Practicality makes Perfect
SUV usefulness without intimidating size
Subaru offers three flavours of sport utes, and that’s to target three specific age groups, the company says. The Crosstrek is for younger buyers, while slightly-older-but-still-youngish families tend to go for the Forester. I’ve reached that upper age bracket, as I like the one for “mature buyers” (Subaru’s words, not mine): the Outback.
The model dates back to 1995, when Subaru’s American distributors asked for something more roomy and rugged to compete in the emerging sport utility market. The small Japanese automaker didn’t want to commit the huge amount of money to engineer a vehicle from scratch and created a new model based on a wagon version of the Legacy, which still forms the basis of the Outback today.
Both the Outback and Legacy undergo some tweaks for 2018, including dropping the manual transmission. It seems that only three per cent of buyers opted for the six-speed stick shift, and now only a CVT is offered.
Styling changes include a new grille, new headlights with available LED bulbs, and new mirrors and bumpers. Inside, the air conditioning system has been improved for better performance with quieter operation, along with a new steering wheel, more USB ports, larger infotainment screens, and laminated glass in the side windows for noise reduction. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto now become standard equipment on all trim levels.
Two engines are available, both horizontally opposed, starting with a 2.5-litre four-cylinder that makes 175 horsepower and 174 pound-feet of torque, and priced from $29,295 to $39,195. I drove the 3.6-L flatsix, rated at 256 hp and 247 lb-ft of torque. It starts at $35,795 and runs to $42,195 for the top-level, 3.6R Premier with EyeSight Package, a suite of electronic safety features, which was my tester.
All trim levels include all-wheel drive, which earns Subaru’s trademark “symmetrical” name not for an even distribution of torque to all wheels, but for the driveline’s mirror-image configuration on either side of the vehicle’s axis. Under normal driving conditions, 60 per cent of power goes to the front wheels.
The four-cylinder Outback is the volume seller, but if you’re willing to spend your way up the ladder, the six-piston version is the more satisfying driver, as I discovered when I had an opportunity to drive both back to back.
The four has to work fairly hard to get everything moving, and while acceleration still isn’t dizzyingly quick, even with the six, the larger engine naturally does a better job of getting up to speed, especially if you need passing power on the highway. The transmission also doesn’t seem as smooth with the four-cylinder as it does with the six. It’s definitely not sporty, and while the Outback goes where you point it, the steering can feel a bit dull. However, with either engine, you get a smooth and comfortable ride, and it’s well planted and substantial.
The Outback includes X-Mode, a program that engages via a button on the console to increase the offroad ability. It adjusts the transmission and response of the all-wheeldrive system, along with adding hill descent control, letting you get down steep paths without needing to use the brakes. It’s not intended to be a rock crawler, and most people will never do worse than a rough cottage road, but the Outback is far more capable than you’d think on tough terrain.
The top-end Premier’s interior is impressive, clad in leather and with wood grain and accent stitching. Oddly, the driver’s seat pushed uncomfortably into my lower back, no matter how I adjusted the lumbar support, an issue that I didn’t find on a lower trim level’s cloth-clad chair. Much depends on how each person is pieced together, and my husband didn’t have a problem with it, but short drivers will want to check the seating before deciding.
The rear seat is roomy, and the seatbacks fold flat to increase the cargo area, which has a low lift-over height for easier packing. This is a wagon, after all, and wagons are all about utility. The climate controls are easy to use, and I like that the system uses large dials and buttons. The infotainment system combines hard buttons with a simple touch screen.
The six-cylinder Outback lineup comes with a number of features on the entry-level Touring trim, including a sunroof, a 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, dual-zone automatic climate control, a power liftgate and a rear-view camera.
The Limited and Premier trims add a heated steering wheel, power-adjustable passenger seat, heated rear seats, and a navigation system that works really well via voice command, grabbing the address all at once instead of requiring a line at a time.
The EyeSight Package, available on the Limited and standard on the Premier, uses a pair of windshield-mounted cameras to operate such systems as adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, emergency braking, and the automatic highbeam headlights. The package also adds a proximity key with push-button start, and an auto-dimming rear-view mirror with an integrated garage-door opener and compass.
The Outback is a great vehicle for those who want practicality without the height and size of an SUV. It may not be the hot ticket on the showroom floor, but it’s definitely one that needs to be on the test-drive list.