Overview & Reviews
Subaru has expanded the availability of its new 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine to the Outback sedan. The result is two additional sedan trim levels: 3.0-H6 and 3.0-H6 VDC. Minor upgrades to all trim levels this year include a dome light off-delay, an ignition switch illumination ring and wood grain-patterned door switch trim. Cars with the Vehicle Dynamics Control system now have a button to turn the system off, and sedans receive an internal trunk release. The automatic climate control system is upgraded with an air filtration system.
- The security of all-wheel drive, comfortable on pavement, capable on dirt, well-appointed interior.
- Not as capable as an SUV in terms of pure off-road capability, upscale models are expensive.
User Reviews:
Showing 121 through 130 of 143.00-
Think Again - 2002 Subaru Outback
By Trading It In! - July 22 - 2:00 amThis car is not what it is what I would call a family friendly car. At best at 3200 miles it gets 20 mpg on the highway and 17 in the city. It appears Subaru went cheap and is riding on their reputation rather than giving us a safe car. It is designed so that you have to take your eyes off the road to check if you are in cruise, the windshield heater is on or off, if the wheel is tilted the slightest you cannot see the turn signal indicators. There is no safety hooks for the middle seat for a child restraint system. Only on the outboard. An unsafe vehicle for this reason. It mpg is not much better than a Ford Explorer.
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My New Subaru - 2002 Subaru Outback
By jon.scott-sheldon - July 11 - 10:00 amIve only had my Outback for three weeks now. However, in that time Ive really enjoyed the car. It handles well, taking curvy roads nice and tight. The auto dimming feature in the rear view mirror makes night driving much more enjoyable. Stereo system is adequate. Acceleration on the highway is sufficient. To date my only disappointment is the gas mileage, Im not quite getting the advertised 27 mpg highway, maybe around 23 mpg. Over 75% of my driving is highway. Keep in mind I do drive with a lead foot.
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Another Great Subaru - 2002 Subaru Outback
By Ron K - June 29 - 2:00 amWhen we lived in Boston, we had only Subarus for over a decade. Moving to California we had access to a fleet of used company cars and bought those. Eventually we had two Mazdas and intended to replace those. However, the Outback won me over. The other replacement vehicle was a Lexus IS300 and in terms of interior comfort and handling, it is not far off. The power is much different but the Outback is quiet and comfortable while providing a practical alternative to the Lexus. All of the things I like about Subaru are still there--and improved.
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Meets all our needs! - 2002 Subaru Outback
By Fro - June 29 - 2:00 amWe compared our car w/Passat Wagon, and everything being equal the Outback won hands down. The comfort, roominess and extra (non add-on) emenities made the decision easy. It handles better than any other car weve owned.
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Buy it for comfort and space - 2002 Subaru Outback
By ksolomon - June 18 - 10:00 amI have driven 70K miles in 18 months in West Michigan, mostly on the freeway. The car is exceptional in the snow especially with winter tires, it is quiet and comfortable on the freeway and grip is excellent. The tailgate is 43" wide and you can carry a 48" wide board on an angle. It also pulls medium size trailers effortlessly. My car has had only one problem, which was a blown fan motor caused by a faulty surge protector. Dealer service has been very good. My complaints are that the interior is pretty boring, the car is really slow, and I average only 22mpg.
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dangerous - 2002 Subaru Outback
By Worried - May 17 - 2:00 amWithin 5 months of ownership this car has died twice while driving at low speed, posing an extreme danger. Fortunately no collisions so far. The dealer cannot find the problem, so they are giving the car back to me, taking no responsibility for my safety. This car is a potential death trap and the Subaru Co. wont replace it. No reliability and no accountability.
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Great car so far... - 2002 Subaru Outback
By dsa - May 6 - 10:00 amWe bought our Outback wagon with a 5 speed and the 4 cylinder engine last fall. So far, its been a great car: in bad weather (especially this past winter in New England), the AWD system is unstoppable. The car is comfortable and convenient and we appreciate the standard heated seats, CD player and power drivers seat. Our only complaints are that its a little underpowered and the frameless windows generate a fair bit of wind noise at highway speeds.
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A Thin Line between Love and Hate - 2002 Subaru Outback
By liz - April 12 - 11:36 amI knew I wanted my Subaru OUtback Sedan for a while. I was in love with it when I got her. Had to replace brakes and rotors, expensive but routine. Everything was great until 95k mi, had oil leaking everywhere. Subaru did cam seals, valve seals, timing belt (it was leaking on it too) and some other stuff for $650. A month later engine light came on - catalytic conv. Got a 2nd opinion on the cat. conv. and they found a leak in the head gasket. Im sick to my stomach I love this car...never a problem in bad weather...I dont want to get rid of it but after the reviews idk. I may not be able to afford all the up keep. I would buy a new outback if they came out with a new sedan...without the problems
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Faulty Clutch - 2002 Subaru Outback
By moohoggle - February 15 - 10:00 am2 months after taking delivery of this Outback, the clutch began to chatter badly in 1st gear (less than 2000 miles). My wife and I took it back to the dealer where we bought the car from 3 times, and each time they said that this is a normal condition with manual transmission Subarus. We pursued a second opinion at another Subaru dealership and they agreed, that this was indeed, not normal. We then opened a case number with Subaru Corp., and it took 8 months to re-engineer and manufacture the replacement parts (was initially told it would take 4 weeks). Its been 3 weeks since our car was fixed under warranty and for now, its tolerable.
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Too many problems - 2002 Subaru Outback
By StrictlyMediocre - January 4 - 4:13 amI have 122,000 on the car. I plan to keep it until 250,000 if it will last. I am on my 4th set of replacement head gaskets (5 sets total). After the dealer did the first 4 HG jobs, I found a mechanic who says "use the turbo head gasket, it will never leak again." Question: why doesnt the dealer do that? Also replaced the pistons at 122K because originals had seized rings and were so noisy I couldnt hear myself think on a cold day. Now using 3rd party pistons as well. Car handles great. Reset the "learning" engine computer for better performance. Wind noise in driver/pass. window can be fixed by squeezing molding together where side mirror is mounted. This will probably be my last Subie.
