RE: Subaru Outback 3.0R | Shed of the Week
Discussion
I feel like this would make a lot of sense if fuel were cheaper. Practical, relaxed, reliable, probably very smooth. Natural rival is a Volvo XC70, not anything German.
At today’s petrol prices, though, the likely smoothness of the engine without any real gain in performance over a 4 banger just doesn’t justify it.
At today’s petrol prices, though, the likely smoothness of the engine without any real gain in performance over a 4 banger just doesn’t justify it.
Looking at regular comments in SOTW I really think some people completely miss the point of shedding.
It's not about sports car performance, knife edge handling, the badge on the bonnet or whether the seats are the right shade of beige. It's about reliable, comfortable, practical and above all cheap transport/ value for money. If the badge is less popular all the better as you'll likely get a better shape car for less money.
If I was down in the £2k and below bracket the most important thing for me was how long it would last without letting me down and costing a fortune. Those that say ooh I don't like the wheels or it's 0-60 is a bit slow are completely missing the point. It needs to get me from A-B in reasonable comfort, carrying my stuff without being embarrassing when I arrive. This shed really ticks a lot of boxes.
It's not about sports car performance, knife edge handling, the badge on the bonnet or whether the seats are the right shade of beige. It's about reliable, comfortable, practical and above all cheap transport/ value for money. If the badge is less popular all the better as you'll likely get a better shape car for less money.
If I was down in the £2k and below bracket the most important thing for me was how long it would last without letting me down and costing a fortune. Those that say ooh I don't like the wheels or it's 0-60 is a bit slow are completely missing the point. It needs to get me from A-B in reasonable comfort, carrying my stuff without being embarrassing when I arrive. This shed really ticks a lot of boxes.
Ronseal cars. They do everything it says on the tin.
No fuss, no drama, no blingy nonsense just a car that will get you home regardless of the weather in comfort and safety.
Pity Subaru UK are so useless over here as there are more interesting engine choices to be had but it seems that IM are determined to see to see the back of Subaru in the UK.
No fuss, no drama, no blingy nonsense just a car that will get you home regardless of the weather in comfort and safety.
Pity Subaru UK are so useless over here as there are more interesting engine choices to be had but it seems that IM are determined to see to see the back of Subaru in the UK.
Water Fairy said:
Indeed. My second boy currently has a 2010 2.0L RX manual and it is quite a nice thing to rag around if I'm honest.
Might be a decent car but can you honestly say it has a good engine? To me it feels worse than any 2.0L na made by Toyota, VW, Ford, Opel, Renault, Honda... in the last 20 years. Opinions do vary but I think this is a strange hill to die on. Subaru do lots of other things well.Harry H said:
Looking at regular comments in SOTW I really think some people completely miss the point of shedding.
It's not about sports car performance, knife edge handling, the badge on the bonnet or whether the seats are the right shade of beige. It's about reliable, comfortable, practical and above all cheap transport/ value for money. If the badge is less popular all the better as you'll likely get a better shape car for less money.
If I was down in the £2k and below bracket the most important thing for me was how long it would last without letting me down and costing a fortune. Those that say ooh I don't like the wheels or it's 0-60 is a bit slow are completely missing the point. It needs to get me from A-B in reasonable comfort, carrying my stuff without being embarrassing when I arrive. This shed really ticks a lot of boxes.
Exactly this. And if you happen to live near a Costco, unleaded now about 138p / litre - so fuel costs at 25mpg or so still going to be dear but per my previous post, this probably is a car to buy if you do 3-4k miles per year, not 30k. It's not about sports car performance, knife edge handling, the badge on the bonnet or whether the seats are the right shade of beige. It's about reliable, comfortable, practical and above all cheap transport/ value for money. If the badge is less popular all the better as you'll likely get a better shape car for less money.
If I was down in the £2k and below bracket the most important thing for me was how long it would last without letting me down and costing a fortune. Those that say ooh I don't like the wheels or it's 0-60 is a bit slow are completely missing the point. It needs to get me from A-B in reasonable comfort, carrying my stuff without being embarrassing when I arrive. This shed really ticks a lot of boxes.
I’m a serial Legacy estate owner – had a Mk2 2.0 GL, a Mk4 2.5 SE and currently run a Mk4 3.0r Spec B. All a slightly different drive from the Outback due to lower/firmer suspension but basically the same car.
Took both the 2.0 and the 2.5 to over 240,000 miles – rust got the Mk2 but the Mk 4 was still solid when I sold it for a few hundred quid four years’ ago. I never had a problem with the 2.5 engine – the head gasket problems related mostly to the Mk 3 I believe.
My current 3.0r is lovely – 175,000 miles and still going strong; Bilsteins in good shape and with no evidence of rust yet (although I admit I’m a bit scared to take off the sill covers and have a proper look). It’s a facelift auto so has the ‘SI Drive’ and steering column paddles which help speed things up a little when required. It can be quite rapid but you need to be in the right gear and at 4k+ revs – all a bit old-skool.
