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Outback vs Forester vs XV

7K views 19 replies 15 participants last post by  Brettcr 
#1 ·
Been driving a 2015 Outback since last November and have really enjoyed it. My wife has liked the Outback much more than expected so she is now thinking about one of the smaller Subarus to replace her Mini Clubman.

So, today we drove the Outback over to our dealer to test drive a Forester and a Crosstrek XV. To our surprise, the Crosstrek driving experience was much closer to the Outback than the Forester. In terms of handling, suspension and even seating position, the XV was almost a small carbon copy of the Outback we arrived in. While not as quiet and refined as the Outback, it was still a fun car to drive.

In contrast, the Forester's ride was much choppier than either over rough pavement, cornering had a completely different feel and the seating position seemed awkward -- it just wasn't as natural a fit as the others. The interior appearance was nicer than the XV (but not as nice as the Outback) but if driving takes priority, our definite preference was for the XV over the Forester.

The wife still wants to think about this some more. She loves her Mini but the car is a bit on the noisy side and any hint of rough pavement certainly leaves its mark on your body. With the increasing ratio of bad roads to good ones, that's a big issue. It will be interesting to see what my wife ends up deciding.
 
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#2 ·
I have never driven an XV but I like its interior way better than the Forester's.

Indeed, though I am somewhat of a Subie old-timer now, the popularity of the Foz baffles me.

The FXT is fantastic. But the regular Foz is--to me--a non-starter vs. the H4 OB.

The XV, as the Foz, is Impreza-based. But at least it is different enough from the OB size-wise.

You would not be the first family with the same cars either...we have two H6 5 EAT VTD cars even though it would have made more sense to have an Impreza in lieu of one of them....

Get what you like, especially in the Foz case the price difference is too small to justify the downgrade.

My 2c.
 
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#4 ·
My daughter called me last night, she had been test-driving new cars and wanted to get my take on things. She is looking at a small SUV/wagon which includes Subaru Crosstrek, VW Tiguan and Mazda CX5.

She is a 'spirited' driver and really likes to drive my Baja Turbo when she visits.

She thought the Mazda handled awful (too much lean) and the Crosstrek was underpowered (no passing power) For her, the VW Tiguan had both power and handling.

Her main complaint - she cannot find any MANUAL xmissions on small SUVs.

I suggested she considers the BMW X3 ( if she wins the lottery :) )
 
#8 ·
Her main complaint - she cannot find any MANUAL xmissions on small SUVs.

I suggested she considers the BMW X3 ( if she wins the lottery :) )
I believe the BMW X1 and Mazda CX5 offer manual, per Edmunds (I strong prefer a manual, but they are getting increasingly hard to find, and even when offered, usually come with very limited # of options.. they seem to assume those of us who prefer manuals are simply cheap... which is not the case)

EDIT: I had a 2014 Crosstrek as a loaner for 2 weeks (not sure how different the 2015 is/not).. IMO a non-trivial step down, not just in size, but sound proofing, interior quality, etc.
 
#5 ·
When my wife wanted to buy a small SUV, she drove the CX5 and hated it. Then, she test drove the'14 Crosstrek and fell in love. This surprised me because she likes to have a car that accelerates on demand, something the Crosstrek doesn't quite do. Yet, she is thrilled with it. Her only real complaints are that it doesn't have power seats and the cabin has more noise than she'd like. She loves the style. She thought my '12 Outback was too big and had no interest in a '15 OB. That means I don't have to worry about her driving my new OB...
 
#6 ·
We've been VW owners before -- they have their quirks and strong points just as any other car -- but our problem is we have a strong distrust of both local dealers. (There is a third one, but it would be hard to make them any more inconvenient and still be in the same urban area.)

Fortunately, neither of us are big power hogs. The current Mini is a non-turbo 4 which we find OK (though could use a bit more low-end torque), so the XV actually seems pretty good from a dead stop and we found the highway power acceptable -- about the same as the Mini.
 
#7 ·
Great little car those Crosstreks are and sounds like with your wife coming from a Mini it should fit her like a glove.
I just test drove an Outback and a Crosstrek on thursday and I was oh so close to going with the Crosstrek but in the long run the Outback for my needs ticks more of the boxes as the larger cargo capacity will be much appreciated on my end.
Good luck with the Subaru shopping.
 
