My Mom bought a 2000 Outback Limited back in July. Other than the auto transmission being a complete piece of garbage the car has been fine. I will be swapping a 2.5RS 5-speed into it in the next little while. It's actually cheaper to do the swap than install a new automatic. Should be a ripping good time.

It has almost 190,000 km on it and there aren't any strange or annoying squeeks or rattles. The engine is a little noisey at idle. Almost sounds like a little diesel. There's a bit of a problem with paint peeling off the front bumper, but it's not bad yet.

One thing that really surprised me when I drove it for a week was that it gets worse gas mileage than my 91 Legacy turbo. My legacy gets about 10L/100km, the Outback is more like 12L/100km. That's brutal for a 4 cylinder. Maybe a bad O2 sensor....

Anyway, good luck. Just stay away from the automatics ... and Hamilton Subaru.

Anything for you Dave. At least now I won't need to worry about getting stuck behind your Golf on work days. Those diesel fumes make me loopy...

Go do some reading and ask questions on www.ottawasubaru.com/forum, lots uf useful info.

I have rallied a 1998 Outback (legacy) since 2000.  I have 349,000 km on it now and it has had rather a fun life.  It was used to course open (Car 0) the Rally of the Tall Pines in 2004 and actually set times that would have beat 2 competitors!  We used it to win an ORRC championship one year, dozens of road rallies and course development for the 2005 MLRC mini series.  Came 7th in last year's OWR despite an odo issue.

Additions? - Skid plate, Hella 4K's converted to HID, synthetic oil, K&N filter, Timewise, steel brake lines, interior light AND a stock automatic tranny.  Still on the original struts but the rears have been replaced twice.

There are several and good and bad things about Outbacks when used for rallying.  Let's look at the good first:

- AWD is great
- Comfortable
- 165Hp can get the job done and of course you can always look at other ways to pick up some go.
- I think that the wagon design improves traction  
- great daily driver with an later ego at night!
- automatic has been good and has been shifted on events like a 4 speed
- can hold 5 dogs and 3 people!

Downsides:
- heavy - at 3400# it outweighs an Impreza by several hundred pounds
- very few performance parts.  Impossible to get 3rd party struts
- on my 98, the headlights suck ==> Hellas!
- got 305K out of the first engine and the went to 4* and had a new RS engine installed.  Easily a better engine than the original and I can beat 10L/100 easily.

BOLO for:
- head gasket issues
- brighter head lights
- weather stripping around doors will need to be glued

Would I do it again?  Maybe not because next time around I would want more versatility in performance parts.  But if I only had 1 car and wanted to be able to rally, it's a great choice!

Cheers!

Glenn

Ryan,

That didn't seem to be the case with the '98.  Rear end suspension links on the Outback are apparently different from the normal stuff out there, even Legacies.  I could never get a cross reference in any parts books for performance stuff that would fit... and I looked.  

At one point, we were going to use Alan's WRX suspension but were warned that the fronts would work but the backs would not.  That would have lowered the front end but not the back.  Hmmm ... racy!

Admittedly, I didn't get my hands dirty trying to find out  

Glenn