I still think it’s one of the best looking estates out there so take issue with those that think otherwise. It’s certainly the best-looking Subaru ever – a low bar I admit!
I drove the Spec B to the Alps in January on winter tyres. Averaged about 30mpg and felt rock solid all the way; heavy snow on the autoroute and the last 30km or so up to Bonneval-sur-Arc were on snow-packed mountain roads – it was an epic drive.
I’m clearly completely biased – I love it, but I completely understand why it never sold well in the UK – VED and fuel costs are too high for many to consider it. However, maintenance costs are low if you’re prepared to do the basics yourself and spare parts are readily available and cheap – ICP know me well!
So, if you’re not bothered about driving an old Japanese car that, to most, is completely anonymous and you can cope with the high fuel costs, a 3.0r Legacy or Outback is a great buy.
SOTY
Took both the 2.0 and the 2.5 to over 240,000 miles – rust got the Mk2 but the Mk 4 was still solid when I sold it for a few hundred quid four years’ ago. I never had a problem with the 2.5 engine – the head gasket problems related mostly to the Mk 3 I believe.
My current 3.0r is lovely – 175,000 miles and still going strong; Bilsteins in good shape and with no evidence of rust yet (although I admit I’m a bit scared to take off the sill covers and have a proper look). It’s a facelift auto so has the ‘SI Drive’ and steering column paddles which help speed things up a little when required. It can be quite rapid but you need to be in the right gear and at 4k+ revs – all a bit old-skool.
I still think it’s one of the best looking estates out there so take issue with those that think otherwise. It’s certainly the best-looking Subaru ever – a low bar I admit!
I drove the Spec B to the Alps in January on winter tyres. Averaged about 30mpg and felt rock solid all the way; heavy snow on the autoroute and the last 30km or so up to Bonneval-sur-Arc were on snow-packed mountain roads – it was an epic drive.
I’m clearly completely biased – I love it, but I completely understand why it never sold well in the UK – VED and fuel costs are too high for many to consider it. However, maintenance costs are low if you’re prepared to do the basics yourself and spare parts are readily available and cheap – ICP know me well!
So, if you’re not bothered about driving an old Japanese car that, to most, is completely anonymous and you can cope with the high fuel costs, a 3.0r Legacy or Outback is a great buy.
SOTY
That's virtually identical to my old one! Regarding economy, sure they're not great but to get mpg figures starting with a 1 you'd have to be driving it in a manner that would suggest you really have bought the wrong car. The very worst mpg I ever saw from a tank was low 20s, and that was all on the very hilly single-lane roads of the western Lake District in winter. I think my long-term average was 27.something and 30+ wasn't uncommon.
No they're not as quick as a 530i. They don't do wheelies as well as my old GSX-R600 or float as well as a canoe either, but that's somewhat missing the point. Ultimately, though, the performance-to-mpg ratio ain't great by modern standards, which is a key reason why I went looking for an XC70 D5 to replace my Outback.
I've said a few times before that if you're after a get-s
t-done-in-all-weathers hack to do a few thousand miles a year in including some off-road stuff, then these are great, there's not much better. But If you're after something to use as a 10k+ mile per year daily and don't really need the off-road ability, then look elsewhere. The trouble with these by now is that a pre-2005 one with reasonable(ish) VED is likely to be really scabby underneath and any major/unusual parts ain't cheap. But one that's new enough to be non-scabby will have £600+ VED, which is crackers really.
Edit: I should say that the engine is really smooth. Like genuinely-difficult-to-tell-if-it's-running-or-not smooth. Sounds far nicer than a D5 too. But doing the mileage I did (circa 17k miles p.a.), the cost of parts and fuel outweighed that.
No they're not as quick as a 530i. They don't do wheelies as well as my old GSX-R600 or float as well as a canoe either, but that's somewhat missing the point. Ultimately, though, the performance-to-mpg ratio ain't great by modern standards, which is a key reason why I went looking for an XC70 D5 to replace my Outback.
I've said a few times before that if you're after a get-s
t-done-in-all-weathers hack to do a few thousand miles a year in including some off-road stuff, then these are great, there's not much better. But If you're after something to use as a 10k+ mile per year daily and don't really need the off-road ability, then look elsewhere. The trouble with these by now is that a pre-2005 one with reasonable(ish) VED is likely to be really scabby underneath and any major/unusual parts ain't cheap. But one that's new enough to be non-scabby will have £600+ VED, which is crackers really. Edit: I should say that the engine is really smooth. Like genuinely-difficult-to-tell-if-it's-running-or-not smooth. Sounds far nicer than a D5 too. But doing the mileage I did (circa 17k miles p.a.), the cost of parts and fuel outweighed that.
Edited by Roger Irrelevant on Friday 24th March 12:16
We had one of these of a similar age in Burgundy.
Got t-boned one morning by white van man on an A road in herefordshire - rammed across the road, through railings, a thick hedgrow and down and along a ditch, ending up by a tree in a field.
