Outback 2.5 XT Limited--Great Value! Fantastic Car!

I bought an '05 Outback 2.5XT Limited a few weeks ago. I have been shopping for a second car for approximately 3 months. I wanted something that would haul stuff and was maneuverable and, if possible, fun to drive. I looked at the Toyota RAV4, Honda Element, Honda Pilot, Honda CRV, Chevy Tahoe, used Range Rovers, Jeep Liberty and Jeep Grand Cherokee, Nissan Murano and Nissan Xterra. When I drove the Outback it was an easy decision. The others all had their strong points, but none had the unique combination of comfort, cargo capacity, ride quality, luxury, fun factor and price that I saw with the Subaru. It also helps that Subarus have a reputation for being extremely reliable and safe.

I have always been intrigued by the Outback, but the last time I had test-driven one was a few years ago and it was vastly underpowered and had a cheap looking and feeling interior. Not so with the 2005 2.5XT Limited. This baby packs 250 horses, and, more importantly, 250 lb. feet of torque at 3600 rpm. The 2.5XT Limited is a classy and upscale turbo charged version of Subaru's 2.5 liter Boxer 4. (All Subaru engines are "boxers", which means the pistons move horizontally instead of vertically) Standard amenities include perforated leather, heated seats, electric driver and passenger seats, ABS, automatic headlights off, HUGE Moonroof--you gotta see it, its awesome--6 disc in dash CD, and one of the cleanest-looking interiors you will ever see. I like the interior layout on this car better than my BMW 3-Series. It has large white-dial gauges that really light up the car when you start it. The guages are surrounded by a faint red that I would prefer they do without, but all in all, the whole layout is as good or better than anything else out there. The designers make good use of brushed aluminum with light wood accents. Not too much, just enough to give the interior an understated classy look. It has gobs of storage pockets and everything is very intuitive--I haven't even opened the owners' manual yet.

As for driving, this is where this car really shines. As with all Subarus, it has full-time four wheel drive, and you can really feel it in the corners--it really makes the car feel stable. I have been looking forward to inclement weather because the car drives so well. The ride is sporty--it corners like it wants to be a sports car--although it won't quite keep up with the Beemer crowd, it is just as much fun to drive and will wax just about any SUV out there--it is simply a joy to drive. It does 0-60 in 7.1 seconds in the 5-speed automatic version I purchased. Turbo lag is very slight--almost not noticeable. The manual tranny scoots to 60 in a blazing 5.9 seconds!!! The automatic has a Sport shift mode on the shifter, and, a la Porshce Boxter, shift buttons on the steering wheel. The salesperson tried to really talk up the shift buttons, but to be honest, I rarely use them--the auto tranny does just fine most of the time--what I do use on some occasions--in hills and/ or curves--is the sport mode, as it holds the gears longer and makes the pedal more sensitive and quicker to downshift.

This car is one of the most comfortable I have driven. This is one of the the main reasons I purchased it. The seat position is high and and well-bolstered and is comfortable for long drives. The ride is slightly firm, but not at all rough--one of the nicest sporty rides you will experience. The tires are a bit noisy, but I believe it is because it comes stock with Mud and Snow tires--Since I don't live in a cold climate, I plan on switching them to Michelin Pilot Sport All Seasons when they wear out, which should give a better ride also--although as I said, the ride is fine on the stock tires.

The back seats fold down in seconds for over 60 cubic feet of cargo capacity, and the back seats are comfortable for two--you can fit three, but it will be cramped unless they are all kids.

I have a few minor complaints. First is the steering column--it has an adjustable tilt, but no telescope. It would be even more comfortable to drive if Subaru added a telescope option to the steering column--I have to move the seat closer than I would prefer to be comfortable with the steering wheel. If I put the seat where I prefer, my arms have to stretch too far to reach the steering wheel. Another minor nitpick is the stereo--it is barely adequate--plus, I would personally prefer the control buttons on the steering wheel, which is standard in the LL Bean model, but not available with the XT--probably because of the transmission shift buttons are on the steering wheel. If they really need to keep the shift buttons, they could do like Mini and some Jaguars and put the stereo controls on the back side of the steering wheel. Another small gripe--the gas mileage--I don't drive it that hard and around town and I am doing well if I get 13-14 mpg. The freeway fares a bit better at around 22--perhaps this will improve once it is broken in.

My other car is a 2004 BMW 330 convertible with Sport Package. I have had the Outback 2.5XT Limited for a bit over three weeks now and I have driven the BMW only once--maybe it is because the Subaru is new and once the newness wears off, I will enjoy the Beemer more--but the Beemer is for nice warm and dry weather only--the Outback is fun and capable in all conditions!
UPDATE July 7, 2005: I have now driven the car approximately 8500 miles. I still love it. A big improvement I made was purchasing an Accessport from www.cobbtuning.com. It remaps the ECU and adds almost 30 hp and 30 ft. lbs. of torque. Most importantly, it eliminates a good deal of the turbo lag and overall makes the engine more responsive--therefore, more fun to drive. I still don't like the tires and am anxiously awaiting the end of their treadlife so I can replace them. I have had no problems whatsoever with the car. My quibbles with the car are the same as before--the steering wheel should telescope--they should take the shift buttons off of the steering wheel and replace them with stereo controls. The suspension is okay, but could be improved with something a wee bit firmer, as the car tends to get a bit floaty if pushed too hard. Also, the brakes are only adequate--they are okay, but I am looking into some after market brakes to improve stopping distance. Overall, this is an awesome driving car--you won't find anything that will compare for the money.