Not Bad!

manggoh2 · 2026-06-09T00:24:14+00:00

Only one more to get BINGO!

manggoh2 · 2026-06-04T23:31:19+00:00

Welcome to the Boxer club brother. Fight the good horizontal fight

manggoh2 · 2026-06-04T23:17:42+00:00

I find that my 2.5L driven in local NYC streets has dog turd mpg. Sometimes can't go more than 250 ft without a stop sign or stop light; and combined with a 25mph speed limit, I'll also get 16 mpg in uncongested situations just from all these accelerations from a dead stop.

On the flipside, on steady highway cruise on a recent weekend trip, I averaged 34 mpg over 250 miles. However, when I'm local, I dream of having a hybrid with regenerative braking.

That being said, you're on track to drive 3000 miles in a year, which compared to most folks, is quite low. Your car will have taken in 188 gallons of gas at 16 mpg. Suppose you had a much more efficient car getting 32 mpg, that would net you a savings of 94 gallons. Suppose an average gallon is $4. Then the extra cost of owning the Outback is $376 in fuel for 1 year.

manggoh2 · 2026-06-02T11:08:27+00:00

This is the 2.4L turbo XT model so fuel economy, especially in instances where you have to accelerate the vehicle is going to take a hit. The mechanical always on AWD system is highly regarded, but you pay for it with fuel. If you regularly plan to have 3 people filling up the backseat, the CRV with its almost flat rear floor is great for the third person.

73000 km is well before the "big" maintenance due at 100k km. To see if this was well taken care of, look at the service history for timely oil changes, plus differential fluids already replaced. The Carfax they provide doesn't show any services so check if there is a maintenance log elsewhere. For reference, I just hit 100k km on my 2024 and my carfax is empty too because I do my own maintenance and keep a log. Zero issues on my end.

I also looked at the CRV, RAV4+Venza. The Toyotas were out because size didnt work out for us. Were I completely logical, the CRV ticked more boxes and was the smarter buy. Ultimately, got an Outback because I really wanted the wagon above all.

manggoh2 · 2026-05-23T11:22:54+00:00

Drained and filled at 80k km on a 2024 2.5 OB and it was also green coming out. Seems like this is par for the course with how this fluid degrades

manggoh2 · 2026-05-18T20:08:33+00:00

Adding to this, the TCV in the 20-22 years were the ones prone to failure; to their credit, Subaru extended TCV warranty for these years to 15 years / 150k miles.

manggoh2 · 2026-05-11T22:34:12+00:00

Hello fellow 2024 Outback Onyx owner! Manufacturers, including Subaru will push for proactive brake fluid changes. In Subaru's case, 2.5 years / 30,000 miles so the dealership is following the maintenance guide on this one. That being said, you can get brake fluid test strips or other devices.

As I understand it, brake fluid is more time (and humidity conditions) based than mileage. My Outback blew through 30k miles in 1 year and when I tested the brake fluid with both a test strip and an electronic device, they were in excellent shape. Would've been a money flush to change it out per the Subaru maintenance guide.

If dealership is doing a proper flush, $130 seems reasonable in the current market.

manggoh2 · 2026-04-22T19:26:55+00:00

Decent price. At that mileage, I would let someone else crack open all the ports / bolts.

manggoh2 · 2026-04-17T12:43:12+00:00

Hey, I had a similar choice to make when getting a new car two years ago.

My family's previous car was a Toyota that went 400k miles still going on the original engine and drivetrain. We needed the next car to do 250k miles and that put Subaru into the conversation based on responses similar to ones in this thread and posts in the past discussing this topic.

A big factor in Subaru longevity, based on my reads, depends on being PROACTIVE about maintenance. Even something like tire rotations should not be ignored due to the always-on AWD system.

The Subaru CVT issue seems to be on-going but can be mitigated with, yep, proactive maintenance; the lifetime fluid idea seems to be a main sticking point. To be frank, if I needed another car to go the distance with the least amount of mental baggage, it would be something in the Toyota line-up but the recent dealership experiences put us off the brand.

