Subaru Legacy/Outback

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Comments

  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Keep in mind you can fit a hitch with a 2" receiver, it's actually more universal. It does not increase towing capacity, of course.

    -juice
  • gerry100gerry100 Member Posts: 100
    We are close to making a decision on our investing in our '98 VolvoXC or trading for possibly an Outback. ( In case anybody on this forum is considering a Volvo, the 98XC is a thrown together POS and Volvo has not shown any interest in supporting a $37K car to resolve design problems - the cars may have gotten better but the company hasn't).

    Anyway- we like the size and AWD for the Outback but am curious about a few things-

     - any issues with the AWD coupling?, In 98 Volvo used a "dumb" system which was prone to burn out the coupling if the tire diameters wern't very close. How does Subaru handle this?

     - Alignment specs and AWD system seems to eat tires- I expect to wear tires more with full time AWD but the Volvo has been excessive ( possibly due to a manufacturing defect). How do tires hold up on the Outbacks?

     - Volvo brakes seem to be a combination of too small for a heavy car and some kind of "tree hugger" material that results in frquent and expensiv replacement. Any such issues with the Outback?

    Sorry for being wordy, any inputs appreciated.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    That's the beatuy of the AWD system on the subies v. most other AWD systems. There is power always going to both axles on the subies, and it is varied via electronic clutch packs (4EAT Cars) or viscous coupling (5MT Cars). I've owned tons of subies with as many as 160k miles on them and the AWD system works perfectly on all of them, and I don't wear out tires any quicker than on 2wd cars either.

    -mike
  • gerry100gerry100 Member Posts: 100
    Good to hear thta about the Subies AWD and tires, but what does 4EAT and 5MT mean?
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    4speed Electronically controlled Automatic Transmission
    5speed Maunal Transmission

    -mike
  • grahampetersgrahampeters Member Posts: 1,786
    G'day

    In common with most permanent AWD systems, uneven tyre diameter makes the centre differential work more than it should. There has been regular comment on these boards that tyre diameter should be within 6mm (1/4") but when I had to run uneven tyres end to end for a couple of months, there was no apparent effect. Never actually heard of anyone stuffing a Subaru differential. The centre one is a vscous coupling of some sort

    Tyre wear is generally pretty good on Subarus. I average 50,000km (about 30,000 miles) on Australian roads, tracks and off road. At that point, tyres have about 2mm tread left.

    Subarus are very sensitive to variations in handling if tyre pressures are uneven. It's not dangerous but it does help to make sure that tyrese are inflated correctly. I have seen no abnormal scrubbing on any trye and am now on the third set.

    Brake wear appears reasonable. I got 87500km (say 55000 miles) from first set of pads. Had the discs turned when they were replaced. About the only brake complaint I have had is that under extreme conditions (four inch mud for thirty kms or more) grit can build on the rear discs causing a squeal. I suspect that is not a frequent feature for most drivers. The fix is to reverse and brake to clear the grit from the leading edge of the pads.

    Compared to my mate's Volvo XC70, I think the Subaru is more robust and less problems have arisen. Both very desirable cars, but the Subaru is a lot cheaper here in Australia.

    Have fun

    Cheers

    Graham
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    Well, I have 30K miles on my LL Bean Outback, and the tires (OEM Bridgestone Potenzas) have all worn evenly and have a lot of life left. Not sure if you can extrapolate that, but I'm happy about it.

    Brakes are OK, with a very good ABS system. It's fairly common for Outbacks to get warped front rotors, but the fix is simple and covered under warranty. I have owned two Outbacks, and both needed this taken care of within the first 5000 miles (I'm not hard on the brakes either). After that, they were fine. That's the only real issue I'm aware of.

    Otherwise, I love the car!

    Craig
  • otis123otis123 Member Posts: 439
    My LLBean with 47K miles has been flawless (knock on plastic wood) except for the front rotors and pads being replaced at 22K. Original Firestones lasted 40K miles.

