2010 Subaru Outback Consumer Reviews

I already have a 2005 Outback. I needed to replace a totaled Toyota Corolla and wanted a mid sized car with AWD. Already having an Outback in the driveway, I took a look at the AWD options in the $30k price range. I looked at the Rogue, CR-V, CX-5, Venza and Rav-4. Out of those cars, the one I liked the most was the CX-5 AWD Touring. It looked and handled great, 2.0 engine was ok, and it seemed like a good value. I had 2 issues... the biggest being that visibility out of the car was extremely poor. It came with a blind spot warning system and backup camera standard... because it really needs them. The other issue I had was the super high compression (13 to 1) 2.0 liter engine. Power was sufficient (but not great), but the high compression ratio had me worried about reliability. The CR-V drove nicely enough, but I didn't like the interior with the weird gear selector position. I also hated the design of the rear exterior. Visibility out the back was better than the CX-5, but not by much. I felt the electric steering was disconnected from the road. They are also so common where I live, I was afraid I wouldn't find my car in the parking lot (just a little humor). The Rav-4 was also decent. I liked the idea of the 3rd row seat option (which no dealer seemed to have) and visibility was ok. The interior seemed very cheap with hard plastic and a weird black and tan patterned interior. I new the redesign was coming, and felt the car was looking dated. Uninspired by anything except the CX-5, we decided to look at the 2013 Outback. Having owned the 2005, I was expecting the car to be well equipped, but basic. The dealer promised some good deals on the 2012's, but based on the suspension, cvt and engine changes, I insisted on the 2013. The CVT seemed fine and the 2.5L had a nice growl to it. Car drove nicely, had great visibility and I already knew how good the AWD was. At the end of the day, I went with a 2.5 Premium with Moonroof and some trim options (wheel well arches etc). Before tax and fees, the car came to $27,300. What follows is my breakdown of pros and cons after a little under 1000 miles : Pros ---- - Great panoramic view out of the front of the car, feels very open, even better with the moonroof shade open. - Decent 6 speaker stereo with bluetooth/usb/aux inputs - Great AWD - Backup Camera in rearview mirror is really nice addition. - Great interior room...I'm 6-3 and usually push the seat all the way back. I actually had to move the seat forward to get a good position. Rear seats were roomy as well, I can fit without my knees hitting the back seat, which is rare. Rear seats also recline a bit. - Paddle shifters on the steering wheel allow for engine breaking and "sport" mode driving. - CVT ?!? I think I like it. I had never driven one before the CR-V and OB test drives. It seems eerily smooth and takes a little getting used to. You can still hear the 2.5l growl a little inside the car which i personally like. Cons ---- - Subaru seems to have ignored aerodynamic design. It's got a pretty high drag co-efficient, even compared to the previous generation. While the it still drives more like a car than other SUV's... it's got a more SUV like feel to it than the previous gen. - I didn't opt for the Nav package... it's not worth the money. Unfortunately, Eyesight package requires it + the top end trim level. - Heavy Rear Window Tint on every thing but base trim. Yes, I am a visibility freak. Conclusion ---------- The Outback sits in a weird market position. It competes with more compact crossovers, and bigger SUV's. As a family car, it's got great safety features, roominess and a decent interior. I do feel that the value lies in the low to mid tier trim levels. You can option the car out to almost $40k which puts it into a different league of competition where it does not fit in as well IMO. Overall, its a great car that I wound up buying again, even though I tried hard not to.