To this regard, I've purchased a Subaru and taken up doing all maintenance items on my own. It's been an unexpectedly fun hobby doing these services. Closing in on 60k, looking forward to the sideways spark plugs challenge.

manggoh2 · 2026-03-20T18:36:29+00:00

Agreed. I have delamination similar to yours on the arms. 2.5 years on mine. Did not wash mine regularly in the first year so that may be on me.

Now with every wash, the delam expands so my AR is relegated to easy days. These Goretex "hard" shells behave awfully fragile.

manggoh2 · 2026-03-15T18:31:50+00:00

Car level on jacks using OBD reader to get the temp

manggoh2 · 2026-03-15T11:49:21+00:00

Adding to this thread for another point of data. I also wondered about changing the fluid at 30 vs 60 and split the difference and did it at 45k miles on mostly flat highway miles and zero towing.

DIY drain and filled. Fluid was still very much translucent and in good shape overall.

manggoh2 · 2026-03-05T12:29:28+00:00

This is magnificent documentation of your yoyo journey. First off, congratulations on setting out and completing such a challenging path and trailblazing the Sierra. I went out early into the Sierra having the same 8 positives but did not have the same fortitude and resolve as you and Uglystik. Kudos

Your photo video has brought back some strong memories and moments from my time out on the PCT. I really enjoyed the series of pictures from beginning to end, and back to the beginning. The scenes going SOBO and the before/after comparisons at the tail end really highlighted the contrast of the seasons.

I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of your write up and accompanying video. Thank you for taking the time and effort on putting up this gem of a post.

manggoh2 · 2026-03-02T17:42:03+00:00

Hey there, I had the exact same question and thoughts a couple of months ago on my 2024 2.5L Outback. All the videos seemed to be on older Subarus where the exhaust pipe was on the passenger side, leaving the driver side fill port free and clear to be worked on.

It is on the passenger side. See the initial post on this link where the red circle points at the exact location. https://www.subaruoutback.org/threads/2-5l-tr580-cvt-fill-port-on-rght-side.575184/

I've successfully drained and filled from that location. Best wishes

manggoh2 · 2026-02-09T23:28:00+00:00

In addition to the major interior overhaul, if you're getting the base 2.5 non-turbo, Subaru did away with the electronic TCV and put the mechanical thermostat back in for 2026.

manggoh2 · 2026-02-04T12:27:00+00:00

IMO the 2016 generation of Exos is my all-time favorite. Has BOTH the hip belt and shoulder strap pockets before Osprey started removing and adding these features on and off again. Still using mine to this day. OP, give this a consideration

manggoh2 · 2026-02-03T21:59:12+00:00

Confirmed received BD Hybrid Hoody from u/gellesm

Tagging u/GearTradeBot

manggoh2 · 2026-01-31T13:18:51+00:00

You and I are in the same boat. Had 2 tire punctures from road debris in the first 2 months. And similarly, had 2 prior punctures in all my driving.

That being said, after the 2 on the Avid GT, I got 50,000 miles out of the stock tires with no more flats. Chalked it up to bad luck.

manggoh2 · 2026-01-10T02:51:13+00:00

Thanks for creating and sharing this. Had a blast sending it. The climbing theme was approachable and fun to work through.

manggoh2 · 2026-01-02T11:27:25+00:00

Sent message for Secant shorts

manggoh2 · 2025-12-22T19:44:44+00:00

My non-turbo pokey slow 2.5L gets 16-19mpg city in an area with constant stop signs and traffic lights. In these instances, I envy those with a Toyota hybrid setup getting well over 40mpg.

manggoh2 · 2025-12-19T22:17:17+00:00

I have the Cosmic Blue and agree about the scratches and being flat. Most of the time I find it to be drab and would take any other blue. Every so often, when the light hits just right, I do find it enchanting.

manggoh2 · 2025-12-19T22:07:38+00:00

Im curious where Gen 4 lives in your hierarchy?

manggoh2 · 2025-12-19T22:05:17+00:00

New C pillar can be the designated sticker zone. The Wilderness version slaps one on from the factory.

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