Subaru Bighorn versions compared: what actually changes
Power per litre is identical on every version: 115 hp from 2771 cm³ is 41.5 hp per litre. Torque per litre is 84.8 Nm per litre. Peak torque arrives at 2300 rpm, 1300 rpm below peak power, so the Diesel is specified as a mid-range unit, not a high-rev one.
Power per litre is identical on every version: 115 hp from 2771 cm³ is 41.5 hp per litre. Torque per litre is 84.8 Nm per litre. Peak torque arrives at 2300 rpm, 1300 rpm below peak power, so the Diesel is specified as a mid-range unit, not a high-rev one.
What is not identical:
| Version | Generation | Years | Gearbox | Gears | Kerb weight | Gross weight | Ground clearance | kg per hp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.8 MT | 1 generation | 1988–1991 | Manual | 5 | 1710 kg | 2075 kg | 240 mm | 14.9 |
| 2.8 AT | 2 generation | 1992 | Automatic | 4 | 1850 kg | not measured | 205 mm | 16.1 |
| 2.8 MT | 2 generation | 1992 | Manual | 5 | 1850 kg | not measured | 205 mm | 16.1 |
The second-generation 2.8 MT is 140 kg heavier than the first-generation 2.8 MT at the same 115 hp. That is +8.2% kerb mass and +1.2 kg per horsepower (14.9 → 16.1). Ground clearance falls 35 mm (240 mm → 205 mm), which is 14.6% less.
1988 Subaru Bighorn 2.8 MT — the lightest, tallest listed car
Choose first-generation 2.8 MT if the numbers you care about are mass and clearance.
It is the only version with kerb weight 1710 kg and the only one with ground clearance 240 mm. It is also the only version with a measured gross weight: 2075 kg. Payload from those two figures is 365 kg (2075 − 1710). On the later cars, payload is not measured because gross weight is not measured.
Chassis labels match the later cars: Independent, torsion front; Dependent, leaf spring rear; Ventilated disc front; Disc rear. Body is SUV 5-doors. Drive is AWD. Gearbox is Manual, 5 speeds.
0–100, top speed, city / highway / combined consumption, CO2, eco class, and wheel sizes are not measured.
If you want the same 115 hp Diesel with the lowest listed kg/hp and the highest listed clearance, this is the only row that delivers both.
1992 Subaru Bighorn 2.8 MT — same gearbox, 140 kg more, 35 mm lower
Second-generation 2.8 MT keeps Manual, 5 speeds, AWD, 115 hp, 235 Nm, 2771 cm³ turbo Diesel, 83-litre tank, and the same suspension and brake labels. What you give up relative to the 1988–1991 2.8 MT is arithmetic, not a different engine:
- +140 kg kerb (1850 vs 1710)
- −35 mm clearance (205 vs 240)
- gross weight not measured (was 2075 kg)
- production window is calendar year 1992 only, versus November 1988–December 1991
Power-to-weight is worse by 1.2 kg/hp. There is no measured 0–100 or fuel-use figure to show whether that 140 kg shows up on the road; those values are not measured on either Manual.
Buy this 2.8 MT only if you specifically need the 1992 generation with a 5-speed Manual. The engine specification does not justify the extra mass.
1992 Subaru Bighorn 2.8 AT — the only Automatic
2.8 AT is the unique gearbox choice. It is the only Automatic, and it has 4 speeds versus 5 on both Manuals. Engine, fuel, cylinders, layout, boost, drive, tank, kerb 1850 kg, clearance 205 mm, and chassis labels are the same as second-generation 2.8 MT.
Against first-generation 2.8 MT, 2.8 AT is the same +140 kg / −35 mm story, plus one fewer gear and Automatic instead of Manual.
Against same-year 2.8 MT, there is no difference in hp, Nm, displacement, kerb weight, tank, or clearance. The Automatic does not buy extra power or extra ground clearance in this dataset. It buys a 4-speed Automatic at identical 1850 kg.
0–100, top speed, and consumption are not measured for 2.8 AT as well, so you cannot rank Automatic versus Manual on acceleration or mpg from these figures.
