[Sparkland]

I have entered uncharted territory. My wife upgraded her 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid to a 2018 (used) Subaru Outback Limited 3.6. Her Camry got 36-38 mpg all day long, highway/city. It was a great car and never left us stranded. We never even had to replace the brakes in our 6 years of ownership.

There were only two things that bugged us about the Camry.

• the navigation system/entune had the worst interface and directions of any vehicle we have ever owned
• the traction in snow was deplorable because you could not get enough power directed to the front wheels even with traction control disengaged

We will miss the Camry, but the Outback offers us many advantages:

• traction
• ride height
• improved heating/cooling
• eyesight safety
• more luxurious seating

We look forward to many years of enjoyment with the Outback. I will be frequenting this forum often for ideas on how to make this car our own.

Brad

 

[KenShabby]

You should get fuel economy in the low 20s MPG in city/suburban driving and very high 20s MPG in highway driving.

 

[johnre]

Congratulations on the change, and enjoy your (almost) new Outback.

Regarding fuel economy, you can't really make a meaningful comparison between a hybrid and a non-hybrid car. But if the economy you are measuring is really half - which by your numbers would be 18-19 mpg - then your wife either has a lead foot, it's all urban driving, or something is the matter with the vehicle. It really should be better than this.

Regarding traction, you can't really make a meaningful comparison between AWD and FWD, especially hybrid FWD. And I'm not sure about the Camry, but my wife's 2011 Prius came with so-called "eco" tires, which meant thin sidewalls, hard compound, and fast wear - all of which contributed to very poor traction on wet or snowy pavement.

 

[martin_j001]

Congrats on the new ride! Good color choice too! Assuming no gear on top of the car, you should be a little better off (low 20's). I'm seeing about 19mpg with a cargo basket, spare on top, and tires designed a bit more for off road than the oems.

 

[Sparkland]

Thank you for the replies. My wife loves the new Outback. She says the seats are more comfortable and the Outback is easier to enter/exit than the Camry. My son even offered to let her use the "trail" map he uses when he takes his 4Runner out!