Buying my first Subaru (Outback) but still unsure

Discussion in 'General Subaru Discussion' started by The_H_is_O, May 1, 2018.

  1. The_H_is_O
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    The_H_is_O New Member

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    New here and looking at buying our first Subaru but have some concerns...

    We currently have a minivan to haul our 3 kids ranging from 8mo- 5 year old. Our second car is an old Honda Civic that owes us nothing other than more space/seating. Ideally our second vehicle can haul 3 kids and 2 adults but probably not on long hauls (minivan). It would ideally make trips around town with 1 adult and 3 kids. With that said here are my initial concerns that I would love any advice from this group.
    1. Does anyone currently use their Outback for hauling 3 kids in the backseat and how does that work out?
    2. 2.5 vs 3.6...I like the MPG and Price on the 2.5 but think 3.6 might be a $ well spent. Does anyone have any buyers remorse either way on these options or how can I get over the price hump on the 3.6?
    I will be test driving for a second time a 2018 2.5 Limited this weekend but this time with the entire family loaded. Any advice for me on whether this is going be a a good second car for our family or if I should be looking for another minivan just out of shear convenience (sliding doors, seating, space, etc.) is appreciated!
    Thx
     
  2. silver03
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    silver03 Well-Known Member

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    Is the Ascent an option for you?
     
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  3. pillboy
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    pillboy Well-Known Member

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    I didn't mind our naturally aspirated Outback until we got a turbocharged Legacy GT. The Outback felt extremely slow and underpowered from then on. Personally, I'd consider it money well spent for hauling 5 people and all their crap, or for just 1 person driving around naked.
     
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  4. BroCo
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    BroCo Moderator Staff Member

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    Buyers remorse is generally a given when purchasing a Subaru.
     
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  5. pcwerk
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    pcwerk Well-Known Member

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    even the newer ones the back seat may be a little tight. maybe a Forester?
     
  6. skubi1
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    skubi1 Well-Known Member

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    I think seating is just about the same thanks to their global platform, looking at seat capacity (Outback is a little wider side to side (seating room by half an inch), but the forester offers more headroom). If you're getting the H6, it's comparable HP to the XT. I LOVE my 2010 XT (get it while the getting's good, last year for the XT), my aunt and uncle love their Outbacks-think theirs are 2017's. Thing that I absolutely love about the Foz is the all around visibility-talk to anyone with one and they'll tell you the same thing, you have virtually NO blind spots. I tested out a NA before the XT, and it was gutless. Tradeoff for better gas mileage I guess. As Rick said, if you want to wait, they're releasing the Ascent sometime in the summer. One of the dealerships said it's starting at around 28k (going up to around 50 with options), which is in the ballpark of both the Foz and Outback, with an extra row of seating with either 7 or 8 seating available, depending if you want captains in the middle row. Outback (H6) and Ascent can tow up to 5000 lbs, Foz is limited to around 3500 if that's a requirement. With all the craze over SUV's these days (Ford's dropping their entire car line except for the Mustang-depending on who you listen to), I think it'll be Subaru's top seller this year.
     
  7. The_H_is_O
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    The_H_is_O New Member

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    A dealer and a neighbor already suggested this and I guess I haven't taken them to seriously. With one minivan already we are trying to keep the second car on the smaller side but still able to accommodate 3 kids and 2 Adults.

    Looking at the dimension the Ascent will be 15" longer, 7" wider, and 6" taller than the Outback.
    Ascent Outback
    Length: 204.70in 189.60in
    Width: 79.90in 72.40in
    Height: 72.00in 66.50in


    These dimensions are also pretty much the same as our minivan. I will give the Ascent some more thought but initial concerns would be:
    1. With three kids and one still in a cradle the convenience of sliding doors on a minivan is nice if you are already committing to that size of a vehicle
    2. First year for the model so bugs/kinks or other potential issues
    3. Price...assuming that to get same features of the Outback Limited it would be $4o,000+
    4. Timing, hard to wait
    5. Fitting it in the garage next to a minivan and the plethora of kids toys, bikes, etc.
     
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  8. pillboy
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    pillboy Well-Known Member

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    Make sure you can tolerate the CVT before committing to a Subaru.
     
  9. EricS
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    EricS Nooberator

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    We have the 3.6 and I think it's worth it, makes the car less of a soul-crushing blandmobile. It's actually kind of overkill for the weight of the car, seeing as it was also used for the Tribeca (where it was underkill).

    But the bigger issue I think is going to be getting your kids in the back seat comfortably...
     
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  10. SurlyOldManMN
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    SurlyOldManMN Omdat fok jou Staff Member

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    Agree. Still soul-crushing blandmobile, but less so.

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: May 6, 2018
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  11. The_H_is_O
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    The_H_is_O New Member

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    Update:

    White Bear Subaru let my wife and I take a 18' Outback 2.5 Limited home for the night so that we could load car seats and kids at our own pace and not have the pressure of entertaining 3 kids at the dealership. We have 2 Diono Radian car seats and a cradle for the youngest and all were able to fit using only seat-belt instead of latches for the cradle in the middle. Changing the outside car seats from latches to seat-belts should provide us wiggle room to grow. My wife and I thought that it is the size for us and the Ascent might be nice if we didn't already sink money into a minivan. The sales person who helped me said they have 65 pre-orders already on the Ascent and similar one to the 2.5 Limited was going to cost up in the $40ks and there won't be much of any discounting.

    On to the current dilemma, the 2.5 vs 3.6. I haven't driven the 3.6 because I am pretty sure it will make buying the 2.5 harder to do and doing so will ensure I will regret getting the 2.5 other than when I am pumping gas. I am trying to break the cost down and it looks like the 3.6 is going to cost me:

    • $2,700 in price (trade in value is approximately $1,200 higher when time comes time)
    • 6 fewer mpg on avg (costing me $20/mo estimate)
    • Less savings during negotiation (Fewer are out there so negotiating might not be as good as for 2.5 and have to give up preferred color or options)
    Anything I might be missing on costs (insurance, maintenance, 3.6 going away)?

    Also interested in any other ways to offset the cost of the 3.6 or push me towards one.

    Thanks
     
  12. SurlyOldManMN
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    SurlyOldManMN Omdat fok jou Staff Member

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    Resale value better on 3.6r's.

    Source: Just bought two of them. They are not cheap.


    Also, if you're ever going to want to tow something you're going to wish you had it.
     
  13. pillboy
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    pillboy Well-Known Member

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    I lived with a 2.5 for 10 years. Never again. 3.6 all day, every day. Just got a car with 400 HP...can't imagine why I didn't do this sooner. You will never wonder why you have too many ponies, but you will always be reminded of too few.
     
  14. Stormtrooper1
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    Stormtrooper1 Well-Known Member

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    I’ve got the 2.5 in my 2015. Honestly it feels more powerful/faster than the 2013 I had before it.

    I’ve not driven a 3.6, because I agree with you that it would be hard to pick the 2.5 over it.

    I wish I had gotten a limited, and I miss the leather and sunroof. (My dog’s hair will embed itself in the seat fabric and about the inl6 way to get it out is one by one with a tweezer.
     
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