2009 Subaru Liberty & Outback specification upgrade
October 22, 2008 by Alborz Fallah
In addition to standard electronic stability control being standard on every Subaru Liberty and Outback, the Japanese company has announced minor specification changes for the Model Year 2009 Liberty and Outback models.
Satellite navigation, previously a rather expensive option at $3,000, is now standard equipment on several variants, including Liberty 2.5i Premium, Liberty GT, Liberty GT spec.B, Liberty 3.0R Premium, Liberty 3.0R spec.B and Outback 3.0R Premium.
MY09 specification upgrades also include an auxiliary jack across both models, meanwhile entry-level Liberty models are now available with leather trim (a cloth option is still available at the same price).
In addition to standard stability control across the range, the following specification is also added:
Liberty 2.5i:
- Leather upholstery
- Power driver’s seat with dual memory
- Rear privacy glass
Liberty 2.5i Heritage:
- McIntosh premium sound system
Outback 2.5i:
- Self levelling rear suspension
- Leather upholstery
- Power driver’s seat with dual memory
- Rear privacy glass
Outback 3.0R
- Leather upholstery
- Power driver’s seat with dual memory
2009 Subaru Liberty & Outback Pricing:
Liberty 2.5i
Liberty 2.5i manual sedan – $32,990 (+500)
Liberty 2.5i manual wagon – $34,990 (+500)
Liberty 2.5i automatic sedan – $34,990 (no change)
Liberty 2.5i automatic wagon – $36,990 (no change)
Liberty 2.5i Heritage
Liberty 2.5i Heritage manual sedan – $36,490 (-1500)
Liberty 2.5i Heritage manual wagon – $38,490 (-1500)
Liberty 2.5i Heritage automatic sedan – $38,490 (-2000)
Liberty 2.5i Heritage automatic wagon – $40,490 (-2000)
Liberty 2.5i Premium
Liberty 2.5i Premium automatic sedan $42,780 (-10)
Liberty 2.5i Premium automatic wagon – $44,780 (-10)
Liberty 3.0R Premium
Liberty 3.0R Premium automatic sedan – $51,490 (+500)
Liberty 3.0R Premium automatic wagon – $53,490 (+500)
Liberty 3.0R spec.B
Liberty 3.0R spec.B manual sedan – $52,990 (+500)
Liberty 3.0R spec.B manual wagon – $54,990 (+500)
Liberty 3.0R spec.B automatic sedan – $52,990(+500)
Liberty 3.0R spec.B automatic wagon – $54,990 (+500)
Liberty 2.5 GT
Liberty 2.5GT automatic sedan – $55,490 (+500)
Liberty 2.5GT automatic wagon – $57,490 (+500)
Liberty 2.5GT spec.B
Liberty 2.5GT spec.B manual sedan – $56,990 (+1000)
Liberty 2.5GT spec.B manual wagon – $58,990 (+1000)
Liberty 2.5GT spec.B automatic sedan – $56,990 (+1000)
Liberty 2.5GT spec.B automatic wagon- $58,990 (+1000)
Outback
Outback 2.5i manual wagon – $36,990 (+500)
Outback 2.5i automatic wagon – $38,990 (no change)
Outback 3.0R automatic wagon – $46,990 (no change)
Outback 3.0R Premium automatic wagon – $54,790 (+500)
All MY09 Liberty and Outback models are on sale now.
Tags: Subaru Liberty, Subaru Outback
This is sad, All I wanted was a 5 or 6 speed automatic and they have failed to improve this. I think in this day and age a 4 speed automatic in a car over 30K is just not acceptable.
I guess Ill be buying the new euro instead.
Aleks, just do what i did and buy the manual! 4 cyl cars always drive better in manual anyway, save yourself a couple of grand and get better fuel economy, plus have a much more responsive car with the added bonus of awd and not having to use expensive premium fuel like the euro!!
My only real grip with my MY07 Liberty 2.5i Auto Wagon is the automatic. On the open road and just dawdling round it is great, smooth shifts, spirited driving is pretty good too. The problems arise when you want to accelerate a bit quicker out of a corner or up a hill when the auto just decides to kick down and rev its head off.
If Subaru could get a well tuned 6sp auto into their cars, I would be more likely to choose them next time round. At present the Skoda Octavia TDi is looking like a good option.
And where’s the diesel?
No diesel until all new shape MY10, and only available in manual outback to begin with…
What a JOKE – 51 grand for a gutless 3.0L V6, when you get a 3.5L V6 Aurion/Acccord for mid-30s? I can’t believe that up until very recently, they sold a 2.0L Liberty – unbeeeeeleivable. They must think Aussie customers are idiots. And … well, looking at the Liberty sales figures, many are.
