I tried it and nothing felt wrong except maybe some vibration in the stick when accelerating in 4th gear (will ask to check that).
I was looking at older posts and I found lots of people saying they burned clutches early or that the 1st is too tall.
I won't be towing anything regularly. However I will probably do some traffic. I don't mind the traffic, I'm just worried about the clutch.
Now is the time for happy 6MT owners to voice their happiness
I haven't owned anything with an automatic for nearly a decade, and part of the reason I have a '13 OB is because I was betting on Subaru ditching the manual.
1) Stick vibration under load in 4th is normal. I've read about it elsewhere, never had a problem, fluid has always been clean when changing it.
2) I don't necessarily think 1st is too tall as a practical matter, but it's a combination of how tall 1st is and how heavy the OB is relative to its power. It takes a fair bit of clutch and/or revs to get going (whereas I'm in gear under 1000 rpm in anything else I own, the OB is routinely 1200, and I often find myself getting lazy with it and going up to 1400-1600). That said, the clutch is okay so far with 80,000 miles. I do worry about the abuse it takes, however.
Granted, I have the '13 with the FB, you have the EJ. I've owned both engines and they perform similarly (I'd argue the FB is better in this application anyway). I'm lukewarm on mine, the manual feels like an afterthought. Can't specifically speak to how the EJ performs with it, though I assume they're very similar.
2011 6MT here. We've had it a little over 5 years, purchased new. Nearly 38K miles so far. The first 4 years were pretty much all long highway trips. Since January 2015, it's been pretty much all short trip city driving.
It's been fine. Yes, the 6MT seems a bit of an afterthought, but it works fine. 1st is a little tall, but once you get used to it, proper use of the clutch makes that a non-issue. You can't just drop the clutch and cheat like you can in a Honda Civic, though. I wouldn't want to use it for any serious slow speed off-road (tried it) because the clutch gets hot really quick when you're trying to crawl over a rock or out of a mud hole. We have a Jeep with a proper 4-lo transfer case for that stuff now.
The stick vibrating a little in 4th is something we've seen with ours. I've wondered if it was something wrong, but it never got worse, so I haven't been worried about it.
Every once in awhile, we give it an Italian tune-up by running up to 60 MPH in 3rd getting on the highway. That's always fun. >
We give it the best fluids (high quality synthetics all around) during maintenance (all DIY here) so I have some leeway on maintenance intervals without worry about excessive wear or damage. We intend to keep it for as long as it continues to be reliable, which looks to be the foreseeable future.
It's never been in the shop for anything other than fitting new tires. Stock rubber was done at 21K miles with lots of high speed gravel driving.
If we ever total it in a wreck or something, we'll probably get another.
I've got 72k on my 2013 Outback 6mt. Short-block was replaced at 65k due to oil-consumption issues. While they had everything apart, I told them to let me know if clutch was OK, as I was planning on keeping the car for a VERY long time. My thinking was to just pay for parts (while everything was already apart) for a new clutch if it was significantly worn. Dealer said it looked good and was NOT necessary to replace it.
I usually keep cars for 150k. Have never replaced a clutch. I think you'll be fine.
Have 65k on mine, throwout bearing is bad, will be covered under extended warranty, and Subaru will install new clutch parts (that I buy) for free since they are in there anyway. First is too tall to maneuver a tent trailer, so is reverse. And 5th is irrelevant, never need to use it.
Cannot pull a 1200lb tent trailer up an 8% grade from a stop, due to tall 1st. After nearly 5 years, still sometimes can't find 3rd or 4th, from the tight pattern.
Other than that, shifts about as good as my 86 Land Cruiser, almost tractor like.
I'd go for a 13 or later with a CVT next time, if I wanted to tow.
I'm at 70k on my '12 6MT. First is too tall, and it feels like a gearbox from a pickup truck. Mine vibrates in fourth a bit, especially because I have the solid bronze shifter bushing
It's still a manual transmission, so I enjoy it. The saddest thing I've run into was a Goodyear tire shop that didn't know how to drive it well and burnt up some of the clutch... :/
ie In city urban driving / towing boats / trailers and manouvring / reversing them on slopes etc where clutch use is more - life of clutch will be shorter compared to more open road / freeway use.
160K miles before clutch needed to be replaced on previous 01 2.5 D/R Outback (1 previous owner)
125K miles before clutch replaced on GL Subaru D/R [before Outbacks]
(2 previous owners)
2014 2.5i 6mt with 190k miles. 100k driven in the mountains. 4th gear vibration normal. 6th gear overdrive is great for mpg on long trips and for smooth hwy cruising. Slowly starting to look for a replacement as it is getting tough to get it into first and a choppy 2nd when cold. The car is underpowered but you can still get the occasional citation. Fun in the twisties while meshing gears....going vroom!
2010 6MT here. I know it's an old post but the guy above me rebirthed it so here I am.
4th gear vibration-normal. Won't go away.
6th-great for flat areas, no power whatsoever though.
5th is useless and almost like it doesn't exist. Need to drop into at least 4th to make power. 3rd up steep hills or when towing with momentum.
First clutch changed at 150K. At 232K now with engine problems that may boat anchor this beast but the clutch is still strong.
Do a fair amount of offroading to get to rock climbing and backcountry destinations. Not ideal in a manual, but I have always made it work. Stalls every so often, I pick up my pride, I move on.
Overall, I enjoy it. I think driving standard engages you moreso than automatics. But, at this point, thanks to the fact that I own a liter bike too, I'd get a truck or something a little more offroad and towing capable that is automatic without being too sad about it. That's partially influenced by my disappointment in this car being on its last leg. I'd really love a Forester XT manual but don't want to pay for premium fuel.
We have a 2013 with a 6-speed stick. Love it to death! Car drives and shifts to perfection. A MT is a great way to deal with a slightly underpowered engine. We have an almost identical car with the CVT and it's an absolute pig by comparison.
The cars should have regular handbrakes though. I don't care for the electronic one, especially in the car with the stickshift.
I don't understand how this mythology of "first gear is too tall" started. The Gen4 first gear is actually geared slightly lower than previous generations.
There's no doubt that a low-range transfer case would be incredibly useful for doing hard stuff like pulling heavy trailers up ramps. But the gearing is completely normal for general road use.
I would argue that the Gen4 Outback 6MT is one of the better products Subaru has ever made. The stickshift can be easily tightened up using a couple of simple aftermarket parts developed for the STI boys -- a shift stop limited and a solid brass rear bushing. The hydraulic clutch is one of the best offered in a modern car. Moderate pressure, very predictable engagement point that's low in the stroke, short throw.
For good drivers who know how to use a clutch correctly, the service life is very, very long. Driving in traffic or anywhere else, don't slip the clutch. Just a tiny bit starting out and then get it engaged and move your foot off the pedal. What kills clutch discs is someone who tries to feather the car forward using less than full-on clutch engagement, or who touches the pedal constantly with their foot, unwittingly disengaging the discs just enough to allow wear.
I have a 2014 6MT and am very happy with it. The only thing I did was replace the sway bar bushings with stiffer ones to keep it from rocking. Now handles much like my 1997 5MT Legacy wagon. No worries with the gearing (tall 1st) you will adapt and stop noticing.
Agree with the poster who said a manual transmission “is a great way to deal with a slightly underpowered engine”.
The car has the electronics I want and not what I don’t want! The only thing I would like to add, maybe, is a backup camera.
The original clutch on my 1997 lasted 180K. Hoping this one does, too. I bought the car used, no sign of hard use. Feeling like I made a great choice.
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