I'm thinking of getting an Outback XT in the 2005-2009 range. Any thoughts on these years? Any specific year I should avoid?

I'd be reading up on this generation. Any turbo'd Subaru is a gamble, IMHO. These had suspension, headlight bulb, along w/the turbo engine issues - Ringlands, VF40 turbo failures, etc. If you like to work on your cars - and can get parts in AK - they are a fun car...but maintenance intensive. 

They also had an HVAC/ICE/stereo integrated system so no easy HU upgrades. 

I decided to not get a the XT based on turbo failures. Often when looking at an XT for sale the seller would say something about the turbo just replaced. Also I didn't want to buy expensive premium fuel. I got a 2009 Subaru Outback special edition with 95,000 miles on it instead.

On 11/11/2025 at 7:23 PM, Ravenwoods said:

I decided to not get a the XT based on turbo failures. Often when looking at an XT for sale the seller would say something about the turbo just replaced. Also I didn't want to buy expensive premium fuel. I got a 2009 Subaru Outback special edition with 95,000 miles on it instead.

Great choice, the turbo's with age are highly problematic.  Gas turbo's in general are be design more complex and don't age well. The turbo's fail, replacement turbo's often aren't good quality, any overheating or low oil situation quickly plants the seeds for catastrophic block failure.  And by this age it's not uncommon for one to see oil or overheating issues at somepoint in the past.

I got a 2009 Outback special edition instead. Only 95,000 miles on it. It spent 2016-2025 in Arizona and before that in Colorado. Pretty much rust free. I drove it home to Fairbanks, Alaska.