Used 2017 Subaru Outback Consumer Reviews

Really needs more supportive front seats!

We recently took our 2017 Subaru Outback for a 300 mile drive. I'm 6'4" and my wife is 5'7" and we both had problems with the the lack of support under the thighs in the front seats. They seem to be very short in length and don't have enough bolstering in the front which caused both of us discomfort in the legs, and also in the low back (the latter especially for me). I noticed the new Subaru Ascent has a driver seat extension for better thigh support (but not for the front passenger??). Would love to get 2 of those seats in the Outback. The engine really needs at least another 30 horsepower, really noticeable when on hills.

Love my outback

I changed from a Santa Fe to an Outback and it is much easier to drive and the ride is much more comfortable. I love the amount of cargo space.

36K, cared for, retired couple, Outback-Premium

No problems, does what it expected to do, sighted package, safe. Looks good too.

HAL

Nice car with good safety systems. Dealership easy to work with. Happy with selection.

Very good big SUV alternative

A safe, well built crossover SUV with standard awd. Great gas mileage (30 mpg on a 1400 mile trip). 5 star safety features.

Glad I upgraded!

I had been looking at older models, then the new base model, but decided on Premium with Eyesight at the last minute. Glad I did. It is a great safety feature. It reacts a moment before I do, and I have quick reflexes. The back up camera is really sensitive, as it sees cars coming behind in parking lots before I can. Lane departure keeps you on your toes, and adaptive cruise control lets you relax while traffic comes and goes from your lane. Bought it for Subaru safety rating and all wheel drive. Took it off roading already and made it up a washed out road with no problems. Combined MPG is coming in at about 26, highway is 31-36, so both better than expected.

2017 outback

rear brakes wear fast

Best Subaru Outback we have owned to-date

Loved this Outback ... best one we've owned today .. totally trouble free. Just didn't care for the color as much as others we owned, and we racked up way too many miles too quickly. Trading it for the new 2020 Outback Touring edition .. can't wait.

Another great Subaru

Opted for the Touring model, love the saddle brown interior color, exceptional comfort and easy to drive. As a handicapped person, very easy to get in and out of. Great cargo capacity and easy to load and unload.

First Subaru - Impressed

Replacing a 2011 Acura RDX - was challenged to consider a Subaru and glad I was. Ranks high for safety, economical, practical, and a good value. Very happy with my purchase of a 2017 Subaru Outback- with same features/options on the Acura RDX would cost $10,000- $15,000 more.

CVT Noise?

High humming noise when running at low speed. Dealer's technician checked and said this was due to CVT transmission and it's normal. I used to own a car also with CVT but much quiet. MPG was about 15% lower that Subaru stated.

Enjoying my new 6 cylinder Subaru Outback.

I've had my Outback for 9 days, and have driven it for only 3 days. Overall, I'm glad to be driving my 2017 Outback. It is a comfortable vehicle inside, rides well and I am glad I got the 6 cylinder vehicle for better acceleration, especially on the highway ramps. I've made use of the blind spot assist, back up camera, lane assist and I believe once the eye sight engaged when I was driving quickly towards the car in front of me, stopped at a stop light. I'm still getting used to the car so I don't know much about the GPS and blue tooth. I use my phone GPS anyways. I'm glad I extended the star link for safety reasons. I'll know more in a few months and will update my review then.

Subaru Outback

Car has everything that you could possibly want for safety and convenience. On the highway it can practically drive itself.

Horrible Technology

The Subaru Outback 3.6 Premium comes with Starlink and Maps. Both of these are subscription services and not for the life of ownership. The interface is NOT USER FRIENDLY. Voice Controls are absurd and complicated. I had a Garmin that worked better than this maps app. Trying to sync your phone will drive you nuts and you will give up before you actually sync it completely. Texts are still not integrated for me. You will download bloat programs that are needed in order to have the technology work and the programs will not work properly. Overall massive frustration. Being nickeled and dimed to death over purchasing update for maps and subscription service to Starlink (which stinks) is just what I need to NEVER BUY A SUBARU AGAIN. They may have gotten how to build a car right, but they are morons at technology. Mileage around town tends to be 15-16 mpg (not the 20 advertised) and on the highway 20. Not happy with this car.

not user friendly

seats are small,and hard as a rock. taki g a long trip is painful.The instrumentation on the steering wheel is obstructed by the plus and minus paddles. The knobs for the radio are very small,and not lit.Also a long reach to operate.the wipers are both defective,one is smearing brown grease, the other not wiping water away.the hub caps are all sticky with unsightly spots everywhere. The heater takes awhile,and the floor mode blows cold air. this is my second outback. this model is nothing like the first one.this is my last outback .the pabel for the time and temperature are hard to find

2017 2.5i Outback - Terrible Car!