The car was totalled, with every panel scratched, dented (including the bonnet and roof), and front offside wheel snapped off. Front and rear screens shattered and all the air bags detonated.
Me, Mrs C and our 2 dogs clambered out unscathed.
If i had 2 grand to hand i would buy this in a heartbeat.
Got t-boned one morning by white van man on an A road in herefordshire - rammed across the road, through railings, a thick hedgrow and down and along a ditch, ending up by a tree in a field.
The car was totalled, with every panel scratched, dented (including the bonnet and roof), and front offside wheel snapped off. Front and rear screens shattered and all the air bags detonated.
Me, Mrs C and our 2 dogs clambered out unscathed.
If i had 2 grand to hand i would buy this in a heartbeat.
GravelBen said:
BeastieBoy73 said:
...
Whilst being considered an older persons car by some here in the U.K., I think they’re very popular amongst younger families in The USA.
...
And NZ.Whilst being considered an older persons car by some here in the U.K., I think they’re very popular amongst younger families in The USA.
...
Funny enough people are talking about buying Volvos instead, which have much more of an 'old persons car' reputation here.
Weird how Subaru UK is failing, as others have said, they have had an incredible decade of success in the USA (until COVID chip shortages got in the way).
They shifted their wagons to crossovers early and really clicked with younger middle class families and women. They ditched focus on enthusiasts (WRX etc, which created associations with vape pen sucking brodudes with acne) and embraced women buyers, with a big focus on LBGTQ / gender equality....and it worked for them.
I've driven a few new Subarus and they are utterly uninspiring, with slow CVT and ponderous "safe" handling....and people can't get enough of them.
They shifted their wagons to crossovers early and really clicked with younger middle class families and women. They ditched focus on enthusiasts (WRX etc, which created associations with vape pen sucking brodudes with acne) and embraced women buyers, with a big focus on LBGTQ / gender equality....and it worked for them.
I've driven a few new Subarus and they are utterly uninspiring, with slow CVT and ponderous "safe" handling....and people can't get enough of them.
Wren-went said:
Looks half decent for a 20 years old Subaru , don't know if I'd touch an Outback with someone else's money and barge pole .
I know.of 1 an 05 Outback 2.5 SE and in 5 years or so the headgasket went twice. I know it's a different Engine to the straight 6 in this car in the article but it's always put me off them.
This car looks ok for 2 grand but I'd buy a Volvo XC70 if I was after this type of car.
The engine in this car is a flat 6, exactly as it says in the article. Subaru do not make straight sixes.I know.of 1 an 05 Outback 2.5 SE and in 5 years or so the headgasket went twice. I know it's a different Engine to the straight 6 in this car in the article but it's always put me off them.
This car looks ok for 2 grand but I'd buy a Volvo XC70 if I was after this type of car.
Had a go in one of these yonks back when on a Pro-drive corporate day. It wernt too shabby tbh. Interior was up their with its rivals & plenty of space, performance average at best but not sluggish either. This one now seems like a perfect budget tow car either for weekends away or nipping down the tip with a big trailer. Good Shed this!
Crasher242 said:
We had one of these of a similar age in Burgundy.
Got t-boned one morning by white van man on an A road in herefordshire - rammed across the road, through railings, a thick hedgrow and down and along a ditch, ending up by a tree in a field.
The car was totalled, with every panel scratched, dented (including the bonnet and roof), and front offside wheel snapped off. Front and rear screens shattered and all the air bags detonated.
Me, Mrs C and our 2 dogs clambered out unscathed.
If i had 2 grand to hand i would buy this in a heartbeat.
Apt user name - is the 242 the number of times you've crashed Got t-boned one morning by white van man on an A road in herefordshire - rammed across the road, through railings, a thick hedgrow and down and along a ditch, ending up by a tree in a field.
The car was totalled, with every panel scratched, dented (including the bonnet and roof), and front offside wheel snapped off. Front and rear screens shattered and all the air bags detonated.
Me, Mrs C and our 2 dogs clambered out unscathed.
If i had 2 grand to hand i would buy this in a heartbeat.
That's a couple of posts now that have suggested these handle badly - it's been a while since I drove one but I found exactly the opposite.
Compared to leaden nose heavy, crashy riding German cars the Outback felt great, almost like a more surefooted version of a 90s Peugeot with nice steering, good body control and with a lovely supple ride. Certainly a much better chassis than it's main rival, the XC70.
If Subaru UK still brought in the decent engines I'd be quite tempted by the current version. Looks great and would suit us quite nicely.
Compared to leaden nose heavy, crashy riding German cars the Outback felt great, almost like a more surefooted version of a 90s Peugeot with nice steering, good body control and with a lovely supple ride. Certainly a much better chassis than it's main rival, the XC70.
If Subaru UK still brought in the decent engines I'd be quite tempted by the current version. Looks great and would suit us quite nicely.
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