Used 2006 Subaru Outback Consumer Reviews
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So far, so great
Joe, 07/25/2006
2006 Subaru Outback 2.5 XT Ltd 4dr Wagon AWD w/Black Int (2.5L 4cyl Turbo 5A)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
Only 3 months into this, but the car is great fun to drive, lots of versatility, poor gas mileage the only drawback. (Still better than the '93 Land Cruiser). Excellent road car, wonderful compromise between utility and fun to drive. One pesky factory defect, broken clips in the dash, requiring several trips to the dealer until they got the right parts. Good purchase experience. Fun to own a car that is still unlike everyone else. Looking forward to the all wheel drive in the snow.
My 3rd outback
jsta, 06/24/2009
2006 Subaru Outback 2.5i 4dr Wagon AWD (2.5L 4cyl 4A)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
I've owned 3 outbacks (1997, 2001 and currently, my 2006. The 2006 is superior to the 2nd generation outback. It's tighter in quality, with better handling and not as soft riding as the 2001. I don't know why some get such poor mpg, but I have kept the second trip odometer on actual mileage, and for 50k miles, I have averaged 26.8 mpg and, I drive lots in mtns, on any of the 4 mountain passes in the northern cascade mtn range. City mileage is about 24 - 25, but on long freeway hauls, driving 60 70 mph, I have hit 30 mpg, but usually get about 28 mpg. That said, if Subaru does not improve mpg levels (though they are far better than many USA all wheel drive cars), I might jump ship to Honda.
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burns oil, engine needs replacing
Chris Stark, 04/16/2016
updated 04/20/2020
2006 Subaru Outback 2.5i 4dr Wagon AWD (2.5L 4cyl 5M)
17 of 26 people found this review helpful
I learned this is a common problem with Subaru's. Burns oil. Oil level gets low. Oil light doesn't come on. Engine needs replacing. $7000.
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10 Years in the Family
Pike, 07/16/2016
2006 Subaru Outback 3.0 R 4dr Wagon AWD (3.0L 6cyl 5A)
13 of 20 people found this review helpful
To start, the Subaru was my mother's car for almost 10 years and she had bought it barely used with less than 2000 miles on it. Though this is not my car, I have driven it for several thousand miles over the past decade. My biggest complaints with this vehicle are its atrocious steering feel, terrible fuel economy, sub par reliability, obstructive visibility, and cramp inducing seats. Other than that the Outback is pretty average in all other categories. The steering feels loose and the wheel rotates several degrees before the wheels respond. It is a feeling similar to large sedans like a Lincoln Town Car, or offroad capable SUVs like a Jeep Wrangler. If the steering was looser for offroad purposes I would not mark it down, but the Outback is not capable of tackling anything more than a dirt road. The owners manual also warns you that it is not designed as an offroad vehicle. As a result, the car feels a lot heavier and less nimble than other vehicles in the same size category. Second, fuel economy is terrible. It averaged 17 in the city and 26 on the highway for average fuel economy of 22 mpg. This is 2 mpg better than the epa rating, but still worse than contemporary RWD V8s or AWD cars with similar power. Speaking of the AWD, it takes a huge toll on the suspension and steering elements after 10 years. We had to replace a part of the front axel shaft and cv joint as it had worn down and was creating a grinding noise at highway speeds. Parts like that should not wear out in under 60k miles. All other cars we have owned have not had any mechanical failures until reaching over 100k miles. This car was also subject to the Takata airbag recall and the dealer says that we will need to wait another 6 months before it can be fixed after waiting a year already. The final issue is the interior comfort and design. The materials of the interior are mostly cheap hard plastics with a few soft touch panels. The seats were as uncomfortable as you could get in a car. I would develop pain in my lower back and legs after driving or riding in it for about an hour. It is the only car I have experienced this even though I have done 5-11 hours non-stop (except gas) in other vehicles. Blind spot visibility is also poor as the front head rests and side pillars make it difficult to see anything out of the back seat side windows if you are backing out of a parking spot or checking the blind spot. To conclude, the 2006 Subaru Outback 3.0R is a very average wagon that I did not look forward to driving.
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2006 Subaru 2.5i Outback Automatic
too_many_cars, 12/12/2008
2006 Subaru Outback 2.5i 4dr Wagon AWD (2.5L 4cyl 4A)
4 of 5 people found this review helpful
I've had my 2006 Outback 2.5i auto for over a year, and am generally satisfied. I commonly drive offroad and in heavy snow conditions, and the AWD performs well. The car has done well under some bad conditions, and the AWD system has probably kept me out of a few snowbanks due to bad driving. The car is super comfy, and with a Yakima roof rack, you can haul plenty of people and gear. My primary complaint is the shoddy fuel mileage. I average about 21 mpg, with MPG dipping into the 18 mpg range when driving in the mountains here in WV.