*** Specifications and prices contained in this article are based on US products ***
Good points: Performance, utility, ride, safety ratings, off-roadable, reliability.
Needs Improvement: clutch, shift linkage, MSRP, 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 $31,270 US 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.
Good points: Performance, utility, ride, safety ratings, off-roadable, reliability.
Needs Improvement: clutch, shift linkage, MSRP, interior look, backseat room.
 |
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.