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Good points:
Performance, utility, ride, safety ratings, off-roadable, reliability.
Needs Improvement: clutch, shift linkage, price, interior look,
backseat room.
Subaru continues to produce
the best selling station wagons and it isn’t hard to understand why as
they manufacture a solid product eager to please and, when equipped with
the turbocharged engine, able to salve any wounds a bad day may have
opened with just a touch of the accelerator. Do we like the Subaru wagons?
You bet. However, the cost of some models moves them into near luxury
territory and can induce sticker shock. For example, our 2.5 XT Limited
Wagon listed for A$44,000 and that wasn’t anywhere near their top of the
line vehicle. Despite that price our test car did not have self-dimming
mirrors, high intensity headlights, satellite radio, or GPS. On the plus
side it did have dual power moonroofs, one for the front passengers and a
much larger ones for those in the back. These are pretty unusual to say
the least and you need to drive in one before making a decision about this
option.
A lot of people are uncertain of what the difference is between the Legacy
and the Outback. Essentially, the Outback has more fender flaring, sits
higher, and its suspension is set-up for more off-road adventures. The
Legacy is your city wagon which can also get you to the ski lodge, but you
have to wait for the snow plow. If you don’t need the extra ground
clearance and cladding of the Outback you can save a few thousand by
choosing the quicker and more nimble Legacy.
This year Subaru has spent some of its success money on an exterior that
has taken the stodgy, old workhorse look of last year’s model and added a
more boy racer image with sharper character lines and a slimmer appearance
complete with black out windows. Perhaps what is most remarkable about the
Subaru is despite producing two of the most affordable and high profile
racecars for the street vehicles in the
WRX and
STi, their bread and butter is the boxy
looking four-cylinder station wagon. Clearly Subaru has a Jekyll and Hyde
complex because there isn’t going to be much cross over traffic between
those two groups. However, to the knowledgeable, there is a secret in the
Subaru engine bay. That optional turbocharged engine that produces 250
horsepower in the Outback and Legacy, and which is quite capable of
embarrassing every other wagon in the world in stock form, has the same
engine that is in the 300 horsepower STi.
A talk to my nephew at
Autolink Motorworks in San Gabriel, California, revealed that with just a
few changes that Legacy wagon could be making in the order of 340
horsepower. Of course, that would mean the drivetrain warranty would
probably be voided. We are not advocating such a venture, but it is nice
to know that your family dog hauling wagon is quite capable of producing 0
to 60 runs in the mid to low 5 second range if you take out the groceries
first and remove the ski rack. Just a thought.
The Outback is available as a sedan or wagon and you can order the capable
and more practical regular fuel burning 2.5 liter four cylinder that
produces 168 horsepower or the more productive turbocharged version. You
can also get a six-cylinder 3.0 liter engine with 250 horsepower that is
less energetic, but more refined than the turbo model. Either way, you get
plenty of standard features starting with all wheel drive, five speed
manual transmission, ABS, front side airbags, and head-protecting curtain
side airbags.
Mom’s view: Do
yourself a big favor and spend a little more for the automatic
transmission. The manual transmission shift linkage and the clutch are
both vague and frustrating to master, especially with the turbo engine.
There is a shift kit available as an option. Buy it if you want the manual
transmission. The fuel mileage difference between the two is virtual
nonexistent and you are going to be a lot happier in heavy traffic with
the automatic. I seldom used all five gears skipping from first to third
to fifth to avoid fighting the shifter. Fortunately the powerful engine
never let me down, and even while going a highway speeds, I could easily
pass without downshifting. If you are passing and decide to downshift
prepare yourself for some serious acceleration. To me the Legacy was such
a perfect sleeper car that it took real will power not to deflate a few
male egos and leave their look-at-me mobiles in the dust while driving my
shopping cart.
The fun does not stop with
the go power of the Outback. The ground clearance is exceedingly good with
8.7 inches separating you from the roadway and making pretty much any road
drivable. This opens a whole new world of antiquing and estate sale
possibilities. Complimenting this fact is the exceptional crash test
results Subarus have recorded that are as good as it gets. Helping this is
the fact that All Outbacks have four-wheel antilock disc brakes with
Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, front side-impact airbags, and
full-length side curtain airbags as standard. The front head restraints
feature dynamic whiplash protection and there are more safety options on
the more upscale Subaru models.
You should know that we are
biased toward Subaru having owned one for a time. It was a good car, but
the prices for parts were higher than comparable and more popular Japanese
vehicles. In addition, we found that not everyone can work on these cars
because they have a lot of idiosyncrasies. The J.D. Powers Long Term
Quality Survey, which we feel is the best indication of a good vehicle,
placed the Subaru seventh, which is above average, but not up to the
standards of other Japanese companies. However, the other Japanese
companies don’t offer anything nearly as utilitarian and fun as the XT.
I was disappointed with the
dull black interior. There is fine line between a clean design and sterile
design and Subaru comes close to the latter. I don’t think many women are
going to be impressed considering the near luxury price. In fact, there is
definitely the need for a woman designer when the Momo style steering
wheel is the highlight of the interior. I also bemoan the fact that the
steering wheel tilts, but does not telescope making it more complicated to
find a good seating position. This is exasperated because the clutch has a
high take-up point making it difficult to do heel toe shifting and still
keep your distance from the steering wheel and the airbag therein.
There was plenty of cargo
room in this wagon with nearly 34 cubic feet behind the second seat and a
large SUV type capacity of 66 cubic feet when the backseats are folded.