    We were also looking at the V70 at the time but any Volvo owners we approached (from friends to people in parking lots, etc.) said they had problems with their cars. Subaru owners were reporting trouble-free maintenance. Reliability won over looks, especially after the Legacy's strong offset crash results.

    Ralph
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I have a Forester, but I'm on my original brake pads and rotors at 54k miles.

    OE tires lasted 28k miles, but those were Duelers, not very good. I have the remainder on my new tires and they have plenty of life left in them.

    Subies have a center differential, the axles are not "locked" together, so a little tolerance is built-in. A little, mind you, you can't have different size tires on each axle.

    -juice
  • ray_cray_c Member Posts: 36
    Hi,

         Anyone try this http://www.geocities.com/hobiegary/hesitation.htm for their Subaru hesitation problem
  • wildcorgiswildcorgis Member Posts: 84
    My wife and I are proud owners of an 02 regatta red l.l. bean. My wife wanted to replave her old Camry and I've been hemming and hawing about my trading in my 02 Pathfinder which I love but does use quite a bit of gas. We drove over 120 miles to a Lexus dealer in Beverly Hills to get it. The person that had it didn't take great care of it as the bottom of the bumpers (f&r) are pretty scuffed. There were quite a few minor cosmetic flaws but none really noticable.The beautiful red color is just dazzling. The list price on the internet was 21.5K and I thought with the condition it was in we shoud ask 20.5 and accept 21K but they gave us an offer of 20.7 and we took that.

    So we're getting familiarized with the car and so far we think it's great. I really think the car is an awesome value but they are a few things I wished it had for a car that stickered originally for 30K.

    It does everything my pathfinder can do and do it more economically, more comfortably and more luxuriously.

    I'm a little surprised about the the low overhangs of the f&r bumpers which must of hit a lot curbs. My PF can hop curbs no problem. I've done no 4WD'ing in my PF (it's 2WD) but I've ben on dirt roads going up and downs gulleys and bounding over watermelon sized rocks. I hope the Subie can do that , too.

    We only have a 1 car garage so I kicked out the PF and but the Bean in there.

    My boy and I do the YMCA Indian guides and we campout every month so I'll see if I can get all our gear to fit. I usally fold down 60% of the rear and throw our bikes in too. The Bean is considerably shorter and may be worth getting roof bike racks.

    I'll try to stop rambling on but if someone could answer this quick question , haven't had time to read manual yet, does the forward sunroof pop open?

    Very happy Bean owners,

    Steve
  • ladywclassladywclass Member Posts: 1,713
    On my roller shade cover, the "post" on the left side of the shade has broken ... the part I'm talking about is the plastic piece that is screwed on the end that attaches the shade at the back ... the top part has split but I have still been able to use it as it is ... it is fast deteriorating, and I do not think I will be able to "superglue" it together or make any other type of repair ... any ideas about where to look for this piece to replace? It's just one piece that has to be screwed in.
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    Congratulations. I have 30K miles on my 02 Bean, and it's been a great car.

    The front moonroof tilts up, the back one slides open. You can tilt the front only, or tilt the front and slide the back at the same time.

    Craig
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Someone posted the details of that maybe a year ago. IIRC, it was a circuit known as a 'voltage divider' that cut the output of the sensor to reduce low level 'false' signals.

    I do sometimes have some hesitation when the engine is cold, but rarely once it comes up to temp. So far I have not considered it enough of an issue to seek a solution.

    Steve
  • bat1161bat1161 Member Posts: 1,784
    Brenda,

    The same thing happened to me about a year and a half ago. I was lucky- I stopped by a Subaru dealer and asked about the part. He went into the back and took one off a OB being returned from lease. Otherwise, I believe you can order them from the dealership.
         I might have an extra, I just don't remember if it is for the right or left. I'll check tonight.

    Mark
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Congrats, Steve. The Outback's bumpers do limit the angles of approach/departure, so that's the catch. Try approaching steep slopes diagonally.

