Overview & Reviews

User Reviews:

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  Ski car - 2016 Subaru Outback
  By Peter Phares - August 7 - 2:35 am

  The Outback was purchased as a ski-commuting vehicle (for usually no more than 2-3 passengers, including driver). Ive had it 2 months and driven 4,500 miles- 90% highway (200 miles each way to skiing). Overall, good cargo capacity, loading/unloading of cargo, and equipment (fold down half of the rear seat and putting skis inside in ski bags). The ride is comfortable, and I use the dynamic cruise control a lot- which works well, even in heavy traffic or slow traffic. Its a quiet vehicle with muted road and wind noise. GREAT snow traction! The 6 cylinder motor has good power, and the CVT works well generally- but reverse responsiveness is a bit uneven, and strange compared with a standard automatic (but hasnt been a big deal). The paddle shifters are very helpful on downhill grades. Fuel economy is ok, not great. Highway fuel economy is much better if you keep it 2-3 mph under 70 mph on the freeway (which can be slow on some CA freeways)--- keep it 2-3 MPH under 70 and I get 26-28 MPG. Avg 70 MPH, and I get no more than 26 MPG. If you average 75 on the freeway, youll get 24 mpg max. I dont jackrabbit start or use heavy throttle, mostly drive with eye-sight cruise control on. Currently, Im not using the roof rack and dont have a cargo box- so loading the roof would reduce mpg further. My biggest complaint about the car is driver seat comfort. I am 61", and 210 lbs. The seats are not large enough for someone over 6 tall, and its difficult to find a comfortable driving position for longer trips. If I had the ability to change the car, I would create a longer seat cushion for more thigh support, add more bolstering on the sides of the seats (almost none there now, not good in corners), improve adjustment range of seat tilt, and increase the steering wheel telescoping length. I have a 2009 Honda Accord coupe and a 1999 VW Passat, and in both cars I find several comfortable seating positions for long trips--- not so in the Outback.... Im constantly adjusting the seating position, but nothing feels quite right. The center console intrudes too much into the leg space. Im not uncomfortable in the car- but never very comfortable either. It also could use a center armrest which adjusts up/down. Wind noise with side mirrors is low, except in high cross winds, when you can get some significant rumble coming off the mirrors (guessing 15-20 mph+ cross winds it gets rumbly). The door storage pockets dont work well for water bottles, and Ive not yet been able to get the MirrorLink to work- from what Ive read, I need an older version of the app on my phone (which is not compatible with my newer Samsung phone)... so waiting on a software update from Subaru (annoying). One other complaint is the quality of the lower body cladding--- it pits very easily. My VW Passat with 180K miles on it has much less pitting on the lower cladding from snow and sand coming off the tires than the Outback with 4500 miles. The front splash guards need to be bigger and the cladding plastic a higher quality. Overall, Id give the car a "B" grade so far. The jury is out on whether I keep it long term or sell in a few years (I normally like to keep a car for 8-15 years) Too early to tell on reliability- although lots of friends with Subarus have had good luck.

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  This is one awesome car! - 2016 Subaru Outback
  By Mike A. - July 26 - 11:32 pm

  My 2016 Outback 2.5 Limited now has 2600+ miles on it with 2000 put on during a round trip to St. Louis and back. I love this car already. Its very roomy and comfortable, handles well, has plenty of acceleration (especially considering its a 2.5 liter four cylinder), gets 33+ mpg on the highway, and in every way so far, has exceeded my expectations. The sound system is plain awesome, and the safety features just outstanding. While traveling on an interstate doing about 65, a car suddenly switched lanes and cut in front of me. The Outbacks Eye Sight system detected the treat and automatically applied the brakes and slowed me down. I cant speak to its reliability yet, but expect it to be very good based on Subarus history. I have several minor complaints...both the clock and the outside temperature display are on an information "strip" on the lower part of the dash, and are quite small and can be difficult to find quickly. The manual(s) have a ton of information in them, but can be tricky and a bit difficult to use 1) because of how they are organized, and 2) because the writers first language was clearly not English. I think Subaru could have done better in both areas. Overall, the car is fantastic and I am very pleased that I opted for the Subaru. In my opinion, it offers great value, and I would heartily recommend it to anyone considering it.

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  Very Impressed with the new Outback Limited Loaded - 2016 Subaru Outback
  By Lars Anderson - July 24 - 1:42 am

