Read, read, read the following, wikipedia got screwed up in the end of last year.

Subaru Research Site- specs, prices, options, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011.. Outback, Legacy, Forester, WRX, STI, Impreza, Tribeca, BRZ, XV Crosstrek

1) platform: a outback is a raised legacy. one day subaru stopped making outback sedans, and legacy wagons. = only outback wagons, and legacy sedans.

the impreza platform makes: the impreza, the forester,
and the impreza outback sport, now called the crosstrek

2) 4 cylinder 2.5 engines have a timing belt that needs to be changed on schedule, 6 cylinder ones have a chain.

Subaru maintenance schedules and new car break-in period- 2000 through 2009, links for 2010, 2011...

3) people with long legs sit in the front seats up until the redesign in 2010 when the back seat got 4" or so more leg room, typically everyone over the age of 14 will be unhappy in the backseat of a 2009 and older outback, with their knees parted around the front seats.

4) It is not a Jeep or a FJ Toyota, or a off road pickup truck, given the right tires it will go without effort places that a 2wd car would get stuck, however, it is not make the Rubicon trail. You got 8-9" of ground clearance, for light trails but that's it. Nothing on the bottom of a outback is made to scrape over rocks. (whereas a typical real off roader has 12" of ground clearance all over and the 8" under the rear differential)

 

Thank you for your quick response! I'll definitely look through the links you sent. This isn't an easy decision for me as I'm taking it a bit more seriously than the casual car buyer.

In terms of #3 I'll have to bring my tallest friend in the area to sit in the back just to see how terrible it really is.

#4 I know it's not going to do heavy duty offroading nor do I expect it to. I don't plan on rock crawling for sure. As I'm still new to the off-road/pavement scene I don't fully know what constitutes a "light trail" because to me that sounds like sand and laid gravel driving whereas something like death valley would have a more ruts but still relatively flat if I recall correctly.

 

you can look at the threads in this section, some have customized suspension, = and even a 1-2" lift is a great asset when you need it.


Outback Unpaved - Subaru Outback - Subaru Outback Forums

you might like a Used Tribeca also on the legacy platform, which is similar to a H6 Outback but taller inside. They also came with VDC like the fanciest and most muscular of the outbacks H6 models,

A 2002 Subaru Outback VDC station wagon- photos and specs

Subaru Tribeca - specifications, options, colors, photos and more, all years, models