    Also, get a bottle of $5 touch-up paint at your dealer! :o)

    Brenda: I wonder if they sell that seperately, prolly not. The answer is always duct tape! LOL

    -juice
  • ladywclassladywclass Member Posts: 1,713
    I'm from Texas ... I KNOW duct tape .. LOL
  • wec282wec282 Member Posts: 4
    We are thinking of an outback H-6 model, have been told they require premium fuel, has any one tried regular without problems with detonation?
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    You can run lower octane without detonation, but the engine cuts back timing and you lose some power. It's only like 10 hp at peak, but you can feel the difference throughout the power band. This is such a smooth silky engine, you'd be silly to not run premium and get the most out of it. To me, it's worth spending a couple hundred extra bucks a year.

    I guess if you always ran lower octane, you might not know what you're missing, and it may be OK!

    Craig
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Actually, Subaru says it makes 212hp on premium fuel, 208hp on regular. So there you go, you lose 4hp with the cheap stuff.

    They do not "require" premium, but they do recommend it. Your call.

    -juice
  • otis123otis123 Member Posts: 439
    I've only used premium over 47.5K miles, and zippo problemos... don't be penny foolish...

    Ralph
  • kmcleankmclean Member Posts: 173
    I recall when I purchased my [then new] 1997 Maxima (which recommends premium fuel) that I wondered the same thing about running the car on cheaper grades of gasoline. As I lived in Texas at the time, and had a fairly long (60 miles round trip) and very consistent commute, I decided to compare premium and mid-grade. After going through about a dozen tanks of gas (always filling up when near empty) and swapping up and down between the two grades several times, I was surprised to note the following: 1) there was definitely a performance decrement using mid-grade, notably full-throttle acceleration, 2) I got sufficiently better gas mileage with premium (about 10%) to more than offset the 10-cent additional cost vs. mid-grade, and 3) there was no knock problem (my first car with a sophisticated spark control computer).

    This may well turn out to be the same for the H6 engine, so if one of you would care to try the same experiment...let us know the results.

    Cheers from Seattle!

    Ken M.
  • willocwilloc Member Posts: 19
    Hey Steve I came from a similar situation, I went from an Infiniti QX4 (awd) to a VDC wagon, and I'm much happier with the Subie. Smoother ride, just as quiet, much better handling. And the Mcintosh stereo is way better than Bose. Now for the premium fuel bit...I do notice a slight hesitation when using anything but super (even mid-grade) so I have chosen to stick with super...now do the math, if you driver 12,000 miles per year at 20 mpg , that is only 600 gallons of fuel...add your .20 per mile difference between regular and super and it's...only...$120 per year...yes $10 per month....so don't even think about it, use super!
  • xcskier1xcskier1 Member Posts: 4
    This is my first posting. I greatly reduced the wind noise from my 2002 GT Station Wagon by filling in the joints of the rear view mirror frames with silicon seal. Black is best for appearance you can find it. Clear is ok as it darkens after a while
  • pathtomaxpathtomax Member Posts: 215
    Hello,

    I have posted in a while but wanted to give some updates. My 01 Outback Ltd is now up to 27,000- I have driven it 7,000 in 3 months...doing well!

    - I have noticed that my brakes are starting to squeak. My 2000 Maxima was notorious for this but Nissan told me it was "normal". Any insight into the Subaru approach?

    - Does anyone run with mid-grade gas? There are some times when I need extra power and the engine gives itself a "jump" before it accelerates. Will higher grade (than regular) help with that?

    Thanks as always!
  • blackbeanblackbean Member Posts: 100
    Really? Where did you put it? How did you get it to the right place/shape without sticking to the glass? Sounds like and excellent suggestion! Could you post or send me pics?
    Thanks,
    Matt
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Good idea, skier. Was it behind the seal? Did you leave room for water runoff?

    I once heard someone just stuck a gas station receipt, rolled up, as a temporary (and creative) fix that worked.

    -juice
  • K9LeaderK9Leader Member Posts: 112
    "filling in the joints of the rear view mirror frames with silicon seal"

    I'm really not getting this. What did you do and where? I second Blackbean's request for clarification and/or pics.

