New Subaru Outback MY04 (Australian) opinions wanted!

Hi. Looking for a new family car with little off road ability. After reading numerous reviews and comparisons of Nissan X-Trail, Honda CR-V, Toyota Rav4, Mazda Tribute and Subaru Outback I have decided to go for newely released subaru outback premium edition. However the outback works out about 10k more expensive than the rest. Safety and reliability are on the top of my list. Only outback and Rav4 have a safety pack which comes with side and curtain airbags and traction control.

If any one here has already purchased one or in the same situation as I am, please comment on the new outback. Is there any problems with it so far? Why did you choose outback over the above? I just need some convincing that the Subaru Outback latest release worth the extra money.

Much appreciate your help Vlad

Reply to
Vlad
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Reply to
Phil Growcott

I agree, though think you will find little other feedback here as the US does not get this model until end 2005

Steve

Reply to
imaginuity

Hi Phil, Thanks heaps for your insight. The subaru quality and reliability is brought up to my attention over and over again. I have now definitely settled for the subaru make. No convincing required. Now it's only a matter of which model. As I said earlier, need a family wagon (mostly driven by Mrs.) Spent entire today (saturday) at Subaru Mentone (Melbourne) and test drove Outback 2.5i,3.0R and Forrester XT2.5 Turbo. Love the power of 3.0R but with a premium pack (airbags, etc) it's too expensive. Forrester turbo is great fun to drive. However it's a lower spec/feel vehicle than Outback (eg. BMW 3 vs BMW 5 series). I am still not sure about 2.5i Outback. It is fully optioned but feels little letargic. However I am inclined to think that for the Mrs. the extra power of 3.0R or Turbo of forrester will be wasted (me on the other hand . hmmm, can't afford a car for myself only) So still not sure. Vlad

Reply to
Vlad

I know the owner of the REAL Mentone Subaru (now Renault and SAAB) totally typical of a big-headed company made its own dealership down at Docklands and killed off about 6 dealers here in Melb.

Totally and unethical and not even a factory run show the whole of the Subaru is a private importer (no proper factory support) together with a WAY overrated and overpriced product sounds like shit to me

NO better that any other Gap product yet way more expensive, once again the Yanks saved its arse (GM) and will one day own the whole lot not just x% as per today and destroy a big headed company who's best days are in the past (made its name by a butt ugly WRX which has come back to haunt it as super expensive to insure)

This reliable thing is a crock of shit too (you want reliable buy a Toyota): From Wheels Magazine

.... the first GT test car had to be returned after it developed an intermittent electrical fault, which shut the engine down. This was traced to a short in the main fuse box, which interrupted the power supply to the Engine Control Module. The second GT had a severe surging problem when the cruise control was activated, particularly when pulling up hills.

A 2.5 litre model being tested by a newspaper in Melbourne also had en electrical problem, which caused it to default to limp home mode. Subaru claims this was caused by the Engine Control Module power supply connections being disturbed while the car was being used for technical training

hahaonda are a over-rated brand too but in all fairness they at least dont have these bullshit failures

CDIHL

Reply to
Citroen DS (COINTREAU)

Hi Vlad

We have a 2.5 Gen 3 (2003) manual RX. The power from the 2.5 is OK, if you like tootling about, but marginal if you like spirited driving. Apart from that, I can't fault the car. Next time I'll be looking at the GT, or 3.0 litre.

SS

Reply to
Steven & Shelley Swann

typical of a big-headed company made

Subaru is a private importer (no proper

sounds like shit to me

the Yanks saved its arse (GM) and will

headed company who's best days are in the

super expensive to insure)

Toyota): From Wheels Magazine

have these bullshit failures

Well, it's clear you want to make some noise. Anyway, trolls aside, we are nearing the end of the lease on our 2000 OBW and I must say it has been the most trouble free car we have ever had; a couple of ECU reprograms, a new set of tires and that's about it.