The seats were okay, but if you are going to be driving hard you need to
consider more bolster for your thighs. The stereo controls were needlessly
complex, but the reception was above average. I doubt that if you live in
outlying areas you are going to be able to bring in many stations so I
recommend buying an outsourced satellite radio.
Dad’s view: Truly
there is no equal for the Legacy wagon and the Outback when it comes to
family friendly travel in inclement weather. They can go darn near
anywhere and are enjoyable to drive in the process. We tested this car in
the rainiest season ever recorded and it never even hinted at being
anything but perfectly stable. While large SUVs were swaying in the
sidewinds the Subaru stayed anchored. It does have a couple of drawbacks
that need addressing. First, the backseat room is not as generous as it
should be. Secondly, the engine, although having Super-ultra low emission
status and adequate fuel mileage at around 21 mpg, never felt as smooth as
its counter parts from Toyota and Honda. Finally, there is the bland
interior that it’s pricing has outgrown. The Subaru’s passenger
compartment is certainly functional and easy to clean, but lacks a large
center storage console and the materials are too lackluster for a near
luxury priced vehicle. The interior in the Subaru Forester is much better
looking. Other than that this is a car you can easily live with on a daily
basis wherever you reside.
As the other members of The
Car Family, I would opt for the Legacy rather than the Outback because of
its superior cornering traits and lower pricing. It would be a perfect
vehicle for the young family with its safety ratings, good fuel mileage
averages, cargo capacity, and with the turbocharged engine, the ability to
get the dog to the vet in record time.
College going male’s
view: Hope you heard my CD on the radio. Lucky for you Tower Records
is selling my Simple Thoughts online. Unlucky for me, I have to explain
all the engine options for the Subaru. First, there is the base engine
that is a 2.5 liter opposed four-cylinder boxter engine. It sits lower in
the chassis than more normal four-cylinder engines giving the Subarus a
little handling edge. The standard engine makes about 165 horsepower. The
XT engine is essentially the same motor but with a turbocharger and
intercooler on it. This is a brisk performer making both 250 horsepower
and foot-pounds of torque. The next engine is the 3.0-liter that has six
cylinders and also is a boxter in the alignment of its pistons. It too
makes 250 horsepower, but only about 220 foot-pounds of torque. You can
get a five speed manual transmissions with the 2.5-liter engines, but the
larger engine is standard with a five-speed automatic.
I highly recommend the
automatic. Even when equipped with the shift-kit, the linkage on the
Subaru tends to bind when you shift quickly. If you order the standard
engine and the automatic transmission you are going to find that the
acceleration ends pretty much at 4500 rpm and labors when heavily loaded
as the 3400 pounder just does not have the ponies to push it up hills with
aplomb. If you pay the extra for the turbocharged engine you need not fear
any hill, or mountain, for that matter.
I really like the Subaru.
Outside of the fact that it needs premium fuel if you get the turbocharged
engine, it is just about perfect for the real world and the XT would be my
choice with an automatic. It has enough room for five and their luggage.
Some magazines have gotten it to go to 60 mph in under six seconds.
However, in my world what really counts is the ability to blend with
traffic, have enough power to avoid problems, and be invisible to those
with radar guns. The wagon pleases on all accounts. I know that some of my
compadres are going to laugh at the boxy shape and the fact that it is a
wagon, but they can’t see the inner beauty of this car for all seasons. My
only wish for improvement would be for a firmer suspension and a much
better stereo.
Young working woman’s
view: The sedan and wagon are much more attractive than the previous
models. They are exceptionally easy to get in and out of and park as
easily as most rear wheel drive vehicles. The steering is too light for my
tastes and the interior is too foreboding. I dropped my black sunglasses
and couldn’t find them on the floor the interior was so dark. Although I
am not overly tall, if you adjust the seat up you are going to find
yourself a little short on headroom. You might consider leaving the moon
roof option off your list if you are above average in height. Speaking of
which, the moon roof is huge. If you plan to buy trees and bring them home
this moonroof is just the ticket.
Braking takes a while to get
just right. At first the brakes feel too juicy, but when you get serious
they stop real well. The Outback can take curves with very little body
lean and I would bet it could stay right with a
BMW wagon even though it costs half as
much. I made note that the suspension on the Subaru does a swell job of
nullifying the impact of smaller road irregularities and bumps, but large
imperfections and significant potholes are sternly felt at speed.
Inside I could not help but
love the gay gauges that did their little dance every time you switched on
the ignition. Better still, there were easy to read in bright light. The
seats were comfortable and easy to get in and out of when wearing a skirt.
The rear hatch opens and closes easier than any car I have tested. The low
liftover height means you don’t have to get your outfit dirty on the rear
bumper when loading your bargains. There is a standard cargo cover and a
below-floor storage bin for even more utility. The Subaru’s frameless side
windows created more wind noise than more conventional glass units, but
overall it was a fairly sublime ride.
The biggest downside for me
was the pricing. It is a significant investment in a vehicle meant for
fairly rugged duty. When you are cruising down those gravel roads,
lurching through rock-infested ravines, and shimming down trails bordered
by overgrown brush those little dings and scratches are devaluing a
significant investment. Subaru does have some excellent standard features,
but resale value concerns me.
Family conference: A
good wagon, but at a surprisingly large price. We would evaluate every
Subaru model before making up your mind because although they tend to look
alike they each have a distinctive character. In a recent national survey
on the appeal of vehicles the Subaru came in below the Kia. There is no
doubt that anyone who has driven one of these would never rate it low. No
doubt the splendid new styling of the Subaru Outback should erode some of
the disinterest because this is a deserving ride. We highly recommend
Subaru.
Written by The
Car Family |
