RE: Subaru Outback 3.0R | Shed of the Week

RE: Subaru Outback 3.0R | Shed of the Week

Author
Discussion

2wheelsjimmy

617 posts

84 months

Put it in manual and drive it hard and it's a fantastic engine.

And my real world fuel is 14L/100km. Best left in metric terms so one does not realise how bad it is.

Luke.

10,567 posts

237 months

One of the best cars I've owned. Sold my 2005 Rn for peanuts, but absolutely loved it. Handled brilliantly, even if the gear changes in the auto weren't the best.

sam.rog

507 posts

65 months

I had a legacy spec b with the same engine for a year.
Brilliant motorway cruiser and easily got 30-33 mpg on a run.

The 3.0 engine is sublime. Turbine smooth and pulls all the way to the read line. Ignore the 0-60 times. When moving the car is plenty quick enough.
The gearbox is a bit slow compared to newer offerings but are seriously robust.

The interior isn’t full of soft touch plastics that disintegrate in the sun. It’s built to last.
Everything on mine still worked and no rattle or squeaking.

I remember driving home in biblical rain. Lots of standing water on the motorway. I had winter tyres on it and I’ve never felt more comfortable or confident in a car. It was rock solid not even a twitch. It felt so stable, no other car has made driving in adverse conditions so pleasurable.

As mine was a 07 plate which are the facelift version which look a lot better the £600+ ved was a killer and my 22mpg average at a time of the £1.90 a litre petrol price meant it had to go.

It’s the only car I regret selling and would swap my e91 330d for a good example any day.

vikingaero

8,591 posts

156 months

It's a near 20 year old car that has done around 7k a year. I doubt to the original owner(s) back then, fuel cost was an issue compared to today.

300sl-24

465 posts

81 months

I had a Legacy spec B manual with this engine and it was fast enough, smooth enough and more than thirsty enough. It was a great handling and driving car with fantastic build quality

Edited by 300sl-24 on Friday 24th March 07:34

NowWatchThisDrive

424 posts

91 months

My in-laws had one of these prior to their current Yeti. Despite nominally being the "town"/family car it still saw a reasonable amount of farm action without complaint, including a scarcely believable run-in with an escaped Hereford bull. The Sherman-like handling made it just about the least satisfting drive I've ever had, though, so I wouldn't be queuing up to get in one again.

GravelBen

14,947 posts

217 months

BeastieBoy73 said:
...
Whilst being considered an older persons car by some here in the U.K., I think they’re very popular amongst younger families in The USA.
...
And NZ.

Funny enough people are talking about buying Volvos instead, which have much more of an 'old persons car' reputation here.

BeastieBoy73

539 posts

99 months

sledge68 said:
The car of choice in north america and canada, so much so Subaru has a plant there.

BeastieBoy73 said:
I like that, though at 50, I may be its target demographic (despite being neither a country type nor wealthy).

Whilst being considered an older persons car by some here in the U.K., I think they’re very popular amongst younger families in The USA.

Funny how we can be unreasonably put off a car by the types of people we believe drive them. I will always consider myself too young to drive a Jaguar.
Thought so… my brother lives half the year in Phoenix, the other half in Colorado and they’ve had an Outback for a few years. They’ve recently handed it down to their son as his first car.

jwwbowe

473 posts

159 months

Candidate for Shed of the year.

We had one, fantastic cars, engine really is turbine smooth. Contrary to some of the previous comments the Outback is incredibly reliable in this 3.0 flat six form, it is far stronger than the flat fours. A well serviced example can easily top 300+k miles.

Ours managed 20-22MPG in mixed driving and it is not that fast. But that is completely missing the point, no turbos or overly complicated bits to go wrong. Ours had 130k on the clock and everything worked, they are really well engineered.

One major issue with UK cars is rust. Check under the plastic arches, I did not on purchase, ours was hiding this horror show yikes



Nick928

325 posts

142 months

A CVT estate and a mediocre EV and they’re wondering why sales are non existent?
I had a Legacy 4cam turbo as my daily in the early 90’s (before the Impreza came out).
Epic car and a real rarity at the time.
Sad to see what’s been done to the Subaru brand.

vikingaero

8,591 posts

156 months

jwwbowe said:
One major issue with UK cars is rust. Check under the plastic arches, I did not on purchase, ours was hiding this horror show yikes
The Yanks have as much problem as rust as we do in the UK with the "Rust Belt" in the North, and clean cars in the South.

MDMA .

8,048 posts

88 months

GravelBen said:
Head gasket issues have always been well known on 2.5 Subarus, but I've barely heard of them happening to the 2.0 and H6 engines.

