Subaru Outback

"Very solid in the snow and other slippery conditions."

"Really handles well, corners well ( I raced cars in my younger years) acceleration is fair but mileage is good as a result. We live in a snowy northern environment the AWD is a god-send."

"Good snow car"

"The Subaru is a workhorse, so there is no finesse in how it handles. When you try to accelerate hard (such as merging onto a highway), the 2.5 engine just turns and looks at you, saying "what?"!"

"The engine is very responsive, relatively fuel efficient, & has been problem free. The steering is also very responsive."

"It drives like a sports car, good handling and excellent cornering"

"Could use better acceleration, handling is good."

"everything is great about the handling of this car."

"Great climate control, comfortable seats. Insufficient leg room for tall drivers and leg room for passengers is insufficient for all both front and back. Acceleration is acceptable in city driving but the 4 cylinder engine is not adequate for highway driving. Overall steering control and driver position is great."

"The cruse control shifts down too low in calm driving that causes the engine to work harde than necessary."

"The steering feedback is surprisingly good and the turbo provides strong acceleration to merge onto highways."

"Acceleration could be better."

"Basic 4 cyl is a bit under powered. OK in traffic, but interstate merging is sometimes challenging."

"Noticeable lag when you want to accelerate fairly quickly. You put your foot on the gas and nothing happens for a second or two, and then the car takes off. If there's a fair amount of traffic I don't change lanes because of this."

"Very good read handling and passing acceleration. Great car in snow conditions"

"Overall, I'm happy with the car, its looks, comfort, driveability, (highway at 80+ mph, as well as camping, back roads driving) especially with Michelin Defender tires. It's my 2nd Outback, both purchased from private owners thru Craigslist. Acceleration is hesitant, not prompt. There is a delay in response when needing quick acceleration, as in passing. This was true of my 2006 Subaru Outback as well. It's the most significant dislike about the car. The factory install clock, climate and radi"

"On July 30 we experience 6 inches of rain in 2 hours. I was driving home, crossing the Patapsco River bridge at Woodstock, MD, and climbing Woodstock Hill (45 degree slope and winding) while water was rushing down the road. The Subaru all wheel drive was fantastic. I got home safely."

"All wheel drive is a blessing in bad weather especially snow. Acceleration is about as good as it gets with a 4 cylinder engine."

"Over time the acceleration is sluggish"

"We purchased this car (used) because it is turbo-charged. Makes all the difference when it comes to handling."

"could use more horsepower for acceleration"

"steering - somewhat numb"

"I like the AWD system even on dry roads. When I drive rental cars with FWD or RWD the tail always seems to wag on turns, and the handling is sloppy overall. The Subaru feels like it takes turns on rails, even at a higher speed than one should take on curves, such as if something comes up suddenly on a road I'm not familiar with. It inspires a lot of confidence that it'll always behave as expected."

"acceleration from a stop is not that great"

"It is a dog. VERY slow compared to our Forester. Huge difference lacking turbo, mistake."

"Definitely underpowered."

"Would have been better with a 5 speed transmission."

"Good: I live in snow country and this Subaru is virtually unstoppable in snow when shod with dedicated snow tires. Bad: Brake lines failed due to rust. It was covered under an extended warranty, but was scary, none the less."

"The acceleration and gas mileage on this vehicle are disappointing. I expected more."

"Handles snow and ice like a dream."

"The 2009 Outback still has good acceleration and very good handling, on all types of roads and terrain."

"both acceleration and handling adequate"

"For a 4 cylinder engine, it has,good pick,up. Easy to handle."

"I've managed fairly well in winter conditions in a mountain area. I do get snow tires as well, but the all wheel drive seems to help me manage better than friends who don't have it. Acceleration seems adequate for my purposes, mostly on country roads."

"The acceleration is weird. It is fine if you don’t need to go fast, fast. If the ac is on and you need to merge onto the highway, it can shift weird through gears. It almost lags and then kicks in. I dont like that. I wouldn’t buy the bottom of the line unit again."

"Excellent acceleration and handling. It’s what I like about Subaru."

"The outback handles fantastically. I like to rake it on long trips because it hugs the road."

