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getting a new car.. Is the Subaru Outback any good for towing a boat?

Rallispec

Rallispec

Lifer
Okay.. my dad totaled his car the other day (he had a 1990 mercury sable wagon... total P.O.S., i'm glad to see it go) .... so this means now we're in the market for a new car. We need something full size, big enough to travel in and be comfortable. And, it has to be able to haul my dad's 18ft bass boat. So no little cars, and no minivans. I think his budget is roughly 25k. Looking at new and used cars (new hopefully), mostly SUV's.

I recommended the subaru outback wagon.. its really nice, but it only has a 4 cylinder engine and i'm not sure if that would be enough to tow the boat around. Does anybody have any experience with this car's towing ability? edit* and also it has 165 hp

what do you all think.. any suggestions on what else to look at?
 
Uhhh...I doubt it. How heavy is his boat? I think subaru's have a max towing rating of ~1500 pounds. That's not really that much.
 
Doesn't the outback come with the 3.0 H6 engine with available VDC? (might approach 30 grand though)

Sooby's don't have much of towing ability (2000 pounds maybe) but neither do any other high end sports wagaon from Audi or Mercedes. Certainly not in the range of a truck-based SUV for example. However, Subaru's are kinda of a specialty car, they are like Euro luxury cars without the luxury.🙂 They are utterly dependable, can go where many SUV's fear to go, and I highly recommend them.
 
The Subaru is a decent car, but regardless of towing capacity I would never tow anything at freeway speeds with it for numerous reasons.

He could get a very nice Extra-cab Truck well within that budget.
 
Also, right now you should be able to pick up a year or two old SUV for a song. Their resales are downright terrible right now, and with the recent surge of new car sales, their will be a huge selection of used vehicles on the lot. Dealers will be more willing to make a sale on a used car so you'll be able to bargain pretty well.

You can probably get a fully loaded '99 or '00 Tahoe or Expedition easily in that price range.
 
freebee, yeah... the upper end outback has the 3.0L 6cyl engine, ~210 hp. 30k... way to expensive.... i'm looking at the base model though,.. 4cyl, 165hp.

the boat is pretty light, its definetly under 1500 pounds. Not sure by how much though.
 
vi_edit, we're trying to stay away from used cars.. havent had the best luck with them in the past. But if it comes down to them being the best deal, or all we can afford... we'll get one. Any reason you said the Tahoe? I like the Pathfinders personally.. however they're kinda expensive.
 
The v6 would be decent enough but I doubt the 4 would be excellent. I drove the 145 HP version of the 2000 imprezza for a year and with an automatic transmission it was NOT a quick car. I like subarus a lot and I liked that car a lot but it was not fast by any stretch. Adding on 20 HP and a bunch of weight to make an outback does not equal a great towing package 😛
 
If there is something that GM know's how to build, that's a solid truck/suv. My family has just had very, very good luck with GM full size trucks and SUV's. I also said the tahoe because you said that you wanted to travel with it and be comfortable. Unless you are under 5' 6" you WILL not comfortably fit in the back of an Outback for an extended period of time.

The Tahoe offers a large amount of space in it for you to comfortably stretch out your legs.

The pathfinder is very nice, but it's a little small in the back seat. The tahoe offers more room and pulls roughly the same gas milage.
 
What about a new Chevy Blazer? I think the lower end Blazers are fairly cheap- in our price range.. anything to say about them?
 
I can't really comment much on the Blazer/Envoy. I don't know anyone that owns one. I have heard some people to comment though to let them hit the roads for a year and see what teething issues arise in the new engines. I'm a little hesitant in buying brand new models/revisions.

If you were actually to look at the new blazers, I personally would look at the Envoys though. They sticker for a little cheaper than the Chevy's.
 
For carrying passengers and towing, I'd go with a real SUV 😉

The Nissan Pathfinder with the 3.5 liter engine has a ton of torque for all your towing needs.
250 hp and 240 torque (i think they lead the class in power).
not to mention its luxurious on the inside, yet looks very rugged on the outside

Nissan ~ Driven
 


<< For carrying passengers and towing, I'd go with a real SUV 😉

The Nissan Pathfinder with the 3.5 liter engine has a ton of torque for all your towing needs.
250 hp and 240 torque (i think they lead the class in power).
not to mention its luxurious on the inside, yet looks very rugged on the outside

Nissan ~ Driven >>



i really like the Pathfinder, its pretty much the only SUV i dont hate, and would consider driving.. however its a little out of my price range.. i havent looked into used ones yet, but i'm definetly going to think about it.

the reason i like the outback is becuase its small, yet powerful and has a lot of the better SUV-like qualities. And I can afford it. I'm real worried about that small 4cyl pulling such a heavy load though.

does anybody here own an outback?
 
I think u can tow a small boat with that 4cylinder boxer engine no problem, its not so much the engine but the transmission, I would fear the tranny more. I've seen a guy with a 3.4 liter 4runners tow a 40' cabin cruisers(probably over 15,000 Ibs) with no problem.
 
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