Subaru Outback

Had my Outback for 4 years now (MY22 model Sport) and done 115,000 km. No major issues, early on the occasional glitch in the infotainment centre but software updates have fixed those. Spacious and very comfortable, acceptable levels of performance. I do a lot of long-distance trips and just finished a 13,500km trip from the east coast of NSW to… Read more

WA and back over a 5-week period. Enough room for 2 people to do an emergency camp in the back but luggage has to be moved to front seats etc. Really more suited to single person car camping.

Very comfortable as a cruiser. Great seats, good vision, really little to complain about other than the sometimes-intrusive safety systems and being told I need a break after 5 minutes of driving. The paint is extra thin and scratches easily.

Drives great on any road. Currently using Yokohama G015 tyres as they are mud and snow rated yet a good all-year tyre. The combination of those tyres and the excellent 4WD system makes for safe driving.

Servicing costs are high compared to most other makes and the 12,500 km service interval should be 15,000 km as applies to the turbo version.

Fuel economy could be better, but it isn't terrible considering it is full-time AWD and a decent sized vehicle.

Very pleased overall and would recommend to others.

When is a 5 year warranty not a 5 year warranty? When you buy a new Subaru Outback. Over 2 years and in for a regular book service - dealer advises my reported problems due to faulty battery. Not covered be warranty - battery obviously not for for purpose, but too bad, $500+ for repacement. Ditto the steering bushes, another $500+ for replacement.… Read more

Dealer advises "not covered by Subaru warranty - read the fine print." What a farce, what a disgrace. Our 4th (and last) new Sabaru. Thinking about buying one - DON'T! $$$

⭐☆☆☆☆ Blatant Lies, Dismissive Service & No Accountability – Avoid Gary Crick Subaru Maroochydore & Subaru Australia – My experience with Gary Crick Subaru Maroochydore has been nothing short of appalling, and Subaru Australia’s failure to take responsibility only makes it worse. I took my Subaru Outback in for service on July 16, 2024, reporting an intermittent clunking noise in the automatic gears—a well-documented issue with these vehicles. Instead of… Read more

addressing my concerns, [Name Removed] dismissed them outright, even making condescending remarks like “Oh, intermittent—now that’s a good word!” and “Don’t believe everything you read!”

At the end of the service, I was handed a fraudulent report claiming my car had been test-driven and that no issues were found. However, I had taken photos of the mileage before and immediately after the service—and there was NO change. They never drove the car, yet lied and claimed they had.

To make matters worse, the Manager assured me he would call to have my car properly assessed—yet to this day, I have never heard from him. This level of dishonesty, negligence, and blatant deception is disgraceful.

Despite repeatedly raising the issue, the dealership refuses to take responsibility, and Subaru Australia has been just as unhelpful. My car still has not been reviewed or assessed.

I have lost all confidence in Subaru as a brand and strongly urge others to avoid Gary Crick Subaru Maroochydore. IF you value honesty, professionalism, and real service for your money, TAKE YOUR BUSINESS ELSEWHERE.

I love this car – This car was bought predominantly to make life easier with aging and reduced mobility. We love the height of the car. Easy to get in and out of. The boot is big enough for me to lift my partners wheelchair into with out having to disassemble. This is life changing for both of us. So much easier. I really like the central screen control. Large… Read more

size and easy for passenger to change music or gps. It's comfortable and easy to get in and out of and fits in the wheelchair. The seat cooling is nice to have. The back seat is roomy and comfortable. It has usb ports for back seat passengers to charge phones etc with. The safety features are really good. Even emergency braked due to an "obstacle" which was the passionfruit vine that had fallen off the carport !!! super sensitive and accurate. So impressed. The rear hatch type door opens itself and closes with a button push, so spoilt to not have reach up and grab it down. The rear hatch has a sensor so if you are in an underground carpark and its small dimensions, the "boot" wont open of it's going to hit the ceiling or back wall, i back in. Got it at Frankston Subaru and Joel the carsales person was super nice and patient at pick up going through all the features to ensure we got the best out of the car. Happy with fuel economy. Reversing camera is great. I got the dealer fitted dashcam. Have reviewed the recorded footage and the quality is awesome. I smile everytime I go out in this car. I just love it. Cons. It's longer than I'm used to so I need to improve my parallel parking skills. Having said that the reverse forward and side camera are super helpful. The warnings for speed cameras , point to pint and red-light is helpful. The warning sounds arent always accurate and get me into trouble with hubby ! Eg it " tells me off " if I yawn , tells me to take a break. Sometimes it tells me to keep my hands on the steering wheel and I promise im not driving hands free. Certainly keeps me on the ball so to speak. All the warnings kinda remind me of my daughter as a no it all teen back-seat driver !!! I've just added a bit more as an update now as ive used it more. Been 18 months since I first posted this review and I still love this car and am so pleased I bought it.