We will be getting a 2005 OBW when they arrive in Canada in April or May. We have the 2.5 engine now and while a tad sluggish, it clearly matches the type of driving we do. From my reading I have discovered that the 2.5 wagon is over 200 pounds lighter and the HP has been bumped up a smidgen to 168hp which should make the car a little nimbler. In Canada we have 3 base models, the 2.5i, the 2.5i Premium and the 2.5i Limited. We will likely get a Premium this time around.

I have heard excellent review concerning the new model and if Subaru can make a good thing better, I'm for it.

Ron

Reply to
Rockin Ronnie

Your buddies at Saab are so honest that when I took my Liberty in there for a minor fix they removed wiring that caused the "Check Engine" light to come on once my car left the workshop. It was the new Mentone Subaru dealer that picked the fault ran a full diagostic to find nothing wrong with the car (they had never seen this wiring come loose before). They have had all my service business since and the sale of a new Forester XT to my parents.

Reply to
Bailes

typical of a big-headed company made

is a private importer (no proper

like shit to me

Yanks saved its arse (GM) and will

company who's best days are in the

super expensive to insure)

From Wheels Magazine

have these bullshit failures

Reply to
Vlad

Reply to
Vlad

Reply to
Vlad

The only thing I agree with him about is the new structure of Subaru in Victoria. I purchased my 1999 Outback from Makin & Luby in Heidelberg, who were an Authorised Suby dealer when I made the purchase. I still service my car there. I have not been to Docklands Subaru, but I have had an experience with another authorised dealer in another Melbourne suburb (I won't mention the name, but the suburb starts with "D" and it's just near a famous Shopping Centre). Their customer service left a lot to be desired.

I would like to know where the poster got his source from regarding the faulty Liberty GT. I read The Age Drive review of the Liberty Safety Pack myself, all I can say is I've never heard anyone else have this problem.

I've had my Outback for almost 2 years with no problems. The only issue has been a leaking windscreen washer pump. The 2.5 doesn't have the ultimate top end grunt if you want real performance, but it works very well in traffic and is easy to drive thanks to its low down torque. Wheels Mag tested both the Liberty Premium auto, and Outback Luxury auto, and both did 0-100km/h in

9.5 seconds. That doesn't sound special, but it still means it will eat a BMW 318i, Merc C180 Compressor, Audi A4 2L, Peugeot 406 2L, etc etc.

I just love the look of the new Outback/Liberty and will probably look at replacing my other car (not the Outback) for a Liberty GT sedan in Atlantic Blue Pearl.

Reply to
Losiho

[the usual shit] ...

...

Someone has to, I suppose.

...

...

No, he hasn't.

...

...

He generally has little idea; he's the sort of person who comes up with lame little pet names like "hahahahahonda" because he doesn't like Honda for no apparent reason, and will bother to post new threads about how silly the colour of a particular Civic is because it is a copy of a 1994 Toyota colour.

I was _very_ impressed with my Liberty RS Turbo; my mum bought the next generation GX as a result. The only question I suppose I have for someone considering a 2.5 Outback is whether a Liberty might not do the same job for less money & safer roadholding ... with the dodgy tax regime that classes the Outback as a "commercial" and the Liberty as a "passenger car", I don't know what the comparative pricings are.

-Forg

Reply to
Forg

Only my 2 cents worth...

Another reason not to deal with them, on the border of *price-fixing*

No no matter how good they are (they are NO better than any other Jap car) i wouldnt deal with a company like that but thats me ,oh and the Subs are overpriced,i know very very few people who buy a new car and dont love it

That has taken them decades to reach the *german-quality* image , they do make fine cars the Germans and only sell them for what the maket will pay, and that is top-dollar, good luck to the guys

If you like the Sub buy it pity they dont do deals

CDIHL

y?

totally typical of a big-headed company made

Subaru is a private importer (no proper

sounds like shit to me

the Yanks saved its arse (GM) and will

headed company who's best days are in the

as super expensive to insure)

Toyota): From Wheels Magazine

dont have these bullshit failures

Reply to
365GTB4®

I got the MY04 outback for Mrs too. She is extremely happy with the car. The build and minor hiccup compares with Ford and Toyota are close to perfect score. (Ford and Toyota are the other 2 brands that we did got a new car from) I do think the car is ~5K -10K more than other brands that is similar engine and features...

