Subaru Outback (2000 - 2003) Reviews, Pricing & Specs

I love my Subaru Outback. I bought this car new in 2001 when my son was born. I plan to give it to him when he gets his drivers license. It has been very reliable and now has 130,000 miles on it. No major maintenance issues. Just keep changing the oil, tires and the brakes. Excellent for winter driving because of its all wheel drive and high clearance. I have never got stuck while living through New England winters. The dual sunroof is a very nice feature, but it does take up a lot of head room. I'm 6'1" and I fit comfortably in the car, but the head room is a little tight. I do my own labor as I'm an engineer and somewhat mechanically inclined. The 2001 Subaru outback is exceptionally easy to work on by ANYONE. just buy the service manual at any auto parts store and you can do anything on your vehicle. All the sensors that do go bad are located on top of the engine block, easy. Even the O2 sensors were very easily changes. Mine is a 5 speed manual transmission, which makes it fun to drive. It is one of the few cars you can find these days if you like manual transmission. I also love the way the car rides and feels substantial on the road without being luggy. Although, there is a bit more road noise than I would like.Jan 02, 2015

If you live in the mountains, in lots of snow or just need a super reliable vehicle, own a Subaru!!! It's commonly known that they last well over 300,000 miles and while the repairs can be expensive they are worth the investment for the future. They are not only super safe, really reliable, sporty and fun to drive, they are cars you can trust your teenager in as well as drive your newborn home knowing they may some day learn to drive that same vehicle. Aug 03, 2013

Performance is peppy for a heavy car. Brake response is strong and stopping power is great. Handling is good, turn radius is what you'd expect from a car that size. Build quality is good. Materials are nice, hold up well. I think the styling is very nice. Cost of ownership is a little high. Parts aren't cheap and there are some chronic parts of subaru's that aren't a matter of if but when they will fail. Gas mileage isn't great but it is a heavy car with a 4 cylinder. Fun factor is great. I enjoy that I can take the car almost anywhere. Im not afraid to pull off the road anywhere or drive through a snow storm.May 09, 2013

The car has been great when it comes to quality, it has everything you need and more. Power is good from the 3.0 V6 Horizontal engine and is even better with the AWD. I have never seen it in a car but this one has a power band that kicks in at 4200RPM. I find it very handy due to most cars will lack in power the higher the RPM. The ride comfort is magnificent and the design almost European which makes it brilliant. Aug 20, 2012

I call her Moya, and she's a hell of a car. Subaru, back in 2001, realized their Outback was lacking in power and refinement. The old four-cylinder was a great engine as long as you took care of it, but it had issues with head gaskets and timing belts. The flat-six, new for that year, took care of that, as an all-new, bespoke engine for the Legacy/Legacy Outback models. It spits out 212 HP and ft/lbs of torque, and you get a big chunk of that torque right off the line, making the car feel swifter than it really is. Which, around town, is pretty nice. The Outback isn't the *perfect* car for any job, but it's the perfect car for ANY job. Shuttling people around? Road trips? Light off-roading? Trudging through snow and rain and whatever else? Moya's got your back. She will nom all of your cargo and not complain a bit. A nice thing about these cars is how DIY they are. The only real maintenance thing I've run into was that the pulley bearings on the front of the engine (specifically, the tensioner ones) tend to get clogged and break around 60K miles (and in my case, 10 years into the car's life). Changing them is pretty simple, as is replacing the serpentine belt. You can swap headlight bulbs in about 15min with hand tools. Reliability rocks and she runs like a top. Interior is very nice, and will surprise you if you've sat in other (even more recent) Subarus. The VDC model was completely loaded when they built her, with extra sound deadening to dampen road noise, and even came with a snazzy McIntosh stereo system. While it's somewhat dated compared to high end stereos of today, this was about the coolest factory stereo you could get in 2001. It's lasted brilliantly, and only now is one of the speakers starting to show its age. I plan to keep the awesome analog head unit and upgrade the front speakers. Just about the one thing this car isn't is a sports car, but why would you want it to be? She handles well enough to get out of the way of semis and crazed North Carolina drivers in their massive Ram Laramie Cummins Brokeback Edition pickup trucks, and will beat the pants off a SUV or crossover in the agility department. On a nice set of Michelin Primacy tires, she's rock solid even in Georgia monsoon season with oil on the road and she'll gladly schlep you and your buddies across the country, only occasionally requesting an oil change and some gas. I plan to keep her for years to come. Bottom line: she might not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, kid.Jan 14, 2012