Finally plenty of power in Subaru Outback XT – I declare myself a Subaru Outback fan. So far I have had four Outbacks! Love the car, its versatility, equipment, safety, roominess, reliability...All the positive attributes I outlined in my previous reviews of this SUV. There was one thing though which was lacking in this otherwise excellent vehicle. It was a bit underpowered. The very thing all… Read more

the car journalists also agreed on. Not that it was seriously underpowered, but one would appreciate an extra power. So, when the Subaru announced that it would bring to Australia a turbo version of the Outback, I must have been one of the first customers to order one. And did that through my favourite dealer, Eastern Subaru in Lilydale. After some four months of waiting the car finally arrived. I ordered the beautiful green colour with ebony leather interior which looks very classy. I do not intend to provide details about this car as it is almost identical to the non-turbo version, which is still available and which I reviewed previously. The main difference, of course, is the 2.4 turbo engine. I believe that this engine is based on the famous Subaru WRX, only slightly de-tuned. Still, what a dramatical difference in output compared with the non-turbo version. The car goes like a rocket (dash from 0-100 km 7.1 sec.) It is a smooth, very quick acceleration which makes you to feel safe, particularly when it comes to overtaking. The engine produces 183Kw/350Nm. Now, the drawback is the approximately $5 000 increase in price over the non-turbo car (cost me about $61 000 last year,) and increase fuel consumption. I get on average about 10litre or more per 100 kilometres around Melbourne. The best I got was 7.6 litres per 100 kilometres on the open road (Melbourne-Geelong.) As this engine requires 95 octane petrol, it is not exactly cheep motoring. But the fan factor compensates for this. Strangely, servicing is slightly less expensive than the non-turbo version. Interior of the XT has been only slightly upgraded and slightly simplified. However, the infotainment system is still unnecessarily busy and takes some time to get used to. The wonderfully comfy seats are now ventilated although do not expect any surge of air through them. It is rather timid ventilation-a bit disappointing. Subaru should be congratulated for keeping the CD player so that you can keep yourself entertained using your favourite CDs on the long journeys where you are outside the reception. Apart from AM/FM good quality radio, there is also DAB (digital radio) and excellent Harman/Kardon speakers. The welcome thing is that the service is required only once a year instead half-yearly as is the case on non-turbo version. The warranty is still 5 years/unlimited km. There are quite few other car manufacturers offering 7 years warranty these days... If you are on the market for a reliable, well proven family size SUV, and if you can afford the $5000 difference over the non-turbo version of the Outback Touring, do not hesitate and go for it. This is now my fifth!!! Outback so it shows how happy I am with this car. In conclusion, I would like to give thumps up to Eastern Subaru for their continuing support and professionalism.

Great car, love it! – We were almost ready to buy a new car and went for an initial look. We didn’t even intend to look a Subaru models but were passing by so we shad a look. We were instantly impressed by the cars and the helpfulness of the staff. We purchased our Outback the same day, it’s awesome and we are thrilled. It is so much better than its competitors. Show details

Love My New Outback – I am a dad of two kids under the age of two. So, I needed a car that is safe, has the space to fit two prams and the ability to go on adventures with the family. After looking at multiple cars from different brands, I was really impressed with the Subaru Outback Touring XT. It is really spacious and the features that are included are premium. I… Read more

love that I am able to connect my phone to the infotainment system so that I can quickly put on the Wiggles for the kids (if you have crying kids in the car, you know what I am talking about). I am really looking forward to taking the family out on adventures and knowing I have the confidence to take on challenging road terrain with the vehicle’s All Wheel Drive capability! Thank you to the team at Subaru for all your help and great customer service!

