Upscale Style and More Performance
What manufacturer is most responsible for the current crossover craze? While a few one-offs came along prior to recent trends, such as AMC's four-wheel drive Eagle and Toyota's all-wheel drive Tercel and Corolla wagons, the Subaru has made a tidy living purveying go-anywhere AWD mobility longer than any rival.
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| Crossover legend, the AWD Subaru Outback gets an update for 2005, making it even more desirable. (Photo: Subaru Canada) |
It's Outback is a crossover legend, still immensely popular in the snowbelt due to rugged good looks, luxurious appointments, enjoyable driving dynamics and an enviable reliability rating.
Time has come once again for the Japanese manufacturer to replace its most profitable model, and by all accounts of the new Outback's Chicago auto show introduction last month the third-generation car raises its desirability threshold measurably.
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| The Outback will be offered with a variety of engines, from the base 168-hp 2.5-L up to the 250-hp 3.0-L version. (Photo: Subaru Canada) |
The car will come in a variety of trim levels, starting with the base Outback 2.5i and followed closely by the Outback 2.5i Limited. Both 2005 models will be powered by a 168-hp 2.5-L horizontally opposed "boxer" engine, up 3-hp from the current 2004 Outback. Of course, Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive is standard across the line.
A six-cylinder version will also continue to be available. With power now up from 212-hp to 250 the 3.0-L horizontally opposed engine will be part of the Outback 3.0 R L.L. Bean Edition and flagship Outback 3.0 R VDC Limited. There's no word on whether the L.L. Bean Edition will be available in Canada, but being that the clothing retailer is not prevalent outside of the U.S., it doesn't make a lot of sense.