Subaru Outback - school me

We are thinking we would like to get a new or used but recent model Subaru outback. From what we know now, from lists of stats and features, it seems like a good fit. We are looking to downsize from the dodge grand caravan we have. Our other car is a Prius and we all fit in it (thanks, bubblebum!) but would like more room for the usual family car. Kids are almost 3, almost 6 and 7.5
I have looked at a 2014 briefly (like 5 minutes, no test drive) at the lot and the backseat looked fairly car seat compatible. But I don't know for sure. Does anyone here have one and want to give me their review?

They are good, solid cars. However, a general Subaru feature that I don't like is that you need to replace all of the tires if you have wear on one in order to keep from damaging the AWD system, which is more complex than that found on most vehicles (e.g., Hondas, Toyotas).

CarSafetyGuy said:

They are good, solid cars. However, a general Subaru feature that I don't like is that you need to replace all of the tires if you have wear on one in order to keep from damaging the AWD system, which is more complex than that found on most vehicles (e.g., Hondas, Toyotas).

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Weird. We're on our 3rd Subaru & have never been told this by the dealership. And we've certainly had tires replaced! No issues with the AWD system either.

We've had a 2014 Outback since August and everything has been great. You're not going to get 3 huge Britaxes across he backseat, but we've had success with 2 Radians & an adult or booster. (We only have 2 kids.) I'd rate it as carseat-friendly since the LATCH is easily accessible. We've never had trouble with the ceiling-mounted center seatbelt, but that's something where you definitely want to try before you buy.

The cargo area is truly cavernous and you can always add to that with a roof box; roof rails with storable crossbars are standard.

My wife is the primary driver and she says it's great in the winter -- it feels "suction cupped" to the road. Up to about 6" of unplowed snow in the driveway is no problem.

We get about 26 mpg overall in a mix of driving.

The stick shift is being eliminated for the upcoming 2015 model, if that's an issue for you. Otherwise the 2015 has some nice new features and gets slightly better mileage.

My only potential regret is that we didn't get Eyesight (forward collision avoidance) or a backup camera because they weren't offered with the manual transmission. I'd definitely reconsider that now that Eyesight did so well in IIHS testing.

Feel free to send me a message if you have more detailed questions.

Thank you for all of the responses!
We test-drove a manual transmission base model this weekend. I used to drive standard all the time but gradually moved away from it as my hubby took over my corolla as his commuter car and then we traded in my corolla (5-speed) in early 2012.
I still want to test drive the automatic CVT. I sooo wish I could pick and choose my options more! I would love a rear view camera but couldn't care less about a moonroof, for example. The "eyesight" is also intriguing but another several thousand dollars to get us there, apparently. It seems like it could really be the new "ABS" though. It's hard to say...

We like that all of them come with the roof racks as we have a large Thule cargo unit and we also have bike racks and such. My DH is a triathlete. We might want to get a trailer hitch and that kind of bike rack as well.

The legroom in the backseat seemed generous and the hip room sufficient. I noticed the back seat had the funny seat bight. I do have a Radian RXT that I would like to keep RF for my youngest for about one more year. I wonder how the RXT would work out when RF. I don't remember how the "feet" of the boot are supposed to be with that kind of night. I prefer the seatbelt installation instead is using the super latch - I don't know if that factors in. I would want the RF radian outboard, probably. Once he flips FF I hoped the radian or another FF harnessed seat could go in the center and we could use two latchable boosters outboard.

My older two sons could both be in boosters. I noticed the latch, it does seem easily accessible for a latchable booster. Right now the nearly six year old uses a frontier85 in the minivan but I realize it would probably be a long shot to fit that into the outback in a three across. He could go in a FF radian 65 height/wise but is on the heavier side; about 57 lbs. But it would buy him a little more time harnessed. He does use a hbb part time as well. I didn't have DS1 go to a booster full time until he was over 6 1/2 though. I think DS2 will be ready for that on a similar time frame.

The other vehicles we are considering are the Toyota Venza and Toyota Prius V. Thoughts on those also welcome

I really hope to get an outback for a long enough test drive to try out different car seat configurations.
When we were looking at the regular Prius we got to take one home overnight and I played around with car seats in it for hours, lol! But the dealer knew we absolutely would not buy one if there wasn't a way to squeeze the whole family in. They do fit in a Prius, but barely!

But for the outback we don't really want to be quite as squeezed! I want the kids to be able to independently buckle and unbuckle!

SuzaBanana said:

Weird. We're on our 3rd Subaru & have never been told this by the dealership. And we've certainly had tires replaced! No issues with the AWD system either.

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We asked the dealer and he said if you get a flat with fairly new tires you can just replace the one.
But with 30,000 on the tires (for example) you would have to replace all 4. The different sizing of the new tire vs the older, worn down ones would do something to mess up the AWD.

