With a few notable exceptions, compact non-luxury-brand cars tend to be priced close together. The notable exceptions are VW and Subaru. VW has justified higher prices for its cars through "German engineering" and the highest quality interiors among affordably-priced brands. Subaru, in contrast, is Japanese, and thus couldn't take the "Euro chic" route. Its interiors also differed little from those in other Japanese cars. How, then, to justify the higher prices required by its relatively low production volumes? In 1995 it introduced a lifted Legacy station wagon, tagged the "Outback." This not only gave Subaru an entry into the hot SUV market at very little cost, but most consumers are willing to pay more for an SUV than for a station wagon. The Outback sold well, and two years later Subaru eliminated its front-wheel-drive models to clarify its position as a provider of SUV alternatives. Its all-wheel-drive offerings did well, especially after the high-performance WRX was introduced a few years ago.
Still, it became apparent that for Subaru to dramatically increase its sales it needed something beyond all-wheel-drive to justify its semi-premium prices. VW provided one part of Subaru's new strategy. The redesigned 2003 Forester had a much nicer interior than the one it replaced. In fact, this interior was so nice that I felt it hard to justify spending more on the Outback, as the larger vehicle had a much more pedestrian interior (with awful looking faux wood trim) even in its $33,000 versions. Knowing how automakers think, I suspected then that the next Outback would have a much nicer interior. Well, the redesigned 2005 has arrived, and it does have a very nice interior—details to follow.
The WRX provided the other part of Subaru's new strategy. While the base Outback continues to be powered by a 2.5-liter four that puts out less than 170 horsepower, the 3.0-liter six-cylinder has gained variable valve timing and other refinements, good for a boost from 212 to 250 horsepower, and a turbo version of the 2.5-liter four joins the lineup. The last is also good for 250 horsepower, but its power peak is much lower than that of the six, at 6,000 rather than 6,600 RPM, and its midrange is much plumper, with 250 foot-pounds of torque at 3,600 RPM rather than 219 at 4,200. While the six should be the refinement champ, the turbo four will likely be the enthusiast's choice. As before, most Outbacks are wagons. A single Outback sedan model is offered, with the six.
A Legacy without the quasi-SUV ride height and body cladding will also be offered once again, with both the regular and turbo fours. My personal favorite will likely be the Legacy GT. Alas, so far only the Outback has arrived at dealers, and it with only the regular four and six. And the dealer I visited had already sold their only six to an automotive supplier that planned to tear it down for analysis. So I drove a leather-trimmed Outback Limited with the 168-horsepower four.
Note: I have now reviewed the Legacy GT. That review can be found
here Styling.
The first Legacy was a quirky-looking machine, as were most Subarus back in the early 1990s. But the first redesign eliminated the quirky bits, and subsequent redesigns have only further refined the same basic, quite conventional theme. The fourth-generation 2005 Outback looks much like every Outback since 1995, just a bit sleeker and subtly more upscale. It's attractive, but quietly so. Those into the nuances of automotive design will appreciate the changes, but most people won't notice.
That is, unless they look inside. As mentioned in the introduction, the Outback's interior has been thoroughly upgraded. Like that of the exterior, the styling of the interior is attractive in a strictly conventional way. No funky control schemes or instrument graphics. Just attractive forms and nicely executed details. The latest Acura interiors look very similar, with pieces of trim—faux metal with gray interiors and faux wood with tan interiors—sweeping down the sides of the center stack and then smoothly curving to continue along the sides of the center console. That said, the materials are of higher quality in the Subaru. Nearly every piece of trim is of the soft-touch variety. The grab handles on the doors, made of a soft-finished hard plastic, feel especially nice.
Especially with the perforated leather found in the turbo models and L.L. Bean six, this is one sharp-looking interior. The Limited I drove had regular leather, which doesn't look quite as sharp—the texture is too smooth, especially for a quasi-SUV. The faux wood is much nicer than most. Like BMW with the 7-Series, Subaru opted for a matte finish that recalls fine Scandinavian furniture. Though the teak isn't real, it looks real. Interesting that a matte finish can make faux wood seem more real while a glossy finish often makes the real stuff look fake… Usually I don't' care for faux wood, but it looks good here. The six-cylinder models feature real wood on the upper part of the steering wheel rim. I always hate this—leather feels and functions much better when you're really driving a car. Thankfully the turbo four models have an all-leather rim.