    K9Leader
    2000 OB Ltd., 39K Miles
  • reklawcreklawc Member Posts: 27
    I am seriously considering the purchase of a new '04 Outback and have test driven both the 4 cyl. and 6 cyl. models. Although the 6 is smoother and quieter, but seems not much more powerful, I refuse to buy a car that requires premium gas. The following are my impressions of the 4 cyl. Outback with AT: Surprisingly stable and secure at high speed; seems like you are going much slower than you really are. Downshifts on most hills--sometimes downshifts, upshifts, and downshifts again on the same hill. This bothers me. This car is great on curvy roads and bad roads; in 2nd and 3rd gear it is a hoot to drive. Very quiet and stable on gravel/dirt roads. On the highway with cruise control, it tends to want to significantly overrun the set speed going down hill. Is this normal? Although the car does not seemingly transmit a lot of road/tire noise, there seems to be another sort of rumbling noise, which I think is engine noise. It is really to bad that this car is so good in some areas and not so good in others. Am I being overly critical? I would be interested in driving impressions of others.
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    Rumbling = H4. Get the H6 if you want a smoother quieter engine.

    Transmission will adapt to your habits after about 2-3 weeks. When new, however, it's going for ultimate gas mileage. Should get better once you teach it.

    Also, note that the transmission has a power mode that is engaged when you push down the throttle agressively. The car is much more responsive in this mode (try it off the line, for instance).

    Craig
  • sebberrysebberry Member Posts: 148
    Hello there,

    i am looking to upgrade the tires on my 2003 Outback H6-3.0.

    I have read here on these boards that people like the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S. However, I noticed that they now have the HydroEdge tire, which according to their charts, is the best performing tire they have. (Maximum handling, wet traction, all season etc...) The HydroEdge tire is only a little over half the price of the Pilot Sport A/S. How can this be if they are a better tire?

    Any comments would be appreciated,
  • pathtomaxpathtomax Member Posts: 215
    Hello,

    I just noticed last night that I have to replace one of my headlights on my '01 Outback. This is my first car with daytime running lights so I assume that the lights need to be replaced more often.

    Is this easy enough to do? I noticed in the manual that they suggest I bring the car to the dealer for them to inspect it? Do you really need to?
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Craig already hit the highlight, and IIRC, has owned both so he speaks from experience.

    I have an '02 OBW 4cyl. The adaptive transmission takes a tank or so to fully "learn". After that, if you 'light foot' it into a hill, it is likely to hunt a bit between gears, as the engine lacks enough low end torque to pull the hill in 4th with the converter locked. If you go into it a little more agressively, the tranny gets the hint, and is much more likely to say in 3rd, or maybe 4th but without the converter locked.

    I live in a hilly area, but find the H4 suitable for most situations. And at the current pricing, the car is a great deal. Go H6 if you want to go upscale. The difference in fuel price should not be a big consideration - barely the price of a Mcdonalds 'Happy Meal' per week.

    Steve
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    No need to take it into a dealer, it is a simple pull-out-and-change affair. Only issue is that the OB uses an H1 bulb for the main lamp, and you may not find it at your average dept store. Skip WalMart and go to a real autoparts store. IIRC, it does not have much of a base, so handle carefully. Never touch the quartz glass, or it may burst when powered up.

    Steve
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    The H6 gets more insulation, it's really about smoothness and luxury, not all-out power. You can hardly tell it's on at idle.

    Light bulbs are not that hard to change. You prolly have to pinch a retaining clip to remove it, then pull it out of the harness. Like the man said, don't touch the glass part.

    -juice
  • otis123otis123 Member Posts: 439
    Ditto:
    Headlight bulb is really easy to change....one of mine blew in its second year. Like above posts state, go right to an auto parts store to get it, Kmart/Walmart won't have it - and don't touch it!

