2005 Subaru Outback

In 2000, I bought a used Subaru, which was gorgeous and worked like a charm, but by 2005, I was more than ready to trade in my 1997 Outback for a newer year. Once summer of 2005 hit, I was really determined to get myself a new car! I was absolutely sure this was the car for me after having owned a Subaru, plus my husband was on his second Subaru as well. I ended up purchasing a 2005 Subaru Outback Wagon LTD.


Specs

Some basic specs:

168-hp 2.5-liter 4-cylinder boxer engine
Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive with limited-slip rear differential
Heavy-duty independent raised suspension
5-speed manual transmission or optional 4-speed automatic transmission with SPORTSHIFT manual control (I chose automatic)
16 X 6.5-inch 6-spoke aluminum-alloy wheels with performance all-season tires
Automatic: 22/28 mpg - 16.9 gallons


The Limited Edition

I battled back and forth whether or not to get the limited edition of the car. With it obviously comes some perks! In the end, I did end up deciding to go with it.

You get and upgraded audio system, dual-zone climate control, body color door handles/side mirrors, dual panel moonroof, leather (steering wheel, shifter, parking brake, and upholstery). I wanted a leather interior, just because it has been easier for me to maintain, so I went with the limited.

The dual-zone climate control was another big incentive. I am always cold, and my husband is usually hot. There have been many a temperature-war in the car, and the dual zone climate control put an end to that. We are now able to enjoy having our own separate temperature controls. The only downside is that you cannot have two separate fan speeds, so if you my husband wants the AC blasting on him, I have to have whatever temperature I like, but also on high fan speed.

The moonroof is gorgeous. Because this is a wagon, the roof is absolutely enormous. I have never had a sun or moon roof before, and I have enjoyed it way much more than I ever expected.


Appearance

The 2005 Subaru Outback wagons were limited in color selections. My color choices were Atlantic Blue, Green, or Red, as well as white, black, or Champagne. This was an easy choice for me – I had a unique bright blue Subaru the first time around (kind of like the bright blue WRX), and this time, I was sticking with the blue (this time, more a blue-gray).

Subaru did their "remodeling" in 2004. So the 2005 has that sharp, defined look, and looked similar to the 2004. It has smooth lines, some sweeping muscular tones to it, and is both sporty and attractive. If you want the hood intake, you have to buy the turbo version.

The interior is also much more refined from previous years. It looks much more elegant and smooth than it has the past (I can compare to my previous car, as well as my husband's). The interior is a little "spiffier" when you buy a limited version, but you still have the same general design. For example, cloth gets replaced with leather in the LTD version, but otherwise the lines of the dash and so on are the same. The dash has a sweeping design with a silvery finish. It has a very modern feel to it, with lots of lights and buttons – definitely a sight to see at night.


Size & Comfort

My husband and I spend a lot of time traveling, so comfort and room is an important factor for us. In the past, we have fit an unbelievable amount of things into my wagon. The 2005 is no different. The legroom is sufficient in both front and back. In the past, the back was a little crunched, and this year it is improved. Unfortunately, the passenger side feels slightly smaller as compared to previous years. My husband attests to this because he has less room in the passenger seat now, compared to my previous Subaru.

The back of the wagon opens up enough so that you do not hit your head on it. I have hit my head, or come close to it, with other people's cars, and it just irritates the heck out of me. I'm about 5'7", what I would consider about average, and I don't know why anyone would design a car where you would hit your head, when you can design it differently.

The seats in the back fold down. In my old Subaru, I had to take off the head rests, pull up the seat portion of the back seats, and then fold down the seats. This time around, you can just flip the seats down quickly, which is extremely convenient. The only complaint I have about my new car is that when I leave the seats folded down for an extended period of time (days, a week, etc.), it leaves impressions on the leather where the two seats meet. The impressions fade but have me wary about keeping the seats folded for any extended length of time. You get an amazing 66 square feet of room with the seats down. I am still impressed with how much this car can hold.

I also bought optional gear stowing items for the car. I have several cargo nets in the back of the wagon where I can put groceries and other items, and it prevents them from moving around.


Safety

Safety is an important issue for me. We do lots of traveling and are expecting our first child. I wanted something with not just dual airbags but also side curtain air bag, which is what I got in my 2005. There are also seatbelt clips in the back seat for child seats.

The safety ratings in the Outback are wonderful. I also saw a horrible crash in 2001 with an older Subaru, which attested to the safety of these cars. My roommate in college had a Subaru, and she was in a major collision in her car – yet she walked away without a scratch.

