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So I test drove a Subaru Outback Wilderness

Discussion in 'General 4Runner Talk' started by ShayBrah89, Feb 1, 2022.

  1. Feb 1, 2022 at 7:45 AM
    #1
    ShayBrah89

    ShayBrah89 [OP] New Member

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    And I’ve never appreciated my 4Runner more. Between the turbo lag, ponderous CVT, cheap fit and finish, and (worst of all) terribly laggy and distracting infotainment screen, I’ll stick with my Yota.

    Has anyone else driven one of these? Thoughts?

    A0330413-3CB8-4078-AEAA-8F242E3BFE6F.jpg
     
    BX22BR, Singleminded and 2ndGen22re like this.
  2. Feb 1, 2022 at 7:47 AM
    #2
    banjos-n-beer

    banjos-n-beer New Member

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    holy eyesore
     
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  3. Feb 1, 2022 at 7:57 AM
    #3
    Jynarik

    Jynarik I like boobies

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    Owners seem to love em but I’ve never even been in one. I think they’re ugly
     
  4. Feb 1, 2022 at 8:57 AM
    #4
    kmeeg

    kmeeg LionRunner

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    With about 2months experience I have with Ascent, True that Turbo lag and CVT feel is not the best thing. But with turbo it is very fun to drive than 4Runner. Better acceleration and very nimble. Needless to say about mpg as it feel like Subi is really good on fuel even if you play. I like the headlights turning as you steer feature too.

    I did have problems with the lane centering feature as if there is any left turn lanes on rural single lane road (Pic 2) it would have throw me out of the road if I was not holding the steering wheel well. Lane centering was not the best driving with traffic as well, when the vehicles next to you get little closer it turns the wheel and push you towards the vehicle on opposite side. And few more complaint on the safety sense or what ever Subaru calls it. I also noticed that Subaru wants me to hold the steering firmly vs in a relax way, it will keep giving me warning ‘keep your hands on the steering wheel’ (Pic 3).

    On easy trails it had very limited wheel articulation and wheel spins on every bump (Pic 1). However I wonder on pavement if Subaru AWD system is superior to 4Runner 4H / H4F / H4L. (We won't be using A-trac on regular speeds for more aggressive control right?). And 4Runner does not have any snow mode. I'm pretty sure "Mud and Sand" is the completely opposite functionality of snow where I expect more wheel spin control vs in Mud and Sand it should allow more wheel spin?


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    upload_2022-2-1_9-43-51.jpg
    upload_2022-2-1_9-52-49.jpg
     
  5. Feb 1, 2022 at 10:16 AM
    #5
    SCMountaineer

    SCMountaineer New Member

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    It wasn't the Wilderness, but I had an Outback for about four months between 4Runners last year. The big iPad in the dash glitched out constantly. It would reboot, shut off altogether, twice blared a noise like the emergency broadcast system until I pulled over and turned the car off, every other time I used it, the navigation would go silent mid-trip. The Subaru dealer said they could do nothing but wait for a software upgrade, and they weren't sure when that would be. In addition, it had the most herky-jerky auto-start I have ever experienced and the various driving nannies drove me bat shit crazy.
     
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  6. Feb 1, 2022 at 10:22 AM
    #6
    LandCruiser

    LandCruiser I have Toyotas

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    Back when I lived in Colorado, people swore by these things to be essentially invincible in snow and ice driving.

    They’re not good at anything else, and the interior quality has always been bad.

    I wouldn’t take a car based crossover off road.
     
  7. Feb 1, 2022 at 10:26 AM
    #7
    Ironguy

    Ironguy New Member

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    New pine scent hanger, new sun shade
    Thanks for saving us the trouble of a test ride
     
  8. Feb 1, 2022 at 10:31 AM
    #8
    PVT Pablo

    PVT Pablo

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    Subaru's infotainment has always been in my opinion, awful. Granted my last experience was fron 2015 Impreza, but I hated it, and that's thinking my 2016 4Runner infotainment is decent.

    I feel like Subaru's marketing and push of a "lifestyle" far outpaces their actual vehicle quality.
     
  9. Feb 1, 2022 at 10:49 AM
    #9
    ShayBrah89

    ShayBrah89 [OP] New Member

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    For sure. The other things I could live with, but the infotainment was so laggy and so integral to important features (HVAC, stop/start, etc) that it was ultimately a dealbreaker. It’s a fun, comfortable, spirited ride, but the cons far outweigh the pros. My wife’s 2019 Outback premium, on the other hand, is a solid vehicle that I enjoy driving
     
  10. Feb 1, 2022 at 10:54 AM
    #10
    nimby

    nimby in the drink

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    Doesn't Toyota own 20% of Subaru?