I purchased this car in September 2016 and totally regret not looking at other cars before purchasing. This car only has 175hp and it is severely lacking in a car this size/weight (and forget it if you have it loaded up!). To compound it Subaru uses a CVT transmission which again is very lacking. Subaru gets great gas mileage because of it but for performance of any kind, look elsewhere (I'm surprised their logo isn't a snail). It takes forever to accelerate to freeway speeds and forget about "speeding" up or trying to get ahead of the next guy because this car has ZERO performance for even routine acceleration/maneuvers. Fit and finish is acceptable and while I have the leather seating for some reason there is an issue with the driver seat - it kills my lower back no matter how the seat is adjusted (I'm of average height/weight) and it is thought the heated seat elements might be to blame. Bought a cushion and that helps but now my head hits the ceiling, so not much of a great improvement. The following deficiencies are pretty petty, but they are issues. 1) door locks are fresh from 1970. Not programmable in any manner and you either drive with the door locked by manually locking them or they stay unlocked which is most of the time. Personally I think this is a huge safety issue. Also the passenger side door lock button is not illuminated at night (the window switch is), and so it is that much harder to lock the doors in the dark with black buttons. 2) the child lockout button works great except it also locks out the driver! When activated, no switch, not even the driver switches work - on other cars the driver switches still work, so this is really frustrating as well. 3) you can't globally turn on the interior lights using any interior switch. If you want all the lights on in the car, you have to open a door! Again this is very frustrating when you have kids and you need the lights on. 4) Now that it's winter I notice that the interior windows fog up constantly (and I live in a very dry climate), so you have to leave the defroster on all the time and I think the climate system doesn't work right, but won't really know until the summer time for complete testing. 5) For a car that is as electronically advanced as this one with the EyeSight and keyless entry you'd think that it would have auto start. Nope! Not even an option which is just crazy for a car in 2017. 6) The Subaru Starlink touch screen and "apps" are very confusing and very convoluted. I've had other cars with similar issues, but the Subaru takes the cake in touchscreen madness. The other safety issue I have with this car is that it won't stay put in it's lane. It has a lane assist feature in which you can make it automatically stay in the lane but it is clunky and makes you look like you are driving drunk if you actually use it. When it is off, the car drifts constantly and you need to keep turning the wheel to stay in the lane. I believe it is an issue with the lane assist and EyeSight system, but Subaru will never admit it. This car has many annoyance reminder/alarms, especially if you have the EysSight system. You constantly get lane departure warnings, and on curves the accident avoidance warning goes off if it sees another car in a different lane and the lane assist alarm goes off telling you to put your hands on the wheel when they are already there. Over all for the cost of this car and the feature set, you could do much better with a different manufacturer. As soon as I can I'm getting rid of this car because honestly any car with all wheel drive is just as superior and what was once Subaru's niche, pretty much everyone else does now anyway - without the annoyance factor. I'd totally pass on this car and if you can, take it for a LONG test drive before you buy and test all this stuff out because I'm totally sorry I didn't!

2017 outback

Two things I wish Subaru did are to allow the radio to stay on when car is off and the window mechanism is tricky to just go down/up part way.

Wanted to feel the love...

