Subaru Outback?

[prairieschooner]

We are considering a new car and the Subaru Outback Touring XT has come to the top of our list. We do live in a mountain community and have snow during the winter so a 4X4 or AWD is needed. Curious if anyone else has any experience with these.
The Outback will tow 2,700lbs. while the Touring XT states 3,500lbs.
Our 1958 18' Traveler comes in at 2,100lbs. but don't want to be that close to the rating so the Touring XT at 3,500lbs looks better.
Thanks in advance!

[hikingcamera]

I can tell you we loved our Outback. Only got rid of it because of the need for more tow / payload capacity.

We towed a 2000-ish-lb 15-foot trailer with it (and it had the lower 2700-lb capacity). We didn’t have kids then, or as much gear as we do now, so our payload would probably be an issue now. I guess the question is whether the Touring XT has a higher payload to go with the higher tow capacity. Or whether whatever payload it has fits with your needs.

[jcl]

We had and liked our Subaru Legacy wagon some years back, when an Outback was a Legacy wagon with a lift kit and some body cladding. We even had the dual range transfer case which was good for beach driving.

I wouldn’t consider an Outback these days due to their use of Continuously Variable Transmissions (CVTs). I don’t like the driving experience with CVTs. One daughter wanted an Outback and had it at the top of her list. We advised her to drive one and when she did it came off the list due to the CVT. Both daughters bought Mazda CX-5s. We had one for a year and it was great, but it only has a 2000 lb tow rating. The CX9 has a 3500 lb tow rating so I would put that one on the list.

[WellSaid11]

Agree as to the CVT issue. On a test drive, it was the dealbreaker for us on the Outback even though everything else was great. Expensive, but a Subaru is bulletproof and has excellent value retention for resale.

MT does a good job on the Outback CVT issue here:

https://www.motortrend.com/reviews/2...-transmission/

[LNBright]

My wife has a new Outback, replaced her previous Outback (and we had Imprezas before it, we love Subarus).

But we tow w/ my Sierra.

I would not consider towing with a CVT. I insist on having a margin of safety, that I’m not towing right at my tow limit (would prefer to be at half, but can live at 2/3rds if occasional, not regularly…). (I loved my 4Runner, but traded it because it was rated at our camper’s gross weight rating.)

Good luck finding the right vehicle for your needs.

[JJTX]

Originally Posted by prairieschooner

We are considering a new car and the Subaru Outback Touring XT has come to the top of our list. We do live in a mountain community and have snow during the winter so a 4X4 or AWD is needed. Curious if anyone else has any experience with these.
The Outback will tow 2,700lbs. while the Touring XT states 3,500lbs.
Our 1958 18' Traveler comes in at 2,100lbs. but don't want to be that close to the rating so the Touring XT at 3,500lbs looks better.
Thanks in advance!

Correct. Don't max out the rating on any vehicle when theres better options. The XT is the smarter choice.

[prairieschooner]

Thanks for the heads up on the CVT! I am going to do more looking into that. It does look like Subaru and others have been using them yet the Subaru CVT has had issues in the past with a recall on the year (2020) we were looking at and evidently parts to correct are not available. So not sure about a used Subaru anymore.
We currently have a '17 Grand Cherokee and it does a great job. Bummer is that the wife is smaller and has trouble driving it and would like a smaller car. Getting Kayaks on the roof is not fun simply because of the height and weight of them.
I am driving a '75 Chevy C10 but without a back seat our dog will need to sit/lay between us. I am not willing to get a newer truck because the '75 is fun to drive.
Again thanks for your thoughts!

[LNBright]

The 'idea' of a CVT is great if you're only focusing on fuel mileage, that you're always in the most efficient gear. Going to more gears (ie, my truck's 10sp transmission versus my previous truck's 4sp auto) accomplishes that, without the downsides. Nissan finally abandoned CVTs, and I think Honda has too. Subaru is probably the only CVT I'd trust for a daily driver, but I'd skip it for towing.

Good luck w/ your search...