Subaru Bighorn engine: one Diesel, three catalogue rows
Searches for “subaru bighorn engine” resolve to one specification repeated three times:
- 2771 cm³ turbo Diesel
- 4 Inline, 4 valves per cylinder
- Front, transverse
- 115 hp (85 kW) at 3600 rpm
- 235 Nm at 2300 rpm
- compression 17.5
- 93 × 102
- Diesel fuel
There is no petrol row, no second displacement, and no higher-output Diesel in this data. “More engine” is not a valid reason to pick generation 2.
Specific output: 41.5 hp/L and 84.8 Nm/L on 2.8 MT (both generations) and on 2.8 AT.
Specs table (all versions)
| Version | Gen | hp | kW | rpm (hp) | Nm | rpm (Nm) | cm³ | Fuel | Cyl. | Layout | Boost | Gearbox | Gears | Drive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.8 MT | 1 | 115 | 85 | 3600 | 235 | 2300 | 2771 | Diesel | 4 | Inline | Turbo | Manual | 5 | AWD |
| 2.8 AT | 2 | 115 | 85 | 3600 | 235 | 2300 | 2771 | Diesel | 4 | Inline | Turbo | Automatic | 4 | AWD |
| 2.8 MT | 2 | 115 | 85 | 3600 | 235 | 2300 | 2771 | Diesel | 4 | Inline | Turbo | Manual | 5 | AWD |
Performance, mpg, dimensions — what is measured
Performance. 0–100 km/h: not measured on 2.8 MT (1 generation), 2.8 AT, and 2.8 MT (2 generation). Top speed: not measured on all three. You cannot pick a “quick” Bighorn from this catalogue.
Economy (mpg / L/100 km). City, highway, and combined: not measured on all three. CO2: not measured. Eco class: not measured. Tank volume is the only energy-related figure present: 83 litres on every version.
Dimensions and weight. Wheel sizes: not measured on all three. Kerb: 1710 kg (1 generation 2.8 MT) vs 1850 kg (both 1992 versions). Gross: 2075 kg on 1 generation 2.8 MT only; not measured on 1992 2.8 AT and 2.8 MT. Clearance: 240 mm vs 205 mm. Tank: 83 litres throughout.
Which Subaru Bighorn to choose
First-generation 2.8 MT (1988–1991) if the decision is driven by numbers. It is 140 kg lighter, 35 mm higher, 1.2 kg/hp better, and the only version with a gross weight (2075 kg) and a calculable payload (365 kg). Same 115 hp turbo Diesel and same 5-speed Manual as the 1992 Manual.
Second-generation 2.8 MT (1992) if you want that generation’s body year with a 5-speed Manual. You do not get more hp or more Nm. You accept 1850 kg and 205 mm, and you lose a measured gross weight.
Second-generation 2.8 AT (1992) if the requirement is Automatic. It is the only 4-speed Automatic. It does not add power, tank size, or clearance versus 1992 2.8 MT; kerb weight is the same 1850 kg. Versus 1988–1991 2.8 MT it is heavier and lower, with one fewer gear.
There are no prices in this dataset, so “what the extra money buys” can only mean what the later rows buy in hardware: a 1992 generation, optionally an Automatic, at +140 kg and −35 mm, with unchanged 115 hp / 235 Nm. Irmscher and classified listings are search phrases, not specifications here.
Reliability / problems. This file does not measure failure rates, service intervals, or known faults. What is measured and stable across all three versions is the same turbo Diesel architecture (4 Inline, Turbo, 17.5 compression, 93 × 102) and the same AWD plus Independent, torsion / Dependent, leaf spring layout. Differences that are measured and that a buyer can rank are weight, clearance, gear count, Manual versus Automatic, and whether gross weight is present.
Short rank by the arithmetic. Lightest and highest: 1 generation 2.8 MT. Only Automatic: 2 generation 2.8 AT. Same gears as the first car but 140 kg heavier and 35 mm lower: 2 generation 2.8 MT. Engine output does not break the tie.