Good attention to detail – I've owned it for ten weeks and it has been quite good. It's well built, reliable and everything works. Bonus points for convenience and attention to detail- for example the rear cargo cover is very simple to unroll/remove. Only thing I dislike is the suspension is not as soft and comfortable as my previous car. Show details

Broken chair mechanism – Drivers chair movement controls have separated from side of the chair. Subaru won't fix it say I was heavy and excess movement broke it. I have a disability which forces me to move around in the chair to get in the vehicle. Car is not 2 years old. They would not communicate with me, only the dealer called me about it. Show details

Subaru Outback Sport 2022 Known Faults – When you pay almost $50,000 for a car. You expect everything to be perfect. In the case of the 2022 Subaru Outback Sport, this is not the case. Voice activated navigation is useless. The vehicle clearly has trouble hearing and understanding the driver’s commands and has trouble finding the locations sought. Can’t find the hospital, misses the… Read more

nearest petrol station and will also take you to where the post office was years ago. There was a rattle in the glove box, “a known fault” that it took over a year for Subaru to replace. Also, when it is very cold, the boot won’t open, another “known fault”, that requires disconnecting the battery then reconnecting it to remedy each time. Not good enough.

Fantastic Car - Poor Subaru Service – Passenger Leather seat poorly fitted. Had to return to Subaru 3 times and took almost a year for the seat cover and cushion to be replaced (twice) and refitted properly. I requested a 5 wheel tyre rotation at Suttons Chullora Subaru first annual service and they told me there was no TPMS in the spare wheel so I told them to do a front to rear tyre… Read more

rotation only at my Subaru Outback’s first service. After I picked up my car from its first service, I found out from another owner of the same car that I know, who advised me there is a TPMS in the spare, so I had to do the 5 wheel tyre rotation properly myself which took about an hour to rotate properly. I told Suttons Subaru Chullora of this finding after I did my own tyre rotation. A year later, after taking my car back for its next annual service, I asked Suttons Subaru for its second 5 wheel tyre rotation, and Suttons Subaru again said to me that there is no TPMS in the spare. The Service Staff at this dealership is the same people who were at the Service Centre a year ago when I told them that there is a TPMS in the spare wheel. I numbered each of my tyres with liquid paper so I know their required location after the 5 wheel tyre rotation, and when I picked up my car from Suttons Subaru they didn’t rotate the tyres in the right order I asked them. So they had to take back my car and rotate the tyres in the correct location as I had asked them twice before I picked up my car from service. While I was waiting for the tyre rotation to be done properly, I found out on Facebook that there was a new software update that allowed full screen Android Auto available for my cars Infotainment System. I asked the service Centre if they automatically update the Infotainment System software when the car is put in for Service and the Service Centre told me that they don’t update the software unless customers tells them to. The ironic thing about this is that my Wife’s Kia Cerato also had her cars annual Service in the same week and Kia automatically updated her Infotainment System without having to be told by the customer. I don’t understand how customers are meant to expect to ask the service centre to update their Infotainment system software when it is the service centre that would be expected to know of all software updates. I guess its just laziness just like the laziness of not doing the 5 wheel tyre rotation that is in the Subaru’s manual. I had to return my car to Suttons Chullora to get the infotainment system updated about a week later. During the first Service Suttons Subaru provided me with Fuel additive to put in the tank when I next fuel my car. This time they didn’t provide me with the fuel additive, so there is no way I know whether or not they actually put the additive in my fuel tank. I thought it had to mix in the fuel when I put Petrol in the car. I don’t trust this dealership as I doubt they added the fuel additive in my car at all. The Air Filters needed to be replaced as per the second annual service requirements, so I marked my air filters before the second annual service with liquid paper to check if they do replace these filters. I asked the service centre to keep my air filters as I would like to look at them after they are replaced. I noticed that one of the filters they gave back to me didn’t have my marking on it, so they must have grabbed another filter to give me after I asked them on my cars pick up from service, if they kept my old filters. I did notice the replaced filters where in new condition when I checked them, but the fact they tried to fool me by not following my instructions when I wanted to have a look at my original filter shows me they are dishonest. During the second Annual Service, Suttons Subaru contacted me to tell me that my battery needs replacement as the battery condition is at 52% and asked if I wanted to replace my battery with a new one for $400. I told them to leave my current battery in my car as my car is now only 2 years old. I then took my car to an independant Subaru Car Mechanic who showed me on his load tester, that my battery was at 93% and I took a photo of this result. When I took back my car to Suttons Subaru to get the Infotainment System software update, I asked them to again to do a load test on my car battery, they gave me a print out which shows that the battery load test was at 62%. So in one week according to Suttons Chullora Battery Load Test, the condition of my battery increased by 10%. I was contemplating taking my car to the independent Subaru Mechanic moving forward and for the past few weeks I’ve been asking Subaru Australia if I took my car to an independent Subaru Mechanic, if a Subaru Dealership would be able to update any future updates on my Infotainment System at no charge when the updates are available. I have not received an answer that Subaru Australia would put in writing. They gave me a long email trying to sell me the reason why I should take my car to a Subaru Dealership for its servicing, but after a few phone calls and emails, Subaru has gone silent. It is a shame that Subaru Australia and Suttons Chullora service is so poor, as I think that the Subaru Outback that I own is a great car. You just can’t trust the Subaru Stealership Network. Would I buy another Subaru? I think it is still possible, but I would never take it to a Subaru Dealership for its annual Service again. I give my Car a 5 star rating, but am taking 3 stars away for the poor level of service from both Subaru Australia and Suttons Subaru who has been servicing my car until now.

