Anyone else have a Subaru? I just bought my first brand new car today, a 2018 Subaru Outback. It still needs to go back to the dealer this week for some optional trim and fog lights. I am loving it thus far! Question for any other owners – The parts manager told me he installed a hitch on his with the 2.5i 4-cyl and tows a boat regularly from the TC to Mille Lacs. Any experience with this?
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Is that a turbo?
My 2.4l turbo in a PT cruiser hauled a$$ on 14′ boats. Way better than my mom’s 3.5(7?) in her Jeep.
If you like it he!! yeah, congrats.
If it’s worth anything, I tend to put stock in rich people’s rides, I mean they can afford whatever they want right? 
And many former customers with the big houses around the Mpls lakes area had Subarus in their driveways. FWIW
I’m not a Subaru owner by my old man is on #6. When he needs to tow he borrows my truck. I would be careful and would worry about the transmission with regular towing. I think the tow ratings are also significantly different for trailers with and without brakes.
We(wife) have a 2016 2.5 Premium. I installed a hitch to pull my 16″ Aluminum boat once in a while. Pulls alright, still prefer the Suburban. Every bump you hit with the boat you will feel it in the car. Sort of annoying. Maybe there’s a way to dampen it??? One thing to watch is the alignment, we just got it aligned at 15,000 miles. The rear of the car wanted to pass the front with the car going perfectly straight. Sounds like it happens a lot with the Outback… Right rear tire is 2* off from the factory. I’m glad I was driving, not the wife! The tires from the factory are JUNK too!
Subaru’s are great cars…my FIL towed his 16.5 Alumacraft with his 2000 Outback all the time.
My son also has a 2005 WRX Subaru but it isnt much good for towing, it’s more for hauling ass ..It is truely amazing how much HP a guy can build them up to,right he is sitting at around 425 hp out of his turbo 2.5 but we are not done yet……
You should do well with your new one..Congrats on you new ride !
After reading my last post I have to add we really like our Outback:) Just giving you the bad first. Now the good- Very solid and safe car, just watch the alignment…. It has lots of room and gets great mileage!! Great AWD system, just pisses me off they sell them with junk tires. Replaced them at 17000 miles. After the alignment and new tires it drives great. Unstoppable in the snow 
I have a V8 F150 sitting behind me in the pics, which does most of my hauling. Just wondering if putting a hitch on the Subaru was worth it. I don’t tow the boat very much, so just wondering if it is a viable alternative. 
The boat and trailer I tow MAYBE weighs 1500lbs so it isnn’t a dual axle, glass, etc.
Yes, stick it on. If for no other reason it gives something for somebody to run into before rear ending your car. 
Oh, and it’s always worth a chuckle when your buddy busts a shin on it. 
I have a ruby suby forester ’13-before it changed to the CVT transmission. Its a 4 speed automatic (really wish I could have found a turbo (XT) at the time but no dice). I tow my 14.5 foot crestliner canadian with 25hp motor-its a deep and wide boat which fully loaded with trailer prolly tows at 1500#. That vintage forester is rated at 2500# and has zero problems handling the boat. Have hauled it to and from the cabin ~100miles numerous times, and too and from local muskie lakes plenty more. The tail may wag the dog a little if I hit a big bump but otherwise I have no concerns. When I started looking at vehicles I was nearly set on buying a toyota tacoma. But my budget put me in a tacoma with 150K miles, rust concerns and would not have been as safe (arguably) or convenient for the family as the forester. For the amount of towing (1-2x/month) I do the forester won out. FWIW-even if you don’t intend to tow frequently with your new outback the hitch may come in handy when the truck is in the shop or for bike racks etc.
tg
Regarding the hitch it’s a good investment. I had an impala with a hitch ten years ago man that thing came in handy. Bike rack etc. eventually got a light weight 4×8 aluminum trailer I use it way more than I would’ve ever expected.
Congrats on the new car!
Currently drive a Subaru, my last one had 300k on it when I sold it, engine ran fine (asked a 1000 for it and had tons of call it sold in minutes-had rust, front and rear suspension was bad and it leaked oil put all the problems in the add, nobody cared!) Towed my Jon boat with it.
You’ll get to know this car is how I read the reviews . You work on them plenty. Subaru gave a 100,000 coverage on tranny than took it away. Timing belt instead of chain, might of changed this so ask dealer. Car is nice for many miles…drain plugs even on gas tank. Colorado is the car you see everywhere . Motor seems to be great, just other items go south. Good Luck I wouldn’t touch another one unless it was covered by Sub (less than) aru for many years or miles. All my other cars and trucks have made it to 150,000 or more and ran just great. Tranny went out on Subaru. Subaru was at one time cancelling coverage if you put a hitch on.
