Motor Trend Outback Review

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Subaru Outback

Proponents of the minivan craze are fond of pointing out the people-moving

advantages of minivans over the station wagon. Well, anyone who writes off

the station wagon hasn't counted on the folks at Subaru. Their newest

offering, the legacy-based Outback, takes the station wagon far beyond its

traditional family car role.

And into places where station wagons were never meant to go. That's because

the all-wheel-drive Outback is what Subaru calls the first sport-utility

wagon. A hybrid of station wagon and 4-wheel-drive truck.

To that end, the American-built Outback packs features not found on Subaru's

more familiar family models. Such as a deep, aggressive front end, with high

power driving lights behind protective screens. And a raised roof section

aft of the A-pillar, for more interior space. As well as a set of tall,

aggressive 70-series Michelin all-weather tires. Which combine with a raised

suspension to give the Outback 7.3 inches of ground clearance. That's more

than some pure sport-utility vehicles.

The engine, however, is shared with other members of the Legacy family. Our

4-speed automatic test vehicle carried the newest 2.5-liter

dual-overhead-cam four-cylinder. It's a flat four, like all Subaru motors,

and puts out 155 horsepower, and 155 pound-feet of torque. A 2.2-liter,

135-horsepower Outback is also available, but with a 5-speed manual

transmission only. The 2.5 Outback gets a manual next year.

Each driveline turns a different but proven all-wheel drive system. The 2.5

auto Outback slugs ahead with an active system that uses electronics to

detect wheel slip, and directs torque where it's needed. On dry roads, the

power split is 90 percent front and 10 percent rear.

The 2.2 manual Outback works through a mechanical all-wheel drive system

that splits torque evenly. When the going gets really tough, a viscous

center differential favors the axle with best traction.

To test all this hardware, some of our staff took the Outback on a winter

hunting trip to western Maryland. And while they didn't bag any game, they

did return very impressed with the latest Subaru's off-road prowess. The

Outback's generous ground clearance and superbly efficient all-wheel-drive

system allowed them to successfully tackle mud, snow and hills that slowed

down some standard 4x4s.

And the 4-wheel independent suspension's combination of coil springs and

MacPherson struts delivered a surprisingly supple ride, even over some

pretty serious rough surfaces. Their only real complaint was about the

stylish but low front spoiler, which had a tendency to find rocks. Another

inch or two of clearance here is in order.

Back on more familiar pavement, the Outback showed that it handles daily

driving as well as off-road adventures. The taut suspension, sharp

variable-speed power steering, and grippy tires produced handling that was

more sport sedan than sport-utility.

While over at our test track, we found that, despite weighing in at over

3,200 pounds, the 4-cylinder Outback still ran from 0 to 60 in 9 seconds

flat. The quarter mile took 16.9 seconds, at 79 miles per hour, quicker than

some 6-cylinder sport-utes. We also found that the anti-lock equipped

4-wheel disc brakes squeezed the Outback down from 60 in a rock-solid

average of 112 feet.

But station wagon performance is also measured by interior space and

comfort. And while the Outback is no minivan, the 96.8 cubic feet of

interior volume will easily accommodate the average two-child family.

The comfortable adult-sized seats up front face a competently laid out dash

and standard dual air bags. While both kids and adults can fit easily in the

roomy rear seat, adults will appreciate the extra inch and a half headroom

from the taller roof and the standard split-folding seatback. As well as 36«

cubic feet of cargo room, or a full 73.6 cubic feet with the seats folded.

Other numbers of note include EPA fuel mileage estimates of 20 city/26

highway. We averaged 23 miles per gallon.

But the big number for families is always price. Our Outback starts at

$21,995. Tack on the cold weather package, which includes heated seats and

mirrors, and the final price comes to $23,890. Less than you'd pay for a

modestly equipped minivan or sport-utility vehicle.

Now, minivans may be today's top family car class, but the Subaru Outback

proves that the station wagon is far from dead. In fact, it's still got a

long way, and a lot of new places to go.

To order a videocassette of this program call 1-800-422-0064 or send $29.95

plus $4.95 shipping and handling to this address:

MotorWeek Home Video, P.O. Box 55742, Indianapolis, IN 46205. ASK FOR SHOW

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