Geez, how much longer can they drag out this old model. I thought the all new Liberty & Outback was confirmed for early 09, with a diesel available then also. Although this model is still a good looking car, they have certainly wrung every last drop out of it.
But then again, given Subaru’s poor design habits of late, maybe the new one won’t be any better.
Mark it just shows how little you know when subaru has never even built a v6 engine, boxer engines is all subaru does anyone knows that!!, besides subaru is a premium japanese brand and the 3.0l models your talking about are designed to compare with 6cyl 3series bmw and v6 audis,As they are fully loaded luxury models..
i drive a MY05 2.5i AT and yep the transmission is pretty crap when in normal D position. A DSG would totally transform the driving experience (or perhaps even a standard 5/6 speed auto would suffice).
I’m looking for a new car for my wife and I actually like the new imprezza hatch RS but the AT transmission would surely be a big let down.
The Current Liberty not only handles better than the Camry but is also better built, and arguably, more reliable.
Subaru have built their reputation on Boxer engines with AWD, I do agree the need for a six-speed auto is getting a little desperate but no doubt the guys at Subaru are aware of this and working hard to get it done.
I own a 96 liberty with a 2.2 and it has got enough power and torque. Why do cars have to have a 0-100 time that is really quick, or a high top speed? I have enough power to drive as a daily driver, or even a long distance tourer, even with the Auto. The only reason people would need a more powerful engine for everyday use (non car enthusiasts) is for towing. What people here (some not all) don’t realise, is that the everyday citizen doesn’t care all that much for power, just a comfortable, cheap and reliable car (hence why Toyota is going well).
Mark Greenburg, way to show your ignorance. My only beef with the upgrade (apart from the 4-speed auto, its very ordinary, if you have a functional left leg I strongly recommend the manual) is that the resale value of my liberty will get pummeled. And now that the bog standard 2.5i has leather and all the trinkets, and the heritage adds the awesome stereo, what are you getting for the extra 4k for the 2.5 premium? Surely the premium would now be a candidate to receive the 5-speed auto, at the very least.
The funny thing is, their 3.3L “SIX” from the SVX, a car, what, 15+ years old… produces more power than their current 3.0L. They need to transplant the 3.6L from the Tribeca… now THAT would be a powerful car worthy of the price.
Once again Mark Greenburg, you show you have ignorance is spades. The old 3.3L H6 engine produces less power than the current 3L H6. 172kw vs 180kw. Look up your figures before posting. Also, i do no that the 3.3 had more torque, but more torque is available earlier in the 3L.
Yeah manual is nice, but when you spend every day about 30 minutes it starts to get old real quick. I currently have a manual and I don’t think I will ever get a manual again as long as I have a full time job. Its just a pain shifting in traffic. Don’t get me wrong I love manuals more then autos, but this is purely a comfort thing now. Besides autos are becoming very good these days. God Subaru go and get the DSG box from volkswagen.
I am surprised Subaru hasn’t at least transplanted the 5-speed auto (from the GT and 3.0) into all previous 4-speed models. Even Mazda did this with their previous gen mazda6. They really are falling behind and it is a shame. They better have something special lined up for MY10 or they will lose dearly to Mazda and Honda.
My present (and fourth Subaru) is a 2006 Liberty 3L wagon.
I love it’s power, accelaration out of corners(great chuckablity),smooth & clever gearbox(Iwould like to have a good 6speed ATM gearbox).It is an enjoyable car to drive both fast and slow. At 25,000Km it is starting to loosen up and the exhaust note has that purposeful Boxer throb.The sunroof is too large and I only use it to vent the car when parked in the sun on a very hot day! Also the speedo is a ridiculous 9 1/2to10% fast when corrected against the satnav; It appears that the manufacturer has cheapskated and used the same speedo as on the 3L Outback which uses the higher profile tyres with which my previous Outback’s speedo ran at an acceptable 1 1/2 to 2% fast. Except for the two main negatives mentioned it is a good compomise between a sports car and a comfortable family sedan.
I’ve never owned a Subaru, but have always had a soft spot for them. I’ve just scored a new job where I can choose my own new company vehicle, and I’m going for a Subaru. The only decision is whether to get an out back, or the new Forester! The outback manual will just sqeeze into my price bracket, or I can have an XS Forester. Most of my work will be on road, but some driving across paddocks, and wet ground, plus a little bit of weekend bush work ( not too heavy). I’ve never driven either. Recomendations?
