Justin Time

I'm not sure why you think the Outback is smaller: Boots space for the OB (seats down) is 1848 litres, while the Mitsi Outlander is only 1608 litres (but it does have 2 extra 'seats'). Length OB = 4820 mm Outlander = 4695 Wheel base OB = 2745 Outlander = 2670 Width OB = 1840 mm Outlander = 1810 mm The Outlander does have more height 75 mm extra, BUT the OB's ground clearance is 200 mm, while the Mitsie's is 190 mm The mpg will be a big difference. I'm coming from a Skoda Yeti diesel 4x4 manually transmission which averaged around 53 mpg, while the OB (2.5 SE Premium Gen5) only does 35.7 mpg, and that's according to the onboard computer which might 'flatter' the actual mpg. To be fair, that's carrying a fullsize alloy spare wheel and driving with the sidelights on (so alternator constantly working) and along mainly twisty A and B rural roads with lots of hills - v little motorway or dual carriageway stuff and I never use the stop-start. The OB is my first 'automatic' and I really like the CVT overall. Subaru now stake their reputation on the CVT in most of their new cars worldwide. Subaru CVTs in the UK are 'sealed for life' - so none servicable. If they ever went wrong over here, with anything less than 150,000 miles plus (?), then Subaru would have a lot of explain to do or would have to show you'd seriously misused the transmission, or else their reputation would be tatters. I think the OB is a great car and the Gen5 are currently at a bit of a discount (although this is an expensive time to buy any new or used car) as there's a new OB Gen6 out since July. To be honest, the OB is never going to be a 'thrifty' car to own, so I would never have used it for my daily commuting in the past due to its size and running costs, but that's not what I want it for now. I'm looking for reliability, safety, mild off-road ability, load carrying ability - car camping, etc. Oh and yeah, Subaru are different (and not a BMW, Merc or Audi like everyone else seems to drive 🙂 ). Good luck with your decision making. I had looked at the Mitsubishi Shogun Sport as another alternative, but with Mitsubishi leaving the UK and Europe, I ditched that idea, even though they've promised to provide parts for the next 10 yrs to customers. Also considered were the Subaru Forester - great looking car with good off-road ability - but the new ones in the UK are all hybrids. The Levorg looks great too, but I needed more ground clearance. Kia/ Hyundai etc. sadly have made their new 4x4s all really super soft-roaders, so ticked off my list. Land Rover est, all over priced, for me, and seem to be bottom of all the reliability tables worldwide. Pick-ups and SSangyong? All have 4x4 systems (4H) that can't be used on a dry, hard, tarmac surface (except the Mitsi L200 with SuperSelect 2, but see above re Mitsi UK?Europe) - so all ticked off the list too. Just left the..... OB 🙂

Got it - thanks. It's a sigma M30 I believe. Here's a doc related http://www.scoobypedia.co.uk/uploads/Knowledge/sigma_m30_manual.pdf And here's a few interesting facts (well, interesting to me any road 🙂 ) 1. From another forum. re the Sigma M30 alarm on UK Subarus "If your car has a Sigma M30 alarm fitted, do not leave it within 20 feet or so of any type of fridge or freezer (LIKE IF THEY'RE IN THE GARAGE WITH THE CAR) - the electrical compressor confuses the car alarm system and the remote is also rendered useless. The only solution is to disconnect the battery and reboot the system. (or input the PIN code into the Keypad?) 2. User Features (of the Sigma M30 alarm system) The following features are switchable by the end user, using the keypad, and are detailed in the back of your operating instructions. To access this mode - turn on the vehicle ignition, press the remote button once, type one of the numbers listed in the chart below, immediately turn off the ignition. The numbers will have the following effect: .......I (especially noticed NUMBER 9...) NO 9. Turns on super-lock for next set period (allows the alarm to arm, but then shuts down the receiver. This reduces the systems current consumption if the vehicle is left for a number of weeks. The system then can only be disarmed using your PIN number , this gives protection even if your keys are stolen, whilst you are away on holiday. No. 2 above might also have saved a few Lockdown battery issues!! NOTE TO SELF - HIDE THE PIN CODE SOMEWHERE IN THE CAR!!!! Edit Update - Looks like newer versions of this alarm system no longer allow User Feature No.9 option - GRRRH

Outback Gen 5 (2020 MY)- Hidden keypad behind the driver's side fuses flap, above the bonnet release lever, and under the steering wheel. Anyone know what this is for/does? I can't see anything in the manual or online referring to it. I found this thread above which seems to refer to it (albeit missing in this poster's car).