We traded in my wife’s 2006 Forester a couple of months ago and purchased a new 2018 Forester. It won’t be used for towing, but I’m sure it would be capable of doing so. It is HER car – she loves it – I get to drive it on occasion (usually I crappy weather or at night). My only thoughts/comments are that the speedo goes to 140 mph – is hard to see (not lit properly in daylight) and is partially blocked by the steering wheel. Again, it is her vehicle and I’m not adjusting anything. I have a 3500 Dodge Diesel for towing my Lund.
Congrats on the brand new car! It’s a good choice. I’m on my 2nd Subaru Outback and I absolutely love them. AWD is the way to go, especially in MN. I had a trailer hitch on my old Subaru but we didn’t put one on my current one. We’d get about the same gas mileage as pulling stuff with the truck and my husband prefers driving his truck.
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Wife has a forester. she Love it I hate it. Wanted something that can at least tow and atv. Seats hard as rock not comfortable. She got all the extras she wanted for less then the other options I liked. Happy wife happy life.
Love mine, I pull my 14′ boat all around the state, I have a 2011 with the CVT so far no issue I do change the tranny fluid every year since I tow a lot with my car lol.
One word of advice when you are looking for tires get Nokian WR3 there a all weather tire instead of a all season tire makes for a damn nice ride in the winter time.
Over the years I have had 3 of the outback’s and I like them all but, one thing that made me mad was the front drive boots on the drive axles. If you see that the rubber boot is crack you had to get it fix or it can wear your knucle out. I change mine my self and have had the dealer do them. A little pricely job. You will love your sub- I did.
I also pull a 16 foot tracker v-bottom and trailer with 720 garden tractor with all of them.
If I didn’t have to tow boats it would be an Outback in my garage, no question. Best all wheel drive system out there(although I have some Audi friends that can make a fair argument)
Dad had a 2000 Outback, awesome!!!! Kept us right side up and between the ditches on some pretty horrendous days.
Wife just traded in her 2012 Impreza, another dynamite car. Wasn’t my favorite for long road trips for comfort but awesome around town. Stayed out of the shop and didn’t have the stock tire issue above.
Sister has a 2014 Outback, once again a very happy owner. Little bigger and less nimble than the prior generations. Better mpg though.
One note – we’ve always had a full size truck type around so no towing experience.
Regarding the hitch it’s a good investment. I had an impala with a hitch ten years ago man that thing came in handy. Bike rack etc. eventually got a light weight 4×8 aluminum trailer I use it way more than I would’ve ever expected.
Congrats on the new car!
X2 on the hitch installation, resale value + hitch mounted bike racks and cargo carriers always come in handy. Congrats on the new vehicle!
Colorado is the car you see everywhere
Colorado uniform: Subaru, Toyota Tacoma/4Runnner
Montana uniform: Subaru, Suburban, 1/2 ton from Big three
Spending time in the mountains and it’s amazing how much these vehicles dominate what is driven in the hills.
I have a ruby suby forester ’13-before it changed to the CVT transmission. Its a 4 speed automatic (really wish I could have found a turbo (XT) at the time but no dice). I tow my 14.5 foot crestliner canadian with 25hp motor-its a deep and wide boat which fully loaded with trailer prolly tows at 1500#. That vintage forester is rated at 2500# and has zero problems handling the boat. Have hauled it to and from the cabin ~100miles numerous times, and too and from local muskie lakes plenty more. The tail may wag the dog a little if I hit a big bump but otherwise I have no concerns. When I started looking at vehicles I was nearly set on buying a toyota tacoma. But my budget put me in a tacoma with 150K miles, rust concerns and would not have been as safe (arguably) or convenient for the family as the forester. For the amount of towing (1-2x/month) I do the forester won out. FWIW-even if you don’t intend to tow frequently with your new outback the hitch may come in handy when the truck is in the shop or for bike racks etc.
tg
Looking at purchasing a similar boat to tow with my ‘12 Subaru 4cyl. Installed a 2” hitch this fall. Good to hear your suby pulls it fine.
2014 Outback bought new now have 30,000 miles. X2 on OEM tires. Paid for top trim level expecting quieter but disappointed with noise levels. Heated seats finally warm up at destination. Climate controls hard to see with old eyes. That being said it is a great utilitarian car. Best passenger and cargo room, best safety, best visibility and best AWD in it’s class when I bought in 2014. Ride and handling also better than Honda and others I compared. I put hitch on but haven’t pulled with it. Would if I had to. Have step receiver with lights in it for added safety. Won’t buy another only because want bigger, quieter, smoother ride next time. Want Audi Q7 but that might be a stretch.
Drove a new outback and thought it was a slug. Like my older 6cyl one better. Co worker has a turbo and loves it. Great cars.
the cvt transmission may be an acquired taste. i didn’t care for it.
Haikubaru! 
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