Subaru Outback 2.5 XT - any downside?

[El Chupacabra]

Bored at work today, got daydreaming about cars again... surfing Edmunds revealed this:

Turns out that for 2006, you can get a Subaru wagon in Legacy trim with the 2.5L turbo engine, only with an automatic transmission. The same wagon in Outback trim, same engine, is available with automatic or manual transmission, and is cheaper than the Legacy trim version! No idea why, but it is. Edmunds says an Outback 2.5 XT, manual transmission, no other options, has an invoice price of about $26.5K. I'd prefer the manual transmission. I've test-driven the car with an automatic, and rented the non-turbo version; I like this car.

Anyone have one of these, either Legacy or Outback version? Anything you've come to dislike after living with the car for awhile?

I'd be selling/trading a 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo; looks like it'd bring around $12-13.5K, which I can live with.

I need to check some more on the IMBA Subaru discount to see what that's all about. Seems that Subarus are pretty easy to buy at invoice, or slightly less.... tempting.

[Benny Profane]

Of course you should buy it. In black. To me, the ultimate outdoor car.

[rideit]

I'm a bit confused, manual WITH Turbo?
Or NO Turbo?
(I would only get the manual WITH Turbo, meself)
Happy shopping!

[onehotchili]

downside for the 2006 OB XT is the suspension IMHO. if you don't need to the extra ground clearance, find a 2005 Legacy GT. that is what i am picking up this weekend. FYI, Subaru is offering a $2500 cashback incentive. i test drove both and definitely liked the sporty feeling of the Legacy GT. but they are VERY rare, especially since they dealers are trying to blow them out.

[El Chupacabra]

I'm a bit confused, manual WITH Turbo?
Or NO Turbo?
(I would only get the manual WITH Turbo, meself)
Happy shopping!

From what I can tell, 2006 = manual transmission not available with turbo in Legacy trim, but it is in the Outback trim.

I'm interested in the manual with turbo, and I'll take the extra ground clearance on the Outback; handles good enough for me.

[El Chupacabra]

downside for the 2006 OB XT is the suspension IMHO. if you don't need to the extra ground clearance, find a 2005 Legacy GT. that is what i am picking up this weekend. FYI, Subaru is offering a $2500 cashback incentive. i test drove both and definitely liked the sporty feeling of the Legacy GT. but they are VERY rare, especially since they dealers are trying to blow them out.

I saw $1500 incentive on Subaru's site, on all 2006 Outbacks.

What's the price you're getting on the '05 Legacy GT? and any options that affect the price?

[LaramieSkiBum]

i've got an 06 XT w/ MT. Love it. Bought it in Nov w/ 12 miles on it, now I'm a few oil changes in at 9k. Your in SLC? Got mine at Mark Miller - not impressed with them.

Quicks (what I consider huge):
Lost the right front wheel bearing. I knew what it was as soon as I started to hear the vibrations. I warned the mechanics at miller, they didn't belive me, blamed it on the tire. Sure enough it was the bearing, with less than 3k miles. It fucked me for 1/2 a powder day, the first half none the less.

Quirks (nothing huge): Glove box would never shut, I finally figured out the hinges are such that I have to pull on it to the left while shutting. Big woop. I haven't taken it in yet, but I will when i get this fixed -->:

The 'security option' doesn't work. It's supposed to be a shock sensor, the mechanic / head dude at the service desk kept telling me it was a sonic sensor (broken glass), i kept arguing no, it's a shock sensor. They worked on it for at least 3 hours, told me it was fixed, I checked it and nothing. I get no alarm if I rock the shit out of the car. They told me they found a loose wire in one of the doors and the system wasn't alarming because it thought the door was open. Which is BS because when this is the case, the car beeps 4 times and has a fit when you arm it. It never did this unless I left a door open...... This matters to me because I want it to go off if someone tries to take off my rocket box. I know it's a shock sensor, because I found the install instructions on the 'net.

No rocket box that I could find would allow full access to the rear hatch. You could drill some more holes and make it work, but the nose of the box will be sticking way out over the hood. It's easier to just put up with it and access the cargo area from the passenger doors or duck under the hatch.

The clutch / throttle by wire throttle keep fuckin with me. I'm used to my jeep, and can match my RPM's with the wheels pretty easy and float the gears all the time. I don't know if it's the lack of torque in the low end of the RPM range on the XT, the throttle by wire system, or the clutch, but learning smooth takeoffs with it took awhile. Turbo lag probably factors here, it doesn't kick in until 2900, but once it does, look the fuck out because in a few more seconds your doing over 60.