It took me over a year to get into this car...the mpg's and stability on the road were what put me over the top. I was sooooooo excited to get this outback, I mean super excited to take it camping and have a reliable and fuel efficient car to drive in town... I was so excited that 3 of my friends went out and bought Subarus, too (2 got foresters and 1 an Outback, too). This all being said, I am not 100% convinced that my experience is that of most Outback consumers, however I do now know I'm not alone. It seems that the quality control of the outback is not consistent. I'm speaking primarily when it comes to mpg's. I've done everything I can to push this car to achieve greater in city mpg's to no avail..I've done every trick in the book(and in the web) and still my in city mpg's hover between 17-18.5mpg. Now maybe on the 6cyl. I could get on board but I bought the 4cyl. with the expressed excitement that it could achieve much greater than that based on fuelly (and other www's) as well as repeated assurance from the folks at Subaru dealerships("easily get 20-23mpg in your neighborhood") and other Outback owners in my neighborhood. The worst of it though had been the run around by the service departments and Subaru Corporate telling me off the record that it's horrible mileage but that it's considered within the secret specs by Subaru Corporate(that they won't share with me) so they won't be allowed to check the vehicle further...they'll make appointments to appease me but they will simply check for computer updates and call it a day with a car wash thrown in. To be sure it's not a case of driver error, I can assure you I got much better mileage on a loaner Forester and another Outback and my highway mileage is great (28-32mpg) but once it hits a city street it tanks within minutes. My car just didn't get put together right but no one is willing to look inside of it, even though the shop manager confirmed the mpg himself by driving it for 2 days. Anyway, I won't be buying or leasing another Outback for fear I'll get another dud with no recourse because the company doesn't stand behind their mpg claims or their vehicles. Luckily, my other friends got great vehicles it seems, I'll just have to ride this lease out and see what pops up on the market in the next 2 years.

Awesome Car

This is the best car i ever own. It is much better than other SUVs /wagons in this segment. Best bang for the buck with the comfort and safety features.

Forget comfort & good mpg

The leather driver's seat is remarkably uncomfortable. None of the available adjustments mitigate this badly designed seat. The big touchscreen is a glare hazard and not at all user friendly. It's hard to see the time and temperature. The car is incredibly noisy on the road. And the gas mileage is not even close to Sub's advertised 25/33. More like 23/30 at best. We can do better than this "me, too" car.

Not worth the price

I have a 2017 3.6R AWD and driving it is like being inside a loud pinball machine. Constant bells and chimes going off for insignificant reasons. The worst “alert” is when the engine is turned OFF and you open the door to get out of the vehicle, it dings constantly until the door is closed. When you start the engine, the doors do not automatically lock (not a great safety feature for female drivers) and when you walk towards the vehicle with the key fob the doors automatically UNlock (also not a great safety feature). With all the annoying bells and chimes in this vehicle, there isn’t one to notify you when the oil needs to be changed, so you will need to keep up with the mileage. Plan on spending a lot of time and money at the gas pump as this vehicle gets 21 mph highway at best, NOT 27 mpg as advertised. The rear view camera works great, just be sure to constantly clean the back window because with the way the diverter is designed, it’s almost impossible to keep clean. I’m convinced Subaru hired the developers of the Starlink System from a drug rehab facility. Compared with the systems in Toyota’s, VW’s and GM vehicles, Starlink leaves MUCH to be desired. From my experience, the Subaru Outback 3.6R is just not worth the price- not even close!

Great basiic transportation

I got the basic base model, I don't fall for a lot of gadgets, so this is perfect. If this type of vehicle (it's niche) is what your are looking for , pull the trigger. In a review I always look for something negative to say and it's the driver's seat could be more supportive. I have sciatica and the drivers seat bothers me. That little engine has enough power for me. I love having an easy access full size spare tire. I love having no blind spots.

2017 Outback is still a solid choice

This vehicle provides a very solid, comfortable and safe feeling ride. It accelerates well but it is not a rocket. It was purchased to be a good commuter vehicle and has proven itself well to-date. In the first year I have over 20,000 miles and there have been no issues with the vehicle. I purchased an extended warranty because it is my first experience with an all wheel drive vehicle and I wasn't sure how all the systems would behave over time.

Improved Performance with K&N Air Filter

After experiencing exhaust odors when driving under load, K&N air filter not only took care of this problem, but noticed more power and improved gas mileage. About 10 percent maybe more. Like driving different car. Dealership was no help on why burning fuel rich under load. Odors were not good driving in mountains.

2018 Outback Touring - infotainment system bad

BEWARE!!! I am on a list of 20 Subaru Outback owners and growing at my dealership waiting for a replacement infotainment system that started going bad the second day of ownership. Eventually, it just died and they will not replace a new car unit with a new unit, they only will install a rebuilt unit and they do not have enough used units to rebuild for all the bad units so the wait goes on for months with no delivery date insight. It is my understanding that this unit is also in the 2019 Outback. Subaru is installing potentially defective units in new cars that they know they have an issue with. Other than this issue which leave you with no navigation, radio, phone or other entertainment features, it is a good car and I would recommend it as long as not having the infotainment system is not an issue for you.