[Dennis C]

I agree with the comments on the CVT used in most new Subarus. It’s not a pleasant driving experience. I disagree with the comments on Subarus being bulletproof. I purchased two new Foresters (a 2012 model and a 2013 model) when my kids became old enough to drive and we needed more vehicles. Both Foresters were equipped with manual transmissions. They were great little cars initially. They handled well in slippery conditions, they performed well in terms of fuel economy, etc.

Unfortunately, both Foresters suffered catastrophic engine failure before reaching 100,000 miles. In both cases, the explanation from the mechanic was simply that this was not uncommon in Subaru 2.0 engines. In both cases, the cars were maintained according to the Subaru recommended maintenance schedule.

Getting back to the original question posed by the OP, I personally wouldn’t have confidence in a Subaru product when subjected to the stress of towing a trailer. That’s my opinion, based on my experience with two Subaru products. I can’t see myself buying another Subaru.

[Aironius]

I vote no on towing with a Subaru. CVT would not handle the load, and the tow weight is too close to the TV weight. You will have poor control on downgrades or for stopping. Need a heavier TV. A Shetland pony could tow the Budweiser beer wagon, but 8 Clydesdales are more better.

[WellSaid11]

Interesting experience on the engine failure. I have friends that have been driving the same Subarus for 10, 20 and one for 26 years!

[Dennis C]

Originally Posted by WellSaid11

Interesting experience on the engine failure. I have friends that have been driving the same Subarus for 10, 20 and one for 26 years!

I was surprised when the first one failed, and shocked when the second one failed. Colorado is a big market for Subaru and I see older models on the road every day. Maybe we just had particularly bad luck, but it is enough to keep me from buying another Subaru.

When I sold my old Isuzu Trooper in the ‘90s, it had almost 250K miles on the odometer, and it was still on the original clutch! I was hoping for that kind of longevity out of the Subarus.

[Capt who]

My wife has a 2022 Outback Touring model and really likes it but we don't tow with it. My opinion is it's not built for towing although some people do.

[LNBright]

Subarus are usually solid for the first 100k; then for the next 100k, they're quirky, little things going odd. After that, some are still solid, some aren't. We ran one of our Imprezas into the ground, it just kept going. Wife's first Outback started having some strange things going on, CEL's that didn't have any problems, you'd clear it and it'd come back... wasn't having problems, just lights on. But she still loved it enough, she just got a new one. We'll see if we can keep the CELs off on this one....

[prairieschooner]

Just to clarify... The 2022 Touring XT has a tow rating of 3,500lbs and our '58 Traveler comes in at 2,100lbs.

Still on the fence about one for our new car but now I would only consider new. Here in California we have a great Lemon Law so any issues would be covered during the factory warranty period. I also understand how these work since I repaired industrial versions of these in the past

Looks like Subaru isn't alone with this type of transmission or should we call it a drive?

• • Buick: Encore GX
  • Chevrolet: Malibu, Trailblazer, Spark
  • Chrysler: Pacifica Hybrid (plug-in hybrid)
  • Ford: Escape Hybrid, Escape Plug-in Hybrid
  • Honda: Accord, Accord Hybrid, Civic, Clarity Plug-in Hybrid, CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, HR-V, Insight
  • Hyundai: Accent, Elantra, Venue
  • Infiniti: QX50
  • Kia: Forte, Rio, Seltos, Soul
  • Lexus: ES 300h, NX 300h, RX 450h, RX 450hL, UX 250h
  • Lincoln: Corsair Grand Touring (PHEV)
  • Mitsubishi: Mirage, Mirage G4, Outlander PHEV, Outlander Sport
  • Nissan: Altima, Kicks, Maxima, Murano, NV200, Rogue, Rogue Sport, Sentra, Versa
  • Subaru: Ascent, Crosstrek, Crosstrek Hybrid (PHEV), Forester, Impreza, Legacy, Outback
  • Toyota: Avalon Hybrid, C-HR, Camry Hybrid, Corolla, Corolla Hybrid, Highlander Hybrid, Prius, Prius Prime (PHEV), RAV4 Hybrid, RAV4 Prime (PHEV), Sienna, Venza

[jcl]

Originally Posted by prairieschooner

Looks like Subaru isn't alone with this type of transmission or should we call it a drive?

