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2.5 XT Limited or LL Bean ???


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Soon (hopefully) to be an owner of a used 2005-07 Outback.

 

Been looking and road testing quite a few...

I like both the XT Limited and the LL Bean...

 

Any input, comments, or recommendations as to reliability of

the 2.5 turbo vs the 6 cyl ??? Less problems where?

 

Whats the better track record for maintenance, life span, and performance???

 

I realize I'm buying used, and the previous owner(s) may not have maintained as

well as they should....

 

I like the looks and performance of the turbo,

(and the look helps with my "mid-life crisis") :D ....but wondering about turbo problems vs the H6....

 

 

Thanks to all for any input, recommendations, and comments...

DJ

 

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I drive a 2007 spec.B and my wife has a 2007 Outback LLBean 3.0 R, both bought new. Both cars have been reliable. For trips we take the six-cylinder wagon which is quieter and more comfortable. The spec.B is more fun to drive and I prefer its seats. If you get a turbo-four, be sure to get the firmware upgrades; otherwise you'll find that the engine hesitates at 4000rpm. The spec.B's instrumentation is easier to read and more informative. On the highway, the wagon's mileage is in the high-twenties. The spec.B does a little better. In town and suburban driving, the wagon gets about 16 mpg and the spec.B gets about 21 mpg, unless I drive really hard.
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Soon (hopefully) to be an owner of a used 2005-07 Outback.

 

Been looking and road testing quite a few...

I like both the XT Limited and the LL Bean...

 

Any input, comments, or recommendations as to reliability of

the 2.5 turbo vs the 6 cyl ??? Less problems where?

 

Whats the better track record for maintenance, life span, and performance???

 

I realize I'm buying used, and the previous owner(s) may not have maintained as

well as they should....

 

I like the looks and performance of the turbo,

(and the look helps with my "mid-life crisis") :D ....but wondering about turbo problems vs the H6....

 

 

Thanks to all for any input, recommendations, and comments...

DJ

 

 

The XT should be more fun to drive, where the H6 would offer a very relaxed drive. I'd say go for an XT Limited for the best of both worlds. I highly doubt the leather quality in the LL Bean is going to be that much better than the standard leather in a Limited model.

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There is a specific outback forum at: http://www.subaruoutback.org/

 

FYI - I joined that forum prior to this one and found it to be very unresponsive, very little posting activity and if you needed an answer to a question in good time, forget about it. Not saying there isn't good info on there or knowledgeable members but I have found this site to be much more suited to my needs. YMMV

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mid life crisis= hood scoop

 

I was wary of buying my XT for that exact reason but Subaru dramatically toned down the scoop so it is nothing like the boy racer WRX or STI of yesteryear. IMO, the scoop on my 09 XT is very understated and the contours of it are smooth and sleek. Sorry, sseaman, but you fail

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It's real simple...

 

If you want an automatic transmission, get the 6 cylinder.

 

If you want a manual transmission, get the turbo 4.

 

The automatic with the turbo is a poor combination.

 

Exactly.

 

If the H6 were available with a MT, the choice would have been VERY difficult.

[URL="http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/proper-flip-key-interesti-159894.html"]Flip Key Development Thread[/URL] "Genius may have its limitations, but stupidity is not thus handicapped." - E. Hubbard
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  • 3 weeks later...

I went through same thoughts before buying new in '06. Went with the XT, as you can see. We just did our 67K tuneup and our mechanic said all looked great.

 

Best reason, sporty drive when you want it. Same hp as the LLBean 6cyl, just a lot more fun.

Mileage: 21 town; 24 hwy

 

One thing we did notice, due to 'sportiness' the seats are more contoured and thus not as easy to reach around to the back seat/floor during travels. Still, very comfortable.

 

If your going to tow, the 6cyl might give you a bit more towing power.

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  • 3 weeks later...

OP ~ We opt''ed for the XT turbo version for the forced induction combats/offsets the 3.0 6cyl's normally aspirated -20% engine output, a loss attributed with 5,000ft + elevation; Mountain pass elevation can easily exceed 9K to 10,000ft elevation in-route to the ski slopes west of Denver. (DEN 5,280ft) A back of the hand calculation is negitive -3% of a N/A engine's output for every 1000 ft. in elevation; So the Mile High city of Denver 5280' elevation would be negitive 15% to the 6cyl LLBean motor. Twice the elevation height is only minutes to the west on interstate Hwy I-70. A turbo or forced induction engine is also effected by elevation however only slightly.

 

The XT and LL Bean model trims are pretty dam close to each other both being upscale trim oriented and priced similarly. Both vehicels are fitted with the operationally NERVE racking HVAC; additionally the flat out failure rate is also HIGH for the HVAC controls/radio/CD changer combination module. This is not Subaru's best work - many question how this HVAC arrangement made it to production its that dysfunctional.

 

Our MY05 XT LTD owe's us nothing and with a drive charactor just shy of an appliance it goes about its business faithfully. No fuss no muss. The JDM Bilstein BTS suspension upgrade changes the XTs charactor for the better a thousand percent! With that this XT family plans to keep the under the radar Outback in the fleet until the wheels fall off.

 

Next up,,,, is the JDM HVAC controls coupled with a touch screen Navi. What a killer enhancement, keeps our OB cars some where in the Navi races...

 

Cheers, MS

Cheers, Mike

 

 

|`94 E-Class Coupe |`98 Carrera 993 C2S |`14 Cayman S |`20 Outback Touring XT | All Debadged |

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