Subaru Outback Diesel Review
November 3, 2009 by Alborz Fallah
The car that a lot of Subaru fans have been waiting for has finally arrived in Australia, the Outback Diesel represents the first diesel car Subaru has offered in Australia and marks a new era for the Japanese brand as it sets it sights higher for 2010.
Having already driven the new Subaru Outback a few months ago, you might remember that I mentioned the wait for the diesel will be well and truly worth it, and it was.
Matching Subaru’s symmetrical all-wheel drive with a diesel engine was always going to return something interesting and having been on sale in Europe for some time now, the Outback 2.0D is a car Australia has been waiting for far too long.
Subaru can be proud to claim their engine is the world’s first flat boxer diesel engine for a passenger car, although that prize may seem somewhat irrelevant as other manufacturers have been offering conventional diesel engines for some time, so the boxer diesel has to be something special.
With 110kW and 350Nm of torque, the figures are nothing to sneeze at, match that with a fuel economy rating of 6.4L/100km in the combined cycle and you start wondering why you’d buy the petrol variant. Put all those figures together and it all comes down to the Outback diesel having a range in excess of 1100 kilometres.
Weighing in at 1551kg, it ’s nearly 90kg more than its petrol variant but still manages to consume 28 per cent less fuel and put out 19.6 per cent less CO2 (168g/km). The new diesel engine is also Euro 5 compliant.
Over 200 buyers had already pre-ordered their Outback diesel and Subaru expects the buyer split to be an even 50/50 for rural to metro.
So what is all the fuss about? Subaru has become such a well regarded brand in Australia that despite designing cars that polarise opinions with their looks, not only are they selling better than ever, but all of us get very excited when they come out with a diesel engine. The second generation boxer diesel is similar in purpose to all other similarly sized diesel engines, lots of pulling power with excellent fuel economy.
To test the new Outback diesel we found ourselves in rural New South Wales flying through corners on dirt roads and hilly country side. According to the official specifications, peak pulling power is achieved at around 1800-2400rpm and at least 300Nm of that at 1600rpm, however in the real world it seems the engine comes alive at around the 2,000rpm mark and keeps pulling hard well and truly past 2500rpm on the rev counter.
This is a good and bad trait as torque seems to be lacking a tad below the 2000rpm mark but when it gets going, it doesn’t run out of puff as easily as some other diesel engines. Driving it around town or on the highway is the best way to appreciate the new boxer engine.
In sixth you can comfortably cruise anywhere between 70-140km/h and it will not struggle or complain. As the gearing ratio has been designed with European roads in mind it’s perfect for long empty stretches of country road.
First to second is simple and with Subaru’s hill holder system the Outback will not roll back while your right foot goes from the brake to the accelerator pedal.
Thankfully the six-speed manual gearbox is a beauty to drive, gear changes are simple (although the clutch pickup point will take a few days to get used to) and the distant between gears is short, exactly what you’d expect from a Subaru.
After what seemed like over 80 km of dirt roads at speeds of up to 110km/h the Outback not only felt unnaturally confident but ride and comfort was not an issue. The more I drove it, the more I appreciated the plus sides to Subaru’s all-wheel drive system. Any momentary loss of traction is quickly sorted by the car’s computers and essentially all that is required from the driver is to point the car in the right direction, it will do the rest.
The interior is the same as the petrol variants, a clever and comfortable design. The Satellite navigation system and stereo system is well integrated giving the cabin an expensive feel.
Apart from CDs, MP3 and WMA files the Kenwood Sound Meister with DOLBY PRO LOGIC sound system will also play DVDs, although given Australian design rules it will only play DVDs when the car is stopped (we believe there is a work around for this). As far as the interior goes my only criticism would be the use of hard plastics on the dashboard and doors and lack of native iPod connectivity (you can still use your iPod through an auxiliary input).
The electronic park brake is placed on the right side of the steering wheel and works as expected.
Compared to the old model, the space between front and rear seats has increased by 68mm while rear legroom is up 99mm, front hip room 89mm and rear hip room by 34mm.
The biggest downside of the new Outback Diesel is the omission of an automatic gearbox, Subaru Australia boss Nick Senior said the priority for the engine was to penetrate the diesel obsessed European market which is 70/30 split in favour of manual transmissions. Hence an automatic gearbox is not yet available, he did however admit that if an automatic was available it may double sales of the unit in Australia.