One thing I would say is the service from the dealer and purchase experinece. I am still waiting for a part (2months plus) now. I was told it is being shipped from Sydney when we pick up the car. With lots of complaining and bitching at various level. It is still 2-5 weeks away.

All in all, is it possible to buy a subaru without going through the monopolized subaru dealer? To be honest, if I know so much pain with dealing with subaru, I would probably go for the Kruger with Toyota. (note: we didn't test drive it)

I think you would be happy with the 2.5 MY05 outback as a car but... ps. the automatic is pretty smart and downshift to make you feel the car is more powerful than it really is.

Reply to
Tony Wu

Tony, just wondering what minor problems/hiccups have you had? What part are you waiting for? Could the delay be attributed to the model being brand new? Have you test drove the x-trail prior to purchasing subaru?

Reply to
Vlad

Vlad,

I have owned my Outback 3.0R standard spec for 2 months now and I couldn't be happier with it. I had the previous Outback H6 before and the new spec is much better, especially the 5 speed sportshift and the extra power.

You've got to wonder about the people who really "bag" other makes of car like some have done on this thread. Nearly all cars that are on the market today are good quality and reliable. Sure some are better than others but they are all pretty good and some may even have a few lemons that get through. This happens with ALL makes and models. I can cite examples from nearly every make that has had "some unfixable problem and their owner will never buy that brand again" stories. They ALL have problems at some time, Merc's, BMW's and the so called brilliantly reliable Toyata's.

Also, one car may suit one person but not another. A case in point: the Wheels "car of the year" this year is the Mazda RX8. Does this make it the best car. No. Not to me. I would never buy it, ever. It does not appeal to me and it would not suit any purpose for me. I actually think that the "car of the year" thing is quite useless as it doesn't represent the mass market at all. 99.9% of all people will not buy this car or even want to buy it, so it is irrelevant to most. I like the NRMA system better where they quote the best car in their respective classes, like "the best small car" or " the best recreational 4WD under $50,000". This is more representative of how people buy cars.

Reply to
Lance B

Hi all

Picked up the '04 Outback Premium 3L in Nov last year. My first Subaru! So far its been good but there are some minor 'issues' with it. I have made a summary and also my thoughts about the car.

The problems that I am having so far are:

  1. Driver side seatbelt clip to make occasional 'ticking' noise when in use? The passenger side seat belt clips do not make any noises when in use.

  1. The compartment above/behind the trip computer rattles when the vehicle is travelling on rough roads.

  2. Slight rattle in the left back seat area, still yet to pinpoint.

  1. Driver side door trim has a slight rattle on some surfaces and the passenger side makes noises when the passenger elbow puts his/her weight on it during cornering where is the driver side doesn't have the same problem.

I have read many articles and reviews on the liberty/outback and there seems to be some trim and fitting issues. I am not sure if its because the vehicle is an early production model but compared to other cars like the accord euro and the price i paid it sure does have a lot of fitting issues.

Review:

The car is lovely to drive with push on understeer and slight power on oversteer. Good ride composure and rebound control. Despite what the magazines are saying about the new Accord Euro better than the Liberty (Legacy) in terms of handling, I still believe the Outback/Liberty is better with a smoother ride. My gf has a new Accord Euro and the ride is pretty stiff - about the same as a BMW M pack spec suspension but slightly less composure. I have also test driven the GT and its no where as stiff as the Euro.

Steering is slightly nervous at high speeds (but too touchy to my liking) but at other times nicely weighted and very good turning circle.