The Venza has a wider backseat and will give you somewhat more room for a 3-across with independent booster buckling. If that's a key factor, I would give it the advantage over the Outback. Otherwise it is (to me) somewhat expensive for what you get, especially since many dealers don't seem to bother carrying some of the less expensive trims.

Darren posted a review of the Prius V on the blog a while back and we have liked it on the few times we've had it as a taxi, but two things held me back: the plastic hinges in the backseat (which complicate some installations) and the Poor score on IIHS' small overlap test.

I've driven the CVT Outback and it was fine - not that different from most automatics. There are paddle shifters if you want more control in a given situation.

We have a Clek Oobr and a Radian XTSL, both outboard with LATCH. I didn't notice anything weird about the seat bight, but I am not as observant / knowledgeable on that.

If you can wait till summer, the 2015 Outback, though CVT only, has a backup camera standard (without having to buy all that other non-safety stuff).

cantabdad said:

The Venza has a wider backseat and will give you somewhat more room for a 3-across with independent booster buckling. If that's a key factor, I would give it the advantage over the Outback. Otherwise it is (to me) somewhat expensive for what you get, especially since many dealers don't seem to bother carrying some of the less expensive trims. Darren posted a review of the Prius V on the blog a while back and we have liked it on the few times we've had it as a taxi, but two things held me back: the plastic hinges in the backseat (which complicate some installations) and the Poor score on IIHS' small overlap test. I've driven the CVT Outback and it was fine - not that different from most automatics. There are paddle shifters if you want more control in a given situation. We have a Clek Oobr and a Radian XTSL, both outboard with LATCH. I didn't notice anything weird about the seat bight, but I am not as observant / knowledgeable on that. If you can wait till summer, the 2015 Outback, though CVT only, has a backup camera standard (without having to buy all that other non-safety stuff).

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I test-drove a 2011 Venza today. I liked the backseat. I didn't attempt a three-across, but my youngest son came along and was in a RF radian outboard with angle adjuster and seatbelt installation. Just "eyeballing it", there appeared to be a decent amount of room left for two more seats/boosters.
I generally enjoyed driving the venza and found the visibility adequate. We have had two Toyotas so the controls were familiar - that never hurts.
Dislikes:
- would likely need to buy a kit to have roof rails installed (not a "usual" option so very few come with rails). At least a kit is available though!
- 20" wheels. They will be more a bit expensive to replace than 16-17" ones on an outback.
- tip tether anchors on "floor" of cargo area under a mat. (Very close to the

The Prius V is out. I saw one today and it seems barely wider than the regular Prius. Thanks for the link to Darren's review. I hadn't seen that yet.

The outback is still certainly a possibility. I didn't realize it isn't much wider then the Prius either. It looks bigger, at least! It only has 2-3 more inches of rear hip room than the Prius. The venza has an additional 3 inches, and might make the difference with independent buckling!

A question about the radian and the Outback. Have you installed it FF in the center seat (using the seatbelt that comes down from the ceiling?)
It seems like it might be a tricky install but I am pretty sure I would want a FF radian in the middle now for ds2 and eventually ds3 once he flips FF.

I told my husband our test drives are going to involve bringing all three kids and all of our available car seats in order to make sure they all fit with a little buckling room to spare!

I'd be very leary of the Venza - they have a ton of trim related issues. I worked at a Toyota dealer for several years and can easily say that we had people actually hate the Venza after they bought it. I know 3 people who traded them within 6 months of buying one. I typically like Toyota in terms of overall reliability and overall build quality - but, in my opinion, it isn't there on the Venza. Let's put it this way - a master certified diagnostic tech at the dealership I worked at actually said "I wouldn't own one, they need to discontinue it and go back to the drawing board".

aept said:

A question about the radian and the Outback. Have you installed it FF in the center seat (using the seatbelt that comes down from the ceiling?)
It seems like it might be a tricky install but I am pretty sure I would want a FF radian in the middle now for ds2 and eventually ds3 once he flips FF.

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That's not our usual setup, but yes, I have done this once or twice for a road-trip where we wanted to optimize space in the backseat. It was with a Radian XTSL, not one of the newer models. I didn't really have any trouble with the seatbelt and it seemed (to me as a non-tech) to be rock-solid, almost zero movement at the belt path.

The owner's manual discourages using the center seat for carseats, on the grounds that it may be difficult with some carseat designs due to the seat cushion. However, it does not disallow it and notes that ALR belts and a top tether are available for that position. (I'm guessing this language is possibly a holdover from the days when Subarus had a big hump in the middle seat instead of a more flat bench, because I didn't see any real difference.)

cantabdad said:

That's not our usual setup, but yes, I have done this once or twice for a road-trip where we wanted to optimize space in the backseat. It was with a Radian XTSL, not one of the newer models. I didn't really have any trouble with the seatbelt and it seemed (to me as a non-tech) to be rock-solid, almost zero movement at the belt path. The owner's manual discourages using the center seat for carseats, on the grounds that it may be difficult with some carseat designs due to the seat cushion. However, it does not disallow it and notes that ALR belts and a top tether are available for that position. (I'm guessing this language is possibly a holdover from the days when Subarus had a big hump in the middle seat instead of a more flat bench, because I didn't see any real difference.)

