
8-12Driving tips
.Do not use a combination of
radial, belted bias or bias tires
since it may cause dangerous
handling characteristics and lead
to an accident.
Your vehicle is equipped with “all season
tires ”which are designed to provide an
adequate measure of traction, handling
and braking performance in year-round
driving. In winter, it may be possible to
enhance performance through use of tires
designed specifically for winter drivingconditions.
If you choose to install winter tires on your
vehicle, be sure to use the correct tire size
and type. You must install four winter tires
that are of the same size, construction,
brand and load range and you should
never mix radial, belted bias or bias tires
since this may result in dangerous hand-
ling characteristics. When you choose a
tire, make sure that there is enough
clearance between the tire and vehicle
body.
Remember to drive with care at all times
regardless of the type of tires on yourvehicle.
Your OUTBACK comes with
P225/60R16 or P225/55R17 “all season
tires ”as original equipment. You should be aware that some winter tires
with that same size designation may
actually be too large for the vehicle and
may cause rubbing on sharp turns.
Listed below is the winter tire size that
we recommend.
Recommended winter (snow) tire size Original equipped tires = P225/60 R16:
Winter (snow) tires = P225/60 R16 or
P215/60 R16 Studless
Original equipped tires = P225/55 R17:
Winter (snow) tires = P215/55 R17,
P225/60 R16 or P215/60 R16 Studless
! 2.5GT spec.B
WARNING
. When replacing original tires with
winter (snow) tires, make sure
you use only the same size,
construction and load range as
the original tires listed on the tire
placard. Using other sizes and
construction may affect speed-
ometer/odometer calibration and
clearance between the body and
tires. It also may be dangerous
and lead to loss of vehicle con-trol.
. You must install four winter tires that are of the same size, con-
struction, brand, and load range.
Mixing other sizes or construc-
tions may result in severe me-
chanical damage to the drive
train of your vehicle and may
affect ride, handling, braking and
speedometer/odometer calibra-
tion. It also may be dangerous
and lead to loss of vehicle con-trol.
. Do not use a combination of
radial, belted bias or bias tires
since it may cause dangerous
handling characteristics and lead
to an accident.
Your vehicle is equipped with “summer
tires ”as original equipment, which are
inadequate for driving on slippery roads
such as on snow-covered or icy roads.
Compared with winter and all-season
tires, summer tires give significantly less
grip on snowy and icy road surfaces.
Therefore, use of winter tires is strongly
recommended when driving with such
road conditions.
When you choose to install winter tires on
your vehicle, be sure to use the correct tire
size and type. You must install four winter
tires that are of the same size, construc-
tion, brand and load range and you should

the direction mark facing forward. &Tire rotation
Vehicles equipped with 4 non-unidirec-
tional tires
1) Front
Vehicles equipped with unidirectional tires
1) Front
Tire wear varies from wheel to wheel. To
maximize the life of each tire and ensure
that the tires wear uniformly, it is best to
rotate the tires every 7,500 miles (12,000
km). Move the tires to the positions shown
in the applicable illustration each time they
are rotated.
Replace any damaged or unevenly worn
tire at the time of rotation. After tire
rotation, adjust the tire pressures and
make sure the wheel nuts are correctlytightened.
After driving approximately 600 miles
(1,000 km), check the wheel nuts again
and retighten any nut that has become loose. &
Tire replacement
The wheels and tires are important and
integral parts of your vehicle ’s design;
they cannot be changed arbitrarily. The
tires fitted as standard equipment are
optimally matched to the characteristics
of the vehicle and were selected to give
the best possible combination of running
performance, ride comfort, and service
life. It is essential for every tire to have a
size and construction matching those
shown on the tire placard and to have a
speed symbol and load index matching
those shown on the tire placard.
Using tires of a non-specified size detracts
from controllability, ride comfort, braking
performance, speedometer accuracy and
odometer accuracy. It also creates incor-
rect body-to-tire clearances and inappro-
priately changes the vehicle ’s ground
clearance.
All four tires must be the same in terms of
manufacturer, brand (tread pattern), con-
struction, and size. You are advised to
replace the tires with new ones that are
identical to those fitted as standard equip-ment.
For safe vehicle operation, SUBARU
recommends replacing all four tires at
the same time. Maintenance and service
11-39
– CONTINUED –

N
New vehicle break-in driving.......................................... 8-2
OOdometer .................................................................. 3-25
Odometer/Trip meter .................................................. 3-10
Off road driving ............................................................ 8-6
Oil filter .................................................................... 11-10
Oil level Engine .................................................................. 11-9
Front differential gear ............................................ 11-24
Manual transmission .............................................. 11-21
Rear differential .................................................... 11-25
Oil pressure warning light ............................................ 3-32
Outside mirrors .......................................................... 3-57
Outside temperature indicator ...................................... 3-42
Overhead console ........................................................ 6-7
Overheating engine .................................................... 9-13
PParking Brake ................................................................... 7-45
Brake stroke ......................................................... 11-33
Light switch ........................................................... 3-48
Tips...................................................................... 7-45
Parking your vehicle ................................................... 7-44
Periodic inspections ..................................................... 8-4
Petrol fuel ................................................................... 7-3
Pocket ........................................................................ 6-8
Power
Door locking switch .................................................. 2-7 Seat
....................................................................... 1-4
Steering ................................................................ 7-34
Steering fluid ........................................................ 11-27
Windows ............................................................... 2-21
Precautions against vehicle modification ................ 1-27, 1-66
Preparing to drive ........................................................ 7-8
Printed antenna ........................................................... 5-2
RRear Combination lights ................................................ 11-53
Gate ............................................................. 2-27, 9-18
Seats ..................................................................... 1-9
Viscous limited slip differential .................................. 7-33
Rear differential Gear oil ............................................................... 11-25
Rear seat
Folding down .......................................................... 1-9
Rear turn signal ........................................................ 11-53
Rear window
Defogger button ..................................................... 3-54
Wiper and washer switch ......................................... 3-53
Wiper blades ........................................................ 11-44
Recommended
Automatic transmission fluid ................................... 11-23
Brake fluid ........................................................... 11-29
Clutch fluid .......................................................... 11-30
OIL grade and viscosity ..................... 11-12, 11-13, 11-22, 11-25, 11-27
Power steering fluid .............................................. 11-28
Spark plugs ......................................................... 11-20 Index
14-7