[Harplayr]

Originally Posted by MileHiGolfer

I know there are some Subaru owners here so I apologize in advance, but does not anyone else think they are the ugliest cars on the road as a whole? No mention of that here yet, the X3 is a great looking automobile, and the Forester is, well, not at all. Here in Colorado people seem to think they're mandatory after you move here. They have their merits as cheap AWD cars, but personally, I quite dislike them primarily for their looks.

I think the Forrester is boxy, but the Outback doesn't look that bad.
The Outback is really quite a nice car for the price if you get one that doesn't have the shakes at highway speed.

[ZipSpeed]

I drive the X3 and my wife drives a Forester XT (my previous ride before the X3). No doubt the X3 is leagues beyond my old Forester but the price is almost double! For what you get in the Subaru, it's pretty good bang for the buck. We're going to get a couple more years out of the Forester and we're planning to replace it with an Outback. Hopefully the shakes will be resolved by then.

[Harplayr]

Originally Posted by ZipSpeed

I drive the X3 and my wife drives a Forester XT (my previous ride before the X3). No doubt the X3 is leagues beyond my old Forester but the price is almost double! For what you get in the Subaru, it's pretty good bang for the buck. We're going to get a couple more years out of the Forester and we're planning to replace it with an Outback. Hopefully the shakes will be resolved by then.

Let’s hope so.

If you happen to get one with the shakes, it’s really a nightmare that only a lemon law suit can resolve.
They have masked the problem on more recent builds, but some are finding that they have to re-road force balance at every tire rotation, and Subaru will not warrantee the “fix” with anything but their OEM tires.

If you can hold out to the refresh to see if they actually redesign the suspension / steering or wait till the next generation you’d be wise to do so. At about 30K it’s not worth the risk IMO.

there's a whole forum section on subaruoutback.org dedicated to the shaking problem.

[skier219]

Originally Posted by Harplayr

Let’s hope so.

If you happen to get one with the shakes, it’s really a nightmare that only a lemon law suit can resolve.
They have masked the problem on more recent builds, but some are finding that they have to re-road force balance at every tire rotation, and Subaru will not warrantee the “fix” with anything but their OEM tires.

If you can hold out to the refresh to see if they actually redesign the suspension / steering or wait till the next generation you’d be wise to do so. At about 30K it’s not worth the risk IMO.

there's a whole forum section on subaruoutback.org dedicated to the shaking problem.

That is a disappointing problem on the Outbacks (only seems to affect US models, so you'd think they could correct this, but alas). I am still waiting to see if it's resolved on the 2012's. I have not recommended the car because of it, despite many people I know showing interest in Outbacks.

[Harplayr]

Originally Posted by skier219

That is a disappointing problem on the Outbacks (only seems to affect US models, so you'd think they could correct this, but alas). I am still waiting to see if it's resolved on the 2012's. I have not recommended the car because of it, despite many people I know showing interest in Outbacks.

Yes it does only impact North American Outbacks and Legacy’s.
The solution would be simple….use the same suspension design they use for the rest of the world.
They don’t have to redesign anything, just re-tool the plant in Indiana.

[Filski]

Have test driven both. It's no surprise the forester is uninspiring to drive yet solid and feels dependable. But it's no fun, my wife hated it. Interior is bland and truck like. Even the 20d X3 felt far better in terms of power and drivability. On badly corrugated road surface the X3 smoothed bumps out and had little noise in comparison.

Still waiting here too - finances aren't quite sorted to commit to the purchase yet, but the longer I wait the more likely an upgrade to the 30d is.

[96_Impreza]

Originally Posted by MileHiGolfer

I know there are some Subaru owners here .....

You got that right, X3 also.

[Bimar]

..And the Subaru die hards appear, funny how we let the wifey drive the Subie(inc myself) and we get the Bimmer...hmmmm.... thanks for the different points of view.

[jacb1301]

Not worth the comparison to be honest.

[apod]

Originally Posted by Harplayr

I think the Forrester is boxy, but the Outback doesn't look that bad.
The Outback is really quite a nice car for the price if you get one that doesn't have the shakes at highway speed.

Hello to all that read my post.... New to forums and new to BMW. I am a current owner of a Subaru Outback and have gone ahead with the purchase of a new X3 3.0D in Australia. I looked at the top of the line Outback prior to the purchase of the X3. Likewise I looked at the Forrester and must echo the words from Harplayr ... the Forrester is boxy. Here in Australia it seems unrefined the hence outback has been my choice from 2007. The car has been reliable, well-built etc. ... Anyway I am not choosing an Outback in 2011; In my eyes the value proposition is no longer there i.e. Top of the line Outback (only available in petrol) is approx. $62K AUD less discount. When compared to the BMW X3 2.0D which is slightly more expensive $76K AUD less discount (optioned with leather and sat nav) you get a better ride, engine, transmission, fuel economy, more gadgets, PDC and the list goes on. The Subaru Outback 3.6R Premium Wagon has a standard 5 spd gear box whilst the lower models have CVT. You can't even choose your trim. I do agree to some extent that you can't compare BMW to Subaru i.e. different class of vehicle ... but then again when you spend money you want the biggest bang for your buck...... By the way - I am no expert but the 3.0D sounds sweet, nothing like I expected a diesel to sound.

[Dr Stig 2]

And the 30d goes like a scalded cat!

I bought subarus for years, but these days they are uglier than just about everything on the road, and the build quality and interior quality of the fittings seems to have plateaued at 2000 levels.
I dont even bother test driving them anymore.
Their biggest advantage over a beemer is you cant go crazy and add in $30K worth of options (guilty as charged, your honour!)

[ppb]

At least you're better than me...I was deciding between Ford Edge & X3