It's a gas hog, but you knew that already. If I grandma it, and do 75mph, it keeps the turbo from spooling up and I can easily get 27mpg. That said I'm usually cruising at 83 and getting 22mpg. I guess this may not be the result of the turbo completely, air resistance increases to the square of speed, so maybe the extra 8mph has more to do with it. RPM's at 75mph = 2900 or so, at 83mph your looking at 3400 or so.

Kicks ass on the ice and snow, but the stock tires blow donkey nuts. Get rid of them soon. You can live with them, I still have them, but they blow.

I have hit icy bridges at speed and have been impressed, I would have died in my jeep TJ but the OBXT didn't even try to fish. That said I don't get over confident and still try to drive bad roads like I'm in my jeep, but I know I'm much safer. Lower CG, good balanced traction. That is why I bought this car, I-80 and wyo high ways make the TJ a expensive coffin.

Subaru, for what ever reason, made no provisions for aux input to the head unit. that is fucking annoying, because then you have to rig it (see legacyGT.com) or use FM modulators of one type or another. I'm going to rig it and wire the sat. radio into the 6th CD input on the changer, but fuck who doesn't allow for aux input when the head unit is not replaceable (it's not a standard DIN, and actually the climate control is wired into the CD player some how). I hid my ant. for the sat. radio in the rear spoiler, ultra stealthy and I only loose the station when going under bridges (not once in LCC canyon)

Oh, and the map lights don't come on when you open the door, making the front seats very dark (only light is above the rear passengers). I'm betting the moon roof caused this. This can be rigged also, with a diode and a few wires.

If your looking for that 26 or 27k price, your looking for cloth seat models.

Windshield wiper heaters and heated mirrors kick ass.

The paint, sucks. But if your in utah or a state that doesnt use boulders for traction your probably fine. Wyoming doesn't even seem to screen their 'sand', and they don't salt roads - it's a constant sand storm. So I have many large stone chips going all the way to the metal (at least 15). Some of them are long streaks along the side of the car. The bra is not intended for the turbo, I haven't seen one out for the turbo yet. Apparently interupts flow to the intercooler.

Not as much head room in the rear seats as you might think, but i never have more than 1 other passenger anyway. Skis, if need be, can fit in the car and still leave room for 4 people.

Outback has major body roll compared to the LGT, but managable. I like the extra clearance for snow and desert.

edit: oh and one more thing that frys my chicken. The trip timer only works if you don't turn your car on fast. Some sort of computer boot time thing, not an issue with 05's I guess.

It all sounds pretty negative, but that's what you asked for. They are all little things (except the wheel bearing), but damn it if you pay this much for a vehicle, they should work off the floor. It's a fun fun car, way to much fun to drive up the canyons. It will throw you back, and can be modified for almost 300hp with a few upgrades. Stock, if i slip the clutch on takeoff, I'm betting 0-60 in the mid to upper 5's.

[El Chupacabra]

Thanks Laramie -- good info. I'll have to check into that roof box interference issue. I'm in Reno, where they salt the roads with rocks, tumbleweeds, and brine; windshields don't last very long here.

Mid-20s MPG is still a pretty good improvement over the Jeep I'm using for a winter vehicle now (16-18 MPG).

[LaramieSkiBum]

your probably going to be lucky to get mid 20's. I wish that's what I was getting. 95% of my miles are highway at 80 or so mph and I'm getting 23mpg average according to the computer. I've not noticed a huge increase in gas mileage from my jeep, it would get 18mpg at 80mph. Flooring it in town will kill your mileage, and I'm told the computers mpg is high.

windshields don't last long here either, 2 years max. Beware it looks like it would be expensive, it's got the heaters for the wipers and maybe the radio ant. There is no exterior ant.

[Ak_pride]

Yes can I get it in pink trim and blue body manual but not turbo and cd player with exactly 22.55666 mpg oh yes and cupholders. I like my rusty 88 legacy

[igBand]

Windshield wiper heaters and heated mirrors kick ass.

Couldn't agree more. We have the 2.5i base model and everytime people ask how I like the car, I always defer to the wiper and mirror heaters. Loving it. Loving it so, so much.

[iceman]

That sure seems like a lot of problems for a brand-new car, though.

[The AD]

That sure seems like a lot of problems for a brand-new car, though.

No kidding. I would be pissed if I had any problems in a car under a year or two old.

[Tuckerman]

No rocket box that I could find would allow full access to the rear hatch. You could drill some more holes and make it work, but the nose of the box will be sticking way out over the hood. It's easier to just put up with it and access the cargo area from the passenger doors or duck under the hatch.

