I have a 2006 V6 Outback and I'll probably buy an updated version when I'm done with this one. It is a very utilitarian vehicle. There are a lot of SUVs that are in a similar class but nearly all will have worse gas mileage, handle worse, and have more mechanical problems in the long run. I'd say the downsides are the lack of ability to tow heavy boats (no problem with rafts, drift boats, or small lake boats), potentially less ground clearance than some SUVs, and having to listen to the "yer a liberal lesbian" jokes from Jay Leno style "comedians".

Im not I on the whole Subaru line but I always thought the "outback" was originally a version of the Subaru Legacy while the Forester seemed more like an Impreza. Maybe it has more to do with the package purchased on a given model but, to me, the Legacy always felt like Subaru's higher end (quieter with a more solid feel) whereas the Forester seems noisier and doesn't have the same feel.