Used 2016 Subaru Outback 3.6R Limited 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl CVT) Consumer Reviews
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2016 OUTBACK...LUXURY REDEFINED FOR THE BEST MONEY
JP Robertson, Redmond, OR, 11/10/2015
updated 08/01/2016
Subaru Outback 3.6R Limited 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl CVT)
29 of 31 people found this review helpful
This is my fourth Subaru, and my third Outback Limited. The new changes in the 2016 are very noticeable. I looked at the 2015s, and the 2016 drives so much better. Noticeable is the retuned steering, suspension. Other new additions are Starling SOS. What is so noticeable about the 2016 Outback Limited is how quiet the cabin is for a PZEV 4 cylinder. Acceleration is good, not great - 174hp. Fuel Economy is good average 21 mpg around city, and 35 mpg hwy. I wish the warranty would match that of Hyundai or Kia...but being a Subaru, there are hardly ever any problems. The leather is much improved from the 2014 old design, the dash is absolute luxury, and the harman kardon stereo is 10x better than the 2014 model. The touch key board is very user friendly and you really don't need the book to read on how to use it. Lane Assist Warning works like a dream, as does the blind monitoring...My favorite feature is when someone walk by behind you or drives behind you - you are warned immediately. A bigger moonroof, and my favorite fun toy - voice command (you can do anything from call phone, to change your speed on your fan)...and it is fast and responsive, and understands you. Unlike the 2014 model. Overall I love this car! a lot of car for the money, especially when you compare it to Audi Allroad $55,000 MSRP or Volvo XC60 $50,000 + when you add all the goodies the Subaru has. Why pay more? when you can get all the luxury, safety, and 4WD at such a great price $25,000 to 35,000 (limited loaded PZEV). I totally recommend this car, especially the new 2016 Outback. Its an amazing vehicle with all the upgrades!
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First Subaru and it's awesome
Jay, Pennsauken, NJ, 02/17/2016
updated 08/19/2016
Subaru Outback 3.6R Limited 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl CVT)
20 of 21 people found this review helpful
This is my first Subaru after many years with Honda. Felt it was time for a change and absolutely love my Outback 3.6R. For my needs, it has everything I wanted. I do wish it had more horsepower but that's nit picking as the H6 is more than adequate for daily driving and trips with gear and passengers. I test drove the 2.5 and 3.6 back to back on several occasions and felt the 3.6 was smoother overall. The CVT with the H6 engine is a great combination. I actually forget it's a CVT. Subaru programmed in fake shift points but they weren't necessary. With that addition of the CVT fuel economy was improved and it's not that much lower than my 4 cyl Hondas. I've exceeded the estimated highway mpg many times on road trips. City driving can yield quite low mpg but I usually get the combined 22 mpg or better. Cargo space is more than enough for my needs. Seats are comfortable with the leather and it's nice that all seats, including back, are heated. In the 3.6 you get HID headlights which are great. Many times don't need my high beams as I used to need in previous cars. Although I don't take it off road often, when I do it handles great. I switched out the rear sway bar to a stiffer one because I felt that on pavement it had a bit more body roll than I liked. Once I put in a 19mm sway bar instead of the stock 16mm, road handling was dramatically improved. I could go on and on about the pros of my new Outback but best thing to do is test drive one. I highly doubt I'll be going to back to Honda or any other brand any time soon. I find myself coming up with reasons to go out just to drive my Outback. Update: It's been over a year now with my first Subaru and it's still a joy to drive. Have not has a single issue to date. Currently at 22k miles. Any regrets of switching from years of Honda's is but a distant memory.
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2016 Subaru Outback for sale near you
3 of 58 listings
- 2.5i Limited 4dr SUVMSRP: $15,79541 mi away
- 2.5i Limited 4dr SUVMSRP: $16,46127 mi away
- 2.5i Premium 4dr SUVMSRP: $9,99844 mi away
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Great car...but the seats...
Tim, Des Moines, IA, 03/17/2016
updated 08/01/2016
Subaru Outback 3.6R Limited 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl CVT)
12 of 12 people found this review helpful
I looked at cars for months. Took a hard look at the Murano, Edge, CX5, and Grand Cherokee before finally getting down to two: Acura RDX and Outback 3.6. After multiple dealer visits to both and a lot of research, I found the lack of trunk space and higher price tag of the Acura (along with outdated infotainment on Base model) pushed me to the Outback. Outback has been everything I hoped (with one exception I'll get to below). The 3.6 with the CVT delivers the best driving experience I've ever had. It's not a BMW to be sure, but the acceleration and shifting is so smooth, I'm blown away. So happy i got the 3.6. And I love the fit and finish inside, high quality, and definitely a luxury look. While i found the infotainment screen a little cumbersome at first, once I spent 20 minutes or so with it in the driveway, i love it. Nice big touch screen and great phone interface too. I also like how the arm rests hit me while I hold the wheel, and the headroom is fantastic (I opted NOT to get the sunroof). This care feels more like a luxury car inside than the RDX did. The only thing I don't like are the seats. I'm 6'1", and the drivers seat is way too short. I realize 90% of Outback drivers are 5'4" women, but these seats are awful. I haven't done a roadtrip yet (only had it two weeks), so I'm interested to see how I hold up. For anyone over 5'10", be very sure you are ok with the seats on this car before you buy. Do a nice long test drive or keep it for a day if you can. I'm looking into some after market bolstering options, but I don't think there's much that can be done. It's a shame too, as I couldn't be happier with everything else about this car.
