Faults:

The oxygen sensors went out twice on this car. Over heated, replaced the radiator and then the head gasket. Ran out of radiator fluid due to a hole in one of the hoses after the gasket was replaced.

General Comments:

We have always heard that Subarus were reliable, but we are now wondering if that's really true. The head gasket was really expensive to fix.

Faults:

None.

General Comments:

I previously owned a 97 Legacy GT wagon, a 98 Outback Limited, and I have a 93 Legacy wagon in addition to this Outback. Needless to say, I'm enthusiastic about Subarus. If you live in Canada, like I do, I don't know why you would settle for front-wheel-drive.

I've found the reliability rivals that of Toyota and Honda. With each new generation of Subarus, they noticeably improve performance and build quality. This one feels tight inside and out.

Compared to a sport sedan, there's a little less grip on corners. But it's very smooth riding.

165 horsepower is good. If you hit the pedal, you can always pass.

Front seats are comfortable, but could be a little firmer and supportive for an 8 hour drive.

Controls all make sense. Everything has a quality feel.

Resale has been good on previous Subarus.

For the price, features and quality, I don't feel like I could go wrong with this car.

Faults:

I'm just starting to hear the exhaust rattle.

Three recall upgrades have been performed at no cost to me.

General Comments:

A roomy, economical and reliable car that has served me very well for five years.

I bought the car new in May 2000 primarily for the All Wheel Drive and gas economy. I found, through on-line research and word-of-mouth advice, that the reliability was high and the cars tended to depreciate in value more slowly.

The car has averaged 24 to 26 miles per gallon around town and 29 to 31 miles per gallon on extended highway trips. The fuel economy tends to be lower in the winter by about 2 M.P.G.

Snow and wet pavement handling are excellent; there are places this car can go that even my wife's front-wheel-drive Volvo cannot due to surface conditions.

There have been no problems with the car to date. I've put one new set of tires on, had two standard preventative maintenance check-ups and changed the oil and oil filter about every 3000 to 3500 miles. The brakes were adjusted once, but still have not been replaced after almost 75,000 miles.

I do expect to put some money into the car soon, however. On the agenda are:

Flush/replace engine coolant

Replace transmission fluid/filter

Fix exhaust rattle

New brakes

Possibly replace drive belts.

Faults:

Very small leak from transmission pan gasket (automatic) discovered at 80K miles. Dealer quoted under $100 for parts/labor.

Rear cup holders broke (poor location if you have kids), and seem cheaply made. Subaru should consider switching the placement of the rear cup holders and ash tray.

Gas mileage when first purchased was terrible (13-18 mixed driving).

General Comments:

Subaru Outback Wagon.

Only had it a little over a year and LOVE IT.

Subaru's AWD is amazing in everything you throw at it. During the winter of '03-'04, we got a lot of snow (over 1 ft on roads), and it was really a sight to discover that while we were safely driving (warm and comfortable) anywhere we wanted to go, nearly every block had at least one car stuck or sliding including four wheel drive trucks. That entire winter, our Subaru only lost traction one time (on solid ICE), and this was because we were riding on all-season tires and not winter tires/studs. As a matter of fact, I even took the Subie up a nearby grade (not yet plowed) and had no problems at all.

The 4-channel ABS is awesome on all road conditions. My wife actually was put into a situation where the Subie had the right side tires on loose gravel and the left side tires on pavement. She hit the brakes and (drumroll)...she went straight. No pulling or jerking, and no sliding. Just %100 control of the car, the way it should be.

And as far as the gas mileage? When we bought the Outback from our Local Subaru dealership, the original owner purchased it new in California and later moved to my neck of the woods (Klickitat County, WA). Lets just say that California gas choked our Subaru of gas mileage. After a half dozen or so tanks of good 'ol Texaco/Shell fuel, we now get consistent numbers of 25+ which includes freeway, city, and relatively steep grades or mountain passes.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. It came with everything except leather and a sunroof. The Original owner really knew what she wanted. And BOB STONE FREEWAY in The Dalles gave us a great deal with a purchase price of $13,500.

To sum it up?

We LOVE our Subaru Outback, our local Subaru dealership, and will surely purchase another Subie in the future.