I know it might appear a bit too early, but the nights are drawing in and I want to be prepped for this. My last four cars have all been Skodas (AWD), and every one of them had been shod with winter tyres. The last two cars in particular had a set of 'winter' alloys which I bought as Skoda were selling them off at a discount. Having two sets of wheel (summer/winter) allowed me to switch the wheels and tyres over, at home, whenever it suited me. I've searched online in all the usual places (Ebay, Gumtree, etc.) but there's nothing decent regarding Subaru OE wheels that I could find. They don't have to be new, but need to be very decent in condition. They also have to be Subaru made and for the Gen5 Outback, as I can't be arsed with insurance issues. I've signed up to a few spares companies online but have been less than impressed, as they have bombarded me with junk mail and still haven't come up with anything. When I bought the car in April, I did order and receive a new alloy spare 18” full size wheel but that cost £329. I'm reluctant to splash the cash again for that price, especially for a set of 4 (plus TPMS kit). As a last resort I might do what I did with my first Skoda which was to use the same alloys and get a local garage to switch tyres back and forth - not so convenient for me, there's a cost involved, time and cash, and I wonder about the longer term impact on tyres of being switched/stretched back and forth so often. I've thought about all-seasons, which would solve the problem. However, where I live at 1200 feet above sea level in the rural north Pennines, we get some 'inclement' weather, icy and snow. It's not unheard of for the snow plough not to be able to get up the steep lane and a snow-blower has had to be called for to sort the job out in the past. I do a far bit of rural driving over the fell/moor roads and I'm not fully convinced all seasons are right for me, just yet. What are other owners doing? Anyone using steelies?

I was quoted, by the dealer, that the OB wading depth was 580mm. He did have to get back to me with that info. after my question, so presumably he found a Subaru source? That's more than my old yeti (380mm) but obviously less than most 'full-on-' 4x4s which are usually 700mm and well above for some. Having said that the Ssangyong Rexton is a pathetic 300 mm according to SSangyong GB source!!! Rufford Ford webcams regularly show why it's ALWAYS best to avoid water... Sunk!

I whole heartedly agree with all of that. The current and growing eco damage is, ironically, also being caused by the rush to convert everything to battery power. (Rant Alert). What most so-called Green eco-warriors try to hide is the very dirty little secret about everything that runs on lithium batteries. All of these require cobalt in their manufacturer and 75% of the world's cobalt comes from the Congo basin region where it's mined predominantly by child slave labour (up to 35,000 to 38,000 kids per year work in the industry). Even The Guardian Knows the Truth! https://www.beroeinc.com/article/child-labor-and-cobalt-mining/ Amnesty International and many many more reports. I had to smile watching the BLM supporters use their mobiles phones to celebrate pulling over Colston's Stature in Bristol last year ( Bristol ) annoyed because he traded in slaves to work in plantations to supply ordinary people in Europe with cheaper sugar, yet they couldn't see they were just the same with their 'child-slave-labour' mobile phones and the like - hey ho!!! (Rant over)

And yet Subaru Japan do sell a dash cam as an accessory! Subaru Japan Dash Cam link Sorry, my Japanese isn't quite polished enough to explain all of this ( 🙂 ), and I can't see the cam's model details either. However, looks like it also works on the rear (and is that using the car's reversing rear camera?).

Apparently there's a fix for the battery under charging issue due to the 'smart'/variable charging alternator issues that seem to leave people with flat batteries, especially after short driving trips (other fixes for different problems also referred to). It entails reprogramming the car's ECU - a job for dealerships rather than DIY, apparently. Applies across the Subaru model range 2015 - 2018 except the XV (crosstrek), it seems. It might also apply to later models, or something similar perhaps? This is from Subaru of America. Dead Battery fix? Those on this forum with more technical knowledge and know-how might be able to comment further.

