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10 vs 13

2K views 19 replies 11 participants last post by  Jake2c 
#1 ·
I finally got the chance to drive a new 13 OB premium today and compare it to my 10. Less body roll and a little sharper steering feel combined with a little more harshness over the rough stuff. The seats in my base 10, even though it is a base model are better bolstered and felt more comfy IMO than the 13.Engine and transmission - The cvt was a little linear in its transition through the gears and the power was the same expect a bit more grunt a lower speeds but over all I prefer the 10-12 over the 13. The softer seats and ride in the 10 was more important than a less body roll etc... Just another opinion!
 
#3 ·
LOL - Bradze - you do lots of foothills off pavement stuff where the Marshmallowy ride is actually pretty nice. I agree with that the 10 offers up an off pavement ride I've never experienced before in all the cars I've gone off pavement with.

On the flip side the 13 is probably more stiff to address the 99.99%ers who stay on the pavement and were prime candidates for the Legacy Wagon vs the OB. I can agree with that also given when on the pavement I really REALLY miss my Legacy and the OB is just down right lousy. LOL
 
#4 ·
Hey Bradze check out this website he has some great write ups about some of the off the beaten path lakes up there near you. I have a few picked out for next summer when the new born is older and can do some camping farther than an hour from the house. LOL
Great website!!!
Kayaking California's Flat Waters - Janice L Green

Also have you made it up to Independence lake just North of Truckee yet? It was closed to public access for many years privately owned - and last year it was purchased by a conservation group and has been opened up to public access it has some of the last remaining native California German Brown Trout in it. The drive in is a interesting ride from what I gather.
 
#5 ·
My money is that the seats on your 3 year old car are broken in...

Having driven both a 12 and 13 on a gravel road with plenty of holes, I can safely say I couldn't tell any difference until you hit a big hole. Where the 12 sort of wallows and lunges, the 13 pitched in a bit more and didn't bounce on the rebound; far more controlled and no hint of 70's cadillac.
 
#6 ·
Which was my guess on the struts in the 13's having a higher degree of dampening on the return keeping the bounce controlled compared to the 10-12's this might also give someone the impression the 13 has a tad harsher ride if the rate for compression is also a bit more restricted.

For sure when my 10 needs new shocks - it will get the updated one used in the 13 or newer given just fixing ie limiting the return will greatly help the 70's Cadillac effect ;-)
 
#7 ·
I would imagine you're right!

And, for those who read my previous post, I worded it rather poorly. I can most certainly tell a difference between the 12 and 13 on the road. I was specifically speaking about the gravel road though. Both cars were equally quiet and, until I hit the holes that have been gouged into the road, you really couldn't tell a difference when you're just going over gravel.
 
#9 ·
My wife and I did notice a better or more aggressive side bolstering in the 10. Also, nobody has mentioned if the brake pedal still makes the noise like on most 10-12's, and if the shift interlock makes a loud click after a while, plus the grinding noise when making hard turns from a start.
 
#12 ·
have you skid tested it like motor-trend....are you SURE it handles better or you think it handles better, because its an outback, and outbacks are cool :)

might have to do with the new shocks helping out the car as well, 16mm doesn't seem bad unlike the 12mm...pencil
 
#13 ·
2010- 2012 OB had a 15mm RSB stock, not 12mm. Did you say 12mm because you actually measured it or because it came off an OB and Outbacks are cool? You may think your OB is cool but mine is a family wagon so I don't base my handling comments on coolness. It is only based on my day to day driving which does involve pushing it a bit just for comparision but no skid tests.
 
#15 ·
We have a 2011 and 2013 in the family. Yeah the 13 is new by the other is just hitting 4000 miles so I'll call that year old new. I won't say the difference is one = marshmallow but we had a stretch of bad cross winds on freeway yesterday and the 2013 was definitely better.

With the 2013 better in cross winds and both just fine otherwise I'm thinking one should choose the 13 if they can.
 
#17 ·
Well, I'm not a race driver but I read enough reviews by "so called" experts to believe the 13 corners better. However, I don't drive it to the limit so I wouldn't know personally. When I go out to race around I drive my S2000. Next to that the OB, even the 13, has a good amount of body roll but I of course expected that. The S2000 is built for corners. On the other hand, I have not figured out how to get a kayak and paddles with fishing rods on my S2000 but the OB does that quite well. :) Actually the seat question is interesting. The first OB I test drove I thought the seats were great. The second one that I was actually thinking of buying just did not feel nearly as well. In fact, since I was buying it for long travel as well as my sports stuff, I almost didn't buy an OB at all. Then my wife tried another one and liked it, so I tried it and it was much better. There must be some variation in quality control for the seats. We bought the one we felt good in. All three were 2013, all were limited, all had cloth, but at least to my butt there was a difference . . . for what that is worth.
 
#20 ·
Oops, I said that wrong, I meant premium. For some reason premium seems like it should be above the limited and I do that quite often. They were all premium. I did drive a limited with leather and I thought that was nicer but I will eventually trash the inside of this car and for that and other reasons, I wanted cloth. My mistake, sorry.
 
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