Used 2018 Subaru Outback Consumer Reviews
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Beware of week stock battery and recalls
yosemite, 03/10/2018
updated 03/17/2022
2018 Subaru Outback 3.6R Touring 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl CVT)
12 of 13 people found this review helpful
update 3/16/22 the napa battery we put in has also gone dead and proved unreliable. after some research i put in a red top and it has been strong and not gone dead this 2021/22 winter ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- update 9/13/19; the new non stock battery actually has made it through the winter and it has started every time, as long as we dont leave the doors or hatch open for bit, and yes all hatch lights are off. camping is another story as we sleep in the back and it is nice to leave the hatch open which of course kills the battery if left open for to long. we found a fix online and it involves tripping the hatch lever on the hatch and this makes the car think the hatch is closed and it goes to sleep. then you have go through a process to get it closed; STUPID!!!!! i also defeated the backup sensors that would jam on the brakes anytime you backed up faster than 5mph and almost chipped my wifes teeth. it also wouldnet let us back up as there was a fern in our driveway. duct tape over the sensors and now i can back up normally. update: 3/13/19 we have now replaced the battery with a stronger one that subaru paid for. went to yellowstone last fall and that battery died overnight! not much faith in the electronic system. there is a display and fuel gauge recall. took it to the dealer on 3/9/19 who said they had the fixes and when we got there there was no fuel gauge fix! so now we have to make another 4 hour trip to get that fixed. never had so much problems with car. beware that the stock battery on this car is REALLY BAD! if you keep the FOB within 20', or leave the rear hatch or doors open for longer than 10 mins, leave the car parked for several days you will have a dead battery. this has happened to us 5 times already in 5 months. just google, subaru outback dead battery, most folks end buying a stronger battery within months of owning the car and that is what we are going to have to do, besides that we are very happy with the car so far, only 1,200 miles up here in the mountains of yosemite. works great on snowy roads
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Continued problems with Outback CVT transmission
Ginny, 10/22/2018
2018 Subaru Outback 2.5i Premium 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
12 of 13 people found this review helpful
I just got a letter from Subaru extending my CVT transmission warranty to 100000 miles or 10 years, which ever comes first. I read online (Forbes) that Subaru has been having problems (stalling) with this transmission for quite a while. The Forbes article says this problem is a safety issue and that there should be a recall and repairs, not just an extended warranty. I don't know why Subaru is allowed to continue to sell a vehicle with a known safety issue and not disclose this to customers.
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2018 Subaru Outback for sale near you
3 of 82 listings
- 3.6R Touring 4dr SUVMSRP: $22,99018 mi away
- 2.5i Premium 4dr SUVMSRP: $15,48513 mi away
- 2.5i Limited 4dr SUVMSRP: $19,99018 mi away
See all 82 listings
So Great In Many Ways but seat comfort still poor
Wanted to Buy but still waiting for Seat Comfort Improvement, 11/01/2017
2018 Subaru Outback 3.6R Touring 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl CVT)
35 of 41 people found this review helpful
I have to mirror someone else's comment that I just read. I recently test drove both a 2018 Subaru Outback Premium (cloth seats/no sunroof); and 3.6 Touring (top of line model). Incidentally, I also test drove a BMW 3 Wagon. I currently drive a 2011 Volvo XC70 with cloth seats and no sunroof. My wife drove a Saab 9-2X (based on Impreza and manufactured by Subaru for Saab/GM) for several years so we became familiar with Subaru; and my retired mother had a Legacy wagon; and now a Forester. Going into the test drive, I was ready to buy or put in an order that day. Great visibility (like Volvo) and much better turning radius. But the seat comfort is just a deal-breaker. Truly awful. My mother does use various cushions to improve her Forester seat comfort and the compromise is worth it for her. The BMW 3 Wagon is marginally better than Outback because it has a little more adjustability but unfortunately neither compare with Volvo. I don't understand why Volvo and the now defunct Saab are the only 2 car manufacturers who make cars with comfortable seats. If Subaru sub-contracted with the company used by Volvo (and/or Saab before them), they would finally have a car worth buying.
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Sweet spot
pfw, 10/08/2017
2018 Subaru Outback 3.6R Touring 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl CVT)
16 of 18 people found this review helpful
I have an audi A5 and a rav4. This finds the sweet spot in between. Luxury and comfort for every day driver. Does not have the driving feel or refinement of the Audi. Significant upgrade from the rav4 however with basically the same utility, and can be thrashed without anxiety, unlike the audi.