Peter Phillips: Both are brilliant cars, I have a Forester. If you are driving across paddocks, with some weekend bush work, you will probably be better off with the Forester, mainly because of the short overhangs. I would recommend a manual one though, because on outback manuals, and forester manuals (excl. the turbo XT) you get Dual Range Transmission, but permanent All Wheel Drive. Hope this helps, no matter what Subaru you choose, you will be happy, they are brilliant cars. (Not that I am biased, I’m on my 4th Subaru :) )
Speaking to my Subaru dealer, he mentioned that Subaru goal was to include continuously variable transmission (CVT) in all their models by 2010; If this is true I can only assume this is why they haven’t invested in a new auto transmission. The first model to include it will be the new Liberty/Legacy (apparently).
He also mentioned that the new liberty would have the option of the Tribeca’s 3.6 litre engine.
Well, after a lot of procrastinating, my employer has finally got 3 quotes on an outback, and has ordered one for me! My sunlight gold MY09 manual should arrive in the first week of 2009. I’ve been driving a Ford Escape V6 since I started, which has not been too bad, but has very noisy tyres fitted. I did 3,000KM in the first 2 weeks, so looking forward to my new Subaru which should be more comfortable. Thanks for your help AW. Will report after I’ve had it a while.
Peter Phillips: Congratulations, an excellent choice. Happy to Help. Please do report back on your experience with it and enjoy it when it arrives. You won’t regret it!
Oh, and Peter, which model Outback did you get. Obviously it is a 2.5 litre because it is manual.
Just the 2.5I, I hoped to get it before Christmas, but it was still in “the compound” Might arrive between Christmas and New Year, but doubtful. They only have to fit a tow bar, and some mats ( went for the dished rubber ones, which will be good for my job work for a rural water corporation) with dirty boots etc.) Some of the guys have forresters, but I was able to get into the outback due to a reduction in price. Really looking forward to it. Have a great New Year!
Good Choice. Price Reduction has helped quite a lot. Foresters are good as well. Also smart choice with the options, and hopefully it will be in your driveway soon. Have a Great New Year as well!
Picked up the Outback last night. Havn’t had a chance to drive it much, but so far I love it. The salesman couldn’t believe that I’d never driven one! After the Ford Escape that I have been driving, It’s a limo! The only snag was that a mechanic decided to fit the mandatory fire extinguisher in the passengerside console. Had a couple of goes, and laft lots of holes! I’ve reclocated it to the back, and the dealer has agreed to fix the holes at the first service. I do about 6,000km a month, so will soon run it in! Love the Sunlight Gold colour too!
Congrats Peter, glad to hear you are enjoying it. Another happy customer of Subaru! I know it will treat you well!
Update, we purchased our 5th Subaru today.
A MY09 Forester XS Manual. Can’t wait for it to arrive
AW – 5th Subaru hey you must really like them; what other model Subies have you owned?
Good luck with your MY09 Forester. I note much comment about their 4 speed automatic (yuk, who’d have one?) I do a lot of 4 wheel driving including some fairly extreme conditions and the Forster has the best traction of all the 4 wheelers I have driven. But that oversquare motor and the pseudo low range – couldn’t pull the skin of a rice pudding on a hill. My 1963 Morris Major could start easier and smoother on Brown Street, Newcastle (if you don’t know Brown Street you should) than the Forester can in low range.
And driving a manual Forester in Sydney is an absolute nightmare with that hill brake coming on the very slightest incline.
I will look at another Subaru, maybe, but they are falling behind and need to update in a number of areas.
Well, I’ve had the outback for 3 months and done 14,000KM. Nice vehicle, and enjoying it very much. Havn’t been off road as yet, but that may change this weekend. Using a bit of oil, however I’m told that this will improve after 20,000, No warranty probs as yet. Interested to hear what you think of the forester AW! Averaging 8.2 Litres per 100KM with a mixture of driving- complaints? A couple. The speedo is 7 KM out ( reads over) at 100, and a habit of surging when coasting, and maintaining a slow speed. Dealer states that injectors turn off on no throttle, and then come back on? States it should improve. Anyway, I can live with it.
My 2006 Forester has done 48,000. Burns no oil and never did despite giving it a bit of stick on the open road. Surges on light throttle and at low speed but not as badly as it did, not a problem now but was very annoying. Other than that, no warranty problems at all.
Main issue with all Subarus is the lack of low speed torque – can’t understand why they put a dual range in but only drop it half a gear. Has problems moving off on steep inclines with a load and sometimes I have to use low range or get clutch burn (can smell it!) – and that’s on tar sealed roads in town. Put it in a steep hill on a country track and the passengers stiffen up because it has to be kept above 2,500 revs to have any torque. Am thinking of getting an automatic Outback but they have the same problem – all Subarus do. And a better auto transmission would also be an improvement.
