Faults:

Cv joints needed replacing. Camshaft position sensor needed to be replaced. MAF sensor needed to be taken apart and re-soldered. windows roll down on their own. Rust developing on rear panels.

General Comments:

I needed a "snow" car, and was debating between this, and an used Outback. Decided on this when I found out the 2.5L had head gasket problems. Think I made a mistake. Gas mileage from the 2.2 is on the low side for a 4-cyl (20 city, 27 highway, 22 overall), and power is adequate at best. Would have preferred the extra grunt of the 2.5.

Anyway, since I bought it used, I expected it to have some problems. Worn CV joints being one of them. The check engine light flashing, it dying on the highway 3 times, and refusing to start 5 times weren't. Camshaft sensor fixed the starting problem, but the MAF was a nightmare. Car would suddenly slam forward, like the transmission locked, then sputter out and refuse to run. Turns out a connection for the wires leading from the sensor, INSIDE the housing for sensor were bad, so replacing the sensor to the tune of $200 did nothing. It was an easy fix, though, once I found out what was wrong. Just pulled the cap off the sensor housing on the air intake and re-soldered the connection.

Once I got past those quirks, the car became my buddy. It's like a Jeep in the snow, takes muddy construction sites like a truck, and I can throw anything and everything in it. I'm surprised how versatile a wagon is. Seats are comfortable, it has the best air conditioner of any car I've owned, and apart from some rust, it doesn't look 12 years old. Only things I dislike are the frame-less windows that somehow manage to creep down after a few days, and the flat-engine vibration at idle. Doesn't bother me all that much though, and I actually enjoy this car enough to consider buying a new one despite the initial problems.

Faults:

Wiper motor (221,000)

Gas tank fill pipe (222,000)

Exhaust system (244,000)

Wheel bearings (243,000)

Crank position sensor (238,000)

Engine knock sensor (constant)

Timing belt (225,000)

Clutch (needs replacing)

Front seats have very poor support. Hard to drive long distances.

General Comments:

Bought this car because the engine had been rebuilt at 135K. Also, we wanted AWD to get to a cottage during the winter months.

Overall this car has been a disappointment. Reliability is not great and the cost of replacement parts is very high (there is very little in the way of after market parts producers). I researched Honda, Toyota, and Subaru carefully before buying the Subaru. Next car will be a Honda or Toyota (1999-2002).

Faults:

Very little has gone wrong with this car.

A couple of interior lights have burnt out.

Brake pads and the alternator needed replacing at about 100,000 kilometres (in 2001) and there was some carbon buildup in the engine at about the same time, which is easily corrected.

No problems have arisen since then.

General Comments:

The first reason this car was purchased was for its All-Wheel Drive, enabling it to handle outstandingly in snowy winter weather. There are simply no other cars that I have seen that can outperform this Sooby in the worst weather conditions; it has never gotten stuck and never needed to double any hill regardless of the road surface.

However, the car is great in many other respects as well. It's a very relaxing car to drive, with stable handling, precise and communicative steering, and a ride that's firm yet comfortable and well-controlled. The engine, while not overly powerful, responds quickly and fades to a gentle murmur at cruising speeds. It's a stable cruiser and cruise control helps keep the speed in check, which can otherwise creep up very easily.

The interior of the car demonstrates excellent fit and finish, and the lack of rattles and squeaks after more than 160,000 kilometres is a tribute to the car's solid construction.

The controls are logical and easy to use, and the low hood and frameless windows provide excellent visibility all around. The seats are supportive and roomy, and the cargo area is generous.

Gripes? Well, not many. The brake pedal is spongy, and, like other automatic-transmission Subarus of its era, it has a rough idle. The cabin is a bit narrow for three in the rear seat. That's about it...

This car became a second car when another Legacy (1998 Wagon) was bought in 2002, which demonstrated the same reliability and unbeatable bad-weather performance. A switch to any other carmaker at this point would simply not happen.

Faults:

One spark plug wire failed several years ago and a main engine oil seal began to leak recently.

General Comments:

Never have I felt so safe and secure as in this Subaru Outback. Roadholding is top-notch, handling is almost faultless, brakes secure, and the body structure is very solid and stiff.

The combination of Subaru's good steering feel, balanced suspension, AWD and ABS makes for an enormously capable, controllable machine that is the driver's best friend in any situation. You'd have to so something really dumb to trip up this Subaru.

I like my particular car better than the new Subarus. Though they are more refined and luxurious, they do not have the sporty feel and feedback mine has with the 5-speed gearbox and 50/50 drive setup, which means all the wheels are driving under normal circumstances.

These cars are true automotive hardware: purposeful, sturdy, long-lived, sensible, capable, and simply smart.

Faults:

Thermostat needed to be replaced. Dealer had said I must replace the water pump but it was not so.

General Comments:

Car handles excellent. Minimal problems and very dependable.

Very comfortable even in the back seats. Back seats fold down for extra space.