#10 ·
This is the exact reason they need to bring the Subaru Levorg to the states. Who wouldn't want to own a 280 HP sportwagen.

It's basically a WRX wagon, like 2002-2007, not a hatch. We should be picking up our '15 Outback for my wife in the next few weeks and don't need two bigger cars for our small family. When my '06 Limited WRX Wagon kicks the bucket there really isn't a Subaru vehicle at the moment that would really meet my needs. The Levorg would fit that spot perfectly again. Don't know why they got rid of the sportwagen or hatchback.
 
#11 ·
We just bought a Crosstrek and love it. I drive every model daily and can say the XV is very comfortable.
They also are releasing 1000 limited edition Phoenix Yellow Xv's for 2015, which I really like. I wouldn't spend the extra money on the hybrid though.
 
#13 ·
I'm very aware that Subaru has improved the XV with the 2015 model, particularly as respects sound deadening, but if they ever get around to asking me, the one thing I wish Subaru would do is release an XV version with the same range of luxury details as the Outback -- power seats, power lift gate, rear seats the drop from levers by the rear gate, a more refined dash, etc.

We bought an Outback last fall mainly due to these details, even though it was larger than either of us needed in our empty-nest years. Audi, BMW and others have made a nice little niche for themselves with small upscale cars, so one doesn't have to leave the luxury details to only the big cars.

Of course, I realize that Subaru has long been aimed far more at the practical buyer than the luxury end, but I think they've discovered they can do both and reach a whole new segment of buyers. I suspect we will see them continue to refine the Limited version of the XV.
 
#14 ·
Also if you go with the XV Hybrid you lose the spare tire (where they put the batteries I guess).
The MPG difference is 34/30 for the Hybrid, 34/26 for the non hybrid. Not exactly earth shattering especially if you do more highway driving.

If they put the 2.5L engine in the XV it would be a little more interesting I think. My daughters Impreza with the same engine is hardly spirited to drive, especially when trying to pass someone. I can only imagine the heavier XV's lack of spirit.
 
#15 ·
Hybrids are known for their better city mileage. They've never made a lot of sense as a highway car. (I looked at the C-Max last year and it gets 42 mpg city but only 37 highway.)

The problem with the Subaru hybrid is it has a very small electric motor -- only 12 horsepower I believe -- compared to around triple that on the C-Max. So, in the Subaru, the electric motor gives you a bit more oomph off the line while using less gas to accomplish that. I think the Subaru hybrid is more of a "statement" than a real advance; it lets you be a bit greener while still retaining the AWD and other Subaru advantages. Not sure it adds up for most people, though.
 
#16 ·
Hybrids are known for their better city mileage. They've never made a lot of sense as a highway car. (I looked at the C-Max last year and it gets 42 mpg city but only 37 highway.)
Yes, a Hybrid doesn't do much other than add weight if you're steady state cruising (like highway driving mostly is.) Even if it could use the electric motor to offset some fuel usage, the battery wouldn't last long and without the benefit of regenerative braking, the only way to recharge it would be by using power from the gasoline engine.
 
#18 ·
Frankb, thanks for the California info. Always interesting how that one state can affect so many others. My local dealer has three hybrid XVs in stock and I think is having a hard time selling them despite being unable to keep almost everything else in stock.
 
#20 ·
My wife just bought a Subaru Crosstrek Limited with Eyesight and LOVES it. What did she come from? Mini clubman S model. Super cool little car, not my favorite, but she loved it. She didn't feel the price of the new ones were worth what they were asking with the options it came with. I had test drove a 2013 XV back when they came out. I thought they were neat looking but not peppy. I kept my mouth shut on her car search because she knew I liked Subaru's and I didn't want to sway her. She went through ever car I could imagine and decided for the money and what it had she just couldn't walk away from it. I can say that the changes in the 2015 XV are huge. Rides much better and feels much peppier. Very quiet inside. Her main complaint, as with others, she can't believe it doesn't have electric seats. not sure what Subaru is thinking personally. She hates the fact you can't change things on the Nav when it is in motion (who doesn't in the outbacks!). Also that you can't turn off the voice responses in the Nav as well. But LOVES the Eyesight.


Good luck on your purchase no matter what it is!






 
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