"Even with 66,000 miles the acceleration is strong and instantaneous. No lag whatever."

"The acceleration is more than adequate considering the types of activities it is designed for. The handling is exttremely good for an all wheel drive crossover vehicle. I am very satisfied with the braking. I am very happy with the AWD capability in deep snow and mud."

"The car handles like it was brand new. Easy to drive and very responsive!"

"sluggish acceleration OK handling"

"the AWD in the snow"

"This vehicle has been excellent for driving in snow."

"I like the steering responsiveness, and the handling. One thing that worries me is a delay when I need to punch the pedal into a lower gear, or even to accelerate in the same gear. It seems endemic to Outbacks, was the same with my previous (2006) model."

"corners exceptionally well due to low center of gravity -- sports car like"

"Acceleration and handling are both smooth and impressively responsive!"

"Modest acceleration,superb handling for this type of vehicle."

"For an economical wagon, it is solidly built and gives the ride quality of a heavier, larger car. Handles well, after a tire change from the factory tires which tended to slide. Fairly quiet car."

"None of these stand out. All are good....not outstanding"

"Very comfortable and quiet once the OEM tires are replaced. It handles like a much larger heavier car that it is."

"Three hub and wheel assemblies have broken. Air conditioning has been repaired multiple times. Electrical system currently made car inoperable in dealer repair shop!!!"

"The driver's seat is good, but every other seat is torture! The back is impossible to sit in if you are over 3 ft tall."

"passenger front seat- legs cramp- need better ergonomic seat"

"The seats are too firm for traveling long distances."

"Too much road noise"

"The seats are a bit narrow and the ride is a bit firm, so that makes the ride less comfortable than some other cars."

"This car has a has a relatively high level of road noise. On some types of pavement the noise level is objectionable for the passengers, even with the windows closed."

"we love the seat heaters"

"Heated seats, fully adjustable"

"The front seats are very comfortable but the back seats are short on legroom"

"Headrests throw the head too far forward. Seats force the body into a C shape, compressing the diaphragm and rounding the shoulders into a most unhealthy position. The seats themselves were very uncomfortable. After two hours of driving we had pain in our hip joints. We had to buy seat cushions in order to be able to drive the car for any distance. The front windows have an odd shap that menaces the head and neck when entering and exiting the car. Ergonomically, the whole car is badly desig"

"The seats in this 2009 Subaru are torture racks. I will pay a lot of attention to the seats in the next car I buy."

"Not enough leg room for a taller driver"

"fan for outside air and a/c does not work well unless it is on "high"."

"seats - very uncomfortable"

"Too much road noise."

"Front seats are easy to adjust. Needs a better lumbar support. Front seat head rests interfere with viewing when turning head to view sides of the car especially when backing out of a parking space."

"Good: reliability, fuel efficiency Bad/Poor: headlights on "dim", comfort (seats are tough on the back)"

"Cabin headspace and legroom are just ok for me, but I'm not tall or big. Cramped for a larger person."

"Seats comfortable. Road noise very distracting."

"Rough ride High cabin noise"

"Exellent seats, very good ride, exceptional handling."

"seat upholstery wears out on drivers seat back due to deep contours good seat support."

"Too noisy. I think that Subaru has addressed this in later models"

"The outback rides and handles well. I love,the seats. A solid car."

"This is my fourth Subaru. Almost all of them have had a fairly noisy ride. I'm hoping that newer models have corrected this. It can be distracting, is tiring at times, and leads to having to turn up the volume on radio when I'm listening to news or other non-musical programs (lectures, discussions, etc.)"

"Seats are a bit tight and do not provide the level of support other cars provide."

"Seats are like lazy boy."

"I think because of ALL Wheel Drive, the floors are higher in Subaru than most cars. I have long legs, and the high floors force my knees up, making any trip longer than 30 miles VERY uncomfortable. In addition, the Subaru seats are poorly cushioned. Not a good long distance driver for me."

"Very comfortable"

"Very comfortable seats, easy to adjust, high enough when entering the car to be very comfortable. Solid build, no rattles or noises, very quiet ride. Dash is clear and easy to see and access, visibility is good. Roomy."

