Topic: Test Drive: 2017 Subaru Outback 2.5i Touring

[OliverD]

Just hoping a 3-row Subby is offered at some point again

There's definitely one coming. I think it's debuting next year.

[simonsez]

As the owner of a 2014 2.5i manual Outback I can certainly attest to the reviewer's opinion and what's being said here.  Fantastic AWD system, great visibility, roomy but yes, she is a slow pock (oh and the sound system sucks and she drinks a lot of oil - I can never go without topping her up in between changes - not sure if that's been addressed now but I know that I'm not alone with the oil consumption issue).  When I bought it 3 years ago, somehow it felt peppier but once loaded up with stuff and four bodies let's just say that highway passing must be calculated very carefully.

My 2012 manual140 hp Civic is definitely quicker.

We really wanted a family wagon/cuv/suv with a clutch and with a budget of 30k the pickings, at the time, were slim.

We're now thinking of changing but I'm afraid that we'll have to suck it up and deal with the 2 pedals.  If only the turbo Forester was still available with a stick we would be very interested as we really do like the whole Subaru ownership (even with the issues mentioned above).   

[Rupert]

   The brake lines on the test car clearly had air in them and needed bleeding. A line must have been disconnected for some reason at one time and not completely bled when re-assembled. Sometimes it takes more than one bleeding and some systems need a dealer device for handling ABS.

[Solstice2006]

The outback with the 3.6 (5AT) is far better in terms of real world fuel economy than the Fozzie XT pre-CVT... And certainly better than minivans.  Power is more than fine.

And the 2.5i at 9.3s = slow?  FFS, drive a Corolla for 6 years and fak off.

As per fuelly, less than 10% better on fuel economy.  And vans weight over 500lbs more.  Wonder what would happen if they used the V6 from Toyota.  Probably wouldn't be compatible. 

And when paying over $32k for a vehicle (for the base), I expect a little more oomph than 9.3 seconds...

[EV-Light]

Definitely slow...I was bashing the AllTrack and assumed it was gonna be slow as well, but forgot that it comes with a DCT! So I was wrong....

C&D tested it and I thought it had enough power to make me want one.

Subaru needs to get better at this game now...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[tortoise]

   The brake lines on the test car clearly had air in them and needed bleeding.

And you know this how?

[quadzilla]

   The brake lines on the test car clearly had air in them and needed bleeding.

And you know this how?

And you didn't think it could get any better. 

[safristi]

James sez best Subaru interior in "recent  memory"    well u said"I  haven't tested one since 2006 "   memory Laps(e) @ Calaboogey  man gettin too ya...G forces an all that

[pi314]

As the owner of a 2014 2.5i manual Outback I can certainly attest to the reviewer's opinion and what's being said here.  Fantastic AWD system, great visibility, roomy but yes, she is a slow pock (oh and the sound system sucks and she drinks a lot of oil - I can never go without topping her up in between changes - not sure if that's been addressed now but I know that I'm not alone with the oil consumption issue).  When I bought it 3 years ago, somehow it felt peppier but once loaded up with stuff and four bodies let's just say that highway passing must be calculated very carefully.

My 2012 manual140 hp Civic is definitely quicker.

We really wanted a family wagon/cuv/suv with a clutch and with a budget of 30k the pickings, at the time, were slim.

We're now thinking of changing but I'm afraid that we'll have to suck it up and deal with the 2 pedals.  If only the turbo Forester was still available with a stick we would be very interested as we really do like the whole Subaru ownership (even with the issues mentioned above).

Golf wagon or alltrak might fit your requirements

[wing]

Seriously, James, the only confusing thing about the liftgate is the Quebec license plate affixed to it.

How do you mean the upholstery comes detached???

Sorry didn't know my article finally went live.

The lift gate has a memory function and it was sick on open only like 6 inches.   I finally got it to open fully but for a few days it was confusing because not only did it stop at 6 inches after it stopped I had to use all my strength to open it further.   

The seat upholstery came detached.   I just reached down to feel the seat and noticed it just easily came right off.   Both front seats were the same.

Nothing holding it on but gravity

[quadzilla]

Wow that colour. Doesn't really look great on this car.

Does the Outback get all four windows with auto down or is it just like the Forester where only the driver's window gets it.  A small pet peeve of mine but no reason why any car today shouldn't have all windows w/auto up/down. Especially a fully loaded Forester XT @ $40K.

[Mike]

Wow that colour. Doesn't really look great on this car.

Does the Outback get all four windows with auto down or is it just like the Forester where only the driver's window gets it.  A small pet peeve of mine but no reason why any car today shouldn't have all windows w/auto up/down. Especially a fully loaded Forester XT @ $40K.

Driver and passenger are auto up down for 2017.