• • Buick: Encore GX
  • Chevrolet: Malibu, Trailblazer, Spark
  • Chrysler: Pacifica Hybrid (plug-in hybrid)
  • Ford: Escape Hybrid, Escape Plug-in Hybrid
  • Honda: Accord, Accord Hybrid, Civic, Clarity Plug-in Hybrid, CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, HR-V, Insight
  • Hyundai: Accent, Elantra, Venue
  • Infiniti: QX50
  • Kia: Forte, Rio, Seltos, Soul
  • Lexus: ES 300h, NX 300h, RX 450h, RX 450hL, UX 250h
  • Lincoln: Corsair Grand Touring (PHEV)
  • Mitsubishi: Mirage, Mirage G4, Outlander PHEV, Outlander Sport
  • Nissan: Altima, Kicks, Maxima, Murano, NV200, Rogue, Rogue Sport, Sentra, Versa
  • Subaru: Ascent, Crosstrek, Crosstrek Hybrid (PHEV), Forester, Impreza, Legacy, Outback
  • Toyota: Avalon Hybrid, C-HR, Camry Hybrid, Corolla, Corolla Hybrid, Highlander Hybrid, Prius, Prius Prime (PHEV), RAV4 Hybrid, RAV4 Prime (PHEV), Sienna, Venza

No they are no alone. We eliminated the Nissan, Toyota, and Honda from consideration for the same reason, the driving experience. The others were never on the list, or were available with a conventional transmission option.

[switz]

My wife loves her 2020 RAV4 hybrid. She consistently sees 41+ mpg. I put a 2" receiver on it so we could put a luggage box on the rear if needed.

We also have a golf cart.

We are contemplating renting the 4' x 8' U-Haul trailer to take the cart the 130 miles to the summer location and do the same thing coming back in the fall. The 1,750 pound tow rating is more than the cart and trailer weigh.

We may try that once and see how that works.

The other tow vehicle choice is my 2021 Toyota Land Cruiser (rated for a 8,100 pound trailer) that I use tow our 2015 23D International Serenity.

The 2012 Ram 2500HD Cummins is overkill for the golf cart and it will towing the 2014 31' Classic.

[hikingcamera]

Originally Posted by prairieschooner

Just to clarify... The 2022 Touring XT has a tow rating of 3,500lbs and our '58 Traveler comes in at 2,100lbs.

I was hesitant to weigh in on this, but yeah, we towed VERY happily a 2000-lb ish trailer with a 2800 tow limit Outback. We really liked the vehicle. The XT is even better with a higher capacity. I also have been driving a Prius for 12 years, so I long ago separated myself from preconceptions about what driving should feel like in favor of vehicle efficiency. There are a lot of things the Subaru has going for it. High clearance while maintaining low center of gravity (it had more clearance than our Highlander but without the rollover warnings on the visor). And it’s a nicely roomy vehicle while still be quite easy to drive in the city.

Of course there are other options out there, but few with that capacity without going significantly bigger in class of vehicle. The Ascent is also an option we considered for our second TV, but it wasn’t out yet.

And much like Airstreams, a large number of them remain on the road for a long time, despite the loud stories of problems. Though admittedly like any manufacturer, they have had their share of defects or design flaws over the years.

[Di3s3l_Power]

Subaru's CVT transmission is made by Subaru and is very reliable not like Nissan where they outsourced CVT transmission and is junk; that's why Nissan is going back to torque converter

The XT should be good, you also have warranty. is not like you are towing 4,000 pounds

No need for Cummins diesel for a light trailer

[AstroBruce]

Originally Posted by Di3s3l_Power

Subaru's CVT transmission is made by Subaru and is very reliable not like Nissan where they outsourced CVT transmission and is junk; that's why Nissan is going back to torque converter

The XT should be good, you also have warranty. is not like you are towing 4,000 pounds

No need for Cummins diesel for a light trailer

Can you get a Subaru with a Cummins Diesel?

Bruce