The engine is a beauty except there isn't enough low down torque. But thankfully the 5 speed makes up for it and it revs very nicely, shame its not in the sedan. The auto box hunts in uphill situations because when the accelerator is lifted when climbing uphills (during light throttle applications) the auto automatically shifts into a higher gear and slows the car. Your better off leaving it in the manual or sports mode.

The fuel efficiency is pretty average but u do get penalised for being 4wd and driving in the city. But still compares favourably with the other 4wds such as Adventra etc. Sucks 98 fuel... only feeding it Optimax.

The car came with 36psi inflated tires which the service department told me that it will help to reduce the tyre wear as the outbacks have a tendency to wear their tyres quickly (is it true?). However, the tyre card recommends around 30. I find the 36psi ride is too jiggly and have lowered it to 32~33 and now it rides beautifully and hopefully not at a great expense to the tyre wear.

Car comes with 215/55R17 which in Australia it leaves crap all options when it comes to selecting new tyres. Even if there are tyres in that size it looks like it will be a bit pricy cos of the irregular size. The car comes with Yokohamas and I find them okay.

Despite the rattles and issues the interior is beautiful and well thought out (note the steering wheel controls are lit when the headlights are turned on, don't get that in cheap imitations like Accord and the 6) Wish it had a split A/C system and passenger electric seat. Also, the recirculation/outside air selection should be independent and not be affected by the user selecting auto or manual climate control mode. Awesome huge sunroof, very good wind baffling suppression at high speeds too not as good as a Merc but close.

Overall I say for the price of this car, it can compare favourably with X5, XC70 and Audi Allroad spec wise. Better than the XC70 in handling (not sure about the Allroad haven't driven it) Slightly off the mark with the X5 but u pay for it in the BMW.

Compared with the Euro and the 6 its pretty evenly matched and it will depend on what the buyer is seeking. But the trim rattles is really unacceptable for the price of the car.

Reply to
Jon

---SNIP---

Taken it for a long-distance spin yet? Were you happy with your dealer? If you're in SYD, dealer's name? (Guess you haven't had your 1st service yet? If so, what was that experience like?) Is the Outback body that much different to that of the Liberty wagon? I can't get any dimensions from spec sheets, esp. relating to boot area, short of checking them out at a dealer's. I'm in the market for an 04 Outback 3L too (trying to convince meself that turbo Forester is too hoon-mobile but not having much luck!). Thanks for your comments. Rob

Reply to
randj

Yea I have taken it for a long spin thats how i found all the noise and rattles... currently close to reaching its first service point 5k.

Been through the first check up (1500km), not yet with the first service.

Bought mine in QLD at City Subaru so cant help you with Sydney

Experience is pretty ordinary, but its just the beginning so I guess time will tell and cant really comment now. But from my previous experiences with other brands is that different dealerships often provide different service levels.. so its kinda like a trial and error process. Cross your fingers :p

From my understanding, correct me if I'm wrong. The Outback is basically a jacked up liberty wagon and the wagon has a narrower rear width compared to the sedan. The 2.5 Outback wagons have lower ration box compared to the sedan/wagons. Other than that you get cosmetic pieces and exterior body trim.

Its good if you have someone in your family who perfers the higher seating positions and the easier seat access (elderly). You can slide in rather than climbing into (big 4wd) or falling into the seat (Sports car/ Sedan)

If you want nicer handling then go for the wagon or sedan. I had personal reasons for the selection of Outback. I would have prefered the GT. (check out the McIntosh sounds system!)

In my opinion the Forester Turbo is a bit small in the back if you have a family and also less refined compared to the Liberty/Outback in terms of NVH, interior and exterior styling. But its cheaper and faster! :)

The turbo's long term reliabilty will often be questioned when its compared to N/A engines. The insurance will also be high. Any1 under the age of 25 that crashes a Forester Turbo will not be covered if insured through Suncorp - online quote please double check

Oh and the last point would be the waiting list for the turbo.. last i heard was 3 month.. but maybe that has cleared up.

Hope it helps

Jon

Reply to
Jon

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