Nightmare – Subaru Outback XT 2023. DO NOT BUY THIS CAR! ITS A LEMON. This car is not reliable. We bought a brand new car from Castle Hill dealership May 2023 and the car had driven just over 5k and it started spitting excessive white smoke from the exhaust. Both Subaru Australia and castle hill are incapable of diagnosing the problem. They claimed to have… Read more

resolved the issue four times, every single time the issue reoccurred and we had to take the car back. This is a nightmare, don’t even go near this, stay away, this car is not reliable. If you have booked a car or planning to book/buy please reconsider. If you have bought the same car recently, I highly recommend you to monitor the car every time you sit behind the wheel. All turbo car may potentially have this issue and you may start seeing this after cloaking about 5kms, keep an eye out. Trust me our lives have turned upside down dealing with Subaru and dealership people on this matter, it’s not worth it. There are better cars out there, stay away from this.

Electric gremlins, disappointed – Terrible customer service. Serious faults. Bought brand new 2023 xt in Aug to replace incredibly reliable 10 yr old Toyota. Regret it now. Has been to dealer for 10 times over last 4 months to attempt to fix electric boot fault that means it won't open. This 8 month old car has spent more time in dealership for repairs for faulty electric… Read more

tailgate, than my Toyota did for total services and repairs in 10 years.

The dealer now tells me they have no idea how to fix, and have lodged 5th tech case with Subaru Australia. I have called Subaru Australia multiple times and get no response, or told to go back to dealer. I bought the outback for the bootspace and can't use it. Very angry that i have to pack the weekly family groceries into back seat with 2 kids under 6. The dealer calls this a minor inconvenience. Seriously frustrated. Buyer beware.

Decent Car but has structural problems and has terrible dealer support – I'd really like to enjoy this car more, as there is much going for it, despite it being a tad underpowered. However, since delivery, there has been an incessant creaking noise from the roof, along with water coming in through the sunroof. Despite the dealer (Bathurst Motor Group) acknowledging an issue and the promise that 'we will get back to… Read more

you', nothing has transpired for months, despite phone calls and visits to the dealer to follow up. The Subaru complaints email address has not been followed up and the dealer enquiry page to 'contact us' yields a 'page not found' error. I am at a loss to know where to go, I just want the thing fixed or my money back.

