New Subaru Outback MY04 (Australian) opinions wanted!

[Vlad]

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

 

[Phil Growcott]

my fathers got a gen 3 liberty outback limited which is fairly close to the
one your considering in the old model, went to broome and back when he first
bought the car, did 7000 odd km in it and the only thing that went wrong
with it was it blew out one of the useless standrad issue yokohama tyres
thats all. my advice is buy the liberty might cost a bit more but i
guarantee the car will hardly skip a beat time and time again. got a liberty
rs turbo myself its 11 years old and the only thing that has gone wrong with
it was it blew a seal on the radiator header tank and sprung a leaky hose on
the hydralic clutch after close to six years of me owning the car. subarus
very good cars nearly always bolted together well.

 

[imaginuity]

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

Steve

 

[Vlad]

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

 

[Citroen DS (COINTREAU)]

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

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

 

[Steven & Shelley Swann]

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

 

[Rockin Ronnie]

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

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

 

[Bailes]

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.

 

[Vlad]

Well, much appreciate your opinion.
I don't have the same insight as you do in Subaru structure here in
Australia (although hate not being able to get a deal on one).
However based on the research I have done in the past 2 month, every
owner of the subaru loves it. Have you actually ever owned or have
Subaru?
Merc, BMW and Audi are also overpriced compared to other European cars
but they surely sell well down here and have percieved quality and
reliability.
I wonder what other readers have to comment on your reply?
cheers
Vlad

 

[Vlad]

Just had a 2 hour test drive in new Forester XT Turbo.
To be honest the car is way more exciting to drive than say X-Trail,
CRV or RAV4. It's also feels lot more powerfull than Outback 2.5i.
However it's not as spacious, or has the same interior feel or safety
features.
Still loved it
Vlad

 

[Vlad]

Hi S&S,
I would have to fully agree with you on the power aspect.
Drove the new outback now 3 times and still not extremely happy with
the power.
The 3.0R however, just blows my senses. I absolutely love the car.
However the car I am buying is for my wife, who drives at a legal pace
and will use it as a family wagon. (aka toorak tractor, hahah)
So I really can't see a point in paying extra for 3.0R (about 6k) and
hence extra for premium unleaded and higher fuel consumption).
What do you think?
ta
Vlad

 

[Losiho]

Well, much appreciate your opinion.
I don't have the same insight as you do in Subaru structure here in
Australia (although hate not being able to get a deal on one).
However based on the research I have done in the past 2 month, every
owner of the subaru loves it. Have you actually ever owned or have
Subaru?
Merc, BMW and Audi are also overpriced compared to other European cars
but they surely sell well down here and have percieved quality and
reliability.
I wonder what other readers have to comment on your reply?
cheers
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.

 

[Forg]

<(e-mail address removed)> wrote

[the usual shit]
....

Well, much appreciate your opinion.

....

Someone has to, I suppose.

....

However based on the research I have
done in the past 2 month, every owner of
the subaru loves it. Have you actually ever
owned or have Subaru?

....

No, he hasn't.

....

I wonder what other readers have to
comment on your reply?

....

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

 

[365GTB4®]

Well, much appreciate your opinion.

Only my 2 cents worth...

I don't have the same insight as you do in Subaru structure here in
Australia (although hate not being able to get a deal on one).

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

However based on the research I have done in the past 2 month, every
owner of the subaru loves it. Have you actually ever owned or have
Subaru?

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

Merc, BMW and Audi are also overpriced compared to other European cars
but they surely sell well down here and have percieved quality and
reliability.

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?

 

[Forg]

No no matter how good they are (they are NO
better than any other Jap car) ....

*snigger*
<Cough>MrBishi</Cough>
<Sneeze>Suzuki</Sneeze>
<Cough>Mazda</Cough>

....
i wouldnt deal with a company like that but thats
me ,oh and the Subs are overpriced

....

Compared to what

....

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

....

Ahh, the truth will out, we have an explanation.
Pointless doing deals when you're so popular you sell every
car at full price, isn't it? But you're not quite correct,
about the only Subaru that's been unpopular in the last 5
years or so was the non-turbo Impreza, and you could get
them at a discount as a result.


-Forg

 

[Tony Wu]

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.

 

[Vlad]

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?

Cheers
Vlad

 

[Lance B]

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?

Cheers
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.

 

[Jon]

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.



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



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



4. 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.

 

[randj]

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.

---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