Used 2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R Limited 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl CVT) Consumer Reviews
Used Outback for sale
Never owned a Subaru before
Dick, Rochester, WA, 04/10/2016
updated 11/04/2024
Subaru Outback 3.6R Limited 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl CVT)
11 of 11 people found this review helpful
I'm finding the basic car a great value. I drive mountains a lot and the 3.6L motor just purrs along. OK mileage (23mpg for first 2K miles. Long trips about 28 mpg) but have to expect that with the typical driving I do and AWD. Entry and exit are superb. Seats are comfortable. The flat panel display is somewhat of a pain but at least there are steering wheel control for much of it. And, at least, there are a couple dials to use instead of the very stupid Honda approach. Blue tooth is excellent. The backup camera is very good...especially at night. There isn't a convenient place to hold a cell phone except for a rectangular hole which precludes attaching a charging cord. The remote key needs work (have to press the lock button three time to get a confirmation beep and can't unlock all doors at the same time with the option package that came with it). Great visibility from inside the car after I added a pair of $2.99 convex mirrors the exterior mirrors to improve close in visibility. Overall I'd say I've found the car quirky in the good sense of the word that will take some getting used to. Update after 6 months and 11000 miles. Still have a great impression of the car. Very comfortable on road trips and always a pleasure to drive. The 6 cylinder motor is wonderful. Two minor irksome things 1) Have to press the remote key three times to get a confirming chirp 2) Can't lock or unlock all doors with one click on the remote key. No rattles or squeaks in car. One potential safety thing...on cold starts in reverse, when coming to a stop the engine increases 300 RPM. When I visited with the dealer they said they would need the car overnight to verify the problem. And that they may need to adjust the bands in the CVT. With the computer technology available nowadays, this seems very primitive. Why not look at the on board log and/or use an "inflight" computer monitor which provides all the various readings at the same time. This was available in 1986 for a Pontiac I was having problems with...why not now? Finally, the gauge package, while attractive, is not well done ergonomically. One has to look down to check the time or outside temperature. And the backlighting is different on the time/temperature readouts than on the dash. In my humble opinion, time and temperature ought to be at eye level on the instrument panel. And the cylinders surrounding the clusters are non-functional and not needed. Would I buy the car again? In a heartbeat. These criticisms are minor, but irritating, in nature but would not impact my buying decision. One year update: Now have 17000 miles. Driving mountain passes is a breeze with the 6 cyl. engine. Enjoy the feel of the vehicle very much. Had some mild snow to deal with...no problem. Also had a very icy morning and had to slow considerably to maintain directional control. The feeling I had was that the AWD had no impact during that icy morning trip. The most irritating thing remains the instrument cluster. To have designed the outside temperature and clock displays in such a way that the driver has to turn his/her head and lower their eyes in a field of similar digital readouts is an egregious error resulting in a safety hazard. Nevertheless, I would buy the car again. In fact, I love the Outback which is why the unsafe time and temperature readout is something I have trained myself on workarounds. 40,000 mile update. I still like the car but now have reservations because of electrical system. Had significant battery problems. The original battery had a bad cell and had to be replaced at about 30,000 miles. The replacement battery lasted less than a year. It turns out the small original battery size makes it prone to rapid discharge (read other comments on this issue). Replaced it with a larger size non-Subaru battery and so far all is fine. The battery tray was large enough to take the aftermarket increased size battery (Hmmmm). Why Subaru used a smaller capacity battery is befuddling. Additionally, the instrument panel doesn't have a gauge to check charging and discharging. There is significant battery usage even after the car is turned off! Subaru's decision to use a small battery is a terrible error. After a year the second factory battery failed to retain sufficient charge even for a week. Think about leaving your car at the airport and returning late on a rainy night after a two week trip and the Subaru is dead because of the low capacity battery. Even the remote won't work. There are lots of unpleasant scenarios in this situation.
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I LIKE IT, WIFE LOVES IT!
