Another Forester or a h6 Outback?

essfoz

Forum Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2015
Messages
103
Location
Bendigo
Car Year
1999
Car Model
Forester GT Lux
Transmission
Auto
Unfortunately, I rear ended another vehicle with my 1999 GT Forester on Friday, and damage costs may outweigh the cost of the vehicle, so my baby may be writen off.

So, with a 60% chance of the car being written off, I've started to look at some options..

Either I get another GT Forester, or a H6 Dual Range Outback.. Depending I guess on offroad capabilities without a large amount of money going into either.

Thanks everyone, Sam.
 
Gidday Sam

Very sorry to hear about your accident, mate :cry:.

All the best with your decision. I'm biased ... :poke: :biggrin:

BIG problems with the Outback and Liberty are clearance and approach departure angles, as I'm sure you are already aware. Benefits are more roomy; more comfortable.
 
There is no h6 dual range outback unless you pay to modify. I still prefer my outback over my wifes forester. In the end that is what you want for your purpose. Cheers.
 
Well, clearly I don't know very much about the outbacks.

Hmm, not sure what I want to do, just hoping the forester isn't too bad. Shame I got the suspension setup fitted two weeks ago.

Ps: Tuckerbag what do you use the Outback for generaly?
 
I built the outback to be a long drive, touring setup, not much hardcore. So 2 inch lift, standard king in front compensate for the bullbar, raised rear king for load and towing. The reason i go raised king in rear because my wife like to fill the boot with stuffs plus the rear wheel carrier. My outback is the gen 3 anyway. Cheers.
 
Go gen 3 h6 outback for the 5k mark. Then get a throttle happy tune...
The outbacks drive 10x better than any forester, more room, more comfy. Will use sinilar fuel to a GT Foz.
Having had both thats the decision I'd nake.
However the worst thing about the gen 3 outback is the rubbish steering response and turning circle.:poke:
 
Neither the H6 or the GT/XT have dual range gearboxes but the H6's huge torque will make up for that as long as you aren't doing any serious tracks.

You could always swap in a SG or gen3 Liberty/Outback dual range box. If you look around they're not too expensive if you are willing to do a lot of the work yourself
 
I have done very serious hills in the H6 5 EAT, never needed low range to climb. Considering how limited Subaru low range is anyway, I would not lose any sleep over that. Even 1.59 is nothing compared to a Jeep's 2.72 or 4!

In terms of descent, the low range will be missed if you are used to having it. I am not and I have learned to cope without it. On really steep stuff I tap on the brakes to avoid locking, my friend with the Aussie low range uses brakes, too, while my friend with a basic Wrangler and 2.72 does not need brakes at all or just a little.

In terms of clearance, it is the same as the Foz on US models, for equivalent generations, indeed a bit more on 2005-9 vs the 2003-8 Foz. However, longer wheelbase negates the slight advantage there.

The one and ONLY area where the OB is at an obvious disadvantage is the front bumper. AA is abysmal and the front bumper undercover is constantly in danger when the going gets rough. HOWEVER, if you find yourself commonly in sizable rocks or ruts this one disadvantage will be quite pronounced.

The OB is clearly the winner on paved and unpaved roads in terms of comfort. Mine is the Mercedes of really rough terrain, LOL. However, I do not think this applies to pre-2010 models.

Low-range Australian models aside, I think that the best off-roader Subaru has made out of the box, in the US, is the 2007-8 AT FXT with VDC. It does not need low range, VDC means you do not really need any LSDs, has short wheelbase and small footprint, and though the starting clearance is not good, it is not difficult to modify. Finding one in good condition at a decent price is another story. Buying new is actually easier!

Good luck!
 
Thanks for the responses everyone, gives me lots to research and think about..

Basically, my budget is pretty low, around 6k, so I'll be looking at around the 95-04 models of the OB.. I've never used dual range, only the 5EAT in my Forester, so the dual range isn't a nessesity.

What's the h6 like in terms of performance? Much more powerful compared to the h4?
 
