2005 Subaru Outback Consumer Reviews Page 5

Traded My '03 WRX

Written by: Rob M on 10/05/2005

Vehicle

2005 Subaru Outback 2.5 XT Limited AWD 4dr Wagon (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 5M)

Review

Perfect all around car. Does everything well without a complaint. Traded my '03 WRX because I needed more room. Leather interior is great, versus cloth in WRX. Extremely reliable, never a worry. Get loads of compliments, Atlantic blue with grey. Looks great even while standing still. Best buy for the money, compared to the other imports from AUDI, VOLVO, BMW. Thousands less and more power, paid just over $29k.

Favorite Features

Gauges, full sweep at start up, red ring around all gauges. TURBO BOOST! Overall style inside and out, loads of compliments!

Suggested Improvements

Front seats not comfortable on long trips, Driver fatigue big time. No aux input for an MP3 player. Gas mileage is worse than expected. I average only 15 mpg city, and I'm not that heavy on the gas. Back seat legroom could be a few inches more.

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Mostly good

Written by: Kathy on 09/28/2005

Vehicle

2005 Subaru Outback 2.5i AWD 4dr Wagon (2.5L 4cyl 5M)

Review

The car is almost as good as I expected. I like everything except the cruise control. Mine won't work and I can't get Subaru to fix it. I've been to the dealership twice and they say to wait until November when they "might" have a solution. I've tried to contact the regional customer service but so far, no one has bothered to call me back. It's been three weeks since the problem was first reported.

Favorite Features

Gas economy, outside mirror defrosters, ease of handling, heated seats.

Suggested Improvements

A better prepared, more responsive service team would be nice. It took two trips to the dealership to fix the glove box and remote. If they can't fix the cruise control on a car with less than 2,000 miles on it, I'm a bit worried about repairs down the road.

1 out 1 people found this review helpful

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Subaru is Better Than The Ratings

Written by: Hg Wells on 09/21/2005

Vehicle

2005 Subaru Outback 3.0 R VDC Limited AWD 4dr Wagon (3.0L 6cyl 5A)

Review

I tend to think that Subaru owners are tougher evaluators than some others. So many Subaru owners love their cars and buy them again. This summer, I talked to a lady who is on her 7th Subaru and has said that they have (literally) saved her life. My VDC (a rarer model) has surprised me with its off-road performance. I have had more traditional 4WD vehicles before. I expected it to be good on any road, not as good as it is off-road. Higher ground clearance in the 2005's helps. The VDV (Vehicle Dynamic Control) traction control rarely kicks in, but when it does (only off-road so far), it does very well. I have always liked Subaru's engineering. Like it better than my ratings.

Favorite Features

I like the VDC traction control, the all-wheel drive in general, the solid feel of the car, good turning radius, and decent ground clearance. Nice moonroof. I trust this car and feel secure that it will hold together (almost) wherever I take it.

Suggested Improvements

Gas mileage needs major improvement. Seats have really effective lumbar support so you're less likely to have a back problem, but they could be more comfortable overall. No outside door locks except on the driver's door! Really hate the automatic dimming rear view mirror. But I love the car.

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I like it but it could be much better

Written by: Chris M on 09/21/2005

Vehicle

2005 Subaru Outback 3.0 R L.L.Bean Edition AWD 4dr Wagon (3.0L 6cyl 5A)

Review

We bought this car to get out of the normal SUV body style and to improve on our gas mileage from a 2002 Jeep Liberty. The improvement worked out to about 3 mpg better than the way heavier Jeep. The car drives great, I expect it to be reliable, but there are a lot of small things that were missed. The flip door space in the center of the dash just shows the lack of imagination. That was the best they could come up with for that space?

Favorite Features

The all-wheel drive is great for handling. I love the huge sunroof and the fact that it drives so much better than the Jeep or our old RAV4, while having a lot more room.

Suggested Improvements

GPS navigation! I know the 2006 has this option, but it cannot be added to the 2005. The radio controls on the steering wheel are awful. Why can you not scan through radio presets and CDs (tracks only)? The Jeep did this with a "mode" button. The climate control should be better.

