2005 Subaru Outback Reviews, Pricing & Specs

Excellent AWD Car. The style is far ahead of its time. The Electronics are also far ahead of its time...

Great car all around. Never have had a problem with the car. Great in the snow. Great in the rain. Subaru Outbacks hold their value as well as any other car. Would recommend them to anyone who ever asks me!

Bought used with 40K miles. Pros: Stupid fast for a station wagon. Looks sharp, zero problems with it. Hauls gear... and ass. Nice, upscale interior. Storage is adequate, but not great. Off-road chuckability is actually pretty good (but how often does that happen?). Cons: Turbo is thirsty for 91 octane (21 mpg combined), nautical handling (the standard Legacy wagon is far superior), clutch is grabby and temperamental, gearbox feels like a stick in a bucket of rocks. Could use more legroom. Needs a telescoping steering column (and it got one in the '08 model year). Meh: Stereo is only OK - sad excuse for a subwoofer (resides under the driver's seat - and only succeeds in tickling your butt; providing audible bass is a secondary concern). A bit thin on creature comforts - has heated power front seats, heated mirrors and windshield wipers... and that's about it. Oh yeah, and giant moonroof, which they forgot to tint so you absolutely bake in the sun when the shade is open. The remote key fob triggers way too easily, you can't lock/unlock all the doors using just the key, and the controls are straight-up basic (not a bad thing, but lacks gadgetry for the gadget geek). Overall: The OBXT is a hoot to drive because of the thrusty turbo alone. The handling leaves lots to be desired, and the ride is only adequate. If fuel economy is important and you don't need gobs of power, a standard 2.5i model would be the wiser choice... better yet, a Legacy - but they quit making the wagon version in '08 (boo!). It fits my needs for now, and the fuel economy isn't oppressive (yet), but there's more versatile options out there. If you must have AWD, the Audi A4 2.0T is a much better driver and gets better mileage to boot, but sacrifices some interior space and has had lousy reliability. Reliability: Excellent, except for the wheel bearings - which Subaru has owned up to and extended the warranty, so it hasn't cost me a dime. Subaru also found that turbos were getting toasted without severe-duty oil change intervals, so in addition to running premium, I get to change Mobil 1 synthetic every 3750 miles too.

slick interior, awesome engine when in turbo range, sport-shift auto decent. Only real issue is that gear shifts are slow for really quick driving.

This thing handles great in all weather conditions. It's got enough ground clearance so you're not scared to take it off the beaten path.

Overall a good car. Plenty of room. Plenty of power. Fun to drive despite being a station wagon. Only gripes are that you can't upgrade the radio and coming from a sports car I feel the pedals are too far apart. My kid loves the sunroof.

I love that it is one of the safest cars on the road for all passengers. It is a fun little wagon that is easy to drive in all weather conditions. This is my fourth Subaru that I have owned, and I will always drive one.

Turbo boxer engine with a manual 5 speed in a wagon! What else could you ask for? We love it anyway! Has great leather interior, and over the 3 years we have owned has not needed any major repairs.

There is a lot to like and not a lot not to like. The only things I disliked about the car are insignificant things that bothered me because I'm a bit of a car snob. Definitely quite a favorite. I would have another Outback in a second.

Fun to drive and easy to work on..... Love the Subaru H6 3.0 horizontally opposed engine. I was called to work during snow storm. The roads had 7 inches of un-plowed snow. The tires were 75% worn and this car handled the trip no trouble at all. Very Dependable!