Thats wierd you can't move the cross bars?

[DJMingus]

RE: the rocket box - I drive a Saab 93 hatch and had the same issue - get the shorter wide body box ( I got the wide Thule Evolution) that they say will only hold 175cm skis. I have put 190's in caddy corner and my 185s fit easily caddy corner.

I needed the wide box for bouldering pads anyway. It rocks for road tripps - you can carry SO MUCH shit up there.

[AntiSoCalSkier]

DON'T GET IT IN BLACK!!!!

(I own a black WRX wagon, and it looks awesome for about 12 hours after you wash it, but then it gets dirty and looks terrible.)

You might want to check out nasioc.com. It's a great Subaru forum with more info than you'll know what to do with. (Make sure you use the search feature.)

[Aldo]

I'd be selling/trading a 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo; looks like it'd bring around $12-13.5K, which I can live with.

Perhaps through a private sale you'd get this range, don't count on that with a trade in though. I'd bet they'll offer you more like 10 on the trade in, obviously dependant on condition/mileage.

[ZG]

A little off topic...but the girl I'm going out with (who is a kick ass skier) has a wrx wagon and i can't wait to start driving it!

[onehotchili]

El C -

I am getting a 2005 LGT Limited (ie w/ leather, moonroof, powerseats) fully pimped out for about $24,600 + TTL... which is over $6300 below it's MSRP. I already have a '99 Outback which I plan on using in really nuking weather, so the extra ground clearance lost out to performance handling which I would rather have. I just sold a very pimped out 450hp 2001 Audi S4 Sedan which had mad track handling suspension... but I needed the space of a wagon. For the price and reasonable maintenance costs, the Subura won out over another Audi. With a $2k worth of parts... you can easily make the Subaru 2.5l Turbo engine do over 300hp (basically it is a detuned STi engine). With another $2k on wheels, brakes, and suspension... the Legacy GT/Outback XT will be one of the fastest ski mobiles on twisty mountain roads

[PNWbrit]

I have an 06 Outback XT auto and love it.

No real problems what so ever. Just got back from 1700 mile road trip around BC it was fast, comfortable and 22 mpg.

Niggles - radio reception seems poor, windows fog up really easily, roof rack/box/spoiler alignment is a pain. Heated seats don't seem to hold constant temperature.

Pros - Turbo, sport mode auto trans, headlights, stock tires manage better than expected (snows must make the thing into a snow cat).

Carter Subaru Seattle online sales manager made buying the car a no hassle no haggle deal - best prices on the new car and my trade and best finance. Took twenty minutes to sign paperwork and drive away.

[cinnepa]

No rocket box that I could find would allow full access to the rear hatch. You could drill some more holes and make it work, but the nose of the box will be sticking way out over the hood. It's easier to just put up with it and access the cargo area from the passenger doors or duck under the hatch.

nice review..........just my 2 cents on the box, i have a yakima space booster, and yes, i drilled extra holes so i could open the hatch all the way....the front of the box barely hangs over the front windshield; not even noticeable. i have a 2003 2.5X forester, love it, best car i owned so far. got the 5 speed, like a tank in the snow. not the best gas mileage of any car i owned but the rest of the car makes up for that.

[Tuckerman]

nice review..........just my 2 cents on the box, i have a yakima space booster, and yes, i drilled extra holes so i could open the hatch all the way....the front of the box barely hangs over the front windshield; not even noticeable. i have a 2003 2.5X forester, love it, best car i owned so far. got the 5 speed, like a tank in the snow. not the best gas mileage of any car i owned but the rest of the car makes up for that.

I have the 04' Forester and had to move the cross bars a bit and the Rocket Box hangs over the windshield a small amout which I like because I can see the end of my surf board (Surf board fits on top of the box like it was made for it) and that its still there. But I can open the hatch all the way.

[Tin Woodsman]

A friend of mine has the 2005 OBXT in manual and just raves about it. I tried it out a few times when I had to run some errands and I wasn't as impressed. This was mostly a function of the tiny gas/brake/clutch pedal area. I'm 6'2" with size 12 shoes, so maybe I'm an outlier, but I kept tripping over my own feet when driving this thing. They are just real close together.

[PNWbrit]

Good point - there isn't much room around pedals.

[DaveTV]

I have a 95 Legacy wagon with 150k - just had a brake job and frt axle replace(boot was ripped), but over the years has given me minimal trouble and got me thru more snow than u can imagine - The manual tranny(at least on the older ones) has "Continuous AWD" which is more 50-50 split compared to the front-biased "Active AWD" used on the automatic - see http://www.cars101.com/subaru_terms.html