Accommodations When I drove a Legacy a couple of years ago I found the interior hardly an roomier than that in the Forester. Perhaps the next one would be roomier? Well, no. The new car is fractionally larger on the outside, with an inch more length, width, and height, but the interior dimensions have remained largely the same.
The front seat is roomy enough, even if shoulder room is a little tighter than in a midsize car. The driver's seat itself is fairly comfortable. Much like that in the typical Japanese midsize car it could be a little larger and more supportive for my taste. In other words, more like a Volvo seat. Lateral support is good, but not great—the seats in the turbo four models are more heavily bolstered. As in most Japanese cars, the driving position is moderately high for a car, affording a good view over the hood. If you want to sit well over the hood, though, you'll want the Forester.
To make room for a pair of cupholders the center armrest is positioned too far rearward to be of much use. It's also too low.
Now for the weakest aspect of the car: the rear seat remains marginal for adults in both room and comfort. Knee room is limited, and the cushion is too low to provide much thigh support. The rear seat in any Japanese midsize sedan is much better. One good aspect: rear passengers receive a center armrest, and it is larger and more useful than the one up front.
A huge two-panel sunroof continues to be included in all leather-trimmed Outbacks. Very nice. It automatically opens and closes in three stages, so there's no need to keep a finger continuously on the ceiling-mounted switch. A VW-style rotary control would be nicer still, though. A retractable sunshade is included for those days when the sun is uncomfortably bright.
Cargo fares better than rear seat passengers. With the rear seat up 32 cubic feet are available; this increases to 62 with the seat folded. (Unlike last year the headrests do not have to be removed before folding the seat.) Cargo volume figures are a bit slippery, since there are multiple valid ways to calculate them. Those for the Outback are similar to those in most similarly-sized wagons (Mazda6, Passat). Interior storage compartments are on the small side, though.
On the Road Curb weights appear to have gone down a bit compared to last year, but the Outback remains heavy for a compact at 3,410 pounds for the Limited I drove. No doubt the standard all-wheel-drive is responsible for a couple hundred of these pounds. The upshot: 168 horsepower doesn't move this car terribly well. In traffic the regular four even when teamed with the four-speed automatic is plenty accurate. Shifts occur at about 4,000 RPM and engine noise remains moderate and of acceptable quality. When merging onto the highway or turning onto a fast street, though, I wished for more power. Little power is evident below 4,000 RPM. The optional engines provide more power, and then some, but a more affordable, roughly 200-horsepower option would be welcome. Thankfully the base four never sounds rough even when struggling in its higher ranges.
Fuel economy could be ugly. The trip computer reported an average of 14.7 MPG, but I did not reset it prior to my fairly casual ten-mile test drive and do not know how aggressively others drove the car during its previous 30 miles.
Update: I've now also driven the Legacy with turbo/five-speed manual and the Outback with the turbo/automatic and six-cylinder (automatic only). With the manual transmission the turbo four performs very well overall despite a weak, uneven power flow below 3000 RPM. With the automatic these faults loom much larger, both because its gearing is taller and because it feels more natural to hold a lower gear with a stick. Consequently, with this transmission the smoother, more linear six (which costs just a little more) is a much better choice. The Outback rides higher than the Legacy to offer SUV-like ground clearance. This is bound to affect handling, though the flat boxer engine helps keep the center of gravity reasonably close to the ground. In hard turns body lean is moderate, and the tires stick better and protest less than I expected. (I wish the tires on the V8 Dodge Magnum and Chrysler 300 similarly kept their warnings quiet enough so as not to alarm passers-by.) And these are the lower performance tires than attend the regular four. The turbo four and six models come shod with higher performance rubber.
So what's not to like? Well, although the steering is acceptably accurate and provides decent feedback the Outback feels somewhat ponderous. Compared to any conventional SUV it's certainly agile, but considered as a car the Outback could change direction with more alacrity. Push it hard into a curve and you'll find a tendency towards safe understeer. With the base four there's not enough torque on tap to balance out the chassis. Hopefully the turbo four models, and especially the Legacy GT, have sharper, more balanced handling. As it is, the car I drove feels more luxo than sport.