During our drive program through the country side one thing became rather obvious, nearly every second car we drove past was a Subaru, be it an older model Outback, Liberty or Forester. Whatever Subaru’s strategy is out in rural areas, it has worked brilliantly. One point to take away from this is how reliable Subaru cars must be to be so well regarded by farmers and those out of metro areas.
Not that city buyers can complain either, overall Subaru Australia will sell around 36,000 cars by the end of this year, helped along by around 500 new Outback buyers a month.
All safety features are standard across the Subaru range and the Outback achieves the high five-star rating from ANCAP thanks to seven airbags and Subaru’s vehicle dynamics control and ESP.
Subaru will offer three variants of the new Outback diesel: the Outback 2.0D ($40,490), the 2.0D Premium ($43,990) and 2.0D Premium with satellite navigation ($46,490). Outback diesel sales are predicted to be split 40/10/50 respectively with the Japanese brand expecting a half the sales to come from the Premium with SatNav model. Servicing intervals will be scheduled for every 12,500 kilometres or six months.
The Forester will be the next car in the Subaru family to come with the new 2.0D engine in the first half of next year.
CarAdvice will bring you a comprehensive road test of the new Subaru Outback Diesel in the near future. More information on the petrol Subaru Outback.
Outback 2.0D
Safety
- ABS anti-lock brakes with four-wheel discs and Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD)
- Brake Assist
- Child seat anchor points
- Curtain airbags – full length
- Driver’s knee airbag
- Dual front airbags
- Dual front side airbags
- Engine cradle – helps isolate the engine from the passenger cabin in heavy crash
- Fog lights – front
- Front seatbelts with pretensioners and load limiters. Double pretensioners on driver’s setbelt
- Hill start assist
- Rear bumper reflectors
- Rear door child lock
- Seatbelt indicator lights – all seats
- Side intrusion bars
- Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive
- Three-point A/ELR rear centre seatbelt
- Vehicle Dynamics Control electronic stability program
Interior
- Climate control air conditioning – dual zone
- Cargo area light
- Cargo security blind
- Cup holders
- Electric parking brake
- Height and reach adjustable steering column
- Height adjustable driver’s seat
- Immobiliser security system
- Leather trim gear shift (manual)
- Map lights (2)
- Leather steering wheel with audio and cruise control buttons
- MP3/WMA compatible audio system
- Multi-function trip computer
- Power steering, mirrors and windows
- Rear illumination LED instrument display
- Rear seats auto fold function
- Rear seats recline function
- Remote central locking
- Remote fuel lid release
- Seatback storage nets
- Six-speed manual transmission
- Six-stacker in-dash CD player, MP3/WMA, AUX jack with six speakers (non SatNav models)
- Two remote central locking keys
- Vanity mirrors
- 60/40 split/fold rear seat
Exterior
- 17-inch alloy wheels – large steel temporary spare
- Chrome-surround grille
- Colour-coded mirrors and door handles
- Headlights auto off
- Privacy glass (rear)
- Rear roof spoiler
- Rear wiper
Other features
- Auto tailgate unlock
- DataDot security technology
- Electronic throttle control
- Self-levelling rear suspension
- Three-year unlimited kilometre warranty
- 2.0 litre DOHC horizontally opposed turbocharged boxer engine – 110 Kilowatts of power at 3600 rpm and 350 Newtonmetres of torque at 1800-2400 rpm.
Outback 2.0D Premium adds:
- Electric sunroof
- Leather trim
- Rear air vents
Outback 2.0D Premium with SatNav adds (to 2.0D Premium):
- Bluetooth compatibility
- DVD/CD player (single disc)
- Reversing camera
- Satellite navigation – factory fitted
- Three-pin RCA AUX jack
|
MY10 Outback 2.0D |
|
| Type
Cylinders Displacement Bore Compression Cam-train Fuel Maximum Maximum torque |
Horizontally opposed Four 1998 86.0 16.0 DOHC Common 110 350 Nm/1800-2400 |
Outback dimensions |
|
| Overall length mm |
4790 |
| Overall width mm | 1820 |
| Overall height mm |
1615 |
| Wheelbase mm |
2745 |
| Tread – front mm |
1535 |
| Tread – rear mm |
1530 |
| Min. ground clearance mm |
213 |
| Tare weight kg | 1551 |
| Fuel consumption and emissions (L/100km / CO2 g/km): Combined |
6.4/168 |
| Fuel tank capacity (litres) |
65 |
| Fuel requirement | Diesel |
| Steering |
Electric |
| Turning circle | 11.0 metres, kerb to kerb diameter |
|
Suspension: Front Rear |
Coil Double wishbone |
|
Brakes: Front Rear |
Vacuum Vacuum assisted |
| Tyres/rims | 225/60R 17×7.0J Yokohama Geolander |
|
Towing With/without brakes |
1700/750 |
good review, pretty much how I would sum up the driving experience of the new diesel
engine/gearbox..
