Used 2014 Subaru Outback Consumer Reviews
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Have snow, will travel
slavik2014, 12/05/2013
2014 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
14 of 15 people found this review helpful
The winter has arrived along with half a foot of snow, ice, and -20 wind chills - a perfect time to see what my new (just a month old) Subaru is made of. Happy to report that it's more than up to the challenge. Drove it this AM through ice covered hills and it held its own nicely. Even at the intersections, where I used to sometimes slide around in my previous vehicle (Honda CRV), the Outback holds steady. And, it's fun to drive!
Nice vehicle with some issues
Paul R., 08/19/2017
2014 Subaru Outback 2.5i 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
8 of 8 people found this review helpful
It is AWD (all wheel drive) which is good but is you screw up one tire and the other three have some wear on them you will likely to have to replace all four so you do not screw up the differential units. New tires may be expensive but AWD is pretty good for safe travel. Subaru has one of the top AWD systems. The vehicles are more expensive to maintain because of the AWD. Fuel economy has been good for me (see below) but I do usually do not attempt to accelerate/decelerate too fast. Do not try to slam your way into the wind as the this greatly reduces fuel economy. The cargo area is usable as a sleep area with one or both the rear seats folded down. Floor coverings in the cargo area run up the back of the seats making for a nice flooring when the seats are down. Bluetooth sucks (at least in my vehicle)--microphone is abysmal. Changing spark-plugs is very expensive as it requires raising the motor slightly which is not something most people (even DIY people) are willing to take on. 4 plug change is over $300.00. Transmission and differently unit have worked so far but I just received something from Subaru indicating a warranty extension with suggests they are beginning to have unit failures earlier that one would expect.
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- 3.6R Limited 4dr SUVMSRP: $18,79516 mi away
- 2.5i Limited PZEV 4dr SUVMSRP: N/A11 mi away
- 2.5i Limited PZEV 4dr SUVMSRP: N/A11 mi away
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Great overall In Town Vehicle
Evan, 11/16/2018
2014 Subaru Outback 2.5i PZEV 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
12 of 13 people found this review helpful
I purchased a used 2014 Subaru Outback in spring of 2017 with 117k Miles. The car was previously a company fleet vehicle hence the higher miles. No modifications were done to the vehicle except a trailer hitch. Maintenance done: Spark plugs and Brakes. Spark plugs were done at dealer and I did the brakes myself - which were as easy as any other brake job. Pros: - First and foremost the symmetrical AWD system is the best. Believe me, I've TRIED to get this car stuck in the snow up in northern Michigan and it just won't happen. The car handles amazingly well on ice and snow at all speeds. This reason alone I would buy another. - The utilitarian aspects of the car. I've towed a dual-axle 27ft pontoon with this car (luckily the boat launch was only 2 miles away). The looks on peoples faces when this little station wagon rips a boat that size out of lake Michigan was priceless. I've also towed plenty of Uhauls and fishing boats around town and the car does great. The trailer hitch was easy enough to install myself and so far is holding up. - There's tons of room in the back. I play in a band and can load almost all the gear to shows. - The sound system is Amazing. - The car looks great. I've colored the wheels a dark grey to match the paint and people compliment it all the time. - The factory installed roof racks. These are perfect if you have any Yakima applications or for a canoe. - Simpleness of everything. Subaru keeps it simple when it comes to their designs and clearly it works. - Subaru is know to hold it's value very well. I feel good about what my car is still worth today. * Bonus Pro: Someone rear ended me fairly hard and was driving an older Impala. Their car was totaled and limped away billowing smoke. The Subaru's bumper cracked a bit and I had to pop the corner back out. Cons: - My biggest complaint with this car is the power train, specifically on the highway. The car is very under powered. Simply entering a freeway the engine struggles and will almost rev to redline just to get up to speed. The car also does not sit very well it at 80mph. Again, lack of power causes the transmission to constantly be shifting and running at higher RPM's which leads me to my next con: - The transmission. I really do not like the CVT transmission in this car. It's very jerky taking off and overall doesn't seem to be a good fit with the car. After a few months of driving, the car would almost stall when shifting into drive from reverse and while coming to a stop. I took it into a dealer and they did flash update on the transmission which didn't fix a thing. The car still drives fine but it's a little worrisome that you're about to stall out at every red light (car has yet to actually stall but has come very close). The entire driving experience with this transmission is so unsatisfying due to the numbness of the CVT. - Engine is very noisy. Actually the whole car is kind of noisy especially on the highway. - The engine uses oil. I've had the 'oil level low' light come on about 5 times since