Rick, Sammamish, WA, 07/13/2015
updated 08/02/2016
Subaru Outback 3.6R Limited 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl CVT)
25 of 27 people found this review helpful
We traded in our 2011 3.6R Outback wagon for the 2015 3.6R Outback wagon and are both impressed with the many design improvements, particularly the new technology features. Our favorites we didn't have in the 2011 are: - Eyesight Driver Assist - Blind Spot Detection and Rear Cross-traffic Alert - High Definition Back-up Camera - Pushbutton start - Rear seat heaters and A/C vents and controls - Two-position driver's seat memory - Power opening rear gate with remote feature. Interior comfort is greatly improved all-around with more room and reduced road noise at freeway speeds. Utility is greatly enhanced by the ability to lower and flatten the rear seat backs with release levers in the rear cargo compartment, and the addition of tie-down lugs integrated into the roof rack system. The exterior redesign gives the vehicle a much-less-boxy look compared to our 2011, and we appreciate the better visibility provided by relocating the side mirrors further back along the front doors. However it's not perfect and here's what needs to be improved: - The new CVT (transmission) still needs work. After the first start of the day in the garage when backing out, the CVT seems to search for the right gear ratio. That results in repeated drops of about 200 RPM that jerk and almost stop the car. This behavior seems to be related to using the brake pedal to control backup speed, and it doesn't behave this way on subsequent back-ups after the engine and transmission have warmed up. We've had the car to the dealer and they couldn't find any indication of what might be causing it. I've reported it to Subaru and they said it was the first they've heard of the problem. Since almost everything else in the vehicle is software driven, we're hoping for some sort of software update to address this annoying issue. - Front passenger seat needs height adjustment capability. Why not just give that seat the same adjustments as the driver's seat? Come on Subaru, why not?? - While I personally love the Starlink Infotainment system, it has so many features many owners will never take the time to figure out how to use them. The interface needs to be redesigned and simplified so "non-techies" can feel more comfortable with it and will be able to enjoy all it has to offer, which is a lot - Blind Spot Detection should have an audible alert in addition to the indicator light on the outside mirrors. Overall, we feel the engineers at Subaru have done a masterful job redesigning the vehicle and then implementing the many new features into the Outback wagon for 2015. And, it seems they've not stopped; the Summer 2015 issue of Drive, the magazine for Subaru owners, talks about several safety and security features coming to the Starlink system for "select 2016" models. They are: - SOS Emergency Assistance, Automatic Collision Notification, and Enhanced Roadside Assistance. These will come in the form of new buttons on the overhead console panel that will connect the driver with a Subaru Starlink advisor who can dispatch help based on the GPS position of the vehicle. Sounds a lot like GM's OnStar system. - Monthly vehicle health report and diagnostics with notification via email of detected problems. - Stolen Vehicle Recovery allowing a Starlink advisor to work directly with police to help find and recover a stolen vehicle. - Remote Services via Starlink to help locate and unlock the vehicle, activate its horn and lights, and help find a lost key fob. These features can be activated from a PC or mobile device. Looks to me we have lots more to love about a new Subaru. Now, I wish we had waited for the 16's! Happy driving!!
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WoW, Wow, Wow!!
Nostalgia, Houma, LA, 11/07/2015
updated 08/02/2016
Subaru Outback 3.6R Limited 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl CVT)
17 of 18 people found this review helpful
I usually don't write reviews but I felt I had to write a review about this car. It is awesome. I recently purchased the 3.6 R (6 cylinder). I am so glad I did. The car drives smooth and acceleration is wonderful. The engine is super quiet and you can hardly hear the engine when you drive the car. The ride is very comfortable and the leather seats make you feel like you are sitting in a leather recliner (firm yet comfortable). The interior layout is nice and easy to read. Cargo space is more than adequate. This car feels solid and "sure footed" in all types of conditions. I drove my outback in very muddy conditions and it rolled through the mud without one tire slipping. Others vehicles got stuck in the mud but not the outback. Acceleration onto the the interstate while merging into traffic was a breeze. The outback 3.6R performed extremely well. Others talk out the lower MPG for the 3.6 compared to the 2.5. My mileage was 23 city and 29 Highway. I don't think it was bad especially for a 6 cylinder. Overall I am extremely happy with my purchase. If you can afford to get the 3.6R, I would urge you to get it. You will not be disappointed.