    My wife has an 2017 Outback. It has 100,00 miles and has been problem free.

    I don't get the criticism on the CVT transmission. It's been great. It's always in the power band......maximizing the vehicles torque.

    I still prefer my 4runner as it's more comfortable to me, but the Subaru does have an advantage on snowy mountain roads.
     
    4runGirl88 likes this.
  11. Feb 1, 2022 at 11:01 AM
    #11
    LandCruiser

    LandCruiser I have Toyotas

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    Toyota owns a 20% share and Subaru is now part of the Toyota group with joint product, engine, and drivetrain development.
     
    nimby[QUOTED] likes this.
  12. Feb 1, 2022 at 11:05 AM
    #12
    billum v2.0

    billum v2.0 New Member

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  13. Feb 1, 2022 at 11:10 AM
    #13
    PVT Pablo

    PVT Pablo

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    I thought Toyota owned part of Fuji Heavy Industries which owns Subaru. I could be completely wrong.
     
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  14. Feb 1, 2022 at 11:11 AM
    #14
    suaveflooder

    suaveflooder New Member

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    I’ve had two outback’s (6 years between the two. Sold the 4 banger for the 3.6R) Neither had a turbo. Just like you, I actually liked it. CVT just felt odd (doesn’t shift like you expect an “automatic” to), but I had no complaints with either.
     
    Han4Run and nimby[QUOTED] like this.
  15. Feb 1, 2022 at 11:18 AM
    #15
    LandCruiser

    LandCruiser I have Toyotas

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    All I know is they have a 20% stake. Whether it’s Fuji or Subaru I’m not sure.
     
  16. Feb 1, 2022 at 11:23 AM
    #16
    TRDLE

    TRDLE New Member

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    My wife has a 2014 Outback and I like it a lot, though a lot has changed between then and now. She's convinced she's a Subaru lifer, but maybe we'll have to shop around a bit when she decides to upgrade.
     
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  17. Feb 1, 2022 at 2:11 PM
    #17
    SCMountaineer

    SCMountaineer New Member

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    Yes! When the iPad shut off, so did the ability to adjust the air conditioning, etc. I checked into a Subaru forum a few months after I got rid of mine, and the software upgrade had been released. Apparently it did not solve much, and at least one person reported that their heated seats were just gone after the upgrade.
     
  18. Feb 1, 2022 at 3:41 PM
    #18
    Trail Runnah

    Trail Runnah New Member

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    Stock

    I agree, I think the Subaru all-wheel drive system would be superior on snow and ice-covered roads. Not 2 ft deep snow, but just the stuff you get after a small to medium sized storm. My previous vehicle was an all-wheel drive Volvo XC70, and that thing was a tank and those conditions. It was also really nice not having to fuss back and forth between 4hi and 2wd whenever the road got dry.

    Now the Limited 4runner vs. the Subaru would be an interesting matchup. I still think the Subaru be superior, if for anything other than just its lighter weight and possibly better ground clearance underneath.

    I really like the look of the Subaru, and the idea of it as well. I actually really like all-wheel drive wagons. When I got my Volvo it was between that and the Outback, however, when I drove the the 2007-ish generation Outback it felt like driving a tin can. Volvo just felt so much better, it feels like you could drive it through a brick wall and keep going. (Which I believe they did on Top Gear, lol.)

    I like the size of the newer Subarus, however, the CVT and the fact that they refuse to get away from that 2.5L engine is a deal killer for me.
     
    kmeeg[QUOTED] likes this.
  19. Feb 1, 2022 at 3:44 PM
    #19
    banjos-n-beer

    banjos-n-beer New Member

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    To me it’s the garish plastic cladding that is revolting. Their AWD platform is great for regular commuters. My parents Forester has been much more reliable than their RAV4s. And my tiny mom can actually see out the windows due to the low belt line.
     