Pros: I never owned an AWD before, much less a Subaru. The high roofline, the butter-smooth leather seats w/seat warmers!! I got 10 speaker smokin sound system w/6 in-dash CD. Its LOUD!!! I like how it sits up high off the ground for winter weather. There are so many options I dont know where to begin. Im like, O..M..G!!! My LL Bean Outback is SO adorable & aggressive!! How many cars do you know have TWO sunroofs?? I got the Mist Green/Beige combo. I totally luv my AWD McGruder. Cons: 1) Whats with the noise on the highway at the drivers door? Not a big deal because the music is on & I contributed it to the boxy styling, how its probably not all that aerodynamic. 2) Petrol consumption: McGruder obviously loves taking a chug at the petrol bar. He can drink that 93 octane, which is required for this model year, NOT optional. Front sunroof..itd be nice if it opened in addition to tilting up. But since I never had a sunroof before, who am I to complain?? Overall Review: Well, what do I say? After reading the honest reviews here, it just verifies that the Outback is a top quality vehicle. Ya know how when you get something then right after you see everyone else with the exact same thing?? I see so many of them on the street now. I got so many compliments on the styling, interior and the Subaru badge, If you get one, you wont go wrong, you wont regret it. Sounds like a car, drives like a car, but looks like a roadwrestler, which makes me feel so safe n secure. Im 55, & its nice to see EVERYTHING. I do believe its worth the money youll spend on it. Keep the regular maintenance on it, do what the owners manual tells you to & since its not a FWD car, ASK the dealer QUESTIONS when you are unsure of something. Im learning my dominant child is VERY different to handle, own & maintain. New pictures for 2017 coming soon!!Jan 16, 2011

A good daily driver. Easy to drive conservatively, and good on gas, with an 18 gallon tank, it gives you quite a range. The automatic transmission is a bit slugish, but you can manually shift with 1,2,3 and D on the stick. Hold the road extremely well, and can drive quick around the corners if you push it. Only problem I've had with it was a leak from the sun roof, but was repaired in an afternoon.Apr 21, 2009

I wish the brakes were a little better...I just wish they were bigger size brakes. It's pretty quick, considering that it's an automatic, All Wheel Drive, and it holds a bunch of stuff. The stereo is stock, except for the Pioneer AVIC-N3 GPS/AV headunit. It has two large moonroofs, although only the rear moonroof slides open; the front just tilts. The paint is cool, because it has purple chips embedded in the black metallic, so it pops when it is sunny. It gets pretty good gas mileage, even when you floor it. The styling is pretty nice, but understated. The interior is very nice with mahogany trim and two-tone leather seats. The handling is nice too and handles nicely even at higher speeds. I reccomend this car and I would buy another Subaru.Jan 30, 2009

Imagine a car with a multiple personality. This car is fast, it has a flat four boxer engine, giving it lots of torque and a great sound. It's spacious and comfortable. It's got all the toys - it even has heated wiper blades. The handling is very good for a wagon - four wheel drive and decent clearance means you can go where no man (in a wagon) has gone before. It's a Subaru, with legendary reliability. I've had this car for about a year and a half. It's got 106,000 miles and I'm expecting it to hit 200,000 before an uneconomic component failure. Oh - and it's not a volvo.Jul 25, 2008

I love this car. Great to drive in the city and up in the mountains. Whether it's raining, snowing, gravel, dirt, or paved roads you can expect it to perform as you need it. Have to learn how to drive an AWD car though, it does not behave like other "normal" cars at high speeds or on different road conditions. Once you know how to drive it properly, there is almost no place you can't reach with this car!Feb 10, 2008