Used 2005 Subaru Outback Consumer Reviews
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Green Bean
Dave, 08/06/2006
2005 Subaru Outback 3.0 R L.L.Bean Edition AWD 4dr Wagon (3.0L 6cyl 5A)
21 of 21 people found this review helpful
I saw the car on the lot and fell in love with the color (Willow Green) for starters. Thought the flared fenders and rugged looks were awesome. I took it for a ride and the seamless power from 0 to 70 was awesome. It does have a few second delay when you step on it so If you are counting on the 250 horses to make up for the close pull out in traffic, think before you put your nose out there. The huge sunroof is a bit chattery when closed and almost impossible to have open while going over 50 from the wind noise. I tried to buy a sunroof deflector from the dealer and the one listed ONLY fits the sedan, not the wagon.
Bad Catalytic converter $$
fino, 08/15/2009
2005 Subaru Outback 2.5i AWD 4dr Wagon (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
33 of 34 people found this review helpful
I have owned many Subaru's and really loved them all except for this problem. Catalytic converter is bad and estimated replacement is $2,000 to $3,000. I have spoken to some Subaru and non Subaru mechanics and all have said this is a common problem. I am not getting any satisfaction from Subaru USA and this has turned a loyal customer into a doubter. They tried a computer fix that did not work. They blame problem on hills and high speeds. The car also had bad rear bearing that were replaced as a recall.
The 2005 2.5XT Limited is the one to get
Ken Schory, 09/19/2016
updated 09/23/2019
2005 Subaru Outback 2.5 XT Limited AWD 4dr Wagon (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 5M)
59 of 62 people found this review helpful
Check its service record. This is not a maintenance-free car, but its build quality and service requirements are much better than I expected. After almost 12 years of ownership and more than 150,000 miles on the odometer, I am still rewarded by the excellent driving experience this car provides. I consider it the "Swiss Army Knife" of vehicles because its power and handling are excellent, its ergonomics are superb, and it carries (along with its roof-mounted cargo box) enough camping gear for an extended road trip. While the manual transmission isn't the world's best (shifting isn't exactly snick-snick), the mere fact that it HAS a manual transmission is exceptional and rewarding. At about 95,000 miles, I invested in a significant update to a number of components, so at 152,000 miles it still handles much like a new car, and I always look forward to opportunities to take road trips with it. The seats in this model are superb, as is the instrumentation. The large sunroof is excellent. The sound system produces very satisfying audio quality, even though I did not buy the optional sub-woofers. In today's world, in which far too many vehicles suffer from huge blind spots in the rear-quarter areas, this Outback has superlative 360-degree visibility. At the end of the day, my wish is that Subaru would produce this exact-same car again, updated to incorporate current technology. I'd buy it in a heartbeat. But if you're looking for a rewarding used car, and if you love "the driving experience," I'd highly recommend a close look at a 2005 Outback 2.5XT Limited (with manual transmission, if that appeals to you). UPDATE, MARCH, 2017: In December, after more than twelve years of ownership, I was motivated to trade in my '05 Outback for a 2017 Forester 2.0XT Touring, which I consider to be more in line with my current driving needs and style than the new Outback. Looking back on my Outback, I still feel it stands out as a specific model worth considering; it's "special." If the features and functions of that car meet your needs, and if you're lucky enough to find one that has been well maintained, I'd suggest you jump on it. But before doing so, given its age, you should probably have a mechanic go over it carefully, taking a particularly close look at such items as the turbo, radiator and seals.
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Best automobile
krinara, 02/19/2014
2005 Subaru Outback 3.0 R VDC Limited AWD 4dr Wagon (3.0L 6cyl 5A)
33 of 35 people found this review helpful
Subaru is "confidence in motion". I have owned many different brands, but the Subarus in that line up were the ones, that were the best bet for the money. The Outback 3.0 is the most reliable of the lot and I can say that I will always have a Subaru parked in my garage!
Great Car! Other than head gasket problem
Francis Zelinka, 11/10/2017
2005 Subaru Outback 2.5i AWD 4dr Wagon (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
23 of 24 people found this review helpful
This is a great car, I'm just getting rid of mine now after 180,000 miles. I really haven't done anything to it other than regular maintenance of things like wheel bearings, timing belt, a couple suspension components, and fluid changes. No question that Subaru's AWD system was the best on the market in this era. This car has gotten me out of some sticky situations both on and off road. The achilles heel of these cars, and any subaru with the 2.5 liter engine, is the head gaskets. Sometimes they completely blow, sometimes (as in my case) they just drip a bit of oil. It is a fairly big job, if you want to avoid having that problem I would recommend purchasing the H6 version of this car, (if you can stomach the slightly worse gas mileage). If you are looking to buy a used Outback of this era and all the way up until 2011 look for one that has had the head gaskets replaced. Once you fix that problem the 2.5 is pretty bombproof up to 200K or 250K
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- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
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