Help on choice for 2005 Outback

stevem46 · 2005-02-20T18:47:41+00:00

We are at our wits end with our Volvo cross country which is sevenyears old. It is a solid car which drives well, but is always havingelectrical and electronic issues. Almost every month we have to dealwith the check engine light. We are most likely planning a purchase ofthe Outback.We have a couple of concerns. One is the gas mileage. I have seensome postings where the stated 19/24 official mileage was not evenclosely approached. Can anyone who has tracked their mileagewith the H6 or XT automatic transmission give me information on theirexperience.In addition, my wife only drives an automatic. Some of the reviewshave dissed the new 5 speed auto transmission and its performance withboth the H6 and XT.. Please give us any feedback if you have either ofthese engines with the auto transmission.Thanks for your help.Steve

Feb 20, 2005 21 Replies

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I have a 05 LLBean Wagon and average 20.8 driving mixed back roads and urban and in-town about 18. Haven't had a highway trip to compare. I have managed an extra 0.5 mpg shifting manually with the upshift at when the light comes on. But I get bored on a 55 mile commute and it gives me something else to do.

Better gas mileage would have been nice and with regular fuel, but I needed something with enough power to comfortably tow a sailplane and trailer and make it up a mountain.

Other than that, the car is comfortable and drives well. It is not the same as the MB 230K I had before, but it isn't close to being the same thing to compare.

Chip F

I have an '05 OBW 2.5XT. I religiously track my mileage in a spreadsheet. In about 7200 miles I have averaged 21.2mpg actual. (The trip computer tends to indicate about 0.3mpg on the high side.) That's on 92-93 octane and about half on open road. My best ever fill-up yielded over 24mpg with a tail wind, worst was 19.8. The 5-speed auto xmission has been an absolute delight, especially with the Sport mode and the wheel-mounted manual shift controls that I use a lot to reduce brake usage. Be cafeful not to overrev in manual, however! The system will downshift in manual as you slow down to prevent lugging, but in acceleration it is slow to jump back into auto. Best to use Sport mode for spirited acceleration. Overall this engine / xmisssion combination has lived up to my expectations.

Help on choice for 2005 Outback

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