Gidday Sam

The H6 has a torque curve very like the EJ-251 in shape (i.e. not quite as flat as the EJ-253), but much the same maximum torque as a turbo 2.5L. That is, the torque curve is flatter and wider rev range than the turbo, and about 50% more torque than a N/A 2.5L, IIRC.

Basically, tons of grunt :poke: :lildevil:.
 
Or another way of putting it is its like driving a Falcon, heaps of low down torque. Except that it likes to rev :lildevil:
 
Well, probably the biggest reason for you to go H6, then, is the expected reliability compared to the H4 models, those after the venerable EJ22, that were notorious for head gaskets (the 2.5s).

The H6 is much more powerful, yes, and the 5 EAT is a FAR BETTER transmission than the 4EAT, which is annoyingly lethargic, if reliable.

Of course, in terms of OB vs Foz vs something else, much depends on what you mean by off-road.
 
^ I think that assessment of the entire EJ-25 engine range as a whole is just a bit harsh, MAS.

We have the 4EAT Sportshift (i.e. with the Prodrive TCU and clutch pack). It is anything but lethargic.

I agree that all the 4EAT transmissions have an enviable reputation for reliability. I am certain that some have broken since it was introduced in 1988, but I have never personally heard of one breaking ...
 
Hmm, interesting.. I'll start looking at some Gen3's.

How does a gen2 compare to a gen3? I don't get off road much at all, so I'm happy with the limitations the OB may present. No Forester will replace my GT, never seems to cone down to dollars and cents, quite an emotional attachment that won't be filled getting another one.

Thanks, Sam.
 
I know exactly how you feel, Sam.

I felt the same about Roo1 ...

For at least an hour ... :poke: :biggrin:.
 
Haha, Ratbag!

Is a gen3 2005+? If that's correct, I'll be looking at around 6k which seems to be the lower end of the spectrum.. Will that prove to be much of a problem? Anything I'd need to be careful of?
 
Hey Sam, I know less about Outback models than I do about Holden and Ford models, and I know bugger all about them!

Look up Subaru Outback on Wikipedia, perhaps? :poke: :biggrin:

Or lurk on this street corner until someone who knows about Ouback models, tricks and traps comes along ...
 
Well I just discovered a dedicated Outback forum so I've delved into the many threads of knowledge over there. :)
 
Gen 3 is 1999 to about 2003.

They're getting pretty old, but I reckon they hold up ok. My '99's done about 250k and is starting to show some of the suspension issues I list below.

Stuff off the top of my head.

You need to look for the usual subaru things around the engine - make sure oil changes have been regular, check for oil and coolant leaks. Make sure coolant is clean and has been regularly replaced (don't want clogged rad and overheating problems).

Check carefully for the smell of coolant inside after it warms up, or signs of steam coming out of the HVAC and fogging the windshield - the heater cores develop pinhole leaks and its a dash-out job to change them. Check timing belts replaced for the H4 (H6 is chain) - if you don't do the TB yourself, it'll cost $1200+ to get a mechanic to do it.

Make sure the center viscous diff is ok - be very wary of cars with mismatched tyres. Not really sure how you can check this other than carefully looking for signs of scrubbing on tight turns (you know the feeling when the center diff warms right up after a long drive and it feels like its locked).

Suspension is probably fairly worn by now - front LCA bushes fail and leak (the big fluid-filled ones at the rear of the LCAs), pretty cheap to replace ($30 ea for Febest ones), check CV's and boots, diff carrier bushes also get shagged and can be tricky ($) to replace. Signs of shagged LCA bushes are things like scrubbed front tyres (inside and/or outside), diff carrier bush problems lead to clunking on/off throttle, but are easy to inspect if you crawl under and poke around - same with the LCA bushes (check if they're weeping).

If shockers haven't been replaced, they're probably on their way out, too, though mine still seem ok after some pretty rough stuff and all the miles I have.

There's other minor stuff like the windscreen wipers developing lash and the wipers end up wiping off the end of the windshield when driving at high speed - this tends to rub off paint on the A pillar, which is a bit of a pain.


If you can go a gen4 (2003+) - then that's newer and proportionally fewer age-related issues.
 
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