Used 2005 Subaru Outback Consumer Reviews
Fun to Drive
Pleased so far with the purchase. First time Subaru owner. Areas of concern with previous years have been addressed with 05 model. Researched all similar vehicles with AWD and found this vehicle to provide most bang for the buck, despite the fact that Subaru does not give them away. The car offers many features for all types of drivers: AWD-comfort-performance-reliability and most importantly-safety.
The Best Yet!!
This is my 3rd Outback and by far the best!! Subaru really listened to all the surveys and out-did themselves with the 2005 model! Power, comfort, looks...and fun!! I love the new Color- I bought the Atlantic Blue. I've had so many comments about my "new car" and tell me about the car and it's features!
- 2.5i WagonMSRP: $5,995100 mi away
- 3.0 R L.L.Bean Edition WagonMSRP: $3,590101 mi away
- 2.5 XT Limited WagonMSRP: $6,500105 mi away
Seat Comfort
This Outback is my 3rd Subaru -- I still own a '93 Legacy LSI wagon. Fantastic exterior design, quality, etc. But... WARNING: I'm 5' 10'' tall and am still having difficulty adjusting to the extra firm seats and a steering wheel that is too far away when my legs are in a comfortable position. Several others have commented about this in Subaru forums - It is not a minor inconvience when you find yourself in pain after a long trip. A beautiful car with a serious design flaw -- it needs a telescopic steering wheel.
Reliable??
The first 4 years car was alright, just don't expect much in the way of gas mileage. Had to replace rear wheel bearings under the special extended warrentee. Car was so loud that I could not hear the people in the back seat at over 25 mph. Have kept all the service intervals. Dealer says the head gasket is shot and needs to be replaced, estimate $2000.00. Only 71,000 mile on the car. I've had cars with 150K+ miles with fewer major problems. Headlights burn out about 2 months. Car has a higher than average cost of ownership, intervals for regular service items seem more frequent than other manufacturers. I don't think I'll be getting another Subaru. Not the quality I expected.
The best hybrid of Sedan, Wagon and SUV
Even when Turbo kicks in, the noise level of the cabin is still rather low, but you will hear wind rush through roof racks. Cargo space is plenty with hidden storage rooms arranged nicely, however interior space of front seats somehow feels small comparing to our 2000 Prelude. Body lean is there but the car still feels confident with small hint of RWD like. My wife and I had tested drive other European wagons in the same price range ($30K - $33K) and this OB XT Ltd easily beats them all (V50 T5 AWD, Audi A4 1.8t and Passat AWD) in all areas. We both have been a big VTEC fan for 6 years in 4 different models but the fun factor out from this turbo engine has totally changed our belief.