Brack, I thought about getting a dash cam. Does your car have Eyesight, and if so, where do you position the camera?

I'm coming directly from a Skoda Yeti too, and I don't think there's an equivalent system on the Outback that I can find. Likewise, the trip meter on the Yeti allowed me to stop (for up to 2 hours) the car and, for example, refuel and grab a coffee as part of a single trip without resetting itself in distance or time travelled (driving). Not the same on the OB. Sometimes Skoda really is 'simply clever' 😉

See other threads on this forum, e.g. the recent one battery issues 2020 0utback (and also threads on the USA forum subaruoutback.org) for, hopefully, a solution to help prevent this in future (spoiler alert: always drive with your sidelights on to force the alternator - which charges the car's battery - to operate and so always recharge the battery and keep it topped up). Apparently, modern subarus, like lots of other modern cars, have a battery charging algorithm that shuts the alternator off to flatter the mpg figures. The alternator only kicks in when the battery is very low and, I've read, this has a long term negative effect on the battery and its longevity. There might be other more sophisticated explanations, but that's my lay person, simple understanding, of what's going on. I'm sure I'll be corrected if need be 🙂

That's right. And the best way to 'deactivate' the alarm's internal sensor if, for example, you leave a dog locked in the car or your granny, and you don't want the alarm to go off, is to twist it so it points down and away from the bulk of the car's interior. I think you can probably deactivate the internal sensor by going through the car's infotainment menu, but I've not been able to work through that labyrinth yet to do it (so if anyone has some quicker hints than just twisting the senor down, please tell 🙂 ).

I know exactly what you mean 🙂 It's just my nerdiness (you've worked that out already, no doubt) that made me persist with the tailgate pin code!

How do you access that from the outside when the car is locked?

Re Warranty - it's worth enquiring if you can buy an extended warranty from Subaru UK (many manufacturers offer this at purchase, from new). The old 5 year warranty was made up of 3 yrs Subaru (Global) , bumper to bumper, plus a 2 year Subaru (UK) add-on covering engine and transmission (only). The new OB (depending on the version) comes with extra kit that the Gen5 only had available as accessories. The Gen6 also has an extra 13mm of ground clearance compared to the Gen5 - that's a big plus for some. Mind you, there are some good Gen5 discounts to be had currently if you check autotrader.

I'm not sure if this is old news to more established Subaru owners, but after the 'batteries issues' thread I found a way to access factory and dealership settings via the infotainment screen, gleaned from a US website. Works on the Gen5, Gen6 OB and maybe on Levorg and XV, Impreza too if they have the same infotainmnet system. To access Factory settings - press and hold the 'home' button (the house icon) on the main infotainmnet screen, while simultaneously pressing the tune/scroll button x2. Gives access to a wide range of settings, information and possible adjustments. To access Dealer settings - press and hold the home button, while simultaneously pressing the tune/scroll button x6. Works with the engine running or not, but with acc on. Both of the above show what I was searching for - the battery charging rate and state. Mine was 14.4 v while running, and 12.2 v while engine off (but side lights and radio on - no a/c on). Needless to say I didn't change anything. As they say 'a little knowledge....'

Les, that's also a good idea if you, for example, pitch a tent next to the car (within range of the car door) so avoiding anyone unwelcome trying to access the car. It's also worth checking if the 'live' fob is detected by your car when the car is on the drive at home, or anywhere in range of where the keys are normally stored.

Does the XV also have the pin access code on the boot like the OB? I set mine up as soon as I got the car as its useful should you find yourself locked out and/or with the keys locked inside. It designed for those who do outdoor activities, especially water sports, when carrying the non-waterproof key fob can be an issue. 'Secret' pin code set-up The link above shows a Gen6 OB but it also applies to the Gen5