I've owned the car. Two buddies of mine have the exact same year and model and have said the same thing. I'm sure to always keep an extra quart of oil in the back because you never know with this thing. - The 'instant mpg' gauge instead of an engine temp gauge has to be the dumbest idea ever. The display above the radio shows the instant mpg - why would I also need an analogue gauge of my mpgs? Who cares that much? For a car company that is known for bad head gaskets, I think and engine temp gauge would be a very smart thing to have on your cluster. (The car averages 24mpg highway at 80mph by the way). - The hazard button is at the bottom of the hvac controls so be prepared to accidentally put your hazards on more than once. - Steering and accelerator pedal are extremely stiff. After a 1.5 years of owning this car I still cannot smoothly take off from a stop. - Don't expect any sort of performance or handling from this car. Overall this has been a decent car and I plan on keeping it in the family until it dies. Living in Michigan the AWD is a must have and this car does not disappoint. For a city car and for hauling stuff around this car is great.. but so is an actual SUV. If you need a spacious grocery-getter for driving around town with the dogs in the back then this is the car for you. If you desire any sort of performance or ability to work hard I would not recommend this car. In shortness, for what it is, It gets the job done. If I had to replace it, I would buy some sort of SUV that's better at what the Subaru tries to do (especially for only 24mpg).
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We Love this Car More and More!
Hank, 12/20/2015
updated 12/26/2017
2014 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited PZEV 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
7 of 7 people found this review helpful
The Outback was a replacement for a 2004 Subaru Forester! We wanted something a little bigger but with good gas mileage and some neat features! It also had PZEV, which I had to look up and stands for Partial Zero-Emission Vehicle. The Outback, was purchased used, with 7200 mi on the odometer, and fit the bill and has not disappointed us. The transmission is unique and what I immediately noticed as a major difference is the variable shifting eliminates the up and down jerking of speed changes with the car in cruise control on hills. And we took a trip from St. Louis to Houston, and averaged 30mpg going. The trip back was 28 but for the size of this vehicle, not bad at all! And the car is much more comfortable than the older 2004 Forester! Our 2014 Subaru Outback now has 21,000 + miles and we just we just got it back from a local Collision repair center, We hit a deer or the deer hit us! The impact was at 60 mph and the front bumper and support structure absorbed the hit very well.(no airbag deployment) And according to the repair center, the parts came from Subaru, some refurbished but all Subaru parts but the paint! This car looks and performs as well as it did the day we bought it! If I could give this car 10 stars I would. Best car we have ever owned! Update Dec 22, 2016. We have now had the car for about a year, we have hit a deer at High Speed and the cars safety features saved my wife from injury. Even hitting a deer, front damage, the car was derivable to a auto body shop! The Missouri State Trooper could not believe it! Like the titles says; "We Love this Car More and More! it is now Dec 23, 2017 and our Subaru is now, not only our primary transportation, but has been put into service as a transporter for Animal Rescue my wife has become involved. The point is mileage is now up to 45,000 + miles and this car performs as well as it did the day we bought it! To us it is the best car value choice we could have made! And I love the warranty on this vehicle..........................I have never needed it! Nothing breaks!
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Subaru needs to redesign the braking system
Andrew S, 12/06/2015
updated 08/02/2016
2014 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited PZEV 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
7 of 7 people found this review helpful
So this is our second Subaru. The first was a 2012 Premium Outback 2.5, which we traded in with 62,000 miles. No major issues. We have owned the 2014 for about one month and have noticed a significant difference in the braking. The braking is extremely soft. With 24,000 miles on it, I changed out the all the brakes and rotors. I noticed the the rear pads had only about 20% remaining and the front pads had 60-70%. I thought this was odd and mentioned it to the dealer. The dealer stated that Subaru changed the majority braking application to the rear brakes preventing the vehicle from "dipping" when coming to a stop. Overall, I think this is a great idea, however Subaru forgot to increase the rear brake pads and rotors to prevent quick wear. So my guess is that I'll have to replace the rear brakes and rotors every 25,000-30,000 miles. The 2014 handles better and rides smoother than the 2012. The MPG seems to be less in the 2014 than the 2012. The factory installed remote start needs to change. It's annoying the vehicle shuts off when you open a door, after activating the remote start. The ride noise is a little loud. The interior needs to be upgraded. The only reason why we would purchase another Subaru is depending on the reliability of the 2014.
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