It's a car. Has wheels and goes... Traded it for a

Tesla Model 3! The transmission is pretty bad. The car is jerky if you are trying to go very slowly. It jerks as one is just starting out down a road. The car has no "get up and go"! It applies the brakes unexpectantly! The plastic covering the dashboard is a soft, sticky material. Difficult to keep clean. The air filters inside the cabin seem to be nonexistent. The air conditioner blows directly on your neck, and cannot be adjusted away.There are too many buttons that do too many things! The navigation system is useless. I use my iPhone. The car does have decent towing capacity and lots of cargo space. I get 2 medium dog crates in with the back seat down, and there is still lots of room in the back. The front seats are not TOO difficult to get in and out of for seniors, but the back seat is almost impossible to get in and out of because the floor sill is too high and the door opening is too small to get your feet out easily. Can be very painful. And, Subaru is one of those companies that is green in marketing only. You will be inundated with Subaru mailings! It all goes into the local landfill because it's usually the plasticized paper that can't be recycled.

First Subaru

Happy wife happy life😁

The Subaru

My first Subaru wish the hatch back would have a way to open from the inside and the remote start does not work properly traded in a Ford Edge 2011 witch had a few superior features but I do think the Subaru Outback will be fine once the few bugs are taken care of

2017 Subaru Outback 2.5 Limited

Love this car! Best value on the market!!!

Lapis Blue SUV

Know the value of your trade in and use it to your best advantage! Be persistent and you'll end up with the car you want! I really like my Subaru Outback!

Great car

love my subaru

Best car for safety!! Our son and grandson were in a major car accident, T-boned, in their Subaru and suffered only minor injuries. The first responders credited it to being in a Subaru!

Eye sight needs an eye check!!

Right turning vehicles even in another lane cause crash avoidance braking if adaptive cruise is active. High beam assist very erratic. When decreasing speed using cruise control it applies brakes to slow down instead of doing a gradual slow down. Can't even allow passenger to use navigation when moving

Best Subaru yet

Have owned a Subaru since 1969 on and off this is our 8th one, i can tell you what a change of course from 1969. This car does everything but steer itself it tells you who is behind you side of you in front of you, very comfortable handles well when you on a interstate and the cruise is on it will keep you safe every mile. Nothing i would change about these cars except maybe driving itself would be great.

My Nicest Car

Smooth ride, (30+ mpg), roomy, more features than I could ever use, solid, good looking, easy to handle. After 3 years I like it even more!

Love my Outback

Outback is a great car and very pleased with it. Cannot say the same for Edmunds appraisal service as we never heard from them.

Not one issue in 3 years and 42,000 miles.

As I was driving my Outback today I was once again reminded of how good a purchase this has been. I just passed 3 years and now have over 42,000 miles on it. It has never been back to the dealer, never had an issue unless you count the battery dying just past the 3 years in the high summer heat. Even then a call to Subaru resulted in them sending me a check for over $200 for the new battery even though I was over 3 years and 36K. While not the flashiest looking SUV it has been solid in all ways that count. I am 6'2" and find it to be very comfortable for long days on the road. Everything works as it should on my Touring and the 6 cylinder is wonderful for passing on two lanes. Today I traveled about 250 miles on two lanes with the cruise set to 60 about 75% of the way; mpg showed to be just over 30. Around town in weekly driving I get just under 27. It was better with the OEM tires but when they wore out I went with something a little more aggressive and lost about 1 mpg. If I could do it over, I would do it again!

excellent AWD Wagon

I have had this car for 16 months, I like it really well, Easy to get in & out of due tot he Ground clearance, very simple car not alot of fluff, Love Subi's AWD system, , good all over town, excellent on back roads , no roads. etc... The only thing I am really not happy about, I haul my motorcycle when I travel, I have an Aluminum 6x10' open utility trailer with a really nice folding ramp, trailer weights 380 lbs + my 2018 Concours 1400, 675 lbs for a total of 1055lbs +/- 10%. The full economy on flat roads @ 65-70mph, drops 32% to 18.8 MPG towing a measly 1100 lbs, & it gets worse when the hills show up,, this car is rated to tow 2700 lbs,, It might pull that much but it definitely won't like trying to stop that, & the MPG will probably be 10 or less. I 'm looking @ the 3.6R, & other brands w/ 6cyl, for better torque @ lower RPM's. That little Flat 4 is just working too hard to pull very little xtra weight. & the Turbo really won;t help alot due to still turning too high of RPM's Off again car shoping

Dubsru

Touring leather is nice!