Here's the latest from the OB thread I mentioned before, which seems to summarise the issue/problem and also offer a solution. "This issue has been discussed MANY times. Some of the comments in this thread have it correct. This method of battery charging is not unique to Subaru, but is used by several auto manufacturers. The reason - in order to squeeze a tiny bit more fuel efficiency, the alternator is shut off while running. Presumably, it is supposed to put enough charge back to the battery by periodically cycling on during running. Unfortunately, the method is not that great and does lead to battery undercharging. The result is shortened battery life and occasional non-starting. While the OEM battery is not the greatest, it is adequate for this size vehicle. Even with a high quality, high capacity replacement, the charging algorithm will eventually lead to any battery running down. As some have mentioned, turning on the parking lights will tell the ECM to bypass this mode, and run the alternator full-time. Yes it does. One can simply leave these on all the time, or even do a little modification to one of the wires leading to the ECM. The better solution is to have the dealer reprogram the ECM with a new update that eliminates this unnecessary/unwanted characteristic. After two battery failures and replacements, I've had this done - for free (as it is their poor choice). Since then, my Outback battery running voltage has been a steady 14.2 - 14.4 Volts (yes, on a calibrated voltmeter). It is definitely worth getting this done." (from subaruoutback.org )

I appreciate why you feel the need to do that. No one likes to feel vulnerable and potentially stuck with a 'dead' car, especially if away from home. But it's annoying to have to go to those lengths. Is the car still under warranty? It can't be right that a modern car has such a chronically persistent issue - if that's what it is. Rather undermines Subaru's boasts of reliability if it can't be solved.

I should have added, I turned all of my internal lights off, and have left them off, weeks ago. There's also an interesting thread currently on this issue here currently (no pun intended 🙂 ) subaruoutback.org

I'd also read about this being a problem with Subarus too. I've just been car camping for a few nights and had the boot open for extended periods and the doors too. Fortunately no issues. Same on a previous trip away in June - boot open to provide shade. I have been following the advice of the dealership I bought the car from, who (when I mentioned the battery issue) told me to drive with the side-lights on, even on short trips. Apparently, this forces the alternator to recharge the battery. I've no idea if that's a load of codswallop (and I can't see why it wouldn't charge it anyway just like in all the other cars I've owned and never had to replace a battery for years in), but so far I've no issues with a flat battery (that'll jinx it!!). Let us know how you get on, as with winter approaching, and the nights drawing in ( 🙂 ) I want ALL the electrics to work as and when needed.

There's also this link http://jdmfsm.info/Auto/Japan/Subaru/Legacy_Outback/ which comes from this site http://jdmfsm.info/Auto/Japan/Subaru/ Although like all things you can download for 'free' on t'internet some caution is needed!

Following reading a thread about this on the US subaruoutback.org website, and the need to have Eyesight re-calibrated, I checked Autoglass' website to see what they had to say about it. Autoglass have an ADAS calibration video on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXmZbeDLPWc&t=88s explaining how they go about it. I was interested to note that they recommend a full tank of fuel and removing items from the boot when they do the re-calibration. To keep the vehicle level presumably. Elsewhere on the sight there was reference to having the system re-calibrated every time a tyre is changed or the suspension altered (££££££££££££!!). Like that's going to happen! Got me thinking. I've put a OE alloy spare wheel and tyre in my boot, and it's also stocked with emergency kit (spare outdoor clothes, tools for simple car maintenance, etc.) as I spend a lot of time out in the 'wilds'. I also drive with a fair bit of equestrian tack - saddles, reins and equine food stuff - which also can be weighty. This extra weight must already impact upon the car's Eyesight system. So, I wonder how much 'leeway' Subaru would have programmed into their Eyesight system to account for this (it is an estate, afterall). If there's a fair bit of leeway, then presumably Eyesight re-calibration can't be too precise? Anyone have any experience of windscreen replacement on a vehicle with Eyesight?

I guessed Subaru UK would not sell the Wilderness version of the OB over here, which is also a turbo, or the Touring turbo version. We're such a small market for Subaru, with very low sales columns I assume they calculated it was too expensive. Shame, I'd have really fancied a Wilderness version. There's no turbo for the new 2022 BRZ either - it looks a load-a-fun. This bloke has a theory as to why it's not needed - look away with you dislike Maths! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mcp76132_SY There's also the extra cost too. Not just of the turbo itself, but all the other mods the car requires due to the extra turbo power (gearbox, brakes, etc.), further limiting the market share due to the expenditure. I'm actually finding the power output of the OB fine for my needs. It's clearly way too heavy to be a sports model anyway. I rarely use the 'Sport' option, but I guess we all have different driving needs.