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Awesome road warrior with poor nav system
Bill, Indianapolis, IN, 03/02/2017
updated 03/05/2019
Subaru Outback 3.6R Limited 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl CVT)
11 of 11 people found this review helpful
I traded in a 2002 Ford Explorer, which I loved dearly and had served me well, for this fully loaded 2016 Outback. I need a vehicle that is good for road trips, and the Outback exceeded all expectations. It can handle any weather and road conditions. It is comfortable and roomy. It is smooth and capable on the interstates, but yet has off-road capability as well -- not as good as the Explorer, but good enough for what I would ever encounter. I came to absolutely love the adaptive cruise control. Visibility and sight lines are superb. Temperature control using just full automatic is perfect. All this and the overall price is very reasonable, and gas mileage is good too (especially compared to the Explorer). But, like I said, I need a road car, and I have to mark this one down a grade because of the very poor navigation system. They are so over-safety conscious that they do not allow you to look ahead at the next few turns unless you are at a full stop, a serious drawback in unfamiliar areas, and especially when the system wants to re-route you due to sensing traffic issues. Also, it was hard to find the controls to limit this re-routing function, which is overly sensitive at the factory settings. Also, the maps need updated, as even a well-established interstate in existence for over 10 years was not located correctly, gave me wrong directions to get on it. There were also bugs in the system, freeze-ups, although there is a factory "fix" for the system part if you ask the dealer about it. Then, after all these bugs, the system quit working entirely for awhile and they whole thing had to be replaced. Honestly, I prefer to take along my 10 year old Garmin rather than use this car's navigation system. And I could not find a place on the Subaru website to give "constructive criticism" feedback on it, like they only want to know positive stories. I would give this car a solid A+ but for the navigation system, which is important to me in my road car. I also have another car, my little convertible, so only use this one about half the time. 3/2019 update: my radio, which incorporates the nav system, has now been replaced a second time. Both the radio function and the nav function are affected, the unit is prone to failing internally. It's a shame, this issue ruins a superior vehicle.
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3.6R Outback, Not what you think of Subaru
Carl, Seattle, WA, 02/17/2016
updated 01/31/2025
Subaru Outback 3.6R Limited 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl CVT)
22 of 24 people found this review helpful
Update at 136000 miles. Alternator went bad. Replaced once with aftermarket, didn't last but maybe a year, replaced with OEM $$$, but this one seems okay. Timing cover gasket leaking, $1200, and now valve cover gaskets leaking, $1000. Would I buy this car again? probably not unless I needed the AWD most of the time. Update:I am now having transmission or torque converter problems @ 27k miles. Dealer seems uninterested or unable to fix or both. I have had to contact Subaru directly to try and get a bad shudder I the driveline fixed. A big hassle. I'm not sure I would purchase the car again. Update: Transmission still shudders, but much worse in the summer heat. My guess is the fluid is thinner and causes the shudder to be worse. Also, the car nearly left me stranded when the alternator started malfunctioning. Subaru dealer could not find the problem, my local mechanic said it was bad and replaced. No further battery or alternator problems have cropped up. I would not purchase the car again. I purchased this vehicle out of state because there were NONE locally to purchase or even drive. I saved a lot even with transporting the vehicle. My wife needed the Eyesight features. The Eyesight technology is Amazing. Not gimmicks but useful feature that improves driver safety and makes long trips more pleasant. The 6 cylinder engine is strong, quiet and smooth. I have never owned a AWD vehicle before and this car is more sure-footed than my pickup truck. Even on slippery muddy roads with hills, the car never loses traction and requires no special input from the driver. Subaru has the AWD down to a science. The only thing I dislike is the front seats are not large enough for someone 6' or over on long trips. A longer thigh cushion would fix things. If you are shopping for a 2016 3.6 6 cylinder model, take a very careful test drive and check to see if it has the transmission shudder mine has when coasting from 35-45mph. I believe it is the torque converter locking and unlocking. Subaru dealer has been unable to fix the problem. The transmission problem ruins the car driving experience for me. It's now in the repair shop, still under warranty for the 3rd time for this problem. I guess I will see if it can be repaired. If not, I will sell before the warranty expires. Other than the transmission, it is a great car. Torque converter still shaking badly, but only in hot weather. Transmission was changed by SOA, but they did not replace the torque converter, which I believe is the real problem. transmission fluid was changed by the dealer with no improvement. Upper camshaft solenoid valve was replaced by me to clear engine check light and a stalling problem. Fairly easy fix once code reader told me what to replace. 140k miles.
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