Got it! After much research

I have had this car for 3 weeks, love the ride, tech, acceleration, stereo, room and safety. We'll be taking it on a road trip later this month and I am looking forward to more time spent in the car.

Very comfortable car

Intuitive controls. Great driver aid and safety technology.

Confortable Ride

Like the ride of the Outback. The braking could be better and the acceleration is not great but considering the overall fuel economy, that is to be expected.

1200 miles in (Updated 75,000 miles)

Have had the car for 2 weeks and drive mostly highway (almost 30k/yr). My only real complaint so far is Starlink. The Nav system is OK and the sound is great but the "apps" for use with a smartphone are awful, slow and buggy. Played with them for a couple days and just gave up. There are some diagnostics and car status features that might be handy if a problem arises. However, the limitations of Starlink are quickly overlooked compared to the benefits of the Eyesight system. Set the car for the speed you want and turn on the lane monitoring & cruise control and off you go. It was strange at first to feel the car decelerate (or even brake) when it senses the car ahead slow but you quickly begin to feel comfortable with it. The gentle nudge it gives to keep you in the lane is also unsettling at first but I find myself liking the it more and more. I've had one instance already when someone cut me off as I was looking over my shoulder to switch lanes and the breaks were applied quicker than I would have. Overall, I'm very happy with the purchase so far. Hopefully it will be a safe and reliable ride for some time to come. UPDATE: 3 years, 75,000 miles - So far so good. Everything above still holds true. No mechanical issues at all. Replaced tires and general maintenance so far. Looking to purchase a 2020 and the updated Carplay-capable entertainment system. One issue, a rick cracked my windshield a few months after I purchased the car. The windshield in on the expensive side due to the Eyesght cameras. Almost $1000 to replace.

New car

Much more luxurious than one would imagine. Very quiet drive.

Love my Suby

It is the perfect size. Very comfortable. Good visibility. Reliable. Built well. This is our second Subaru. We love them.

Outback does everything

This vehicle rides smooth and solid. Plenty of space and places for my cups and phone.

Great car for travel & adventure!

I bought a new 2017 Outback Limited that was my first Subaru after I sold my 1999 Acura TL3.2 with 450,000 km. Generally I keep my cars a long time and chose the Outback for this reason. After 4.5 years this car has been very reliable, comfortable. I just hit 115,000km and have just done oil changes and the usual maintenance. After 110,000 km , the brakes have just been replaced, transaxle oil, new spark plugs, new tires. THIS CAR IS KING WHEN IT COMES TO WINTER DRIVING . Only 2 issues to date , drivers seat side bolster has cracked from getting in( I'm not a large person) although the center portion of the seat is leather the sides aren't (my Acura was leather sides and lasted almost 20 years without cracking ) to replace is $750(not guaranteed) , back tail light is tight tolerance fit and boxer motor vibration has made it rub against the body panel and resulted in worn paint spot that has started to rust slightly. Would I buy again? you bet !

Subaru Rating

So far we are very happy with our new vehicle. We wish we just knew more about the electronics. At our age it's hard to learn to operate a lot of the doo-dads. After putting 9,000 miles on it the road noise is awful. Also engine noise is above what it could be.

A 2017 update / iteration of my 2001 Audi A6 Avant

I loved my '01 Audi A6 Avant but not its horrible reliability. After 7 years and 105k miles I went Subaru, eventually to the '17 OB 3.6 Touring. Excellent and comfortable long distance hauler with adequate power. It's been a low mileage car so far (only 29k in 4+ years) but no issues.

The Outback is up front!

If you want the comfort and mpg of a sedan, but still want a vehicle with the features found in SUVs (AWD, higher ground clearance, etc.), then this is the vehicle you need. It has a treasure trove of features, too numerous to list here. And, safety is a hallmark of all Subaru vehicles.