About a year ago I bought a Subaru Forester 2.0 XT auto at three years old as a second car/dog truck. I chose it over a 3.0 Outback (which I loved!) because at the time the Forester was in band F and the VED was much less than the Outback which is band G.
Since our wonderful Chancellor has introduced retrospective VED changes there is now only £25 difference between the Forester XT and Outback. So, perversely I am thinking 'sod you' I might as well get an Outback as only a Subaru dealer will give me anything for my Forester. There seem to be some great deals out there for Ouback 3.0 models.
This is probably one for Espada who has experience of both models - what difference can I expect in mpg in the real world? I live in a rural area. Any other diferences I should be aware of, bearing in mind I have not Driven an Outback on other than a test drive.
I have also considered a 2.5 XT auto. I know they are all thirsty, but I hate diesels.
BTW, the Forester is a great car, but I thought I might take advantage of the current 'economic downturn'.
Any advice much appreciated.
Regards, HectorG
Edited by Pugugly on 08/10/2008 at 18:29
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I used to have a manual Spec B saloon which has the same engine and a 6 speed box and I also live in a rural area so no commuting or city travel. I used to get around 24-25 mpg going up to 28-29 mpg on a long run. Lowest I ever saw was 21 mpg with a lot of hooning around thrown in. This was all on Tesco 99 ron. I don't know if the gearing is different in the Outback but if you compare the official figures it should give you some idea. A superb engine and no cam belt changes to worry about. Hugely under-rated cars except by those who own them.
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Nick, is the performance from the Spec B and the engine that's in the Outback 3.0 the same?
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I think the engine is the same, 245bhp. Looking at the mpg and CO2 output, the Spec B auto and the 3.0R auto and 3.0Rn auto Outbacks are identical according to a 2007 brochure I have. A manual 3.0 Outback isn't listed but if earlier than 2007 models exist they'll be the 5 speed box whereas the Spec B has a 6 speed based on the Impreza STi box. The main differences on the Spec B are STi-style Bilstein inverted struts on the front and other suspension and steering tweaks plus all the toys as standard. Unless you need the extra ride height of the Outback I'd go for the Spec B sports tourer, it's a really entertaining drive yet still comfortable despite the standard 18'' alloys. The auto is a tad slower to 60mph than the manual Spec B. I'm not sure if the Outback is slower, the gearing may be different but as the mpg figures are the same perhaps not.
If you go for one, drive a hard bargain, they are selling extremely slowly, if at all. Have a look at the used car locator on the Subaru website and if you find one you like, offer a whole lot less, the screen prices are still silly. It might be worth a look on ebay. The Spec B saloon I traded for my Impreza RB320 got no bites at £6995, amazing for an 06, 29k mile car with 6 months manufacturer's warranty still on it! Do an advanced search on completed listings to see what stuff is going for.
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Thanks Nick, very helpful.
Have you driven both extensively? I am very inclined to go for the Spec B but live half a mile up a potholed track so I should be perfect fodder for the Outback, but I could live with the daily irritation of crawling half a mile in the Spec B if the handling was streets ahead of the Outback once I got to tarmac.
If there's nothing between them on handling then the Outback is the logical choice. Straight line performance I imagine is effectively the same under normal driving conditions.
Cheers
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What a pain, just typed a long reply and this **** site timed it out so lost the lot!
I've never driven the Outback so can't comment from experience but the Spec B is a step up from the ordinary Legacy which in turn I would expect to be a bit better than an Outback due to the ride height. Not to say the Outback is bad, far from it, the tests I've seen rate it well. Subarus generally handle well. Have a look at this Fifth Gear test:
tinyurl.com/4tvbk6
It may be worth having a read and asking some questions here:
tinyurl.com/5x8pdz
Whatever you get, go for the highest spec. The Spec B has all you could ever want, to get similar in an Outback you want the Rn spec. I particularly like the built-in dvd satnav. Nice big screen and easy to use but expensive new discs if you want to update it, I never bothered and had no problems with it.
Edited by nick on 09/10/2008 at 13:44
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Legacy 3 litre estate on sale at the Falkirk Subaru -
£10,000 off list price - great buy if you can stomach the next £20K depreciation as well and the petrol cost
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Thanks for the replies everyone. Sorry for delay in 'thanks' - due to a power cut - makes you realise how dependant we are on computers!
I'm surprised Espada hasn't contributed any nuggets from his expertise on Subaru. If you're reading this Espada, do you prefer the Outback to the Forester?
Thanks once again, HectorG
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HectorG
I have had extensive experience of both having had the original 2.0 Forester, then the S-Turbo and now the latest Outback 2.5 SE auto.
The Outback I find is vastly superior and far more refined. It is now in it's fifth year but with only 40k on it and is like new - nothing has gone wrong with it (nor do I expect it to...) and it is a delight to drive.
The Foresters were great cars also, but the Outback feels a few classes above with it's refinement. Mind you, I've not driven the latest Forester so they may well have changed.
All in all I've had seven or eight Subaru and in all that time I can only remember one thing going slightly wrong with some electrics - that's a lot of miles covered for not a lot of bother (except the fuel cost of course ....)
jdc
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