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The great and the not so great
Scott, Brooklyn, NY, 04/26/2016
updated 08/02/2016
Subaru Outback 3.6R Limited 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl CVT)
17 of 18 people found this review helpful
We have leased our Outback 3.6R for 16 months and are overall very satisfied with the car. Previous car was a Toyota Sienna minivan and a Dodge Grand Caravan before that. In regard to the Subaru, I should mention that we had an unfortunate encounter with a deer who tried to become our hood ornament, nine months into the process, but after $14K of repairs (thank you insurance company) the car seems like it was before the accident. The deer... not so much. Having our first experience with the airbag system was spooky when it happened but reassuring after the fact. It's nice to know the system works so quickly and really keeps you cushioned during a collision. On the plus side, the 3.6R is a joy to drive - super easy to get on the highway and able to accelerate quickly even at high speed to pass cars etc. It's a quiet engine, but you do get just enough of that nice throaty rumble when accelerating, a reminder of the VW GTI I had when I was in college. The automatic setting shifts at the right time to make accelerating smooth and easy unless you really jam the pedal down in which case the car can make you feel a little like you're getting shot out of a cannon - not something you often feel in a wagon. I love the handling and the seats and cockpit are pretty comfortable. The instrumentation is attractive, well thought out and placed and the car is very easy to see out of, with few blindspots. Even those are helped by the digital warning system and the rearview camera provides a nice hi def image. On the negative side, gas mileage is not good - much lower than what was promised by Subaru - but I've never owned a car that has matched the MPG number on the sticker price. We do A LOT of local driving in Brooklyn, NY traffic, so we don't expect much, but during a year and a half driving this car we have averaged just over 16 MPG for our entire usage. That's the average for both local and highway driving. On long highway trips we are in the low 20s. That is disappointing but not surprising for the size of the engine and weight of the car (not to mention my heavy foot on the gas pedal). One other design flaw, at least in our car, the safety belt does a poor job of retracting when you unbuckle it, so I've slammed the door on the belt more times than I can count. All things considered we really love this car and will probably re-up after the 36 month lease is up unless something comes along that suits our needs while offering better gas mileage. I like the convenience of a wagon and the 3.6R allows me to have the performance of a sportier sedan. I guess I'm willing to put up with the poor gas mileage trade off. I suppose I should feel guilty about that, but after twelve years of minivans (the mileage is about the same) I get to enjoy driving again for the last few years we have kids in the house, while still transporting them in a comfortable and convenient way.
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Purchased 3.6R 60 days ago, was in shop 12 days.
E. Lee NY, Massapequa Park, NY, 08/18/2015
updated 08/02/2016
Subaru Outback 3.6R Limited 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl CVT)
28 of 32 people found this review helpful
If you are in the market for a 2015 Subaru Outback, in this case a v6 3.6R; then you should be aware that there are many owners who are experiencing the same exact problem with their new cars. I feel that I will enjoy and continue to enjoy the Outback, only if this constant vibration problem would go away. Do a google search on " 2015 Subaru Outback vibration problem", and take a read before you decide on this model. My 2015 Outback 3.6 (Bought June1 2015), had significant vibration and pulsation issue from day 1. I had the car about 60 days as of this post...It has been in the shop for over 12 days, so far. The dealer initially blamed my driving, stating " I bent my wheels! " - Which I highly doubt, but did not contest, since I drove the new car home. (There is no way to prove I did not hit any pot holes to dent ALL 4 rim! What are the odds of that??? especially with NO impact marks on the tires.) My car still vibrates at 65+mph speeds. After 4 rim changes! 4 new tires. All of which I had to chase Bridgestone and Subaru of America for replacement assistance. The dealer will always gravitate towards, driver err. My car is due back in the dealer repair shop again for few days on 8/25. So far, we swapped 4 rims, 4 tires. Subaru claims they checked the rotors. Subaru claims they reset the drive train. (whatever that means???) Subaru claims they checked the bearings. I drive from NY to North Carolina every month, driving 13 hours each way with this vibration is a torture! The vibration and pulsation is nearly on par with, when a washing machine's load is not centered. It does not feel like all four wheels are not firmly planted on the road. Update: After 4 new rims and 4 new tires. - The pulsation problem was resolved. [ Pulsation = car drives like is has a flat spot on the tires.]
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