I really like the AWD in my vehicle (not 4-wheel drive). Despite requiring higher maintenance, I like the way the AWD feels, and I also feel safer that it is working at all times. You don't have to be driving in snow or ice to appreciate the AWD – you could slide out on a patch of sandy pavement. A few years ago, I moved to a colder climate, and I can say that I am happy with the performance of this car in winter conditions, and it makes me feel much more secure.


Performance & Handling

I am used to driving a Subaru Outback, and this model has the same power as my previous model - 168-hp, and is 4 cylinders. I test drove a turbo before purchasing this car, but opted against it. You spend more money on the turbo when you purchase it, it uses more gas, and it requires more maintenance. The turbo definitely had more power and a better pickup, but I did fine in my old Subaru, so I was comfortable sticking with the non-turbo model.

A big part of the power is the feeling of driving with All Wheel Drive (AWD). This is not the same as 4-wheel drive, which can be turned on and off. AWD runs all the time, and is meant to be there for you no matter what. You probably use a little more gas in a car that uses AWD, but I consider it a safety factor that I would like to pay for. Keep in mind that it is not 50/50 AWD – more like 90/10 (the front and rear do not perform equally).

I still remember the first time test-driving a Subaru wagon with AWD. I could really take a corner and not feel the car pull outwards. The AWD is a different driving experience. It is fortunate too that this car does not run a big risk of rollovers. My wagon is basically a Subaru sedan with an extension on the back – not an SUV.

This car has an Anti-Lock Brake System. I have had the ABS kick in from time to time, mostly when I'm trying to stop in snow. We get some rough winters with lots of snow, so it is not uncommon for me to experience the ABS. I have had to get used to quite a bit of snowfall having moved north several years ago. My Subaru handles wonderfully in inclement weather.

Be sure that if you ever need your AWD vehicle towed, it is towed on a flat bed truck. You can cause damage by dragging an AWD vehicle. Don't depend on the "tow people" are going to know this, because I had to make sure they knew (this was for my last car).

As for the gas mileage, I am happy with the 22 city/28 highway. Considering this is an AWD vehicle, I am willing to take a little bit of a cut on the gas mileage, which I think is still pretty good. This was another reason I decided to go with this car and not the turbo (which loses gas mileage).


Other features and Improvements

I thought Subaru did a wonderful job of paying attention to their customer's needs. One of the improvements in the interior is that the shift no longer blocks the CD/radio/other controls. The cupholders also used to fold out of the dash, above and over the radio. Now they are located in the console, which is much more stable and convenient. Plus, if anything gets spilled, it just goes into the cupholder, and won't drip down the dash.

Now that the back seats fold down without having to pull up the seat cushions, I no longer "lose" the seatbelts like I used to – what an improvement!

I believe the gas tank is a little larger than previous years, at a capacity of 16.9 gallons. This is nice for long road trips or even for my daily commute – I visit the gas pump a little less often.

Another improvement is that the seat warmer buttons are no longer little push buttons. We used to hit these all the time by accident, and, well, there's nothing like inadvertently turning on your seat warmer when it's 90 degrees out (fortunately, no more!).

I believe ground clearance is a little better (higher than previous years), which is nice for when we take the car off road.


Complaints?

- as I mentioned earlier, leaving the seats down for extended periods (days) will leave impressions in the leather. I definitely will be getting a seat protector for our infant seat so that it also doesn't dig into the leather upholstery.

- the cigarette lighter can be a tight squeeze behind the shift. I don't smoke, but occasionally putting a large charger, etc. in there can be a tight squeeze.

- Although you can see what gear you are in on the instrument panel, I sort of wish the automatic shift area was lit up at night.

- Although the climate control is a dual-zone system, you can only choose one fan speed. So if I have my side set to 76 degrees and my husband has his on 65, we may not necessarily want the fan up all the way, for example. However, I understand that to even out the temperature, it makes sense to have the fan on the same speed. I just don't always like having the fan up all the way on a certain temperature.


Overall

I feel that the Subaru Legacy Outback wagon is dependable and enjoyable. It has a great balance between being both fun and functional. I feel safe in this car, and I like the way it handles.

When I bought this Subaru in 2005, I considered other cars as well as the Subaru B9 Tribeca. I decided against the Tribeca because it was a little large for my liking, and although I liked the large tires, I didn't want to pay the extra. I compared other cars in the same price range as the Subuaru, using the parameters that it had to have AWD and be of the same general size. After looking at and sometimes test driving vehicles including a Volvo wagon, Nissan Murano, Toyota Matrix, and other cars, it was a clear choice that I would stay with a Subaru Outback. I am very happy with my car!

I have had no maintainence, repair, or recall issues as of January 2007.


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