Subaru Outback Forums banner

Who else gets bad gas mileage on their 5th Gen OB 3.6R?

19K views 90 replies 67 participants last post by  CdnScooby 
#1 ·
What's your OB 3.6R 5th gen Touring MPG? My 2017 averages 20.7 MPG. IMO, that's pretty bad for a 2017+ model 3800lb and only 256hp. 80% freeway 20% city.
 

Attachments

See less See more
1
#9 ·
There is no 3.6R in a 2020.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I think he knew that from his post.

Anyway, I would be surprised if the turbo OB does a whole lot better than the 3.6r. Depends, of course, on how and where you drive it.

My experience with the FXT 2.0 DIT @ 250 hp and a lighter vehicle was short, in town mileage about 16-17 mpg and highway was very dependent on speed. Flat terrain @60 mph I could get 29, and my first similar trip on the 3.6 OB was the same. As soon as one gets up to 75 or so it’s mid 20s.

I think the Ascent, which is a bit heavier but same engine as the OBXT, is slightly lower mpg than my FXT. My guess is the OB XT will be 1-2 mpg better than the 3.6r overall, but the power delivery will be very different. At least that is how the Ascent drove for me, lugging some from start and unless you pushed it into boost that nice power would come slowly. Typical turbo.

If you drive it like there are eggs under the throttle pedal it beats a NA six mpg, but give some gas and it’s similar. Hard to baby a turbo all of the time in stop and go traffic, but easy on a flat rural road to park it @60 mph in cruise. Then it does well, as long as you don’t do much spirited passing.

Just my experience.

EJ


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
#7 ·
My 2017 averages 20.7 MPG.
Fuelly data indicates that 21-24 mpg (overall average) is typical for MY 2015-2019 Outbacks with the 3.6 engine. Of course, the biggest determinant of fuel mileage is always the driver's right foot ... both gas pedal and brake pedal.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dantrax
#10 ·
Don't count on the 2.4T to get better REAL World MPG than the 3.6. From what I've been reading, fuel mileage drops significantly as the right pedal is used. Towing, Hills, Passing Merging, all drop the MPG considerably.
 
#11 ·
Just did some more checking. Owners report lifetime average for the Ascent at about 18 mpg, combined. One can only guess how the same engine will do the OB XT, which is lighter, but I’m thinking maybe 20, combined, real world.

Not much difference from the 3.6.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
#13 ·
We're consistently averaging 23.4 MPG. Including a lot of winter driving (Mn. winters are notoriously long, and cold)
Neither my Wife (primary driver) or myself are light footed drivers. And her daily commute involves climbing out of the Lake Superior basin. 3 miles at 7%.

I HIGHLY doubt the 2.4T could achieve the same, in our situation.
 
#14 ·
I had a 2007 Legacy 2.5 before my OB, so it was noticeably faster than an OB, and the 3.6 is a good smile better for performance than the Legacy.

From my understanding of the 2.5 OB 0-60 it's comparable to a Prius, and would be in many of my situations a safety hazard with very short on ramps with no shoulders(concrete walls or dense traffic, take your pick) around here.

The 3.6 is very nice in mountain driving especially with adaptive cruise.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Yoda_One
#15 ·
I am getting 23 MPG average over the last 6,000 miles (car has traveled 120,000 miles all services up to date)

With just highway driving I get around 25.5 MPG and if driving spiritedly I get around 20.5 MPG

These are US MPG (I am in Australia and we normally use UK MPG or Litres per 100 Km)

Seagrass
 
  • Like
Reactions: lodingi
#18 ·
Ours has averaged 21 mpg over 17k miles with a best of 27.7 on a trip from Myrtle Beach back to Chicago. That included the mountain part of the drive.
The right foot definitely has a lot to do with the mileage. My Outback is not my daily driver thanks to having a work vehicle so when I drive the Outback I tend to have some fun......
 
#23 ·
I’m with you, Miami. BTW, was born there way back in the day.

I like driving a vehicle that pleases me, and the OBT 3.6r does. I also will not purchase any 2.5 NA powered vehicle Subaru sells, again.

