SUV. The redesigned 2005 model has a rich, nicely detailed interior; rides comfortably; & handles better in normal driving than the previous version. When pushed to its limits, however, the Outback can abruptly slide its rear end if the driver goes into a turn too fast.

THE DRIVING EXPERIENCE

The Outback has a comfortable, compliant ride, with motions that r well-controlled. Outside noise is muted. Routine handling is very good, with quick, well-weighted steering that provides plenty of feedback. Body lean is controlled in corners & the turning circle is tight. Its tendency to slide the rear end when pushed to its limits, however, kept it from getting a higher speed in our avoidance maneuver. Unfortunately, electronic stability control (ESC) is available only on the high-end VDC model. The 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine is a bit sluggish & struggles to pull a full load. Horsepower was increased to 175 for 2006. The 2.5 XT Limited turbo model is much quicker. Maximum towing capacity is 2,700 pounds. The four-speed automatic in our 2.5i version shifts smoothly, but has an awkward shift gate. The Outback achieved 21 mpg in mixed driving. It performed surprisingly well on muddy trails & sand. Braking distances, however, averaged a somewhat long 141 feet. The low- & high-beam headlights delivered good overall performance.

INSIDE THE CABIN

The interior fit & finish r excellent. The driving position pleased most drivers & offers substantial head room. The steering wheel, however, adjusts only for tilt. The firm, power-operated, leather front seats r well shaped & supportive. The rear bench seat is a bit narrow for three adults, but head & leg room r adequate for two. The low cushion lacks thigh support. Cabin access is easy. The perpetually lighted gauges could make the driver think the headlights r on when they're not. Most controls r convenient to use & r illuminated at night. Gripes included the obscured dimmer & mirror controls. The front has two deep cup holders that can be converted into a single large storage space. The rear cup holders r flimsy. We measured 31 cubic feet of storage space with the 60/40-split seats folded.

SAFETY NOTES

In addition to the required front air bags & three-point belts for all seating positions, side-impact air bags housed in the front seatbacks & curtain-style head-protection air bags, that protect front & rear outboard passengers, r standard. Front seatbelts have adjustable anchors for improved positioning & r also equipped with pretensioners & force limiters to reduce belt slack & forces in a crash. Sensors for the driver is seat detect the seat position & whether or not the seatbelt is buckled to determine the correct level of air bag deployment. The front passenger seat also has a sensor in the seatbelt buckle to detect belt usage as well as a weight sensor that detects if a small or child occupant is sitting there & will deactivate the front air bag accordingly. If the front passenger seat is unoccupied, the front air bag will also not deploy, avoiding unnecessary replacement. Some passengers in the rear outboard seats may find that the shoulder portion of the belts r not completely comfortable & they lay slightly outward on their shoulder due to their wide anchor position. There r adjustable, locking head restraints in all seating positions, but the center-rear restraint is too low when completely lowered to adequately reduce rearward head travel. Front head restraints move forward slightly in a rear impact to further reduce rearward head travel. Daytime running lights r standard. Driving with kids: Some rear-facing infant seats may be difficult to secure in the rear outboard seats as belts r anchored slightly forward in front of the seat bolsters. You might find a better fit by using the LATCH anchors. The Outback is owner is manual recommends not installing child restraints in the rear-center position, recognizing that the seat hump may prove incompatible with many seats. Front-facing seats should be secure in the outboard seats. There r three tether strap anchors on the cargo area ceiling & LATCH anchors under removable covers in the rear outboard seats. Once the covers r removed, the LATCH anchors r visible & relatively easy to access.

RELIABILITY

We expect reliability to be better than average, according to our latest subscriber survey.

About the owners? It has a reputation as being a car for lesbians.

About the car? They're nice, just unless you're talking about NEW new, do not get a 2.5 liter engine from before about 2004 or so.

The Consumer Reports review above provides a generally good overall view of the car. It rides & handles like a car yet is more capable off-road than some SUVs. It has an excellent safety record, bolstered by its many standard safety features & an extremely strong structure. Surveys (around the world & not just Consumer Reports) also speak well for its reliability, which is above average. Head gaskets only caused major problems in the pre-2000 Outback, & the present 2.5L engine is not known for problems.

It is worth noting that if you're in an area that sees harsh weather or snowy winters, the advantages of the AWD system will be very apparent. Subaru has one of the best AWD systems in production.

The 2.5 is worst years were 97-2000, but headgasket problems were still above average thru 2003. l currently have a 97 with 210,000 miles, mostly original except the motor (2.5) which lasted a little past the 200,000 mile mark. Awesome cars, l think, durable, fun, and good in the snow. Besides the 2.5 issues l would not knock them a bit.

In Alaska they call them ''urban assault vehicles'' which isnt a compliment.

l went in looking for a Forester, fully expecting to buy one. l had been driving a Honda Accord for about 8 years, though, & l found the Forester & its short wheelbase to be a bit TOO much like a small truck for my tastes. l really wanted a small wagon/SUV to carry band equipment & other things, so l was kind of sold on the IDEA of a Forester. As l was headed into the showroom to talk price, l noticed an Outback sitting there with all the doors & the hatch open. It has virtually the same cargo capacity (1 sq ft less than the Forester), but the thing is SO much more like a car that the Forester. l drove it & decided that this was much better suited for me.

l have had an Outback since June, 2006, but I've already owned two of them. l bought the 2.5 first, thinking I'd be just fine with 175 HP, but after 8 years with a 200 HP V-6 in a Honda Accord, l just thought l was beating the 4-cylinder to death. Not that it is not made to take it, though. In January, 2007, l got the 3.0 LL Bean Outback. Overall, I'd easily say that the Outback 3.0 is on par with the 1999 Accord 3.0 that l had. It is is a very good car unless u r looking for a rolling living room like a Buick or a Lincoln. The AWD, VDC, TCS & all those other letters r a really good set-up, too. It is a very smooth engine & it sounds great when u push it a bit.

l had the 2.5 for 7 months & I've had the 3.0 since January 20. (My daughter is now the proud owner of my 2006 Outback 2.5.) l think the upgrade was well worthwhile. There is SO much more about this car that is better than the 2.5i. If u can find one, buy it.

l drive many short, short trips, though, & l find that my daily gas mileage is poor. l live 1.3 miles from work, so unless l go out of town, l find that l am getting only about 16 MPG on these ultra-short trips. If l get some longer trips into the mix, l get about 18-19 MPG. On the highway, l easily get about 22-24 MPG. The 2.5i 4-cylinder was MUCH better than this, getting close to 30 MPG on the highway & 18 or so with my ultra-short trips.

hi, yes l am a licensed mechanic in hawaii. l have worked on the older subaru's. thru the years there must be positive changes to their vehicles. my experiences was not good back then. the biggest concern l have is maintenance. repairs can be costly & discouraging. l am a toyota man. but did purchase saturns in which msn auto had the best info on used car reviews by owners. the reviews on late model outbacks r excellent. u need to look at the old models & newer models & compare reviews. the usual trend is that the company improves thru the years. older models have head gasket problems. here is the links. http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/default.aspx?make=Subaru&model=Outback
http://autos.msn.com/research/userreviews/reviewlist.aspx?modelid=12341&trimid=-1
i hope this helps, it helped me pick saturn.