Definitely a 5/5 car. I won't ever get rid of mine! – Love my 2017 3.6R. It gets great mileage (for its engine size) and has all the mod-cons that you need. I would never trade up to a newer car with those huge touch-screens! They are simply for millennials! It has fantastic storage space, perfectly-weighted acceleration and the Sport mode is fun on occasions - I wouldn't run it around town as the car gets to twitchy for my liking. if you get a chance to buy one...BUY ONE! You won't be disappointed. Show details ·  1

Like “Driving a lounge” comfortable – I bought the Outback Sport in November 2022, used, from my local Subaru dealer. First registered January 2021, The car had travelled just c11000kms and was previously owned by the Subaru Marketing department. POSITIVES: comfortable, spacious, appears well built, huge infotainment screen, reasonably economical, service intervals now 12 months and… Read more

scheduled service costs quite reasonable. 5 yr warranty, well spec’d as standard, competitively priced. Cheap to insure. NEGATIVES: audio system sound is terrible, 2.5l engine can a bit thrashy, pretty much everything is controlled through the infotainment system.

I’ve found the Outback Sport easy and leisurely to drive, though not exciting …. Despite its 138kw this is not a sporty car…. Acceleration can be noisy but the CVT seems pretty good ( and CVTs are usually hopeless)

I’ve added sound deadening to the doors and boot and changed the factory speakers to infiniti to improve the audio performance…. Much better but still not perfect …. Maybe adding an amp would help?

1 warranty claim so far… a buzz rattle at certain RPM coming from behind the glovebox…. Local dealer knew exactly what this was ( HVAC pipe vibration against fire wall) and this was resolved easily without fuss.

This is my second Subaru and I really like the brand.

My 2016 Outback diesel always give me trouble – I have been driving Subaru for past 20 years but had lots of trouble since I bought 2016 outback diesel car from new. I had got 8 years warranty from Subaru Liverpool, driving 100 km each day to work, and driving to Central Coast regularly. The Engine light often turned on and told me I haven't drive enough. I brought to Subaru service for many… Read more ·  2

times, the issue is still there. Even today, after has been service done within 3 months. Another problem is sunroof leaking water after heavy rain.

Great car .....terrible customer service – Great car and I love driving it. Bought through finance. What I'm not liking is the customer service. There's no way I can find out my balance or if my extra payment has been received. No response to my multiple emails to their finance department and a waste of time making an online account. Even their chatbot is sales focussed with no option available to even ask. Show details

UNSAFE deathtrap 2018 Outback – This car nearly killed my family. For 15 months this car has been in and out (approx. 10 times) of an authorised service centre to fix some warning lights (ADB disabled & SRH off) that they haven't been able to fix. I lodged a complaint with Subaru 6 months ago to which they didn't respond. After the service centre spent much time talking to the… Read more

Subaru technical team, the service centre was eventually given approval to replace the front end wiring harness which was completed 2 weeks ago. On Friday night whilst driving 100km/hr on a freeway, the whole car switched off, causing the engine to stop, all dash lights went off, there was no power steering or brakes. If this malfunction had occurred 10mins earlier on a bendy stretch of road, my whole family would be dead. This car is so unsafe and Subaru's customer service has been non existent. I would not recommend this car/brand.

Windscreen – I’ve written about my outback before, whilst I love it I’ve had two cracked windscreens within a few months of each other. I’ve noticed on some forums this is quite common?? I’ve been driving for 45 years, never had a broken windscreen before. Show details ·  2

Could not be happier. A seriously great family car – We couldn’t be happier with a Subaru outback. Surprisingly good room inside, good leg room for the rear passengers comfortable for the driver in front passenger. The rear seats fold down should you need more storage room in the back and it’s amazing just how much you can fit in. Being an all wheel drive it grips the road like it has claws, or at… Read more ·  1

least that’s how it feels. No matter how hard you try you don’t seem to be able to lose traction and the standard safety features in the vehicle are amazing, airbags. Standard features on the premium pack include leather seats heated at the front and fully electric.

To drive it has lane assist and variable cruise control. Both are intuitive and don’t intrude on the drive, instead enhancing it.

The finish of the car is great quality and the value for dollar when comparing features and size to other manufacturers, make the outback quite competitive. I could bang on all day, but I highly recommend this car to anyone looking for quality comfort and convenience.

There is some things as too much tech – I purchased this car as an upgrade to my 2018 Subaru XV-S that I was some what already satisfied with. I did this for personal reasons. I used the car everyday to take the dog for a walk and regular daily shopping visits among other places. I find the car drives very comfortably when you are not in a rush. The engine is the epitome of adequate… Read more

and it does the every day choirs without much fuss. Plenty of room in the back for shopping, dogs, and even car camping which I do from time to time.

