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Quick thoughts after 3k miles - 2017 Touring 3.6R

5K views 16 replies 13 participants last post by  75cavetrolls 
#1 ·
I got my new OB before Thanksgiving and have been driving it around 1k miles per month, with mostly suburban commuting and a few road trips.

I had some early complaints with the XM radio and navigation not working consistently, but that seems to have settled down (note I stick to Waze on my iPhone). The stereo sound is just so-so. I listen to NPR mostly and that's ok, but I really struggle to hear music with as much punch and clarity as I'd like.

The car is really fun and easy to drive. I found a great setting for the seat that puts me up a little bit high, but with tilt back on the bottom part of the seat. It is a commanding view. The 3.6R engine is fun to drive, with good pep for passing on the highway and merging into fast traffic.

I have not really used the ACC enough, but mostly enjoy the Eyesight. Lane warnings around town are annoying. I know there is a way to turn it off, but I have not bothered with it. I was very happy to find the setting to turn off the beeping when the car locks/unlocks. Vast improvement.

Fuel economy has been about as I expected, in the 22-25 MPG range.

The heated seats and steering wheel are awesome on cold mornings.

I love the 19mm rear sway bar mod that I did about two months ago. The car handles so much better on quick turns and on ramps.

It's a beautiful car. I'm really happy with it.
 
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#2 ·
Looks like your experience was nearly identical to mine - same engine, trim, color, and the 19mm sway bar!

I'm not really an audiophile, but I've got the trained ear of a lifelong musician. I found that turning the bass down a couple of notches and the mids up by the same amount really helps the crispness of the audio system without losing that great low-end feel in songs that emphasize it.
 
#6 ·
Sound much improved using USB



I like a really good audio system whether it be at home or in a car, and the "upgraded" system in our 2015 O/B drives me nuts. I listen to a lot of Sirius because who listens to radio anymore. I also listen to Pandora via my iPhone. I took a short trip earlier in the week and listened to music on a thumb drive. While on Sirius you hear so much out of the central dash speaker and mediocre audio at best, the tunes sound 100% better using my USB drive. I don't know why the difference is so pronounced on our Subaru vs. all of our other cars, but I just though I'd pass that along. The problem is I don't want to have to reload my USB drive all the time to keep the variety.
 
#3 ·
rear liftgate operation

2017 Outback Touring 3.5R
Surprisingly quiet in the cabin given the level of engine noise when standing outside
That's the good. Now the rant
Damaged the paint on the rear lift gate first day. The gate lifted into the garage door before the memory was set.
OK, I made a note to get it fixed
2nd day, I go out to the garage, the gate is jammed against the lowered garage door. The fob button must have been pressed while in my pocket.
Now the bottom 2 inches of the lift gate are bent. Try to be more careful my wife says.
Week later. I drive in the garage, press the button by the steering wheel and the gate smacks the door again. More damage.
This time the memory switch has been turned off.
Press the lift gate switch, memory activated. Press it again, memory deactivated. The problem? It is very difficult to see which position the switches are in. Some have dash indicators this one has none that I could find.
Suggestion for Subaru: with all the sensors at the back of the car, would it be so hard to mount one in the rear lift gate to keep from hitting a ceiling. Or at least with the ones there, stop the gate from smacking a closed door or worse another vehicle parked too close.
So, if you come across an Outback with liftgate damage, please wave, but don't suggest to my wife "he should have set the memory first and taped over the switch". She already knows. ;-p
 
#15 ·
2017 Outback Touring 3.5R
Surprisingly quiet in the cabin given the level of engine noise when standing outside
That's the good. Now the rant
Damaged the paint on the rear lift gate first day. The gate lifted into the garage door before the memory was set.
OK, I made a note to get it fixed
2nd day, I go out to the garage, the gate is jammed against the lowered garage door. The fob button must have been pressed while in my pocket.
Now the bottom 2 inches of the lift gate are bent. Try to be more careful my wife says.
Week later. I drive in the garage, press the button by the steering wheel and the gate smacks the door again. More damage.
This time the memory switch has been turned off.
Press the lift gate switch, memory activated. Press it again, memory deactivated. The problem? It is very difficult to see which position the switches are in. Some have dash indicators this one has none that I could find.
Suggestion for Subaru: with all the sensors at the back of the car, would it be so hard to mount one in the rear lift gate to keep from hitting a ceiling. Or at least with the ones there, stop the gate from smacking a closed door or worse another vehicle parked too close.
So, if you come across an Outback with liftgate damage, please wave, but don't suggest to my wife "he should have set the memory first and taped over the switch". She already knows. ;-p

It's a good thing I don't visit this site much anymore because if I did and I saw the above post, I would have suggested the owner return the Outback to Subaru because it's too complicated for him; too many buttons and doodads.


But since I'm here very rarely, I didn't say it.


:nerd:
 
#12 ·
I have less than 3k miles on a car I picked up on 2/10/17. I am half deaf so the stereo is not an issue for me. I already changed the rear stabilizer bar to a 20mm, tinted the front windows and replaced the leaky and weak factory installed battery. I also upgraded all interior lighting to LED.

My main remaining issue is the feel of the steering. I believe it is tire related, but on concrete freeways the car finds cracks and follows the crack. It feels like the steering is completely disconnected and non-responsive and then catches. I really hope it is a tire issue, I plan on replacing the factory tires with Michelin LTX tires. I have used Michelin tires on a few other cars and really like the ride and feel. I like my outback as equipped but I think Subaru should have upgraded a few things (Especially on the Touring editions) to make it a much better car.
 
#14 ·
My main remaining issue is the feel of the steering. I believe it is tire related, but on concrete freeways the car finds cracks and follows the crack. It feels like the steering is completely disconnected and non-responsive and then catches. I really hope it is a tire issue, I plan on replacing the factory tires with Michelin LTX tires. I have used Michelin tires on a few other cars and really like the ride and feel. I like my outback as equipped but I think Subaru should have upgraded a few things (Especially on the Touring editions) to make it a much better car.
Roads here in Nebraska have more than their share of imperfections.... cracks, potholes, tire track "depression", etc. I have not noticed a problem with my Touring steering. It does feel different on narrow lanes when lane tracking is on. Seems to do a lot of "correcting" ... too sensitive, IMHO.

Yesterday we experienced winds in the neighborhood of 35-40 knots from the south.. had an opportunity to evaluate the crosswind effect while traveling west on I-80. For a relatively large, high vehicle, I was impressed with the OB steering. No unusual effort required to stay in the lane.

I keep tire pressure at factory spec (35/33) on the Bridgestone Duelers that came on the car. Still running stock anti-sway bar.
 
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