harrydog Posted July 19, 2005 Share Posted July 19, 2005 I'm going back and forth on what to replace my '02 WRX with. I'm all over the place with possibilities, not all of them even being Subarus. This is mostly aimed at 2005 3.0 owners. Are you satisfied with the engine power? I know it's slower than the XT, but how much slower? Torque is less and peaks higher in the rev band, so I would assume this is a peaky engine, which may not work that well coupled with the AT and this engine is not offered with the MT. If I go with an Outback, acceleration won't be quite as important to me as it would be with other choices, but on the other hand, I don't want to drive a car that gets put to shame by every SUV on the road. I know a test drive is in order, but I'd like to hear from those who have lived with this engine for awhile. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spinjockey Posted July 19, 2005 Share Posted July 19, 2005 I've been driving the VDC for 7 weeks now and it's definitely feels less perky then the XT. However I think a lot of it is that the power/torque curves are smoother. Personally my decision went if I'm getting an automatic LTD (XT/GT) then I'm might as well spend the extra for the the bigger engine with more towing capacity. I felt the "sportshift" wasn't quick enough for driving a turbo, but needed auto for living in a city full of hills (SF). Drive them back-to-back and it'll be pretty apparent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mkaresh Posted July 19, 2005 Share Posted July 19, 2005 I don't own either car, but I formed distinct impressions after driving both. The XT has more punch over 3000 RPM, but lower down it's lacking in driveability and smoothness when paired with the automatic. It lulls and surges until 3000 with either transmission, but keeping the revs up above this mark comes more naturally with the manual. Personally, I prefer the turbo with stick, but with an automatic I'd want the six. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red beast Posted July 19, 2005 Share Posted July 19, 2005 came from a wrx with 270 hp. this is my second h-6, the other being a 2001 LL beaner wagon. i had the 3.0r sedan for a year now. i can merge into fast moveing traffic just as easy as the wrx. matter of fact its better with the 3.0r because you don't have the turbo surge that makes the car too fast for blending in. engine is smooth. you can use 89 octane but, i can feel the difference. no real mods so if you like to "tinker" with your car you might be better off with the turbo. if you want to slow down to avoid getting speeding tickets it will help. as in the 2001 beaner the h-6 could cruise all day at 90 mph and not complain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwiener2 Posted July 19, 2005 Share Posted July 19, 2005 My dad has the LL Beanie and I have the XT. I wrote a review somewhere comparing the two. Search for it. The XT is much more fun to drive, but the R is a little more grown up. The R has to drop one, or sometimes 2 gears to get going. The XT just goes. My Mods List (Updated 8/22/17) 2005 Outback FMT Running on Electrons Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chucktoo Posted July 19, 2005 Share Posted July 19, 2005 And the XT can be made to go much faster if you don't want to grow up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PGT Posted July 19, 2005 Share Posted July 19, 2005 And the XT can be made to go much faster if you don't want to grow up. understatement of the year How long before the car is done and you get to test for hard numbers?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chucktoo Posted July 20, 2005 Share Posted July 20, 2005 If the stars align it maybe 1 month and 1 day from now . Defending the honor of Outbacks. All the parts are in hand - the question now is how long to put it together . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrydog Posted July 20, 2005 Author Share Posted July 20, 2005 Thanks for the replies. I wish the 3.0 had a bit more low end torque. I think that would make all the difference. It seems they've tuned it to meet a hp goal (marketing no doubt) rather than tuning for more torque, which would have made a better engine in my opinion. But that's probably mostly a marketing decision. As they say, horsepower sells but torque is really what brings a smile to your face. They didn't want to market a higher priced 6 cylinder car with less hp than the 4 cylinder models. I still need to test drive both, but I've owned 3 turbo powered cars so far and will most likely end up making it 4. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gargleblaster Posted July 26, 2005 Share Posted July 26, 2005 Consider whether you live or play in areas of higher altitude in your choice. The 3.0 will become a slug compared to the XT when the air gets rare. Since we live @ nearly 10,000 ft ASL, the choice was obvious, although I would have appreciated having one car that didn't require premium unleaded. Founder - The Harry F. Johnson Memorial Fund Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fzanetti Posted July 26, 2005 Share Posted July 26, 2005 Coming from a WRX, a torque starving under the hood, you will be a little disappointed with the 3.0, IMHO you should get the XT if you really want to drive, however if you want to cruise, get the 3.0 Auto... ;-) Good luck on your decision, Flavio Zanetti Boston, MA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lygriek Posted August 3, 2005 Share Posted August 3, 2005 What a Great Sound! I have had my 3.0 Sedan for a week now, traded in my 2005 WRX, and it has taken some getting used to but MAN, when you let it strech its legs, WOW! I think I will be doing some custom exhaust work, but I do not want it too loud. I crawled under the car and the exhaust is pathetic, shouldn't be to hard to squeak some power out of it, just need to be careful not to loose power. I vote for the H6, refined, smooth, and less to worry about. ( Like we really care about that stuff) Lygriek, aka Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XT6Wagon Posted August 23, 2005 Share Posted August 23, 2005 5seat tribeca or OXT are your real choices IMO. if you want "grown up" kind of car the Tribeca offers alot more for the money if you want something sporty yet more grown up than the WRX, the LGT or OXT are your choices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrydog Posted September 26, 2005 Author Share Posted September 26, 2005 I ended up getting the 3.0 R. I was intent on getting an auto because my wife will need to drive this car at times. I didn't even test drive an XT manual which is the best "drivers" car in the Outback range. In my opinion, the turbo engine just isn't well suited for the auto transmission. Like others have said, it lulls and surges below 3000 rpm. It's all or nothing and I found it to be quite annoying actually. Add to that the fact that you have to buy leather and a moon roof (neither of which I care about in the least) in order to get the turbo and the decision was made a little easier. By the way, I don't like the Tribeca at all. To me, it's ugly and underpowered, so it was never a consideration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mkaresh Posted September 26, 2005 Share Posted September 26, 2005 The marketing guys at Subaru who dropped the cloth XT in favor of the cloth 3.0 score a point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest *Jedimaster* Posted September 26, 2005 Share Posted September 26, 2005 And the XT can be made to go much faster if you don't want to grow up. And it's also more serious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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