When it all gets too much for me I go for a drive in my 1965 3.8 Mark 2 Jaguar and remind myself what a big, powerful, long stroke motor drives like.
Wheelnut: Yeah we are fans. The 5 Subarus are:
1984 Leone
1998 Impreza Sportswagon
2001 Impreza RS
2005 Forester
2009 Forester (Delivery is approximately 20th April)
Peter Phillips: That’s great to hear mate, they really are a fantastic car. The Low speed torque issue is common, but I have gotten used to it, You just wait a bit in mine, then the torgue piles on from about 2000rpm (and its a N/A and 5 Speed Manual) and off it goes.
We’re not selling the current one. We’re going to have 2 Foresters in the garage. Along with an Accord V6 Luxury.
Gary Smith: Ours has never burnt oil, thankfully, and has never skipped a beat. (4 years on, and 38,000km though). They do need just a bit more torque though, found that out driving through a side street in Beecroft with a huge hill, about to pull onto Pennant Hills Road, did a hill start properly, and it bogged down and struggled. But that is my only complaint, and I don’t use that street anyway.
My Apologies Garry for not spelling your name correctly in my last post
Picked up the new Forester on Monday. What a fantastic car! Really enjoying it, drives well, spacious, comfortable, well-built, everything a Subaru should be. Exceeded my expectations!
Hi im new to Subaru, bought my first one in April 09, its an MYO9 Liberty, i must say going from a late model XR6 to the liberty you do notice some changes, I dont think i will ever buy another ford after driving the subaru a very comfortable car, i live in the country and the all wheel drive is excellent, just wondering if it is common for it to run at 2700rpm at 120km ph. That just seems high after driving the XR6. Haven’t yet had any oil buring issues though its only done 1103 kms. When i bought the car i had two cannons installed thinking i would get the famous Subaru sound though it sounds like a normal 4 cyl. does anyone know if this is because the engine is not run in yet?
Well, almost 20,000KM on the outback since January. No more oil burning, and averaging 8.4 L per 100 KM. It’s a nice little wagon, and very pleased with it. My only gripe is the lack of torque down low although it has improved with a few KM’s on the clock. I tried to back it up my driveway ( which is pretty steep) pushing a trailer of fire wood,and even in low reverse, ended up with a cloud of smoke out of the clutch. I’m resigned to the fact that it just won’t do it, and I just have to drive up and carry the wood that little bit further. I thought that it would do it no probs. The Auto might have more luck. The dealer loaned me a new forester last service. Nice car AW. hope that yours is going well. Did you get an Auto or Man ? Hope that you are enjoying yours Mark. I like the XR6 too. Nice road car. Looking forward to the new Outback Diesel next year. Might just be about the right time for me to get a “newie” by then too.
Peter Phillips: Great to hear that yours is going well. We bought a manual, and so far are loving. It really is a step up from previous Subaru’s, and we can’t fault it. It is fantastic, and we are looking forward to many happy kilometres of motoring.
Well, 25,000KM in the outback so far. Averaging 8.2 litres per 100 KM, which is great. Engine has loosened up lots, and had slightly more torque down low. Have a problem with the air bag light on. Dispite 2 all day trips to the dealer, they now say they don’t have a cable to connect to the machine to diagnose the problem. They now tell me that none of the airbags will work if the light is on, which is different than last time. They say the cable will take 6 weeks to come from Japan. Not happy with that, and have told them to get one from somewhere. I’m not planning on a big prang, but what’s the good of 6 airbags if they don’t work! Apart from that, it’s a very nice wagon, and I’m happy with it. No more oil use. Had it up a few hairy tracks, and in the bush, and very impressed with it’s performance.
How’s the Forester AW? Will let you know how the air bag senario goes.
Good to hear that you are enjoying the car Peter Phillips. And that you are using it for it’s intended purpose
Hopefully your service department will fix that issue promptly for you.
The new Forester is fantastic. Really enjoying it. Although I don’t get to drive it that often. I’m still driving my MY05 Forester. Fantastic cars the both of them. Haven’t tried the new one offroad yet, I use mine for that.
My wife and I are considering purchasing a new 2009 Subaru Liberty MY10 2.5i CVT Automatic Wagon to replace our very reliable and powerful ford falcon station wagon. Very keen to get any advice. Have driven the vehicle and concerns mainly around power and lack of luggage cage option. needs to trnsport 2 kids and lots and lots of luggage on road trips.