Subaru Outback, 2.5i or 3.6R??

[Vista freak]

I'm looking to buy a new Subaru Outback. I had my mind set on the 3.6R, however the salesperson I spoke to said the most people buy the 2.5i because of the gas mileage. My past experience with a 4-cylinder car (a Ford Escort) was that it was fine if I was the only person in the car, but if I had a carload, it had no pickup.

I will not be towing anything, but i may eventually throw a bike or two on the top of the car, or perhaps a kayak (skis go in the back). My major reason for having a bigger engine is being able to nimbly merge onto a highway when I have the family and gear in the car.

What have other divas' experiences been? I will most likely be test driving the cars in a week or two.

 

[SkiNana]

Is the 2.5 turbo charged or fuel injected? If you are biking or skiing, you are probably driving in hilly places, so I would be sure to test drive it on hills. DH says the 3.6 does not get much poorer mpg and the torque is significantly better so it does get up to speed quite a bit faster, especially with a load aboard. He suggests you go to Edmunds.com/subaru and look up the features and specs you want.

 

[ski diva]

The six cylinder sucks gas. I have the 2.5i, and it's great. I drive everywhere and have no problem with pick-up, even with a fully loaded car.

 

[AltaBird]

I have the 2.5i Outback and it has plenty of power even when loaded up with stuff and my kayak on top. I had a 6 cylinder Ford Escape before this and I really can't tell any difference in the power. And this car has really good mpg.

 

[RachelV]

The Outback is an SUV now, SkiDiva, so might be a little different than your experience. My friend just got a new Outback and said he was doing 55 in the right lane the whole way up I-70. But, you know, I-70 is pretty much 60 miles uphill from about 5,500 to 11,000ft and he had a full load + roof box.

I still think it's worth some sluggishness to not spend a fortune on gas, though. I have a 2011 Outback Sport with the 2.5i and I wouldn't get the bigger engine if I had to do it again despite from sluggishness going uphill.

I mean, I would test drive both versions and see what you think. People have very different expectations and opinions when it comes to cars.

 

[MaineSkiLady]

2.5 Forester here, have had it fully loaded with 4 passengers and 4 sets of ski gear, no real problems. But isn't at altitude.

Remember that some engines higher-up (notably turbo-charged) might require premium fuel, not sure about Subaru...but that certainly would add to the cost as well. While the cubic inch/cc displacement has not changed on the 2.5, the horsepower has increased, to about 170.

Any and all engines require some tweaking in order to accommodate high altitude, however.

 

[ride_ski]

I have a 2010 3.6 version. I test drove both and decided on the larger engine. We sometimes tow a trailer with motorcycles and the 4 cyl compared to car I was coming from was a little underpowered. That being said, the 4 cyl with the CVT seems more powerful than a typical 4 cyl car on pickup- it was actually pretty good. I probably would have been OK with the 4.

For mileage with the 6, highway in the warmer months I get around 27 MPG, now in the colder weather, this has dropped to 23/24. I agree withe RachelV- everyone's preference is difference and you really need to drive both and see what you think.

 

[VickiK]

Review on the 3.6: I've had the 2011 3.6 version since last July. I like the extra oomph to deal with freeway merging and getting away from idiots. The higher profile of this model is somewhat easier for seniors & thier caregivers to manage, as compared to a lower profile sedan. Seniors can put their behind on the seat first and then swing their legs into/out of the car. The roominess is grand and has been fantastic for taking bikes along inside and taking road trips with friends where there's lots of stuff. MPG is about 27 on the highway (i think), not too bad. The posh-ness is very nice and this diva likes it!

One very strange thing though. Slender and petite adults weighing around 110 lbs. might not be enough to trigger the passenger airbag sensor.

 

[Vista freak]

Thanks everyone for your input! I'm excited to test drive the different cars and see if I can notice a difference, but that won't happen until next weekend, because this weekend....I'm going skiing.

With those who have the 2.5 engine, do you have the cvt transmission? Does that handle different in the snow than a regular automatic transmission?

Most of my driving will be in the New England area, so it doesn't seem like the size of the engine will make a huge difference in performance, so gas milieage may be the deciding factor. In either case, the gas milieage will be better than what I get with my taurus wagon. It gets 22 mpg on a good day.

 

[MaineSkiLady]

Really, the single most important factor in how a Subaru (or probably any vehicle, for that matter) handles in the snow is what's on the wheels (in addition to driver skill). Highly and thoroughly recommend good snow tires.

The CVT tranny will, however, give you more "manual-like" shifting options than the older 4-speed automatic and is supposed to be very good. Personally, I don't know - I have an '11 with full-on manual/stick. And Nokians with studs. The car is a tank in the snow. Amazing.

 

[K9hndler98]

It's funny that you posted this. I'm sitting at the Subaru dealer right now slobbering over a pretty maroon outback while my outback gets serviced. I can tell you that after owning the 4 cyl for two years, I have no complaints. It's seen snow, mountains (Appalachians), towed a trailer with 2000lbs (from FL to MD) AND it will go fast. It gets better gas mileage than the 6 and I've never had any problems with the CVT. it's isn't as responsive as the 6 tho it takes an extra second or two for her to get on it but I'm also used to my old turbo diesel flying on command. I was just thinking (as I sit right next to the pretty 'Ru that I might try a test drive in the 6 while I'm here.

 

[cyn]

We just bought the 4 cylinder and it has plenty of power. The CVT transmission really helps.

 

[Vista freak]

Was very excited to test drive and BUY the Outback. LOVED IT- I knew I would. The hardest part was not to be too eager with the salesperson. We went with the 2.5i. The 3.6 had a little more punch on the highway, but the 2.5 was great. With all the positive comments from fellow divas and the better gas mileage (and lower price) it was an easy decision. Can't wait till I get to pick it up and drive it home! Thanks for all your help.

 

[suzyq40]

My partner and I went car shopping for him 18mths ago. He currently has a forrester turbo (nearly 10 years old) and wanted an upgrade.
I salivated over the outback for a further 6 months and ended up buying the 2.5 manual petrol version, and it drives like a dream.

When he said we were deciding whether to buy a season car pass for the winter, he said it would have to go on his. I refused to drive all that way in his shoe box when I could travel in relative comfort. More room in the back for the gear, travels like a dream, altitude no problem (talking Australia here, so a bit different for you guys) and travelled well on normal tyres on icy roads. Petrol savings were great. Could travel 7 hours up hill and freeway on 1 tank.

I love my car to bits, and cant wait to get the season pass for it this year!!

 

[Soho]

We just purchased a 2011 2.5 Outback Limited (Red! Leather!) 2 weeks ago and so far its wonderful! In mixed city/rural driving I am averaging 26mpg. Its fairly flat here so I have had no issues with the oomph and we are taking it on our first road trip this weekend (UP Michigan which is getting a dump of snow right now).
I did notice one day last week when it was windy you could feel it more than a sedan. But honestly I downsized from a Grand Prix and gladly will gladly take the gas mileage improvement over the power.

 

[Soho]

Oh and my dog is very happy because now we can bring him with us as the cargo area in the back is HUGE!