"I love my Outback in the snow and rain. You can’t beat how it handles. That being said, it has a smooth ride but it’s a bit choppy with its acceleration which messes with how comfortable the ride is. Sometimes I doubt if it’s going to make it to the next gear but then all of the sudden it catches and kicks in. This is odd because I think this engine is not supposed to do that. I have some relief if I put it in sport mode and then the ride is comfortable again. Strange. So far, I have 120,000 miles and works well so I’m keeping it. The center armrest unit wasn’t designed well. It’s broken in two places and that’s really annoying. I’m probably going to replace it just for peace of mind."

"Compared to all my previous cars the ride is hard, boucy and uncomfortable."

"quiet smooth ride"

"Seats fit me well and comfortably, and I can reach the pedals and see over the dash and hood. I'm 5 ft. 0 in. tall and this car is one I feel safe with. I can't fit in many cars, and won't even rent one that fits me enough to feel safe. The rest of the car is one that I can reach everything that's important. When Subaru changed the Outback in 2010, it got too big for me. I can't even reach the roof to wash it!"

"When we got it the price seemed fantastic! I looked at Outback when I bought my Forrester and it has risen quite a bit. I would buy another Outback when we decide to trade in the 2009 ."

"it is comfortable, good driving, and economical"

"Overall quality is very good"

"Recently excessive repairs ~4K for PS pump, plugs/valves replacements due to leaks, exhaust/manifold cover rusting, Cv boots, bushings and other minor things which in aggregate seem out of ordinary for 7yr old car under 60K miles. Didn't get our money's worth on this one."

"When I compare my Outback to other crossover vehicles, I am amazed by the quality, reliability and the price. Fabulous vehicle."

"Too expensive. Headgasket should not fail at 70000miles. Neither the "boots" over the CV joints."

"reliable and easy to drive"

"Have had 3-4 close calls in freeway incidents and the car handled exceptionally well. I have avoided all accidents. I believe the car in one instance saved my life because it handled so well. It costs more than similar vehicles an it primarily lives in CA but it has been driven in some brutal conditions from Wyoming to Minnesota for about 6 winters and is a darn tough car. My only complaints the headlights get dingy and yellow and needed replacement 2 X already - low beams got darn near impo"

"The Outback was in good condition and had relatively low miles; hard to find good, used Outbacks."

"This is the 3rd outback we have had. This one also liced up to expectations..fine handling, response in inclement weather, Seats are very comfortable...all in all I am very satisfied with this vehicle, and feel very safe driving it..Itresponds well to maneuvers..."

"My relative dissatisfaction with Subaru has to do with the cost to maintain these. This is my third Subaru. I drive 7,000 miles per year but the cost of routine maintenance has averaged $250/mo since I got it new. Now at 8yrs old with 60,000 miles it is averaging $300+ per month. It is not worth keeping it. I am better off selling, using a car sharing service and no longer maintaining it. I can't even consider giving it to my teen because they couldn't afford the maintenance. My first Sub"

"After nine years my 2009 Subaru Outback still performs satisfactorily in all kinds of weather with decent mpg."

"Comfortable low-to the ground driving on windy winter roads, with all-wheel drive to keep it going in tough spots. And room for a lot of 6-ft lumber and other cargo on my 80-mile trips to town."

"We have had this 2009 Subaru Outback for 9 years. Other than one minor adjustment and regular maintenance we have not had to make a single repair. the car still seems to run like the day we bought it. I have been driving cars for over 50 years and have never had a car with such an impressive reliability record. Based on that record, combined with its safety scores and general level of comfort, I don't know that I would ever buy a car other than a Subaru. Seriously. Why would I?"

"Excellent value and reliability!"

"Very few repairs--the largest was replacing the AC compressor. Reasonable mileage. Love the hauling capacity since I use it as my "work horse" for hauling supplies, plus road trips."

"The outback is a premium car. It gets good mileage, is comfortable and I like it a lot. It is a standard transmission which allow it to be "peppy." I think the investment was well worth it--it is a nine year old car and runs like a charm."