My wife and I got an 05 XT Limited back in September after nearly 2 decades of Saabs (Specifically SPGs, Aeros and finally a Viggen). We have always enjoyed high-pressure turbos but liked less the gruesome torque steer. After test driving the XT, we were very impressed. Obviously AWD negates the torques steer.
We drove the 3.0 and the GT too. My wife had to have the Outback with AT though I would have preferred the GT--stealth wagons have always been cool but I could never afford the Volvo R wagon. Anyway, the XT is certainly more entertaining than the 3.0 as the extra torque makes it feel way more powerful. And the 3.0 did not come in black on black, a big disapointment.
Some opinions I would like to share for future browsers however:
Get the manual trans unless you really can't stand shifting. The auto stick is mildly entertaining but nowhere near as enjoyable as a true standard. Also, unless you leave it in sport mode, it will hunt (read constantly shifting) to the point of annoyance. Even sport mode has a drawback in that the shifts are very jerky, especially on deceleration. Subaru definitely needs to work on this. Anybody who has driven an automatic Audi will understand how much better an auto-shift can be.
The dual climate control does not work too well at all. One minute hot air, the next ice cold. And yet when the AC is off in the warmer months, the lowest the temp will go is 65 and it is too warm. I would have preferred a standard hvac system.
The upgraded radio offered in the 3.0 should also be offered in the XT.
The huge sunroof is a gimmick, in my opinion. It creates huge amounts of buffeting with the side windows down or up even. A standard sun roof would have been preferable.
The brakes are merely adequate. This thing needs better clamps and that is going to be my first upgrade--next to a set of sportier summer tires and rims.
There is turbo lag though not too bad. Here again, the manual transmission would have made this more invisible. I'm hoping the boost can be bumped up without major modifications.
The seats, while very good, could use a little more length in the seat especially for those of us over 6 feet. However, the multi stage heaters are most excellent.
Why are the rear windows not factory tinted dark like almost any other make? While I don't mind getting them done, I would have preferred this option too--especially for a black car.
Finally, the outback and GT need to be offered in WRX packages. I would have paid the extra for the beefed up engine, brakes, and suspension which would make this the ultimate stealth wagon.
Now please understand that I am not offering up these opinions in an attempt to dissuade future buyers or to rile the Subie cogniscenti on this site. I thoroughly enjoy the XT and am very pleased with the choice we made. I just hope that in the future, Subaru addresses some of these concerns so that in several years I can return to my dealer for another equally cool wagon.
Sorry to have rambled on, I would like to express my gratitude to all those who post on this site as it has proved to be very informative and helpful.