Great car. The Subaru diesel is a very good engine. When it lands into the Forester, its going to sell even more.
Pity it is taking so long to get here though. My lease on my nearly 3 year old Liberty 2.5i wagon runs out in Feb and was hoping for a diesel Forester.
And when will the diesel appear in a normal Liberty?
I am curious as to why CA used the Subaru press release photos for this “review”…
Hi Damian, we’ve changed our naming structure so a Review is now what a First Steer used to be, as in we go with the media group and drive the cars at once, hence no opportunity for a photo shoot.
A Road Test is when we have the car for a week and then thats when we do our own photos.
i would only buy a top spec model the base interior is hideous
$40+k for subaru?
bwahhhhhhhh lol, one born every minute!
No worse than the people who pay $68k+ for a Commodore. I know which I would rather for that coin. I will not even mention the people who spent over $150k for a Commodore. You are right, there is one born every minute!
Phewww… like mazda is made in exclusive numbers.
I see plenty of cx7s struggling to leave used car yards F-0
Ah the Subaru Supremo-Anti-Allah returneth.
Thanks for you uninformed biased opionion – not.
I would be interested in knowing the following:
handling, compared to petrol
how the engine ‘feels’, is it a slugger or spin freely
RPM at 110km/h
real world fuel consumption on highways and city
1. Handling is pretty much the same, the slight weight difference is not that noticeable, i didnt find any difference in normal driving in terms of handling between diesel and petrol.
2. Engine feels good, it revs easily and the gearbox is smooth, however it does feel a little lacking below 2000rpm. It’s very quite as well.
3. I’ll have to find out for you but from memory it was around 2000rpm
4. Will be in the road test after we spend a week with it.
Alborz,
Thanks for that. I’m quite excited about this engine and transmission combo.
looking forward to the additional testing information.
“an automatic gearbox is not yet available, he did however admit that if an automatic was available it may double sales of the unit in Australia.”
I think that is conservative. I know a few people who would buy a Outback but have all said they won’t while there is no auto. One has already spent a bit more on a new XC70…
Well people I’ve driven both the 2.5 & the TD2.0. The 2.5l is lagging in 4th gear, whether up hill or on the highway, once you are in 4th gear you have to put your foot 3/4 of the way to the floor before you get any power. 1-3 gears great, 5-6 great. I am looking at buying one or the other and now that I’ve driven both I’m leaning towards the diesel………….but it’s out of my price range.
What are Subaru doing with the prices out there, have they become elitist? I can’t justify the price, I like it but I don’t LOVE it, and a better price would sure make me like it a little more (maybe even learn to love it!)
Hopefully there won’t be the same supply issues wiith the diesel as there is with the current petrol models, particularly the premium with SatNav.
Many Subaru buyers are repeat customers who want to ‘upgrade’ to a slightly higher grade than their outgoing car. Outback 2.5 Premiums with SatNav are as rare as rocking horse poo and it is nearly a two month wait for delivery!
I am led to believe that a Subaru CVT that can take 400NM of torque is being worked on and is 12-18 months away.
Nice review and the press release images in the snow look great.
Makes the Diesel X-trail look like a bargain!
Are you sure you have the RRP correct? they are 10K cheaper than the petrol version and are cheaper than the forrestors??
Apologies: Just looked up redbook…these are correct…wow
My Apologies the prices seem to be correct…
I’ll wait for the VW Passat outback Diesel at the end of 2012 when my lease on gti is up,
I’d rather a Skoda Octavia Scout.
