Super reliable, good on fuel, nice size without being huge and also quite pleasant to drive. Sadly it doesn't have turbo which I'd have loved, but that's what I get for buying used I guess. The car is really comfy and does everything you need a car to do while looking great and feeling great at the same time.

There's a little bit of deadness around centre steering wheel which is great for offroading. This car has so much grip on the loose dirt, it's amazing. The torque figures are great and makes going up hills or over small banks (under 30 cm for ride height) excellent. The AWD is a load of fun. Inside comfort is great, as good as I've ever had. The clutch is of decent weighting, not too heavy but not light either - about the same as a Commodore or Camry.
Glad I bought it

Great car, extremely well built.
You don't realise how poor some cars are bolted together until you drive a Subaru.
Not the most powerful cars or the most efficient however they are a rugged design.
Bought Outback after Forester became too small.
Would definitely buy another, pity they no longer have frameless doors.

One of the few problem with the 05 Subs is a vent actuator problem that starts as a fluttering noise when you turn your car off, then later buzzing noise by which time you can't select demist or foot mode-Unhinge glove box after pulling off door side cover,unhook thread, pull out two top book boxes above glove compartment-will take wiggling and you'll hear and see the vent actuator motor behind and to the centre that can be lubricated or removed- you don't have to remove the dash!

Steering is light and car handles very well with AWD. Quiet and smooth on all accounts. Standard fuel efficiency and a neat interior although the roof lining is cream in colour and gets dirty very easily. A fantastic family car and head out and about to any terrain. Can be upgraded with 2017 technology for a small fee to include Bluetooth etc. The Sat Nav is excellent and still is great to use.

Bloody love this Car, i needed a car with more space to fit all my surfboards, kites and ski gear and this car is perfect as an all rounder car. can go off road happily and will cruise around town and park in the city with ease. i was also surprised with how fuel efficient the car is.
very happy customer and will hopefully have this car for a long time.

Brought a new Subaru Outback in 2005 and still have it after doing 160,000kms. Generally, a strong, well built and finished vehicle, nice to drive. Its a vehicle that has a 'pseudo' Volvo, BMW or, maybe a Mercedes feeling to it. A bit heavy on the fuel due to the Outback being a bit on the heavy side but that is the price one pays for a sold build.
The fact it is a true AWD station wagon configured vehicle, not an SUV with a brief case sized rear luggage area
The $1,100 servicing shock at 100,000kms. Poor after sales service. Lack of underbody protection. Electric door lock failure. CV joint boot damage due to poor underbody protection and the mass balancers in the engine flywheel giving up also. Not happy Subaru!

I have an 02/03 outback.I have a servicing workshop[ CD and do it all myself. Its a 2.5 manual. Done 320 000 trouble free km, and dirt cheap too to keep on the road!. When i put in the first clutch i got an old plain flywheel from the wreckers and dumped the dual mass one. Reading these comments makes me think I should buy another 2.5 petrol non turbo manual, but you cant- they dropped it, so only diesel is available in manual. I have a theory that diesel saves you money on fuel, but you lose all your savings due to the troubles that modern high speed diesels can give.

My 2005 Outback developed problems with the dual mass fly wheel, at about 110,000 and this now requires replacement. I have had a Liberty wagon and an Outback previously, both of which went to over 200,000 km without problems. Other Subaru owners of about the same vintage have had similar problems, but Subaru refuses to acknowledge a design fault. It looks as if the quality of Subarus is on the way down, and I won't be buying another one.
Versatile soft roader.
Poorly engineered, and Subaru refuses to stand by their product.

We have a 2007 outback that has just clicked over 85000k's. It's been a great car, for our family. It tows the camper trailer though the auto needs to be used with the manual up/down selector to get the best out of the motor when touring through hilly areas.
We changed the rear coils to raise the rear end about 2 inches; it gave us a little more clearance in the bush when towing the camper. Its ok on beach sand when tyres are let down (10 to 15 psi) as it's quite a light car. Stereo sounds good but there's no aux-in for the ipod...Over all we have been pleased with the Scooby Doo. I'd buy another one, though I'll wait for the next model. Styling on the current model is ugly.
Reliable
Body panels are light and easily dented.

Great car, drives well, robust and mecanically very sound but we don't think we will buy buy another one.
Tows well but chews through the juice.
Just a lovely car to drive. Smooth and efficient.The 6 cylinder innovation gives a lot more grunt than the old 2.5L 4cyl.Well appointed and great storage. Has AWD capability without the expected 4WD ride. Holds road well and has just the right level of height off the road.
We don't drive it too hard but the fuel consumption is unexpectedly poor, apx 12L/100km on normal running but over 16L/100km when towing light loads. Manufacturer recommends Premium Unleaded only which is Pain in the A...

I had a subaru Outback 1998 and this Outback 2006 is made much cheaper than the 98. I tripped over and hit the door with my elbow and put a dent in it! Same scenario in the interior. The stereo is molded behind the dash so you cant replace it and it doent have a line in or any means to connect a ipod, if you use a FM transmitter the quality is very low because the aerial is a printed aerial on the rear window.
Subaru are designing there cars to wear out! I will not buy another Subaru again.
I cant beleive there are so many 5 star reviews of this car, people must just love to tell you that what they have is great!
Looks good, hasn't broken down
Its cheap and tacky

This can is an excellent vehicle. It has loads of standard features and drives really well. The finish on the vehicle is excellent, far better quality than many other cars in the price range. Retained value on this car is also very good.
I have used this vehicle to tow 3 trail bike and 3 blokes and their gear without any problem.
I would definately recommend one of these to anybody wanting a reliable and safe family car.
Outback 2.5i Safety; Very well built car, standard features, drives well, tows well.
Lacks a little bottom end power, only 4 speed auto, I am 6'2" and I just fit in the drivers seat.