Although the standard all-wheel-drive can undoubtedly be very nice to have on slick roads, especially if said roads are not flat, on dry roads the base four does not produce nearly enough power to make it of much use. With the turbo four and six, on the other hand, this system likely enables stronger, more stable accleration, especially in turns.
Ride quality is mixed. The suspension irons out the small stuff very well. There's hardly a jiggle to be felt. But large bumps and potholes can briefly (and loudly) upset the composure of the chassis, and repeated tar strips produce quite a bit of pitching back and forth. Hopefully the lower-riding Legacy eliminates said pitching. Noise levels are moderate, as they are in most midsize Japanese cars these days. Subaru's trademark frameless side windows tend to generate more wind noise than conventional windows, but given this handicap the engineers have done an admirable job. Best of all, the structure feels stiff, solid, and thoroughly worthy of a premium price. The above niggles notwithstanding, the Outback feels like quality.
Overall, I was impressed with the refined feel of the Outback but otherwise its performance was just adequate. As general transportation or an SUV alternative it should serve well, but those looking for any fun will want the turbo.
Subaru Outback Price Comparisons and Pricing The Outback Limited wagon with automatic I drove listed for $28,570, about $500 more than last year's car. Pretty pricey, especially when initially no rebates and little discounting will be available. For the turbo four add $3,900, for the six add $4,200. The turbo four in particular could perform very well, but $32,470 (deduct $1,200 for the stick) is Infiniti and Acura territory. So, how much is all-wheel-drive and a wagon body worth to you? The Legacy GT is $1,000 less expensive, with an MSRP of $31,470. Even figuring $1,750 for all-wheel-drive, pretty pricey. For example, a Mazda6 in wagon form lists for just under $27,000 with similar equipment, and discounting and incentives are available on that one. Good thing Subaru vastly upgraded its interior…
Prices change frequently, and differences will vary based on feature level. To quickly generate these and other comparisons with the specific features you want, visit my Web site, www.truedelta.com. (It's the only site that provides true "apples-to-apples" price comparisons.)
TrueDelta's page for the Outback:
http://www.truedelta.com/models/Outback.php
Last Words When I reviewed the 2003 Legacy, I concluded:
"As it is, I want to like this car, but can't get past the boring plastic-wood filled interior and mild power deficiency (which certainly gets much worse with the automatic). Among Subarus, I'd go with the Forester. Of course, based on what Subaru has done with the new Forester, I wouldn't be surprised if the next Legacy (due around 2005) is everything I was looking for in this car."
Well, the 2005's interior is even better than I had expected, but the regular four remains low on power. So it's not everything I'm looking for. The Legacy GT might be, though, aside from the high price. Look for a test drive in about a month.
Those looking for an SUV alternative might find the new Outback appealing. The new interior is a winner, and performance is acceptable if well short of thrilling. The main negatives: the rear seat remains tight, and the price is steep.
I'm between three and four stars for the base car. No one else offers an all-wheel-drive wagon for less, but the price still seems high, especially for the base four's level of performance. The other engines add about $4,000 to the price, but I suspect that the turbo four at least so transforms the car that they're better values and will earn higher ratings from me.
A Note on Subaru Outback Reliability I cannot practically cover reliability within the context of this review. However, many people are interested in such information, so I've started collecting my own data. Results, once they are available, will be posted to my site, www.truedelta.com, with updates every three months.
Unlike other sources, TrueDelta will clearly identify what difference it will make if you buy an Outback rather than another vehicle by providing "times in the shop" and "days in the shop" stats (among others). You will be able to specify the number of years, annual miles, and types of repairs to include in Subaru Outback reliability comparisons.
Before I can report results, I need data on all cars--not just the Outback--from people like you. To encourage participation, those who help provide the data will receive
free access to the site's reliability information. Non-participants will have to pay an access fee.
For the details, and to sign up, visit www.truedelta.com.
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Some of my reviews of related vehicles:
Chevrolet Equinox review Chevrolet Malibu Maxx review Mazda6 review Subaru Forester XT review VW Passat review Subaru Legacy GT review Toyota Highlander review Volvo V70 R review
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