Forester diesel has 6 month service interval – that’s just plain ridiculous when everyone else is 12 months.
I personally would always service my car every 6 months regardless!!
12 months is too long for oil to be left in an engine imo..
I’m inclined to trust the engineers that work for VW, Skoda, and other companies like BMW, Mercedes, etc, than to agree with your opinion.
12 months is not too long at all, and 15000k is not too long either.
In the days of carburettors and poor quality oils, there was much more petrol blowing past the rings and diluting the oil than with today’s engines. Lets face it, if you’re doing 6.0l/100ks, all the fuel is used – there isn’t any left over to dilute the oil.
Hideous thing it is.
2000-2500rpm powerband? sounds, ah, tedious – maybe 3500?
wonder how long until the clutch starts shuddering?
Hmmm, no auto, not surprised as the existing is only a 4 speed and I wonder in standard form could it handle the torque, maybe the Tribeca box could fit, otherwise its a CVT which Subaru are desiging for across the board adoption, I wonder what that would be like after a few years with all that torque flowing through the chain.
Lovely day in the bush ruined by BANG, chink chin chink, fiz!!!!!!
Call a tow truck, not out here you wont.
all outback/liberty’s now use the CVT or new 5 speed auto!!, no 4 speed available!!!!!!!, the current cvt cant handle the torque load!, but the 5 speed auto could easily as its behind the 3.6l six and GT 2.5 turbo models with no dramas!!
but comes down to the diesel was primarily for the euro market to begin with, as they buy mainly manuals it was the smart choice, they are working on a suitable auto now!!(who cares anyway I would only buy a manual anyway)why buy an auto which they would charge more for and would use more fuel in the diesel model and isnt as good to drive as a manual anyway!
New Outback looks great. Subaru cars are awesome…diesel engine on this car makes it more interesting.
Is this the same 6 speed gearbox as in the liberty that has been criticised by motoring journalists elsewhere?
You seem to be quite happy with it. I have been holding off ordering a liberty turbo until i could drive a vehicle with the same gearbox.
What gives?
Hi All,
does anyone know where the diesel engine and the car overall is made. I love my Forester and the reliability and quality is (I think) a bit to do with being made in Japan. Would think long and hard b4 buying an american or european made Subaru.
Subarus for the Australian market are built in Japan. The only other place they are built is America, and that is for US domestic (and Canada) only. In some markets the diesel is being referred to as ‘Euro spec’ and has different trim levels to the remainder of the range but is built in japan. Australia as the second largest market outside Japan for Subarus (behind the US) gets a fair bit of say on what we get, hence our trim levels mirror the petrol versions.
The Diesel is designed and built in Japan as well – not in the US. American do not buy diesel cars (they don’t seem to understand the concept of a ‘compact’ anyway and putting ‘a truck engine’ in one makes even less sense to them)
all Australian subaras are built and assembled in Japan, except for the Tribeca as it was designed for America so is assembled there as they dont sell them in Japan!!
but the engine/gearbox is built in Japan..
Can someone please tell me why they moved the hand brake to the dashboard?
Surely thats a dangerous place for it if needed in an emergency,trying to push a little button,taking your eyes off the road instead of an easy to locate regular hand brake. Ford used under dash brake for years and switched to a lever with the EF Falcon.They finally understood people hated it under the dash.
6 month service intervals are responsible. Comparing Japanese build quality to a Holden is plain bizarre. The Xtrail diesel has a nice engine but the rest of the car doesn’t match the Outbacks build quality. To suggest Subaru’s are cars that should top out at $40 is like suggesting Ferrari’s deserve a ceiling of $150k, more weird stuff.
The biggest problem with Subaru in my opinion after checking the new Mazda CX7 diesel against the Outback diesel was that the sales team at Subaru were uninspiring and morbid, seemed to be expecting the car to sell itself at Waneroo Subaru, calling Osborne park dealership also received a very average level of service. Subaru has some great competitors and they’ve got excellent cars, pity their Australian team seems to think they need to overly focus on modelling the brand as exclusive, its simply a waste of time as truly exclusive people will go out and whack a lot of money on a high end merc (no, not a bmw or an audi).
I am slowly warming to the garish looks of this and the Liberty compared to the previous. The engine is what Subaru should have developed 5 years ago IMO.
