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2015 Outback/Legacy/Forester

6K views 21 replies 18 participants last post by  rationalblue 
#1 ·
I am having a hard time trying to decide between a 2015 Legacy , Outback and a Forester. Considering the 2.5 L with Eyesight/Nav etc.

I am very short and would like to have a car that offers good visibility.
I was initially considering Legacy and Outback, but have read that Forester has a better visibility over all?

1. I am interested in knowing if there's much difference in the overall visibility/blindspots between an outback, Legacy or a Forester.

2. Which one would you consider? Our other vehicle is a Pilot and I currently drive a sedan. We currently don't do any off-roading (don't know if we will once the kids are a little older) and live in an area that sees a good amount of snow.

3.Does Outback offer any advantages with visibility over a Legacy for a short driver like me?

I will go back and test drive all of them but when I did test drive Legacy and Outback, I didn't personally notice much visibility advantage in an outback over a legacy. (My husband thinks visibility would be better for me in an Outback over a Legacy because of the ride height). Any thoughts?

Any other inputs/thoughts are welcome!

Thank you in advance!! Your responses are much appreciated!
 
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#2 ·
We purchased the outback to replace a 2008 highlander. The forester ride was way to harsh and the outback was similar to the highlander, a wee bit more firm, but overall a great ride. We did not drive the legacy as we needed a car with easy in and easy out (I have a bad back). Hope this helps.
 
#3 ·
I have now driven all 3 and think the overall visibility in the Forester is better than the Outback or Legacy. The Forester has a very open feel. I have driven most of the CUV class vehicles and the Forester has better sight lines than any of them IMHO. I would imagine a shorter driver would like it very much.

A common knock on the Forester is the short seat bottom of the front seats, likely not an issue for you. Another current difference is the navigation system has not yet been updated in the Forester whereas the Outback/Legacy has the new system. Obviously not a factor if you are not planning on getting the navigation system.

Rated mileage is also very good, if visibility is a priority for you I think the Forester is definitely worth a spin before deciding. For some reason, maybe the CVT ratio programming, the 4 cyl feels a little peppier in the Forester too (even the non-turbo one), even though the weights are pretty close to each other. Good luck with your decision.

I agree with Spotted Cow the ride of the 2015 Outback/Legacy is more comfortable than the Forester.
 
#5 ·
You should try a limited outback with the electric seat adjustment at the highest and then a forester at the dealer . It should be easy to decide btw them. With all the driving aids of the outback the little difference in visibility is not a big factor. But it apply to a legacy too...driving aids are really helping and proper seat and driving wheels position are very important when trying to compare cars on a test drive. Yes the forester as a better visibility but this is not that much more. When you balance all the other factors ...you could make a decision not only based on one factor ...it's how you feel in the vehicle globally that's count. Personally I choose a outback but visibility was maybe 20 % of that choice after all...
 
#4 · (Edited)
On my advice, my son bought the Forester; its image suits young, dynamic professionals. I initially decided to get the Legacy for its better drivability, agility, comfort and fun. Compared to the (non-turbo) Forester, the Outback/Legacy has X-mode, second gen EyeSight, rear-radar system, active torque vectoring, and more luxurious interior quality. The Outback has the most cargo space--with the seats down two persons can sleep comfortably just in case. I didn't go with the Legacy for one main reason: its low ground clearance would scrape my sloping driveway, bumpers touching front and back curbs, and doors scraping the side walk.

Visibility of any of the 3 models is far better than I had with the Camry.
 
#6 ·
I chose Outback premium. The power seat can be raised to improve your visibility. Forester does have the best visibility, a little better than Outback. However, the ride is quite harsh. I had driven Foresters for a few days. Couldn't stand those anymore. No comparison against Outbacks.
 
#8 ·
My wife and I are both 5' 4" tall. We test drove a Forester, a Legacy, and an Outback before deciding. We chose the Legacy ... a Premium with Eyesight/SRVD.

After our test drives, both of us rated the Forester (our original top candidate) last of the three vehicles. We both liked the Outback, but its handling felt "ponderous" compared to the crisp response of the Legacy. We liked the additional ground clearance and cargo capacity of the Outback, but the Legacy will be fully suitable for 98+ percent of our driving needs ... and we can always rent something different for those 1% missions.

Our advice? Test drive all three and decide for yourself. YMMV.
 
