Used 2010 Subaru Outback SUV Consumer Reviews
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Wait for the 2011
CarProGA, 06/26/2009
2010 Subaru Outback 2.5i 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
20 of 21 people found this review helpful
This car has terrible squeaks and rattles. It drives well but feels underpowered in the mountains of Georgia. I would wait and see if they work out some issues for 2011. Fit and finish and power anemic as well as strange feeling seats after about an hour in the car.
205K and still going strong
Arthur Hoddick, 12/26/2018
2010 Subaru Outback 2.5i Premium 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
12 of 12 people found this review helpful
My Outback is an AWESOME all round family utility vehicle, with unreal extreme weather capabilities and more clearance than nearly any standard AWD or 4WD vehicle sold in the US. It is the first car that I have owned, over 35 years, and 12 vehicles, that covers all the bases.. It tows my lightweight trailer well. It is a dream to drive on long haul trips; we've been done Upstate NY to Florida, multiple times, and do weekly day trips around New England. I, at 6'5" and 325 pounds, can comfortably sit in the rear seats, without pulling the fronts forward, and the front seats are phenomenal, with plenty of headroom, even with the sunroof option. I've used it for First Response Fire and EMS calls, in every imaginable weather condition, and it has always kept me safe. I have a full package of hideaway emergency response lighting, off road LED accessory lights, and public service/HAM radios installed. I bought it in late 2009, from a dealer in West Springfield, Mass. It has the longest lasting brakes of any car I've ever owned, as long as your mechanic uses strictly Subaru parts; my current set is going on 70K, and still has 30% left on the pads. The few quibbles I have, with my 2010, have been addressed and corrected, as the model has matured. I'm close to looking at a new machine, and have been considering the options out there, but, outside of gas mileage, I have yet to find a competitor's model that would give me more than, let alone near, what I already have in my Outback, and I know, firsthand, from working on crash scenes, that an Outback will protect me, and my loved ones, should we ever get involved in a bad accident; there are few similarly equipped vehicles available, that I would have that confidence about, and none are near the Outback's price point of entry.
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The best and the worst of my first Subaru
AJG, 12/19/2016
2010 Subaru Outback 2.5i Premium 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
24 of 26 people found this review helpful
With a redesign in 2010 & the promise of more room and a CV Transmission coupled with arguably the best AWD system on the road today, I was excited to take the plunge into the Subaru world. Seemingly endless research, advice from coworkers and friends and a dealer that was rated high by it's users, suggested a potential slam dunk purchase was in store. Well....maybe not so much. Both dealer and 3rd party vehicle service contract holder did their best to avoid any assistance in dealing with the dreaded Subaru head gasket failure brought on by weak dealer maintenance before the sale, shortly after I got the car home. I wouldn't get to drive my new Outback again for another month while the engine was essentially rebuilt. This is about the only thing that keeps Subaru from a perfect rating from me. Their failure to address what has come to be known as their Achilles heel. A full year later, I can't believe how great this car is. The savvy consumer will see beyond the brand name and realize what they are getting for their money. My Outback feels as solid as it did 6 years ago rolling off the lot. It's 2.5i premium package includes the heated power seats, generous interior space, amazing ride and fairly zippy 170 HP Boxer engine. Passing is done easily and winter drives feel more confident riding on an AWD system that won't back down. If you live in a cold weather climate like I do and the 'all weather package' is an option, take it. Heated wipers and side mirrors may not sound like much, until you get hit with snow and ice and spend the extra time clearing those areas for driving. Throw in remote start, insane fuel economy (22/29 CTY/HWY) when using the 2.5i 170 HP CVT automatic transmission, and features like steering wheel radio controls, I've had to stop and ask myself why I hadn't consider Subaru years ago. I no longer fear my snow/ice covered steep driveway in the winter time. I tackle it as slow as I can (Even stop half way up) to see if I can make it slip. So far I have been unsuccessful in doing so. It's worth mentioning another issue Subaru has which is the oil burning issue. From what I can tell, this isn't a problem on the 2010-2011 2.5i 4 cylinder models, however Subaru would do good to get this and the head gasket issue on the front burners asap if it hopes to stand with the likes of Toyota and Honda. My daily commute is now an enjoyable, comfortable ride. There is no rust and the car looks, handles and rides as good as it did from day one. This is the kind of car you hang on to.
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Never again update never never
Ray, 07/24/2016
updated 07/26/2018
2010 Subaru Outback 2.5i 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
48 of 54 people found this review helpful
I like to keep cars as long as I can, We bought this car new thinking it would last us 10 to 15 yrs, Now I'm not so sure it will, we are about 6 yrs in and have put way to much into it to get it here. the first problem we had at about 15000 miles was the brakes, the rear pads fell out wrecking the caliper, at less than 20000, the tires were shot, uneven wear, we are now at about 92000, and on our 4th set always uneven wear, we have to have it alinged twice a year because it won't stay alinged. Have had that done by a few different shops and found one that can do it really well and seems to last the longest. Other problems the ac sucks, dealer looked at says it's ok, still sucks, poor line of sight, the rear view mirior is in the wrong place, and the roof towers block a lot, also the shocks in the rear had to be replace at 15000, now they all need replacing again, all the wheel bearings have been done, front ball joints, brake pads at least on the third or 4th set, and the list keeps going, all the brake disc, Now for the second time it had to be towed to the dealer because the ignition switch is stuck, can't wait to get that bill, and to top it off it's about time to do the belts. We are not rich and this car has been hard for us, new this car was to much money. I hope this helps other people when buying a car. Update, so still have th car because I like no car payment. But we keep having to do a lot of work to it, hard to keep tires the alignment goes out a lot and runes the tires, lost count of breaks we have done, rusting out now hope to get a couple more years before I bring to the salvage yard, had to replace all the ball joints and a arms where shot. Just an all around pice of junk. But a thousand here and there still works out better than a car payment. 110000 miles or so now.
