Originally Posted by
KoKoBuddy
I don't know if It'd say it's enormous. But it is definitely bigger in 2011 than it was in 2010 and before. It went from a wagon to a X-over which I think was a bad move on Subaru's part. Now it's barely distinguishable from the 300 other X-overs out there whereas the previous model was one of a kind in the way it looked.
Totally agree with you there. Now the Outback does battle against the Ford Flex, Chevy Equinox, Toyota Venza, maybe even the Buick Enclave which is the size of a C-130. As for its size... I get in behind Outbacks on the freeway and I'm struck by how much bigger they are than surrounding cars -- they tower over standard Camrys, Accords, Malibus, etc.
Originally Posted by KoKoBuddy
It gets better than 18 MPG. The 4 cylinder is about 30 hwy. And keep in mind that's with full time AWD. The vast majority of Outbacks are the 4 cylinder variety.
EPA has the 4cyl @ 19 city, 27 hwy, and I expect the 6cyls are a little worse... but I can't talk. My '99 Volvo V70AWD 5cyl gets about 17/24... it's a real brick. Our independent Volvo mechanic, BTW, says any Volvo built after 2001 or so is a real mistake -- and flimsy compared to the pre-FoMoCo cars. He's actually taken me through an older / newer comparison and you can see where stuff that used to be sheet metal started to be made of plastic, and rivets became IKEA-style plastic fasteners, etc. Wouldn't touch another Volvo on a bet. They were cheaping out to hold costs down (and pay for Swedish marathon maternity leaves with full pay, etc.) long before the Chinese sale.
Can't argue about the build quality and longevity of the Subies, I just wish there were more options between them and the Audi / BMW level.