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Nice Car, A Few Quibbles
Ron, 06/18/2018
2018 Subaru Outback 2.5i Premium 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
7 of 7 people found this review helpful
Rented this vehicle for 10 days and put some 2800 miles on it. Driving was 80% highway, 20% local. The highway miles consisted of some curvy moutain driving in NC, VA, and W VA. PROS: 1. Nice ride, decent acceleration (motor is loud on hard acceleration), comfortable driving position, good handling and lots of storage for suitcases and other assorted travel junk. Those who occasionally rode in the back seat appreciated the comfort and spaciousness. 2. The gas mileage was surprisingly good, exceeding 30mpg on high speed interstate driving on a couple of tankfuls. 3. Liked the Eye Sight feature which automatically slowed down for slower moving traffic when on cruise controls. 4. The lane wandering beeps were annoying at first, but got used to them. Good safety feature. 5. Last but not least: Security of AWD. CONS: 1. Used to driving a Forester at home (175k miles), so the outward visibility seemed constricted in this Outback. 2. Also, the rear headrests obscured about 30% of the rearward visibility (I ended up removing them). 3. The side view mirrors were oddly shaped and didn't give a decent view rearward, in my opinion. 4. There was more air and road noise, especially on less than the smoothest roads than I would have expected from a $30K+ vehicle. 5. The lights and wiper controls are still the traditional ones that stick out from each side of the steering column. The steering wheel spokes are very wide, and partially obscure these stalks, so that if not totally familiar by touch with each setting, the driver's eyes have to be taken off the road to choose them. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE, IN MY OPINION. WOULD I BUY THIS CAR? A qualified "yes", but I'd look at others AWDs in this price range also, even though I realize that Subaru is the only mass market AWD all the time vehicle.
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Like others - Infointment system went dead and...
Vishal Patel, 11/26/2018
2018 Subaru Outback 3.6R Limited 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl CVT)
7 of 7 people found this review helpful
Bought new 3.5 R Limited for 38K. Runs great when in drive but there is a annoying click every time slowing down below 5 mph. Also from reverse to drive there is a forward lag and a creaking noise which is annoying too. Shifting to reverse is tight when on slope. Infointment system died after about 7 months - they replaced that after 2-3 weeks and now its running find. It did freeze couple of times before replacement. Took to dealer once for above issues - they said the walk around and multi point inspection was normal and everything functioned well so they cannot do anything. when noises got louder I called again - dealer wants me to make an appointment for inspection again ( very limited options for appointments). I will probably do that and ask for a new car test drive - if this issues are not present in new car then will call Subaru head office ( I dont remember this issues when care was new) - for now stay away - wish I had bought a Volvo or some other brand.
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Pretty cool (for a wagon)
Barry F, 06/30/2018
2018 Subaru Outback 2.5i Premium 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
7 of 7 people found this review helpful
Just upgraded from a 2013 Outback Limited 2.5i, so I know what to expect. The 4-cylinder engine doesn’t set the road on fire but hard to complain about the excellent fuel economy. AWD is plenty capable for anyone but the off-road enthusiast. Interior has been upgraded for the better but is a little less utilitarian than prior years (for example, the all-weather mats are much thinner and cheaper than before, and the lower door storage spaces have been eliminated - all that remains are cup holders). EyeSight is a nice option for most drivers, and I’ve been told will be standard starting in 2019. However, much like Toyota’s Safety Sense (and others), it’s a little too “big brother” at times, so I chose a model without it. Lastly, outward visibility is very good, making the Outback a very easy car (er, wagon) to drive.
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Give me back my 2011
Kevin, 02/25/2018
updated 08/27/2018
2018 Subaru Outback 2.5i Premium 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
11 of 12 people found this review helpful
I had a 2011 and put 250,000 miles on it without any problems. I bought a 2018 outback and it was been back to the dealer three times in three months. The gas gauge digital and old school is not accurate. I have run out of gas two times although the digital gas gauge read 100 and 280 miles till gas needed. Another problem is that radio stops working for different periods of times. For exampl, it stopped working for two days and sometimes it stopped working for twenty minutes and then just starts working again. Subaru lemon lawed the 2018 Outback and gave me back everything I put into it. I am currently driving a new 2018 Outback and have five thousand mile on it and no trouble. It was a very long process but worth it.
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Great practical car with TERRIBLE technology
Vlad Presnyak, 11/18/2017
2018 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
31 of 37 people found this review helpful
In a nutshell, I would not recommend this car to anybody. It is practical, versatile, and quite comfortable. However, the infotainment system is so horribly bad that driving the car has become an exercise in frustration. The system is incredibly buggy and Subaru is aware but does not seem to care. The manufacturer seems to go out of their way to show their customers that they don't care.
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2018 Outback - Huge Issue with Harmon Kardan Radio
Laura, 12/06/2018
2018 Subaru Outback 3.6R Limited 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl CVT)
14 of 16 people found this review helpful
Overall, was happy until 5800 miles and my center display console stopped working. No back-up camera, no maps, no Bluetooth, no radio or CD player. It's a huge KNOWN issue with Subaru. New "radio" is on back order with absolutely no known shipping date. My display tanked on November 13th. If you take your car to the dealer before the radio goes out, they'll do a download to correct the issue. Once the radio goes out, there's nothing that can be done.
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