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Very Disappointed
sarah19goddess, 11/17/2012
2010 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
33 of 37 people found this review helpful
Bought this car new off the lot and I have owned it for 1.5 years. From the very start I've had nothing but problems. Here's a list of issues: The GPS hard drive unit crapped out, entire unit replaced. Sun roof leaked twice in the first rains. Had to have new seals put in and buy a car cover. Sound system has been horrible from the start. At low volume the sound goes in and out in waves. Plastic seat casing along driver side seat kept popping off the track and then cracked. Passenger seat motor died, replaced. Check engine light keeps reappearing for gas cap (erroneously). Electronic e-break system keeps getting stuck engaged causing excessive wear. There's more but I'm out of characters.
First and last Subaru
Matt Wilkinson, 07/20/2017
2010 Subaru Outback 2.5i Premium 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
19 of 21 people found this review helpful
After years of hearing nothing but amazing things about Outback's, I bought a 2010 2.5i Premium for my wife when we moved out into the country and traded in our 2012 accord EX-L. The Subie was comfortable, great looking and offered fantastic traction. Bought it used with 80k miles on it(everything I read said this was not even broken in). In the 4 months we owned it, the brake calipers literally fell apart, the engine mounts went bad, the torque converter failed twice, and the engine started drinking anti-freeze. in 4 months I spent over $3,000 keeping the car on the road. When leaving to go to dinner last night, the car lurched when coming to stop and with a loud CLANG stalled out entirely. This was very similar to what it would do when the torque converter failed(twice). Limped it to the dealer, they told me I needed to replace the CVT(transmission). Went straight from the Subaru dealer to the Honda dealer and traded it in for a 2012 CR-V EX-L. Feels great to be back in a Honda. Too bad. I was really looking forward to the Outback. Disappointed.
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Sports sedan of an SUV
sheepdog, 11/28/2010
2010 Subaru Outback 3.6R Limited 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl 5A)
18 of 20 people found this review helpful
I wanted a family car/suv that drove like a sports car. This is the car chose. Fits the bill pretty well. I did research at Subaru outback.org and found a lot of them add a Subaru 19 mm rear sway bar kit ($72 online) that makes the car corner much flatter but still ride well. This 10 minute easy install job provided my family sports car. Best $72 upgrade ever. Dealership had no problem with the switch for warranty. Drives with a German feel now. Watch your speed, the car likes to be driven over 60 mph everywhere!
Needs redesign of back end
Heather, 05/08/2010
2010 Subaru Outback 2.5i Premium 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl 6M)
7 of 7 people found this review helpful
Within a month of owning this car, the thin piece of trim above the rear hatch release snapped in half. To fix, the entire rear panel (with multiple parts, like the logo, lights, etc.) has to be bought: $400+. Thanks, Subaru. Why isn't this a large, solid panel? And why can't individual parts be purchased? Also, the hatch door can be difficult to close, making me repeatedly get out of the car to close the door. You have to slam it. Otherwise have loved the car. Road trip mileage of 34 mpg/500 miles on that tank! Previous car was 01 Forester with 180K.
Great vehicle, finally grown up
downeast3, 04/28/2011
2010 Subaru Outback 2.5i Premium 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl 6M)
7 of 7 people found this review helpful
Seems every time Subaru revamps a car there is quit a lot of controversy. I formerly drove a 1997 OB with 5 speed. I loved it but had to give it up due to poor ergonomincs. I'm 6'3" and used to get a lot of right hip pain when I drove for more than 2-3 hrs. I had a lot of 16 hr plus cross country trips in that car and it used to just wear me out. I had to swear off Subaru untill the 2010 came out. Love the fit and feel. Very comortable, more economical with the 6 speed. Not a dog but not as sporty either. For real travelling, there is no substitute for comfort! Nice to be able to get to Sugarloaf after the 2 1/2 hr drive feeling fresh and ready to ski! Very relieable so far!
Former VW - BMW Owner
bigchief, 03/20/2010
2010 Subaru Outback 2.5i Premium 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl 6M)
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
Made my decision to purchase after getting my BMW out of winter storage, became exhausted from the pounding of those run flat tires, just terrible. The ride is smooth, vehicle is sure footed, I now enjoy a relaxed commute. Purchased the 2.5 with manual transmission, just could not become convinced on the CVT. About 1,000 miles into it and has been enjoyable thus far.
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