    Ralph
  • kenskens Member Posts: 5,869
    Just in case you're wondering why it's not good to touch a halogen bulb -- the oil from your fingers cause a hot spot to form on the bulb and may result in the glass to fail prematurely.

    If you do accidentaly touch it, just get some alcohol and wipe off the glass.

    Ken
  • fibber2fibber2 Member Posts: 3,786
    Halogen environment bulbs burn very hot. In order for the small glass envelope to withstand the torture, it must have a uniform expansion rate. This is achieved by using high purity quartz glass that is low in sodium and organics. When you touch it, you 'poison' a local spot, and the coefficient of expansion changes in that region. When powered up, it self destructs.

    More info than you ever wanted to know.... ;-)

    Steve
  • bat1161bat1161 Member Posts: 1,784
    Steve,

    That's one of the things I love about the crew- all the technical info I learn from everyone. It's better than looking it up at a website, the more personal touch:-)

    Mark
  • kmcleankmclean Member Posts: 173
    I've found that almost all NAPA outlets carry the HI bulbs - not too pricey, either. I can vouch for not touching halogen bulbs - changed one on my porch light once (not being too careful) and it only lasted a month. Took care the next time, and it's been burning for over 5 years.

    In my view (of course, I'm MT-biased), 4-cylinder engines are designed to go with manual transmissions (actually, I prefer 6-cylinder engines with MTs, too, but they're a bit harder to find).

    Cheers from Seattle,

    Ken M.
  • xcskier1xcskier1 Member Posts: 4
    The outside rear view mirror frames on my 2002 GT will fold if bumped or if they hit something. There is an opening or joint between the stationary part and the movable part of the mirror frames. This is the opening I filled in with silicon seal to reduce wind noise. I hope that this explains my previous posting.
  • cptpltcptplt Member Posts: 1,075
    well for one thing they are totally different speed ratings! The A/S is a W or Y rating, the Hydroedge is only T. The comparison of their performances are valid within the general category of the tire, ie all season touring vs high performance all season.
  • bgabel1260bgabel1260 Member Posts: 135
    How adept is the Outback in driving through sand with the stock Bridgestone Potenza tires? I'm not talking about driving on a beach but on a bay access "road" with sections of loose sand (several inches deep). Do you need all-terrain tires? Sand would seem to be the most challenging thing to drive through because it offers little traction. I don't want to get stuck!
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    You don't want to get into a situation where the chassis is resting on the sand, and not the tires. As long as you can avoid that, you'll make it through.

    I had our Forester out on the beach last summer.

    Bob
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    I have driven on beach access roads at the Outer Banks, and my Outback did OK. For short distances, the car is OK -- just go real gentle on the throttle (auto is better than manual for this). If I were going for an extended drive on sand, I would air down the tires to be on the safe side.

    Craig
  • bat1161bat1161 Member Posts: 1,784
    I will second what Craig said. I've taken my OB into the Pine Barrens where there are some sand roads, as well as a pit we "played" in with no problems. If you are going to be on it for a while, I owuld recommend airing down the tires to give better grip. Stock tires work fine.

    Mark
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    18psi on 225/60R16 tires, my Forester was great. I spent several days driving on the beach, it was a blast.

    Keep your momentum going on the really soft stuff.

    -juice
  • ray_cray_c Member Posts: 36
    Hi,

        Does anyone know where I can get a Service manual for my 2001 Subaru Outback? I can't find in any auto part store. I just need to do some base maintains.

    Thanks,

    Ray
  • jfljfl Member Posts: 1,398
    I've never seen recent Subie manuals from the mass publishers. Volume 1 of the set from the dealer contains most of the routine maintenance info. You can also get a lot of information from scoobymods.com.

    Jim
  • ray_cray_c Member Posts: 36
    Jim,

       I guess that you have one "Volume 1 of the set". Where did you get your, do I have get it from a dealer. I try to avoid my local dealer, as they always try to over charge me. I did found it on http://www.subaruparts.com/catalog/?section=382 , but they only sale the Complete set.

    Thanks,

    Ray
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