Had one, hated the drivetrain so bought a turbo. Lots better, but it took about one minute behind the wheel of the 2019 3.6 OBT to sell me. That, and the near luxury feel of the entire product with the Touring trim. No gear head Xterra roof rack and hardly any body cladding, yet lots of room and AWD. Nice seats, great viz, smooooth ride and ample power with no lag.

Looks classy, drives the same.

Best,

EJ


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
#20 ·
Since buying my 3.6R just a little over 3 years ago, I have tracked all but two fill ups with the vehicle with Fuelly.
1. My average MPG is 19.1 which admittedly is a lot of city driving. My worst tank was 15.8 but most are in the 18-ish to 20-ish range.
2. My best MPG was 26.5, which was on a long road trip - which is very close to the EPA highway rating.
3. The on-board computer "Average MPG" display consistently lies by about 1.5-2 MPG so if anyone is quoting that figure, I would think it would be suspect.
 
#24 ·
Last August we spent 6 days on the road, 2500 miles Duluth-Billings and back thru the Black Hills. Some days 8+ hrs at 85+ MPH. The rest driving thru the mountains. Averaged over 25 MPG on the trip. I never once thought about elevation effects on engine performance. It just wasn't a perceivable concern.

There's no way the 2.4T is going to get that. Or, be as refined while doing it. I'll never buy one. Add Subaru's craptasic record with OBXT engines. Never, I tell ya.

 
#31 ·
The adaptive cruise control in any kind of traffic hurts mpg. When you pull into an open lane, the ACC does rapid acceleration to get the car back to speed. It does the same thing on hills. Where a human would let the car naturally decelerate some on an incline, the ACC nails the throttle to hold speed.
 
#32 ·
Adaptive or not, any cruise control will floor the throttle to maintain speed on an incline. A truly 'adaptive' speed control would sense the hill and allow some loss of speed. It would be nice if the manufacturers would program that in and give the user the option of letting the speed drop 0, 3 or 5mph.



If the 2.4T doesn't get better gas mileage than the 3.6, what would be the point of changing?
It's the direction the entire industry is going. V8s in pickup trucks giving way to V6 turbos. Even BMW has dropped their preference of inline 6 engines for smaller turbos.
 
#41 ·
I use my cruise control a lot! I've been through the mountains, etc. I have never seen my outback floor it using the cruise control. I could see some hills where a 4 banger would need to floor it to maintain it's speed. But that is just the cruise control doing what it was designed to do!
 
#33 ·
Regarding the turbo move, I’m pretty sure it’s because of the standardized tests for emissions and mpg, which are becoming more difficult to meet. The test criteria can be achieved more easily with a smaller engine where the turbo boost cycle isn’t employed much the way the tests are structured. Also, the overall engine weighs less.

In average on the road driving conditions, many turbo powered vehicles employing small fours don’t get better mileage than the previous NA six cylinder version, but they do test better. And apparently for some applications, like pickup trucks with large V-8s, there is a real benefit going to a turbo six.

That’s my non-professional opinion, anyway, based on my FXT experience and reading. FWIW.

EJ




Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
#35 ·
I'm averaging 24.6 mpg overall. This is calculated in a spreadsheet using the fuel filled until the nozzle stops. I use the same pump every time whenever possible. I probably drive 70% city and 30% highway but this is central MN so not much stop / start traffic jams where I live.

This includes an all time low of 20.9 mpg during the Minnesota winter with temperatures at -20°F to -45°F on short trips (<3 miles) where the engine does not get warm. I believe the winter fuel here is a different composition and expected to give worse gas mileage.

My high was 31.1 mpg driving at around 55 mph (too many County Mounties hiding behind billboards to risk speeding) driving from North Dakota, through South Dakota to Nebraska on pancake flat State Highways. This was in August so probably around high 80's°F.
 
#40 ·
This includes an all time low of 20.9 mpg during the Minnesota winter with temperatures at -20°F to -45°F on short trips (<3 miles) where the engine does not get warm. I believe the winter fuel here is a different composition and expected to give worse gas mileage.
Definitely lower MPG in the winter here in New England as well. Combination of fuel differences, longer warm up times, snow tires, etc.

I average about 20 to 22 in the winter and 23 to 24 in the summer.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top