  I have never owned a Subaru. I have owned 2013-15 BMW X3, Audi Q5 and Q7, VW CC, and Honda Odyssey for comparison [Yes...lots of new car purchases in last 2 years]. I test drove the 2015 VW Golf Sportwagen [better fuel economy and acceleration but smaller, less advance safety features, and more road noise] and 2015 Mazda CX-5 [just didnt do it for me but deserves a look]. I traded in my 2013 X3. Flaws, but not deal breakers: Voice recognition for entering destination address never works, and system locks out manual address input while driving so you need to stop to change an address in this setting. The Keyless FOB can not be programed to unlock all doors with one button, but keyless entry with door button can. Key FOB open button just has to be pressed twice. Adaptive cruise control button that adjusts distance from car in front not iconically intuitive. Side mirrors dont power fold. Mute button for music doesnt pause song. Turn signal level a little high for optimal ergonomics for me. Poor acceleration but adequate for conservative drivers. XM radio screen difficult to navigate. Voice recognition takes few minutes to initialize but bluetooth acquires instantly. Things I like moving from front to back: Very good head and fog light dispersement, Limited 18" wheels, Night time Approach light in the side mirror and side mirror auto dimming feature, HK stereo is quite impressive and better than premium Q7 stereo, Lane assist really works keeping you in the lane if you dont put hands on steering wheel, adaptive cruise control, lane change warning doesnt warn too early like Honda Odyssey system, Blue interior lighting and instrument panel, 3 12V and 2 USB jacks, Quality/Speed and resolution of infotainment screen, well balanced steering, Forward Adjustable head rest [not just up and down], seat comfort and leather quality, electronic parking break, rear seat AC vents and heated seats, rear seats flip down effortlessly and flat, rear trunk screen cover can be stored in car when not in use, rear seats can recline a bit, roof rack adjustability, road noise on chip & seal roads is very good and better than Audi but similar to BMW, minimal wind noise. Corners well with minimal body roll during conservative driving but certainly not on any rails. I am very impressed with quality, comfort, and electronics. Fun to cruise [quiet and comfy] so I can hear the great stereo. Look forward to tackling some dirt roads and throwing skis, kayak and bikes on top.

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  Best Subaru - 2016 Subaru Outback
  By arthur - June 30 - 12:12 am

  Go buy one.

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  New is better! - 2016 Subaru Outback
  By PT - June 28 - 10:52 am

  Our new 2016 Outback is outstanding! It is an incredible improvement over our 2011! I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in a practical, comfortable, reliable and safe vehicle!

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  Best car for the money on the road, today. - 2016 Subaru Outback
  By roger gorski - June 7 - 12:35 pm

  This is my 3rd Subaru. I have only traded an old for a newer one, because the lease ran out. Great value for the money.Like a Timex watch...just keeps on ticking.

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  New Happy Convert - 2016 Subaru Outback
  By Scott Dorsey - June 4 - 12:25 pm

  With aging parents and growing kids to transport, I had completely outgrown my 2005 Honda CR-V. It was a nice car and served me well, but I was ready for a change. I was looking for a Crossover or SUV with similar or better gas mileage and driving experience. Nothing against Honda, but Id ruled out another Honda because I was ready for something different. Other SUVs like the Mazda CX-5, Nissan Rogue and Dodge Journey caught my eye, so I test drove and enjoyed each. However, after doing the research on those models, I just wasnt sold on what they had to offer. Their rear visibility, blind spots and safety ratings were a concern, especially on the Rogue. Too, coming from a CR-V with All-wheel drive, I wanted to keep that feature without having to pay extra for it. So, when I finally got around to doing the research, then test driving the 2016 Outback, I was sold, almost immediately. The quality of the build, interior materials, front seat legroom comfort (for a tall guy like me - 62"), quiet cabin, nice ride and feel, short turning radius, unobstructed view, ease of use of the infotainment center and many other thoughtful appointments made me an instant convert. And, the CVT works great, too! In some ways, its hard to believe that a thoughtful guy like me made the switch so quickly. To top things off, Stivers Subaru of Decatur Georgia did an excellent job of addressing all my questions, to make the transition seamless! I purchased my 2016 Subaru Outback, 2.5i, Limited, in Twilight Blue with black/charcoal leather interior. I LOVE it! Since I made the switch, Ive received many favorable comments from friends and neighbors about how it looks. Theyre very handsome vehicles, and there arent many in my area, yet! Those whove had the opportunity to ride in my Subie were very pleased with the experience. I know Ive made a good choice, and now, Im looking forward to many happy years ahead behind the wheel of my 2016 Subaru Outback!

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  Subaru Outback good buy for great vehicle - 2016 Subaru Outback
  By Raymond Wilkinson - April 27 - 2:53 am

  There is not much wiggle room negotiating the sticker price no rebates but vehicle has good resale value

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  Great car, but questions about customer service - 2016 Subaru Outback
  By Carlos - April 13 - 12:17 am

  First of all, I think the 2016 Outback is a great vehicle. It has lived up to my expectations and I highly recommend it. Very comfortable, well designed and the eye sight system is great. My only issue so far is the famous Subaru customer service that I have heard so much about with glowing reviews. I havent had that experience. When I got the car the Nav maps werent working properly, so the dealer swapped it out for another infotainment system from a demo on the lot. So far so good, except that I didnt get the advertised 3 yr SiriusXM traffic subscription. I asked Sirius about it and they said contact Subaru. I contacted the dealer and they said contact Subaru customer service. I contacted customer service and they said they would research and get back to me in 48 hrs. Its been almost 2 weeks and no contact. I e-mailed them several days ago and no response. This is not a big issue, but i am disappointed after all I have heard over the years about Subaru customer service. Hopefully I wont have any serious problems down the road where I need their help.

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  Best valued car taking everything into account - 2016 Subaru Outback
  By Alberto - February 25 - 7:38 pm