Hi! Prospective outback owner

[ro11theR]

Hi everyone, nice to be here. 

We are planning to change our mazda 3 soon since we have a baby and dog and the outback is our strongest contender for a replacement. I'm here to find out about the reliability and how costly it is to run an outback. We'd be getting a model probably between 2015 and 2020. 

We live in Wales and will be moving out of Cardiff into the country side soon too and my dad lives down a long very difficult muddy track. They outback would be good for that. Mainly we loved sitting in one the other day it felt so comfortable. 

 

[Justin Time]

Hi.  Outbacks /Subarus are still fairly rare in the UK so also consider this US site where Subaru's and Outbacks are very popular, so much more info.  https://www.subaruoutback.org/ 

As I'm on my second Outback, I clearly have a fondness for them.  I like their safety, size, comfort, etc.  There are quirks however, and the mainstream dealership I've found to be wanting.  Look for an independent garage if there's one near by. They're reliable but change the oil much more regularly than the owner's manual suggests  (every 6000 miles?) if you want to keep it long term. 

Great off road, with proper all-season or winter tyres.  Reliable and I never had any issues with my last one 50,000 aside from dealership problems.  They'll be heavier on brakes and tyres perhaps, and expect to get 30 - 35 mpg if driving on A and B roads with hills. I wouldn't buy one for heavy commuting, or doing local trips to and from the shops. But for safely driving the family around the countryside, and all your gear, in comfort, they're great.