  20. Feb 1, 2022 at 4:33 PM
    #20
    ShayBrah89

    ShayBrah89 [OP] New Member

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    I’ve owned a 2018 WRX 6MT and driven a last generation Outback 3.6R and they’re both really well-made vehicles with a couple of quirks. If Subaru offered the new Outback XTs with a manual transmission and a simplified infotainment screen with more physical buttons, I’d buy it tomorrow
     
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  21. Feb 1, 2022 at 10:09 PM
    #21
    Klinsman55

    Klinsman55 New Member

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    Falken Wildpeak AT3W 265/70R17 36PSI. KDSS. Tokico suspension. MTM camera system
    I have 2020 Forester Sport. Patiently waiting for next gen 4Runner or maybe a Jeep Grand Cherokee trail hawk so I can dump this jalopy. Complete rip off. Can’t wait to get rid of it.

    cheap materials and quality on inside.

    Ridiculous road, engine wind noise. Just cheap feeling overall.

    For small engine would have expected better mpg.

    The auto engine stop/start to save gas just sucks and no rhyme or reason as to when it shuts engine off at a stop light.

    very bumpy ride harsh over mild off-road conditions and have to go very slow.

    I guess it does ok if driving on road in light snow with proper tires. But just about same as my wife’s RAV4

    My wife’s RAV4 hybrid cost same as my Forester and much nicer on inside, better ride, less road/wind noise and gets 43mpg.

    can’t wait to ditch this Subaru!

    (I’m currently accepting any 4Runner donations so I can ditch this Subaru ASAP)
     
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  22. Feb 2, 2022 at 4:47 AM
    #22
    importman

    importman The mountains are calling and I must go...

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  23. Feb 2, 2022 at 7:39 AM
    #23
    kmeeg

    kmeeg LionRunner

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    Needless to say how much I love Toyota hybrid mpg and expected reliability. But Toyota e-AWD is not that good right?

    I think the very new TV-AWD on some models of gas Rav4 and Highlander is good to have but as far as I know they are not good as Subaru. I see Honda Pilot, Passport, Ridgeline getting new iVTM4 which is almost like SH-AWD from Acura.

    Hybrid AWD vehicle is perfect for my wife for her city only driving but AWD system was my biggest concern especially on winter.
     
    SoobFan likes this.
  24. Feb 2, 2022 at 8:09 AM
    #24
    banjos-n-beer

    banjos-n-beer New Member

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    I'm 99% confident both of my parents RAV4s have/had a 4WD or AWD system that disengages above 35 mph or so. Above those speeds it 2WD only.
     
  25. Feb 2, 2022 at 8:13 AM
    #25
    LandCruiser

    LandCruiser I have Toyotas

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    I think it’s always FWD until the rear tires are needed.
     
  26. Feb 2, 2022 at 8:25 AM
    #26
    kmeeg

    kmeeg LionRunner

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    My Rav4 had center diff lock button and automatically turn off around 25mph. But it did not had any wheel braking traction control system like Subaru.

    Also if I engage "Sport" button it will keep minimum 10% power to rear wheels. (As far as I remember.)
     
  27. Aug 17, 2022 at 9:08 AM
    #27
    SoobFan

    SoobFan New Member

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    To be fair, the “fit and finish” in a 4Runner makes the Outback seem like a luxury car. Most car manufacturers stopped using such a plasticy and cheap design in the 90’s. Hopefully Toyota will catch up with the next update.

    For such a laggy and “ponderous” CVT, you must really love that it takes about 2 more seconds to hit 60 MPH in a 4Runner than it does an Outback Wilderness. I mean, we’re talking a speedy wagon with performance vs. a junky SUV that has been in desperate need of an update for decades. The Wilderness will literally run circles around a 4Runner. Never mind how much more comfortable and cozy the Subie is!

    I honestly don’t see why you would ever compare the two in the first place. Completely different cars. The 4Runner isn’t a particularly nice place to be - makes for a dreadful roadtrip car, to be honest. They’re slow, junky, and the off-road capabilities aren’t any better than the Wilderness.
     
  28. Aug 17, 2022 at 9:45 AM
    #28
    ESCT4R

    ESCT4R New Member

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    LMAO that last statement is totally untrue. The 4runner is more capable and is a great road trip vehicle. I think you are on the wrong forum, friend.
     
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  29. Aug 17, 2022 at 10:02 AM
    #29
    kmeeg

    kmeeg LionRunner

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  30. Aug 17, 2022 at 10:22 AM
    #30
    Lou

    Lou New Member

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    Joining a 4Runner group to down 4Runners and tout Subarus might be the most Subaru owner thing ever. West coast or mountain state?


    THIS.
     
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