[Rupert]

   Well, the report outlined symptoms of air in the brake lines. Longer pedal travel and hard to stop. Yeah, I know this from usage of vehicles over more than 50 years. In any case...not hard to check is it. The report did not say spongy but maybe longer travel indicated this.

   The ability to stop well is more important than the ability to go and maybe should always be an important feature of reports. 

[quadzilla]

Wow that colour. Doesn't really look great on this car.

Does the Outback get all four windows with auto down or is it just like the Forester where only the driver's window gets it.  A small pet peeve of mine but no reason why any car today shouldn't have all windows w/auto up/down. Especially a fully loaded Forester XT @ $40K.

Driver and passenger are auto up down for 2017.

Any reason why the Outback gets driver/passenger yet the Forester only driver?

[Mike]

Wow that colour. Doesn't really look great on this car.

Does the Outback get all four windows with auto down or is it just like the Forester where only the driver's window gets it.  A small pet peeve of mine but no reason why any car today shouldn't have all windows w/auto up/down. Especially a fully loaded Forester XT @ $40K.

Driver and passenger are auto up down for 2017.

Any reason why the Outback gets driver/passenger yet the Forester only driver?

Forester, Legacy, WRX, STI, Impreza, BRZ all get it for 2017

[tortoise]

Well, the report outlined symptoms of air in the brake lines. Longer pedal travel and hard to stop.

Or you know, it isn't that at all.

At 192 feet to stop from 70 mph, this Outback needed more braking distance than some half-ton pickup trucks; this figure was 12 feet longer than what we measured for the 2015 Outback 3.6R. The long pedal stroke before the brakes bite is less than desirable, although retardation rates are easily modulated once it wakes up.

http://www.caranddriver.com/subaru/outback

[wing]

My butt dyno doesn't lie!

[ltruong]

As the owner of a 2014 2.5i manual Outback I can certainly attest to the reviewer's opinion and what's being said here.  Fantastic AWD system, great visibility, roomy but yes, she is a slow pock (oh and the sound system sucks and she drinks a lot of oil - I can never go without topping her up in between changes - not sure if that's been addressed now but I know that I'm not alone with the oil consumption issue).  When I bought it 3 years ago, somehow it felt peppier but once loaded up with stuff and four bodies let's just say that highway passing must be calculated very carefully.

My 2012 manual140 hp Civic is definitely quicker.

We really wanted a family wagon/cuv/suv with a clutch and with a budget of 30k the pickings, at the time, were slim.

We're now thinking of changing but I'm afraid that we'll have to suck it up and deal with the 2 pedals.  If only the turbo Forester was still available with a stick we would be very interested as we really do like the whole Subaru ownership (even with the issues mentioned above).

I've read on the Subaru forum that the manual transmission has higher oil consumption but there's no real data on it.  Sportwagen awd should come out with 6spd manual first quarter of 2017 but it is definitively a smaller car.   IF you want an affordable awd manual wagon... not much choice out there..... Volvo needs to go back at making affordable wagon 

[quadzilla]

Wow that colour. Doesn't really look great on this car.

Does the Outback get all four windows with auto down or is it just like the Forester where only the driver's window gets it.  A small pet peeve of mine but no reason why any car today shouldn't have all windows w/auto up/down. Especially a fully loaded Forester XT @ $40K.

Driver and passenger are auto up down for 2017.

Any reason why the Outback gets driver/passenger yet the Forester only driver?

Forester, Legacy, WRX, STI, Impreza, BRZ all get it for 2017

My bad, thanks for the correction. For some reason when I drove my SIL's '17 XT I thought it only had auto on the drivers.  Btw, she LOVES it big time.

Now get that turbo back in the Impreza hatch!

[woolfreyp]

my 2.5i touring manual transmission Legacy is pretty similar.
slow as hell generally and especially off the line, but okay if you keep it on boil when required, and kinda noisy but i like the growl. great fuel economy though. i averaged 5.6 l/100km on an all highway trip from niagara falls to toronto doing ~115, which indicated a range of 1070km on the trip computer.
the front seat fabric has these tab like things that hang down towards the floor, perhaps that is what he means.
ditto on the sound system, i cant believe its possible to get such a bad set of speakers in a modern car that's almost 30 grand (over 30 for test vehicle)
I always have to add a Litre of oil halfway through the service interval (interval is 10,000 km, so add oil once around 5000 km after service). service guys say its because the manual is always revving more, and engine braking.
almost 40k and not a single hitch otherwise though. every now and then starlink freaks out and i just have to restart the car, and rarely i get a rattle from the cover for the usb/aux port if it is closed.
super comfortable ride and confident in all conditions.
the steering in 2015 is numb i find, but apparently that was corrected from 2016 onward to feel more natural.
I pray that by the time my lease is up there is a 2.0 turbo or something better but I wouldn't hold my breath. 3.6 is 4k more to buy, automatic only, and not nearly as efficient so hard to justify to me.