If you are anything of a driver of any sort who enjoys driving, this will bore & potentially frustrate you to tears. The engine as I said is quite aural (not in a good way) at high rpm. The cvt gearbox while adequate is uninspiring. You can feel the weight of the car when you turn into corners even though the brakes on the car work well. Again its ok for commuting and some trail fun, but a drivers car this is not. I have towed a trailer of firewood and a trailer of rubbish to the local tip. Both times the loads were no more than 400kg. The car did fine, but you could feel the engine and cvt working fairly hard to maintain the speed limit in my local area with that. I know it can tow up to 2000kg and has a towball download weight of 200kg, but I wouldn't confidently tow anything more than 1250kg max with this engine and gearbox combination. Even then, I would be limiting my speed to 80kph maximum which Subaru recommend you do regardless of towing load.

The other main issue I have is with the tech. Having to operate the heat seat functions within the touch screen via 3 steps is not great especially when you are moving. The HVAC controls are also via the touch screen. In fact I would say 75% of the vehicle controls are only accessible via touch screen which concerns me. There are times I am not pressing the right area when driving on the road or on undulated terrain and you have to take your eyes off the road momentarily to see where you are pressing. This is particularly frustrating. The driver monitoring system doesn't always detect your face when you get in the car. Sometimes I wonder why you need to have a driver profile if things like memory seat function, radio station etc are not coded in. Not to mention, I find the driver monitoring tends to over police my every move far too much for my liking. Its telling me to keep eyes on the road when they are. The cars tech tells me my hands are not on the wheel when they are. I scratch the side of my nose and the car tells me to keep eyes on the road (I kid you not). The car sometimes cannot distinguish between a static reflective road sign and a moving object so it has caused the car to abruptly halt in the middle off the road with traffic behind. The lack of control to disable these components of the car and permanently turn them off is super frustrating.

I recently had a service with an infotainment software update which pretty much made the OS react faster to the touch. A mild improvement to the operation of the interface.

I find the CVT while adequate can get a bit jarring a real slow speeds if you do not purposefully press the accelerator. It doesnt inspire me with a lot of confidence.

On a positive note, the dual zone X mode is great for deep sand on the beach or dunes. I would say that Subaru's programming for off road modes and mild to semi moderate terrain is one of the best in the class. With quality all terrain tyres, there isn't a lot of places this car cannot go if you can live with the over the top tech and driveline inadequacies. The tuck away towing plug and tow hitch from Subaru is an excellent design. Means no one can know if you have a tow bar fitted or not. Its discreetly hidden from sight. The style and design of the car I like. You can tell the differences between a Gen 5 & 6 quite easily on the road. Loading up the car with camping gear, fridge and the like is easy in the back albeit the load can make the rear end sag. On top of that is the weight you feel with the engine at max. The interior design I like from a visual stand point. Almost everything is soft touch. The infotainment screen though draws your eyes there taking a leaf out of Tesla's book for design. I just wish the layout and infrastructure of the infotainment was more tactile and had more dials other than volume/tune and climate temp buttons. Personally I prefer the analogue gauges. Im a bit old school so while the virtual cockpit is impressive in other models, I find the analogue dials with the digital speedo is sufficient for what I need. I think this should have the 360degree camera though. It would have been handy rather than LH front, front and rear only.

TL:DR - If you love tech, then you won't be disappointed, but I do not intend to keep this car much longer as I find the tech intrusive and more frustrating than helpful and I want something that still assists me with the lifestyle I have without sacrificing driver engagement and being over policed tech wise. The engine and cvt gearbox is a step back from where I believe Subaru should be. This car is fine for day to day commuting with the intention to head a little off road more often than not. I really think the Outback shines off road far more than on road. If you are any type of driver who enjoys driving and wants an engaging drive, this car is will disappoint you. If you love the great outdoors and wants the best safety on the market at the expense of being slightly annoyed by it, then you'll love this car.

Leaking all over – We bought a new Subaru in 2017 and loved it. Except in heavy rain it would leak through the inner A frame on the drivers side. We then had torrential rain and the car was so full of water that it sounded like a boat slushing around. All electricals turned off but then came back on a week later after drying the car out. The service centre… Read more

recommended we take it through insurance. We’ve just been told by insurance that it’s a write off! We were told by the service centre that the ‘drain pipes’ were blocked and we should have cleaned them out. I had no idea about cleaning drain pipes! Is this a common occurrence? Does everyone know this except me? We loved the outback but want to know - does this happen to all of them? I’ve never had this issue before and have had many cars in my lifetime.

