Anyone have a Subaru Outback?

Right now my boyfriend has a Subaru Impreza WRX, but it's getting too small for us. We just bought our son a Regent and although I got a great install in the center with no issues, there's just not enough leg room for him (his feet have to rest on the center console as the Regent sticks out about 3 inches from the seat's edge). So I put the Boulevard back in his car and put the Regent in mine and hope the Frontier fits better. My boyfriend will probably be getting a new car in about a year though and we're looking for something with a bigger backseat and more legroom. We plan to have a second child eventually. My boyfriend loves Subarus and really wants the outback since he really wants a station wagon. When I went on the Subaru website though it says the rear seat legroom for the Outback is only 33.9" which is only 0.9" more than his Impreza! Not good. But the Outback has 44.1" of legroom in the front compared to 42.7" in the Impreza WRX. So maybe if there's so much legroom in the front we can move the seats forward to get more legroom in the back. But does anyone know if the Ouback seats are as shallow as the Imprezas? I have a tiny car as well (2-door Hyundai Accent) but the Regent fits fine in it with no legroom problems and the Regent doesn't hang over the seat edge.

Also, does anyone know if the Outback seats are more comfortable than the Impreza? I HATE how uncomfortable the passengers seat is in my boyfriend's car. There's basically no lumbar support and my back is uncomfortable-- especially during the four 7-9 hour road trips we've taken over the past year. :thumbsdown:

And another concern-- where are the top tether anchors located? On the Subaru website it looked like they were on the ceiling. If so, that may be a deal breaker for us. I'd want them on the back of the seat.

I know some people say they've had problem installing carseats in the center of Subarus, but I've installed a Roundabout, Boulevard, FPSV, Cosco Tourvia, and Regent all in the center with no problems at all.

My boyfriend wants a wagon due to the large cargo area. We wouldn't get an SUV and don't need the size of a minivan. We'll be moving back to CA in a year so good gas mileage would be good since gas is so expensive there. And cost is an issue. We're also considering the Toyota Camry and the Scion XB which both have 4 inches more rear legroom, but I'm not sure if the new XB has much cargo space (the old one was tiny) and my boyfriend thinks the Camry is an old man's car (he's only 25)! We both prefer having a manual 5-speed. Oh, and my boyfriend is anti-Volvo so he wouldn't consider their wagon. And I plan to eventually get rid of my car and get a Mazda 5.

I have a Legacy wagon, not an Outback, but the interior is just about identical. I'll answer as much as I can!

essnce629 said:

When I went on the Subaru website though it says the rear seat legroom for the Outback is only 33.9" which is only 0.9" more than his Impreza! Not good. But the Outback has 44.1" of legroom in the front compared to 42.7" in the Impreza WRX. So maybe if there's so much legroom in the front we can move the seats forward to get more legroom in the back. But does anyone know if the Ouback seats are as shallow as the Imprezas?

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I don't know about the relative seat depths, but I can verify that Outbacks/Legacies do not have much second row space at all! On the other hand, you are right about the front legroom making a difference. My 6'2" husband is more comfortable in the Legacy than he was in my old Forester, which is based on the Impreza platform. I had a rearfacing Marathon installed behind the driver's seat, and he was still able to drive the car.

essnce629 said:

Also, does anyone know if the Outback seats are more comfortable than the Impreza

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Not sure on this one, but higher-end Outbacks are really quite nice. I spend a *lot* of time in mine, and find it quite comfortable. They are aimed at a different crowd than the WRX!

essnce629 said:

And another concern-- where are the top tether anchors located? On the Subaru website it looked like they were on the ceiling. If so, that may be a deal breaker for us. I'd want them on the back of the seat.

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Yes, they are on the ceiling. It was going to be a dealbreaker for me too, since I occasionally have one or two 70 lb dogs back there, but I've since decided that it doesn't really matter as much as I thought. It's slightly annoying looking at the tether strap through my rearview mirror, but not all that annoying. On the bright side, Subaru has a 60 lb LATCh limit.

essnce629 said:

My boyfriend wants a wagon due to the large cargo area. We wouldn't get an SUV and don't need the size of a minivan. We'll be moving back to CA in a year so good gas mileage would be good since gas is so expensive there. And cost is an issue.

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Subarus are certainly not known for their gas mileage, but they are very practical and very safe cars. I think wagons ought to be more popular than they are.

essnce629 said:

Oh, and my boyfriend is anti-Volvo so he wouldn't consider their wagon. And I plan to eventually get rid of my car and get a Mazda 5.

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I thought about buying a V50 and a Mazda5! Both are nice cars, but I like my Subie better.

Edited to add: The new Forester was lengthened to add space to the second row. It should now have more second row room than the Outback, since the specs were nearly identical before. I know you said you don't want an SUV, but technically the EPA considers the Outback an SUV too! It's worth a test drive if your boyfriend really likes Subarus.

I don't have the answers to your actual questions. But, if your boyfriend is looking for something sporty and "young" this may just suit him. I was recently at slalom (sp?) races that had one. This is the type where the cars go through an obstacle course of cones. I was completely impressed by the Outback. It had just as good times as the other cars, and better than some of them. It was the only wagon and most of the others were little 2 door sports cars.

He was looking at an Outback today and saw that the top tether anchors were on the ceiling and decided he didn't want one. He doesn't want to have two straps in his rear view he said. He's leaning towards the new Scion XB now which was redesigned and supposedly has a much larger trunk. We'll have to go and see one at the dealer soon. It has lots of leg room and a nice flat seat for installing carseats

I LOVE my outback - I like subarus tho...
mine doesnt have teathers on the celing... but its not a new one either so maybe theyve changed it.
the back seats are very comfortable IMO - I sat in the back for 16hours on a trip and was fine.
We have a snugride in the center and it fits just fine - I installed it with the seatbelt though because I dont have the base. there is about 6" of space between it and the back of the front seats.
We are getting a true fit next.