1 out 1 people found this review helpful

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Great all around auto

Written by: slocumt on 09/16/2005

Vehicle

2005 Subaru Outback 3.0 R VDC Limited AWD 4dr Wagon (3.0L 6cyl 5A)

Review

Safety, great traction wet or dry, good gas mileage, room for five and then some; with today's high gas prices it just seems right .

Favorite Features

Steering wheel, seats, engine,

Suggested Improvements

Darker tinted glass on the Outback wagon. There's a lot of glass with the large moon roof. Gets too hot in the summer and I live in the northeast.

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Liked '97 much better

Written by: Kiko on 09/15/2005

Vehicle

2005 Subaru Outback 3.0 R VDC Limited AWD 4dr Wagon (3.0L 6cyl 5A)

Review

Very disappointed with the fuel economy - 16mpg in winter, 19 in summer. Climate controls are confusing, impossible to get fresh, cool air into cabin w/o A/C. Continue to have issues with noise and vibration in front drivetrain. Dealer has not been able to correct after vehicle being in shop over two weeks. Should have stuck with the old reliable.

Favorite Features

Radio controls on steering wheel.

Suggested Improvements

Better designed climate controls and clearer instructions to use them.

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Reliability

Written by: Earl Evans on 09/04/2005

Vehicle

2005 Subaru Outback 3.0 R AWD 4dr Sedan (3.0L 6cyl 5A)

Review

This is our 10th Subaru, all were reliable, great in snow, dealer is fantastic.

Favorite Features

Suggested Improvements

Comfort of seats for long trips.

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We always buy a Subaru

Written by: Pat Wood on 08/17/2005

Vehicle

2005 Subaru Outback 3.0 R L.L.Bean Edition AWD 4dr Wagon (3.0L 6cyl 5A)

Review

Subaru is a choice of our family because of it's reliability and the service at the Dealership, if needed. We feel it is one of the safest cars to drive on the open road in all kinds of weather. (Especially the western NY weather!) We have owned many Subaru's and only buy a new one because of upgrading.

Favorite Features

The side airbags!! The all wheel drive! It just runs so smooth.

Suggested Improvements

I feel that there could be more passenger storage compartments...the little things get overlooked sometimes. There are really no place for CD's..not enough nooks and crannies..they have improved the cup holders, but that is about it. The cubby in the dash is useless..no place for change for tolls.

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Great Value

Written by: Robert on 08/11/2005

Vehicle

2005 Subaru Outback 3.0 R AWD 4dr Sedan (3.0L 6cyl 5A)

Review

I bought my car used with 7100 miles on the odometer. I love spirited driving. I am not totally happy with the suspension. The 8" ground clearance causes a floatiness at highway speeds and on undulating roadways. Maybe too much air is going under the car and causing lift. The interior is nicely appointed and handsome. I found the left foot rest not quite the right size or in the best position. I and am constantly moving my foot to get the most comfortable spot. The radio needs a sub woofer as standard equiptment. Car is very quiet at highway speed. Doors close with a reasurring thunk. The brakes are a little squishy. I prefer a more solid feel to the pedal pressure.

Favorite Features

The headlights are perfectly positioned and give the road ahead good visibility. The dash is very good looking and all the controls have a quality feel and are easy to use. Love the dash illumination at night.

Suggested Improvements

With exorbitant gas prices I wish the car ran on regular. Firm up the suspension to reduce the floatiness. Add rear air conditioning vents.

1 out 1 people found this review helpful

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Best for now

Written by: halbhh on 07/31/2005

Vehicle

2005 Subaru Outback 2.5i AWD 4dr Wagon (2.5L 4cyl 5M)

Review

Since we need to haul our 3 large dogs, we need a wagon or SUV. Of all the ones out there this is probably the most cost efficient while still having such a great look and feel. It's interesting to see today the article where it's more fuel efficient than the Toyota Highlander Hybrid. We get 27.5 in town and 30 on the highway (review said that hybrid did 23). She wanted manual, so that's what we have, and its drawback is the slight jerkiness and heavy clutch, but you learn to ease it and we're getting better at it (after 5000 miles). Overall I don't think there's anything close for this price. It's a truly great car/wagon/suv/what-have-you.

Favorite Features

That subtle Subaru, Japanese styling. It's sport car feel and nimbleness under most conditions.

Suggested Improvements

For the manual transmission, Subaru should work to reduce the jerkiness when the clutch is engaged or when using cruise control downhill.

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