Excellent car but technology puts off my wife – Now, this is my third Subaru Outback which I purchased with 11 000km on the clock in November 2021. Why am I such fan of Outbacks? Simple answer: because they are excellent cars satisfying all our needs. Reliable, sophisticated and, above all, very safe. Its safety has actually earned me an unexpected discount from AAMI insurance! To my pleasant… Read more ·  2

surprise I paid less to comprehensively insure this car compared to my three years old Outback! Exterior of the 6th generation of Outback is not much different to the car it has replaced. Only it is handsomer and slightly bigger. The new plastic cladding and beautiful 18inch alloys give the car rugged and sporty look. It is the interior dominated by a huge 11.6 inch vertically located screen similar (but bigger) to that one finds in Volvos, which has got the wow factor! Mine is the top of the range silver Touring model boasting beautiful ebony premium Nappa leather seats which, combined with black, give the car the luxurious appearance and feel. They, as well as the rear seats and the leather steering wheel, are heated. Much appreciated on those miserable Melbourne cold winter days. The car is packed with technology to the point that you wonder whether it is really necessary. For example, some information is unnecessarily duplicated ( the fuel consumption data on the infotainment screen is also given on the screen between the main dials; however, for some inexplicable reason the readouts differ.) The infotainment system is so comprehensive that it is challenging to use to it. With the exception of two knobs controlling the radio, there is absence of any other ones. You control everything via the touch screen like on your iPad. And believe me, there is so much to control that my wife finds it off puting. I wonder how older people navigate through it. The previous model was not that complicated and everything worked perfectly well. There is a myriad of commands which incidentally has one undesirable effect-all that takes your eyes away from the road!! Actually it is almost comical. It is illegal to use a mobile while driving and here you take your eyes of the road more often and for longer! The inclusion of the DAB (digital radio) is much welcome addition. In Touring model you also get pretty decent Harman Kardon speakers and a single CD player. Thank you Subaru for keeping it as so many people have collections of CDs and most modern cars no longer include CD players. Another technological marvel is the face recognition which allows a number of drivers' faces to be automatically recognised and pre-selected seating adjusted accordingly. Body hugging seats on driver's and passenger's side are electrically operated. So is the sun roof. Because of its size, the car is very comfortable. You get ample knee, shoulder and hip room and the rear seats accommodate large people in comfort too. There is plenty of storage throughout the car. However, there is regrettable omission of wireless smart phone charging. There are front and rear USB ports. Self levelling LED lights are sheer delight at night driving. The boot is huge and there is a full size spare alloy wheel-another congratulations to the manufacturer. Much welcome is the keyless opening of the boot. You do not have to dance with your one leg under the body of the car to open the boot as is the case of many other vehicles. You simply come to the proximity of the Subaru badge (you have to have a car key on you) and the boot opens for you! How clever is that!

Compared to the previous model, this Outback has a slightly more powerful engine. It is 2.5 well tried horizontally opposed Boxer 4 cylinder petrol engine. It still is not a racer, but it gives you enough power for safe overtaking. Fuel consumption is quite reasonable for such heavy vehicle. I average about 10l/100 km around town. The trip from Melbourne to Geelong averages 7.5l/100 km which is pleasing. Of course, this is a AWD (all Wheel Drive) which adds to the overall safety and is excellent in off road conditions. 213 mm ground clearance is of course helpful in difficult terrain. The Subaru Driver Assist Technology-EyeSight makes Outback one of the safest cars on the road. It is simply outstanding. It has so many safety features that it is impossible to explain them all. But they all make you more confident on the road. Drivers will appreciate the integrated roof bars, so there is no need to purchase extra bars because they are already there easily extended across the roof. Clever! Another welcome thing is that servicing is now once a year compared to twice a year of superseded model. I paid for my almost a year old Outback $51 500. Regrettably cars are more expensive these days than they used to be. The new Touring driveaway price is from $54 198. I am not giving this otherwise excellent car five stars for one simple reason: the technology is so complex that it will scare some, particularly older buyers. I dread to think what would happen if anything goes wrong! Otherwise fully recommended!

