Aptenodytes

I ended up using Pioneer TS-SW2002D2 https://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Car/Subwoofers/Shallow+Mount/TS-SW2002D2 It works. I can't say it has massive oomph (but the original McIntosh didn't either) but that could be improved with the amp gain hack that's mentioned elsewhere here. I may do it one day... Overall I'm happy with the sound in my car but I get a lot of bass from the Alpine R-series I put in the front (I took them out of my previous 1995 Legacy). Warning: I had to trim about 8-10mm off the rim of the Pioneer all the way around to get it to fit. The rims are quite wide and there was still plenty of rim left for the six attachment screws to hold so no problem. Avoid this one if you don't like the idea of buying something new then immediately attacking it with an angle grinder... Cover the openings in the side of the speaker with duct or packing tape so you don't get hot sparks inside the speaker when cutting. It's not easy to find a sub that fits and has the right impedance, and with power in the sensible range. They come and go and specs change regularly.

My car: 2005 Outback wagon 3.0R LL Bean with 12+1 McIntosh system. Sub and woofers and mids are all fried, so I'm replacing all speakers (but will stick to the McIntosh head unit and amp for now). It looks like the new version of this sub is 2ohm. I need 4ohm, so this will be no good I assume? https://www.qualitycaraudio.co.nz/zeroflex-zf8fd-8-240w-120w-rms-subaru-factory-repacement-car-subwoofer-with-easy-finance-9273 (Some sellers of this Zeroflex sub list it as 4ohm in the product heading, but 2ohm in the specs, I just got the guy at qualitycaraudio to check with a multimeter and he confirmed it's 2ohm, the older versions were 4ohm.)

BTW towing the boat (tandem trailer, about 2 tonnes total) with a 3.6L VE Commodore gets about 16L/100km on the winding, hilly Nelson-Havelock route at a guess, doing 90km/h on the straights. It feels pretty safe and solid to me, no yaw or pitch at all. Never had to stop in a hurry though, hope I never do... My brother prefers towing the boat with his work Hilux 3.0D twin cab manual ute though, even though it's much lower powered than the Commodore it's got all that low-down torque.

Thanks for all the comments. Looks like everyone is more or less on the same page here, for towing two tonnes I really should be using something a bit bigger / longer / heavier / gruntier etc. I've decided I won't be towing the boat with a Soob, I'll stick to borrowing my brother's Commodore (they're fine with it). So now I'm in the market for an Outback or Legacy wagon (probably 2004 - 2009) and either 2.5 or 3.0. I'll still have a towbar fitted but won't be towing two tonnes with it. Joker, the car sales yards down here (Nelson) tend to quote about $600 for towbar fitting, I think it's all done properly according to manufacturers specs. I would hope that that price would get me a decent one.

Hi there, I live in Nelson, take a tandem trailer with a 6.2m aluminium hardtop boat (total about 2 tonnes) to Havelock perhaps 5 times / year (it's 80km of winding, hilly road). I swap cars with my brother and use his 3.6l Commodore VE for boat towing (we share a family bach and boat) as my 1995 Legacy 250T would not have been up to the job. However my Legacy got a death sentence at the WOF last week (RIP ) so I'm in the market for a replacement. It would make sense to get a car that can tow the boat. I would like to get a 4th Gen Outback 3.0R (2004 - 2007 or so) and have spent some time trying to work out if it would be up the task of towing 2 tonnes. I've found plenty of information in this forum (thanks!) and elsewhere on towing with 3.0 Outbacks, but nothing definitive. - Tow rating for this car would be 1800kg braked (750kg unbraked). - Some suggest an additional trans oil cooler would be needed (some suggest it would be difficult to fit). I've read a few lists of good towing vehicles on horse float / boating sites and nobody has mentioned any Subaru for towing, not even once. They usually mention the standard big SUVs and also Falcon/Commodore etc. My gutfeel is that 2 tonnes is a little too much for an Outback based on kerb weight etc and the transmission / drivetrain would be worked a bit harder than it should be. So what does everyone think? My guess is if I said Hilux / Commodore everyone would say "yes", if I said 2.5 Legacy everyone would say "no' but if I said 3.0 Outback it's probably in that slightly worrying ground in between.