The EZ30 is a sweet engine, smooth as silk and makes a rather nice sound (though probably needs an aftermarket exhaust to really let it sing). They are quite a popular transplant into old Imprezas here for rallying with lower running costs than the 2.0 turbo.

I recall an old video review comparing an outback with an XC70 off road, it was hilarious how hopeless the Volvo was. The Subaru could tow a trailer up a track the Volvo couldn't even drag itself up.

Edited by GravelBen on Friday 24th March 02:38
Still waiting for my head gaskets to go on my 2.5 after 17 years worth of daily abuse.

86wasagoodyear

191 posts

83 months

sam.rog said:
I had a legacy spec b with the same engine for a year.
Brilliant motorway cruiser and easily got 30-33 mpg on a run.

The 3.0 engine is sublime. Turbine smooth and pulls all the way to the read line. Ignore the 0-60 times. When moving the car is plenty quick enough.
The gearbox is a bit slow compared to newer offerings but are seriously robust.

The interior isn’t full of soft touch plastics that disintegrate in the sun. It’s built to last.
Everything on mine still worked and no rattle or squeaking.

I remember driving home in biblical rain. Lots of standing water on the motorway. I had winter tyres on it and I’ve never felt more comfortable or confident in a car. It was rock solid not even a twitch. It felt so stable, no other car has made driving in adverse conditions so pleasurable.

As mine was a 07 plate which are the facelift version which look a lot better the £600+ ved was a killer and my 22mpg average at a time of the £1.90 a litre petrol price meant it had to go.

It’s the only car I regret selling and would swap my e91 330d for a good example any day.
I had a 2009 Legacy 3.0 RN auto. Exactly as above, including regretting selling it. Great family car, would happily do it again.

Stuckinthe80s

14 posts

48 months

Don’t think the colour choice on this one is doing it any favours in the old man’s car appearance. I have had various Imprezas and Foresters of 2.0 and 2.5 turbo varieties and all have been great fun. Have now migrated to the 3.0R Spec B legacy version of this car and would echo the comments of others in that it really is such a solid drive in all weathers. Engine is super smooth and pleasingly powerful enough across the full range with a nice if more understated sound to the exhaust compared to the uk turbos boxer beat. Auto is old school and that means much slower than modern dual clutches but also less jerky at slow speed manoeuvres and much more reliable when you have to shop at this end of the market. Definitely something to progress into when you get to be an old git like me. However if people don’t like the look of them then great - keeps prices down for the rest of us 😁

Lotobear

4,819 posts

115 months

Wonderful cars, the only modern daily that felt somehow 'special' to me with a depth of engineering you simply don't find in any of the German offerings.

I bought a new 2.5 Legacy in 2005 and it was brilliant. Two further Legacy 2.0's after that but could never reconcile the thrist of the 3.0 though I always fancied one.

They do rust underneath though - my friend had 3.0 Outback from new, ran it to low miles but eventually had to scrap it as the rot underneath put it beyond economic repair.




cerb4.5lee

26,209 posts

167 months

I can't really put my finger on why, but these have never done anything for me. They do seem to have quite a few fans from what I read on here though.

Luke.

10,567 posts

237 months

Oh and frameless doors....

Cambs_Stuart

2,286 posts

71 months

I've not driven an outback, but I have owned two gen 4 legacies, a twinscroll auto legacy, and my current family wagon is a 3.0 manual.
The 3.0 is good to drive, and rust aside, solidly built. Mine is a 2006 model with 140k on the clock and here are no squeaks or rattles from the interior. Seats are really comfortable, driving position is excellent and the big sunroof and lots of glass means it's the car that has caused the least amount of travel sickness in my family. It's a good contender for the best "do it all" car I've owned, up there with an ST220 and a impreza WRX wagon.
It's very thirsty. But I only do 5000 miles per year so it's not that painful.

sledge68

636 posts

184 months

I bought a earlier GTB in 2007, had Legacys ever since, of nearly every variant, not one has ever let me down, never needed any repairs other than service items. Front bushes need to be replaced with non OEM and y piece on rear exhaust can go.
Think Subarus get under peoples skin, I would not buy another brand now.

cerb4.5lee said:
I can't really put my finger on why, but these have never done anything for me. They do seem to have quite a few fans from what I read on here though.

Lotobear

4,819 posts

115 months

cerb4.5lee said:
I can't really put my finger on why, but these have never done anything for me. They do seem to have quite a few fans from what I read on here though.
you need to live with one to understand, they get under your skin - I found them to be a deeply satisfying in ownership, they somehow just feel special in a way no other modern car felt for (me)

Wonderfully nimble for such a big car and very compliant suspension and all three of mine were 100% reliable. I'm a Lotus fan too (perhaps no surprise Bell and Colvill sold both) and with Legacys and Outbacks you just get the sense they were design lead by engineers not bean counters.