#10 ·
We had the same dilemma, drove all three, the Outback, Forester, and Legacy. The Outback was a better fit do to the better seats, I needed the memory seat for the driver as my wife is 5'2" and I'm 5'11" It's a real pain to manually adjust the seats and mirrors every time. I also found both the Outback/Legacy to be more upscale as far as the interior goes. Nothing wrong with the Forester, it's just more for the rugged outdoors type. If you live in an area that has a fair amount of snow, then get a Subaru! I'm replacing my old 98 Outback with a 2015 Outback 3.6R Limited with Eye-Sight, just waiting for delivery....one of these days! I would really recommend the Outback simply for it's versatility and the amount of stuff it can swallow. A wagon just makes way more sense then a sedan as I've learned with my other car, a 4 door Mercedes sedan. I wished when I purchased the MB that I went with a wagon! Which ever way you go I'm sure you can't go wrong with a Subaru.
 
#11 ·
Drive them. "Visibility" is subjective to a degree, i don't see any difference between Subaru's regarding visibility except ride height.

If there's any chance for family growth, travel, pets, hobbies, etc - for instance you're in a season of life where those may increase, that would require more space i'd get the one with more cargo room every time.
 
#12 ·
Before we bought our '15 Outback we leased a '12 Legacy. We also heavily test drove the Forrester. We were in the same situation as you in a lot of ways - my wife is short, we have 2 kids.

When our lease on the Legacy wasn't up we started test driving the Outback and Forrester as well as a new Legacy.

My wife did not like the Forrester because - it was a pain to "climb up into", it rode rough like a truck, and it is too narrow inside. Sure enough, the Outback will hold 2 booster seats for our 5/7yo boys and one car seat for our 4 yo niece, the Forrester does not. Note - the Legacy is also big enough to hold the 3 seats.

For these reasons she was sold on the Outback.
For me, it felt like with the Outback we were getting much more vehicle for not much more money.

Several thousand miles in we have no complaints. Visibility is as good if not better than the Legacy, back camera is nice. We would do Outback all over again
 
#14 ·
We own both the 2015 Forester touring and 2015 Outback limited. The wife has the Forester and which I have driven 8 - 9 times, and can say that the Forester definitely has better visibility. First off I would not change out of the Outback limited I love the car. It has quirks just like every other car on the road, but if your concern is viability the forester puts you in an upright position with a huge windshield for great viability. More truck like in its ride but we have found that brining the tire pressure down to Subaru spec the ride is not overly harsh. The wife does local suburban driving and is happy with her decision with the Forester, she prefers the more upright driving position. her previous ride was a Honda minivan.
 
#15 ·
I appreciate all the responses! Thank you!

Today, I test drove all three.. Legacy, Outback and Forrester. Forrester looked like it had little better overall visibility. However, with higher seat settings on the outback/legacy, I had a comfortable ride. I liked the nicer interiors of Legacy/Outback.

Now, I am trying to decide between Legacy 2.5i L and Outback 2.5i L. I liked them both. I am just wondering if I would need the extra cargo room in the outback, considering we use our pilot on long trips or if we need to carry extra stuff. The price difference is not too huge between the two and is making the decision even harder. I currently drive a sedan.

Any thoughts?

Also, if anyone has worked out a good deal on a 2015 Legacy/Outback in the Salt Lake City - Utah area, please share information about the dealer.
 
#16 ·
I was looking at the 2014 Forrester, 2015 Outback, and 2015 Legacy myself. Ended up buying a Outback limited because it was a nicer overall car than the Forrester. The Legacy ride height was not suitable for winter snowstorm in the Northeast. I dont know how bad winter can get in Utah, but in a snow storm or flood. The extra ground clearance really make life easier on the road.
 
#18 ·
I think you will appreciate ... the extra space between the road and bottom of the car with the Outback...The Outback will go in deeper snow better...Also better off-road ability with the ground clearance.
Why is this the case? Isn't the ground clearance identical for both vehicles (8.7")?

I see they have different approach and departure angles -- does that make a difference?

Does x-mode make a difference here -- looks like not all Foresters have it whereas all Outbacks do.
 
#21 ·
I have never been a Foz fan though I love the FXT (the turbo version).

So long as we speak about the base engines of each model, I find hard time understanding the Foz's appeal: it is not much cheaper but it is a lower class car (Impreza vs. Legacy platform) with much less refined interior, harsher ride, less cargo space, and an annoying lack of paddle shifters.

But, yes, it surely has better visibility though the OB's is not nearly as awful as that of many other current cars and CUVs that privilege style over function.
 
#22 ·
I have a outback premium 2015 with eyesight and just finished 1k mile road trip. People told me that the subaru has a very good visibility. However I just partially agree. The problem is that the eyesight, rear mirror and garmin gps occupy a lot of front window. Normally in the middle. I know it is not a key area. But still worry about ignoring some cars or people.
 
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