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I
I'll take your "non-tech" word for it! I have two older radians (65) and one new Diono RXT, so I've got options, and they tend to install very similarly anyways.

I was surprised that the Outback has only a few more inches of rear hip/shoulder room than our Prius! It certainly *looked* bigger back there, but I guess all back seats do when they are not full of car seats! I do worry it might not quite be as easy for everyone to buckle in as I had been hoping.

SavsMom said:

I'd be very leary of the Venza - they have a ton of trim related issues. I worked at a Toyota dealer for several years and can easily say that we had people actually hate the Venza after they bought it. I know 3 people who traded them within 6 months of buying one. I typically like Toyota in terms of overall reliability and overall build quality - but, in my opinion, it isn't there on the Venza. Let's put it this way - a master certified diagnostic tech at the dealership I worked at actually said "I wouldn't own one, they need to discontinue it and go back to the drawing board".

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Thank you for your words of warning. I'm sure you wouldn't say this lightly. It's disappointing to hear, and we will be sure to take this into consideration with our decision.
DH still seems to really like it, but he hasn't driven one yet.
Can you elaborate on "trim related issues"? Like the interior or exterior trim/decorations? (Sorry, I'm not the best with car lingo!)

aept said:

I
I'll take your "non-tech" word for it! I have two older radians (65) and one new Diono RXT, so I've got options, and they tend to install very similarly anyways.

I was surprised that the Outback has only a few more inches of rear hip/shoulder room than our Prius! It certainly *looked* bigger back there, but I guess all back seats do when they are not full of car seats! I do worry it might not quite be as easy for everyone to buckle in as I had been hoping.

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Keep in mind that the Outback is only 3 inches wider than the Prius; when you're looking for seat compatibility, width is king.

Yes, I was surprised that is was only about 2-3 inches wider than the (regular) Prius! That's only one inch per kid :/
The Venza is about 3 inches wider than the outback.
DH had a spreadsheet up on his computer comparing the three vehicles.

I am leaning towards just keeping the van for now. Maybe two more years? DH still seems kinda interested in trading it in.

Should we be considering anything else? Mazda5 was a consideration but we test drove one several months ago and I didn't love the third row, especially shoulder belts coming from too far in front making belt fit tough for booster riders. I keep mulling that over in my head, though. I really liked pretty much everything else about it.

aept said:

Thank you for your words of warning. I'm sure you wouldn't say this lightly. It's disappointing to hear, and we will be sure to take this into consideration with our decision.
DH still seems to really like it, but he hasn't driven one yet.
Can you elaborate on "trim related issues"? Like the interior or exterior trim/decorations? (Sorry, I'm not the best with car lingo!)

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Interior pieces falling off, gaps appearing, separation of dash and other panels, rattles and squeaks developing after a very short time.

I have always really liked Toyota (I sold them for 7 years and we have leased several) but they really screwed this one up. I was so turned off by the Venza that when my parents wanted to purchase one from me I sent them to drive the Outback. In driving them both there was no comparison in terms of build quality, handling, road noise, and value. The Outback is simply built much much better (as are many others).

aept said:

Yes, I was surprised that is was only about 2-3 inches wider than the (regular) Prius! That's only one inch per kid :/
The Venza is about 3 inches wider than the outback. ...

Should we be considering anything else? Mazda5 was a consideration...

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Yeah, rear hiproom doesn't seem to vary much. A tiny Nissan Leaf has 50" and the Venza, which is about as wide as it gets, is around 56" -- so about 2" per kid. But those 2" can make a big difference for independent booster buckling. For us, with only 2 kids, it wasn't worth the big price premium for the Venza vs. the Outback. But for a day-in, day-out 3 across setup, the equation would be much different; your sanity is worth something!

Maybe also look at the Ford Edge? I know little about it other than that its backseat has room comparable to the Venza. I think it is built on the midsize Fusion platform.

The Mazda 5 is great, but with the 3rd row in place you'd have an even smaller trunk than the Prius. And the gas mileage at 21 city / 28 hwy is only a bit better than your current van.

For now we have decided to just keep the grand caravan for (probably) another two years or so.
Thanks for all the advice. I continue to look longingly at all the newer Subaru Outbacks I see driving or parked around town.
But sometimes the extra space does come in handy! Not to mention the ability to separate the three musketeers...
Maybe in a couple more years a wagon will be just right.

aept said:

For now we have decided to just keep the grand caravan for (probably) another two years or so.
Thanks for all the advice. I continue to look longingly at all the newer Subaru Outbacks I see driving or parked around town.
But sometimes the extra space does come in handy! Not to mention the ability to separate the three musketeers...
Maybe in a couple more years a wagon will be just right.

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That's often my plan; waiting a couple of years will usually knock a couple of grand off the prices of whatever you're looking at.