I may be looking for a late-model used car soon. I need something with space in back (I do volunteer tree care for young street trees, so I need room for a few tools and maybe a short ladder, and for the green waste), so it helps if the back seats fold down.
But I want a car, not an SUV. Possibly a crossover, but I don’t know much of anything about those. It can’t be something huge, either, as we have a pretty small garage.
From what I can see online, a Subaru Outback might fit the bill. I was looking at models around 2011 or 2012, and from a couple of photos it looks like the rear seats fold down. I like the brand, and the AWD.
You can’t go wrong with an Outback. If you like it then get one. One suggestion is to check Consumer Reports’ April annual car issue to see if any model years are better or worse.
I have a 2008, that I bought used in 2011. I love it. It is by far my favorite car I’ve owned. It’s crazy how much stuff you can fit in it. Or in my case, how many crated rescue dogs you can transport in it (btw, my record is 8). In addition to driving rescue transport, we’ve driven it from CA to TN and back, as well as all over CA, NV and AZ. I never want another car.
Biggest problem is that if you are over six foot tall, you will find the Outback (and most Subs) cramped. If you are over six foot two, uncomfortably so. Over six four, painfully so.
Anyone who is 6’4" would likely find other cars a little cramped, too.
In 2013 my youngest, my daughter, quit her job to go on a road trip in her 2001 Outback. Her goal was to hit every land-connected US state and every US National Park in those states. Leaving San Francisco she drove north to Denali, then back south, working her way eastward to where her older brothers lived in NYC. She swung down the east coast to the Florida Keys, and then worked her way westward and back home. Some 7 months, 25,000 miles and 49 states later, she returned home.
I had a Legacy for 10 years (the Outback is a very similar model, but a step up from the Legacy). I loved it. Then I hurt my back and needed a car with an especially upright driver’s position. I wish I could have had an Outback, which is more upright, but I kind of had to purchase something cheaper in a hurry.
My aunt uses her Outback to haul firewood, about 1/4 of a cord, so it’s good for hauling tree trimmings. The seats don’t fold down flat like they do in a Volvo (only other station wagon I can compare), but I carry my bike around in the back with no problem. Plus, there’s a roof-rack if you want to haul a longer ladder than will fit in the back.
My Wife will probably be buying an Outback in a year of so. To replace her Grand Jeep.
One thing that some should consider is if the rear seats do really fold down all the way. I don’t believe they do in the new Outback, or many newer small SUV’s crossovers. This is a real sticking point for me and her. Especially if you haul dogs around and a bunch of gear. A fully flat cargo area is nice.
It’s a great car. My best friend has had one for 12 years now, it has well over 200,000 miles on it, and she’s about to sell it to get another newer Outback. I would have gotten one, but it won’t tow much, and I needed something to tow my popup camper. (Got a 2013 Honda Pilot instead, which is also a great vehicle. It drives like a car in terms of handling and smooth ride, but is very unmistakably an SUV, and in the driver’s seat, looks like a gd truck. The dash is huge, and a bit intimidating at first.)
I test-drove a newer-model Outback and didn’t care for it. Over time the Outback has morphed from a Legacy with a fancy options package to a larger SUV crossover. I honestly think the Forester is a better design these days.
Have you driven the latest versions? They super-sized the Outback in 2010 so it’s now considerably roomier inside.
I have mixed feelings about the newer models – the increased size and height means that the older versions handled better (but no one ever bought an Outback because they wanted a sports car). I find that the interior materials are more lightweight than in the older version (and what kind of idiot decides that white is the best color for upholstery in a car designed for the outdoor activities?). My previous Outback has a heavy duty tweed upholstery that might not have looked stylish, but held up remarkably well for 16 years. The new upholstery is not looking that good after four years of carting garden supplies, lumber, and various sailing paraphernalia around. They have switched to black upholstery in recent years, but I don’t know if they increased the durability any.
Mechanical reliability is good and they’re excellent in the snow (if you remember to turn the emergency brake off). Gas mileage is good (as a consequence of them lightening everything that can be made lighter) but it’s not phenomenal. The roof racks, at least in the 2010-2014 generation were designed by someone who has never actually had to carry anything on top of a car, or had to lash anything down. A huge miss for a car marketed to canoe-ers and kayakers.
I bought mine new in '09. I love it, though I wish I had bought the turbo or the H6. Not that it’s not peppy and all, but the stock H4 could use just a wee more grunt.
Not so I can tell – one of my co-workers has a recent one, and it’s still uncomfortable. In fact, the Subaru SUV, the Forrester, is too cramped for me. Not too bad for local, but actually painful for long distances.