Used 2018 Subaru Outback SUV Consumer Reviews
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Less noise than last year
Scott M., 08/12/2017
2018 Subaru Outback 3.6R Touring 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl CVT)
143 of 147 people found this review helpful
I drove the 2017 Outback and really liked it, except for the wind noise and road noise. I read that Subaru was going to make improvements in that department with new glass and insulation in the wheel wells. I'm glad I waited for the 2018. The difference is very noticeable. The new interface for the infotainment system is nice, too. The fit and finish is excellent. I'm very pleased with this vehicle.
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Great Car but Electronic Gremlins
Roger Harrison, 10/12/2017
2018 Subaru Outback 3.6R Touring 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl CVT)
110 of 114 people found this review helpful
We traded our 2015 Legacy on a 2018 3.6R touring and embarked on a 3000 mile tour of the West. The four was best around town; performance, particularly at 6000 ft. where we live, was adequate at best and the engine note was like rattling a coffee can full of rocks. It was an engine you felt sorry for. The 3.6R is an entirely different proposition - a great, quiet, confidence inducing long distance cruiser with plenty of power from an engine that sounds like it's enjoying itself. We averaged 28MPH with a lot of two-lane driving. Blind spot warning is much better now; a big yellow light nearer the driver that's easy to see. The HD rear view camera is very good, and the cross traffic alert is a life saver (literally) in crowded parking lots. Lane keep departure and assist work like they are supposed to. I think I finally found the right settings on the cruise control, but it takes a while; it brakes later than I would. Perhaps most impressive were the headlights; the auto high beams work so well they can be left on, and I like the diretional function of the headlight very much. But electronic gremlins came early and often: the car locked us out on the first day; the control center/navigation screen has frozen three times - once on a doo wop station that we couldn't turn off, and twice when it was navigating us somewhere. The navigation's voice command is not always syncronized with the onscreen prompts, and I find the Tom Tom navigation ackward to use, with a only a vague idea of where it is. Having to use the touchscreen to adjust the scale on the navigation map is distracting and it won't adjust behind 1/4 mile, at least on mine. Strangely, I find the audio in the 2018 Touring not up to the one in the 2015 Legacy although both are Harmon Karden. The new on is just OK.
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Electronic nightmare!
Barbara J., 11/19/2018
2018 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
26 of 26 people found this review helpful
My 2018 Outback's multi-media system went to black 7 months after I bought the car - no GPS, Bluetooth, radio, CD, phone functions. I was also having a problem with my brakes seizing on my driveway because apparently the safety sensors thought there was an obstacle (but there wasn't.) When I went into the service department, I was informed that they couldn't repair the multi-media system because it wasn't a Subaru part and they had no parts for the electronic system. Three weeks later, they have no definite date as to when this problem can be repaired. The service manager told me that there were 3 other customers waiting to have this multi-media system replaced. The service agent informed me that the braking problem was simply "because your car thinks there is an obstacle." I was so disgusted, I asked Subaru to buy back my car but was informed that this was not an option. I have never owned a Subaru until recently - I wish I never bought one!!
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For what it is, great. Some updates needed
Pj smith, 12/21/2017
2018 Subaru Outback 3.6R Limited 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl CVT)
55 of 57 people found this review helpful
Moving from a 528 to this, so my expectations are moderate, but have been exceeded. Great safety features with the eyesight package. Decent power with the 6 cylinder (the 2.5 felt anemic to me). Not great gas mileage, but the car has s normally aspirated, so no need for premium fuels, which helps. About the only true beef I have is that the infotainment system is a known week spot. It’s been in need of a software update for a year, and Subaru America has been ignoring it. My quirks are generally minor and infrequent. Other owners I know have lost the whole system for a day at a time, which the dealer can’t replicate in most instances, and for which there is no fix until the Manufacturer rolls out a cleaned up patch
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Car Shakes at Highway Speed
Old Vet, 11/08/2017
updated 05/10/2021
2018 Subaru Outback 2.5i Premium 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl CVT)
100 of 105 people found this review helpful
Before buying, test drive this vehicle on a smooth Interstate. I didn't and it cost me. While the driver's seat is very comfy, driver vision excellent, power adequate and amenities (Bluetooth, CD, radio) easily accessible, the fact that the vehicle developed what I'm told is a harmonic vibration at speeds in excess of 60 mph made it unacceptable to me. The dealer balanced the tires and ultimately replaced all of them, to no avail. Firmly informed that the vibration is "normal" (state lemon law only requires a vehicle to behave normally), I had to get used to a mild shake or take the loss and trade it on something else. If you are not bothered by a mild but constant vibration on the highway, beyond what the pavement causes, then this may be the car for you. In any case, be sure to test it on the highway before writing the check.
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