I am not sold on the interior dash though, I mean does Subaru actually think people like to see a block of bright silver in the middle of their car which looks like it was not well integrated into the interior design?
I agree with reckless, 6 month serve intervals may deter potential buyers if they research how much a Subaru service is (more compared to conventional two wheel drive), or maybe this is how Subaru maintain their high reliability while earning the extra.
For me I would have to test drive a plethora of similar cars to develop a sound consensus. As for a better Outback, yes is becoming more European (in the good ways) while probably keeping the good parts of being Japanese (reliability, lower price and easier to market to the Australian audience).
I agree with montageq – what gives? Surely its the same gearbox as in the GT. They both feel the same – notchy and long throw to me (standing still). But not a reason not to buy. Boooked in for a test drive next week.
Took delivery of the new diesel outback 2 weeks ago, have just clocked over 2000K’s and am very impressed. went off road last weekend after travelling interstate – highway or dirt roads plenty of power, and we had large load including luggage pod on the roof.
So far economy is better than my MYO6 petrol outback was.
very pleased…
Took delivery of the new diesel outback 2 weeks ago, have just clocked over 2000K\’s and am very impressed. went off road last weekend after travelling interstate – highway or dirt roads plenty of power, and we had large load including luggage pod on the roof.
push button praking brake seems odd, and hill hold takes a little getting used to.
shame they didn\’t make the cargo area larger instead of the back seat, but the extra height is great.
So far economy is better than my MYO6 petrol outback was.
very pleased…
Any news as to when the outback diesel wagon will be available in the US? thanks
Greetings from the snowy north of Canada. Lots of people here waiting for the diesel as well, since VW shifts huge numbers of TDIs. But we are stuck living next to the Americans who are fairly blind, deaf and dumb and living in their own little world, so we get Subaru editions meant for the US. Except that they cost 30 percent more in dollar terms than in the US, when our dollar is at 95 percent of the US. Talk about ripoff pricing! Seems like you lot get taken to the cleaners as well.
Regarding servicing – my 2008 Liberty (Legacy) GT has to have its oil changed every 6,000 klicks to maintain warranty, as all turbo models have been designated as operating under “severe service”, whatever that means in the rather demented minds of the Subaru people in North America. So 6 month servicing seems great to me.
Am not impressed by the gigantic scarab beetle shape of the new Liberty, and the Outback wears Grandma’s false teeth in a rictus-like grin as a front grille. Horrid. The centre console is a good imitation of a 10 year old Korean audio mini-system with no class.
But at least you lot get the 5 speed auto with the turbo engine if you want, and who wouldn’t after trying the typical Subaru manual. I refuse to put up with that contraption. So I hope the diesel if it ever makes it here has an auto option.
Here’s what I don’t understand: what are Australians doing running around in AWD cars when you typically don’t get any snow worth talking about? We have a foot coming in the next day around here, and I rely on the AWD to get about.
Had five Audis before my Subies, and all I can say to those contemplating purchasing a VW product is this: how well do you want to get to know Hans, the immigrant service manager from Deutschland, who regards you the customer as an utter fool for complaining about German reliability? I got to know mine far too well, and he was an utter incompetent in my book. Also, I was a twit for thinking for years that German engineering was great, and looking down my nose at Subaru. Once I got one I was sold.
It’s just that these new Subarus are so ugly to my eyes. Most others seem to disagree, and sales are well up. Oh well.
We DO have snow on the mountains here in the south, in winter, and lots of people use the Subies for their annual skiing holiday. The other thing is that we have a lot of dirt roads, especially in national parks, etc, and the subie is superb in the dirt. Our Japanese Subies have suspension tuned for Australian roads, so generally handle better than the US models from what I’ve read.
The 6 speed manual is very easy to use, except that you can sometimes get 3/4 and 5/6 confused.
A lot of people like to have AWD because it’s a lot safer. Funny thing is that a lot of car reviewers here don’t mention the AWD as a feature (even as a safety one) and will dismiss the Subie because it’s $2000 more than a Mazda, eg.
I own a 2010 diesel and it has a lot of grunt and sensational economy but the headlights do take a bit of getting used to. It’s great powering up steep hills at 100K in 6th without having to change down (it’s doing 1800rpm, which is the start of the 350NM torque range).