Did you not use a torque wrench on the oil filter housing?
Subaru Outback vs Forester
- Thread starter burbguy82
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I always use a 3/8 digital torque wrench on those.
Currently have a '16 Forester and '20 Outback XT (turbo engine). Before that, had a 1999 Legacy GT Wagon. That car is still on the road in hands of young relative, with 240k miles. All these cars have been very reliable. Only major repairs needed were on the '99, which needed headgaskets at 120k miles (a known problem, no longer an issue with current generation Subarus) and a radiator replacement at 220K miles.
Subaru crash ratings are among best in industry. The AWD system can't be beat.
If you are choosing between the Forester and Outback: Do a meaningful test drive of both vehicles. The Forester has a more upright driving position, shorter bottom seat cushions, and arguably better visibility. The Outback IMO is a much nicer car for long drives. My Outback is in fact the most comfortable, smooth and quiet car I have ever owned in 50+ years of driving experience. I very much like the power of the Turbo option on the Outback which is not available on the Forester. (I get 29 mpg on interstate and 22-24 mpg on short trips around town). Forester and Outback have similar cargo volumes but in different shapes, with the Forester cargo area taller but shorter.
Subaru crash ratings are among best in industry. The AWD system can't be beat.
If you are choosing between the Forester and Outback: Do a meaningful test drive of both vehicles. The Forester has a more upright driving position, shorter bottom seat cushions, and arguably better visibility. The Outback IMO is a much nicer car for long drives. My Outback is in fact the most comfortable, smooth and quiet car I have ever owned in 50+ years of driving experience. I very much like the power of the Turbo option on the Outback which is not available on the Forester. (I get 29 mpg on interstate and 22-24 mpg on short trips around town). Forester and Outback have similar cargo volumes but in different shapes, with the Forester cargo area taller but shorter.
Lol...I know what you mean, just reads funny...
CX5 is a pleasure to drive but a little pricey, down here. Rav 4 is reliable. I prefer 2w drive and inline engines. .02
Other than their AWD system, I don't have a lot of love for them.
Ahh not so much on the Grand Cherokee....the V8s are gone (those could tow 7200 lbs) and were very hard to find even in the last 5 years, unless you bought the higher trim levels that also stuck you with the trouble prone air suspension and wrinkle prone leather dash cover. So most you will find are Pentastar V6s, with no low range on the transfer case and they are rated to tow about 6200 I think.
That's why I still have my '07 Grand Cherokee 5.7. I like it better than what they have been building the last 10 years or so.
We also have a '17 Forester (73,000 miles). In general it has been very good, problems we had, have all been covered under extended warrantee programs on certain parts:
AC condenser
shifter (could not remove key)
rear hatch struts
front control arm sway bar bushings
all this was covered free of charge no questions asked.
The CVT, I am still not used to, but the car performs much better than our first Subaru ('98 Outback) which had the same size engine and the 4 speed auto. That one was great up to about 110,000 miles then it had a whole passel of headaches:
head gaskets (blew at 109,000, fixed it, then blew again at 186,000)
wheel bearings
CV axles
sensors (anti knock sensor, speed sensor)
gas fill pipe rotted out and leaked gas on the driveway
But my better half likes Subarus so we got the '17 Forester lol.
For myself I'd like a BRZ.
Our indiana built 2018 base Outback is much tighter, quieter, nicer interior IMO, than my parents 2016 japanese loaded Forester.
Don't know about the new ones, but drive them both, even with the same drivetrain, they are quite different feeling vehicles. If you actually do some off roading where the approach, departure angles matter, the Outback isn't great, and its a bigger footprint, which never helps. Forester Wilderness I guess would be significantly better, but I don't know how much the wilderness packages really do, but I don't think 1" higher would really help ours significantly... Maybe the tires would help, but I'm not really going to tackle much more difficult obstacles without skid plates, winch, real off road gear, and then I rather have my old Tracker back or a Jeep! Submerging hubs and drivetrain components isn't for me for a DD.
Don't know about the new ones, but drive them both, even with the same drivetrain, they are quite different feeling vehicles. If you actually do some off roading where the approach, departure angles matter, the Outback isn't great, and its a bigger footprint, which never helps. Forester Wilderness I guess would be significantly better, but I don't know how much the wilderness packages really do, but I don't think 1" higher would really help ours significantly... Maybe the tires would help, but I'm not really going to tackle much more difficult obstacles without skid plates, winch, real off road gear, and then I rather have my old Tracker back or a Jeep! Submerging hubs and drivetrain components isn't for me for a DD.
Subarus started going with their 1 Billion $$ Global Platform starting in 2018.
The benefits are supposedly:
• Body rigidity improved 70 percent to 100 percent
• Center of gravity lowered for better handling
• Collision impact absorption improved by 40 percent
• Noise and vibration reduced by 15 percent
I can't say I noticed my '22 Forester bein better than my '18 Forester. But the XT does have, by design a more firm ride.
I what year did blown head gaskets become a thing of the past.
About ten years ago.
Before we bought our '22 Forester about two years ago, my wife test drove both the Forester and Outback. In basic terms the Outback is more like driving a car and the Forester is more like driving a truck/SUV. She was coming from a Jeep she had owned for eight years and preferred the Forester. A small thing I preferred was that the Forester still has the climate and volume buttons, heated seat switches etc as separate buttons and not part of the screen like the Outback. The screen is smaller because of that though.
That probably just means the Forester doesn't have the new interior yet. It's coming.
2025
I really like the Outback as it feels more like a sedan but still has the same ground clearance as the Forester. Forester is a little nicer if you're tall and want space inside, but I'm 6'2" and don't feel uncomfortable in the Outback.
This Toyota Mechanic did a deep dive mechanical review on 2024 crosstrek, impreza, and ascent. This is the link for the Crosstrek.
Just got a 2024 ONYX XT Outback. 800 miles so far..great car. Plenty of power, smooth ride and no complaints about the CVT and this is from a guy who has bought only manual tranny cars since 1964*
The dealers lot was FULL of cars…$2700 of of sticker.
*The wife has had a couple of automatics
The dealers lot was FULL of cars…$2700 of of sticker.
*The wife has had a couple of automatics
Good Deal!!!Just got a 2024 ONYX XT Outback. 800 miles so far..great car. Plenty of power, smooth ride and no complaints about the CVT and this is from a guy who has bought only manual tranny cars since 1964*
The dealers lot was FULL of cars…$2700 of of sticker.
*The wife has had a couple of automatics
can't speak about the Outback but according to many, it handles more like a "car" and more comfortable on long road trips compared to the Forester. And Outback has more power because it has FI whereas the Forester has no turbo option. I chose the Forester because I plan to keep it for long term, no turbo means less complicated and less maintenance down the road. You can also feel that you sit higher on the Forester. Plenty of space for me, my wife and two kids plus a dog crate at the back. Just added a roof box for more cargo capacity. Very useful for the camping chairs and some firewoods. Turning one year with 20k kms and no complaints so far. Easy to do the oil change because the oil filter is at the top. Serpentine belt, alternator I think is easily accessible. Sparkplugs, not that easy but doable. Another added maintenance item is the front and rear differential oil.
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