Great car, pity about the service and warranty – Since buying the car, I have taken it to 4 different service agents and been dissatisfied with everyone. Their attention to detail, completion of the service record book, cost, follow up and in time completion has been less than satisfactory. This coupled with the cost, servicing every 6 months or 12500Km makes it an expensive vehicle to own. In… Read more

January 2021 when I took the vehicle in for a service, I drew the attention of the service agent to an issue with paint on the car roof. I was requested to take the car to Gabba Collision Repair, Subaru's nominated warranty repairer. Toowong Subaru had not informed Gabba I was coming, so they were unaware of what was required. 2 days later, I received an email stating they wanted to book my car in for the "warranty repair and attached a quote for the work. As they hadn't sent this to Toowong Subaru, I forwarded the quote, and rang the service agent, who went of her nut because I had the quote not her, not that she did anything to ensure she got the quote, and how dare they try to book the car in without it being approved!! NOTHING happened for 6 weeks, until I rang and asked what was happening: nothing for a couple more days and then the warranty repair is denied, the repairer has changed his mind, it has been caused by an outside agent. I have taken the car to 3 different reputable repairers who have all said it is under the "clear coat" and should be a warranty repair. One gave me a quote, which highlighted how much a rip off Gabba Collisions are, $1156 compared to $2342. Not to be denied, in January I took the car back to Barton Subaru, Capalaba where I bought the car. I raised the issue again and stated very clearly I would take the car anywhere but I did not want Gabba Collision involved again as they were prejudiced from earlier inspection. Today I received Subaru's response 5 weeks after it was raised, without further inspection; the claim has been denied. By all means, buy a Subaru Outback for a great car, but be very wary if you have to make a warranty claim, they take their time and as in my case are apt to have a change of mind leaving you in the lurch with ABSOLUTELY NO RECOURSE

Worst Car I Have Ever Driven – I bought the Outback Sport model new in November 2021 and have covered about 3,000 kilometres, on a variety of country roads. I find the electronics terrible and, at times, dangerous. This car has turned what used to be a relaxing country drive into one of annoyance and increasing frustration. And the systems default to "on" every time you restart… Read more

the car. I have a large list of complaints about this car, but the following are particularly annoying to me. The Lane Departure interference system frequently (every few minutes on some roads) loses sight of the lane lines and beeps to say it has turned off, then it finds them again and beeps to say it's back on. Then it beeps to say "keep hands on the wheel", even though your hands are on the wheel. It becomes so frustrating that you then take your eyes off the road to turn the system off - hardly a safety feature. It also sometimes beeps if there's a car coming the other way, again distracting you when you want to be concentrating. Android Auto in this car is unreliable, often disconnecting and refusing to launch (I've tried several different cables so they're not the fault). This is especially a problem because the in-car navigation system is also, in MHO, sub-standard. The maps lack many locations and dirt roads that Google Maps has, and its voice recognition is unreliable. I end up not using that big screen and rely on Google Maps and my phone screen. The combination of the pre-collision brake system and the auto start-stop also causes me pain when I park in my garage. I have a bench under which I park the front of my cars. My 4wd ute fits under it easily as does the Outback, so there's plenty of clearance. But, to prevent the brake-system activating, I have to inch in so slowly that the garden snails start lining up for a race. And then the auto-stop kicks in just before I can apply the park brake. And, you guessed it, when I apply the park brake the engine restarts (just in time for me to turn the car off)! Fuel saving? No. And you can't turn Auto-stop off permanently (if, for example, you live in a country town with no traffic lights at which to save fuel). As drivers we are supposed to be responsible for our actions. But 2021 Outbacks create so many distractions, frustrations and interference that I think Subaru shares a high degree of moral responsibility for any accidents. This is especially the case given that the car over-rides your choices every time it restarts. I don't accept the rhetoric that this is a safe car, nor will I until these systems are fixed. (Hopefully ANCAP will reassess their criteria to reflect the fact that distractions are dangerous.) In the meantime my advice is to avoid Subaru and look to other brands where the worst of these systems (i.e. lane departure) default to how you last left them.