Subaru Outback Review & Road Test

Pros: Safety; comfort; space

Cons: Steering; engine noise

By Nadine Armstrong | November 29th, 2009

Price: $23,040 to $36,960

Our Rating:

Performance, Ride & Handling	3.5
Comfort and Interior	4
Quality & Design	4
Value & Features	4
Safety	5
Green	3.5

The Outback, but not as you know it.

Model Tested:

2009 Subaru Outback Premium; 2.5-litre, four-cylinder, petrol; six-speed CVT; wagon – $46,490*

Options:

None fitted.

CarAdvice Rating:

If we were playing that word association game, the words outback and comfort are hardly a winning combination – unless of course you’re talking about the Subaru Outback.

The Subaru Outback brings a serious level of comfort to the table, making this the kind of ‘outback’ experience I could easily come to terms with.

Somewhere between a wagon and an SUV, the Subaru Outback resembles a compact SUV, and plays in a segment that is home to some very strong competition. Starting with its own sibling, the Subaru Forrester is one of the top selling vehicles in this segment – then there’s Toyota’s RAV4, the Hyundai Tucson and the Mitsubishi Outlander.

Our test Outback runs a 2.5-litre horizontally-opposed boxer engine with a continuously variable transmission (CVT). We tested the petrol model, producing 123kW at 6000rpm and 229Nm at 4400rpm. The Outback has access to a nice amount of power, however the CVT produces a less than inspiring drone as it’s called to task. It takes some getting used to the whine from engine as you call upon some power. It delivers, but the engine noise does the overall ride experience no favours.

The 2.5i Outback is also available with a six-speed manual. A 3.6-litre engine is also available, fitted with a five-speed sportshift (automatic) only.

On our test route, the Outback delivered good fuel economy, with an average fuel consumption of 8.5L/100km on a combined route.

The Outback’s all-wheel-drive system delivers a solid and very composed drive experience, you feel glued to the road.

Acceleration from stand still is very good, quick to respond, and when you call for more power at cruising speeds the Outback delivers.

Gear changes from the auto transmission are a little sluggish, however using the paddleshifts – which seem quit the anomaly in the Outback – delivers a whole different result. Flipping through the paddles – which are standard on all automatic models – produces fast gear changes and I find myself enjoying the drive experience a whole lot more. The paddles move in tandem with the steering wheel for greater ease of use.

PICT0347

While the Outback is very easy to manouvre, the Outback’s steering is a little bit vague and offers minimal feedback. As a result, the handling and overall drive experience lacks a level of engagement that would otherwise make this ride very enjoyable.

The ride of the Outback is composed and the suspension is great, however engine noise can be a little intrusive at times.

The Outback runs a ride height of 213mm which makes it fairly well prepared should you actually take this car into the outback.

Bigger than its predecessor (65 mm longer, 50 mm wider and 70 mm higher) the 2009 Outback boasts considerable proportions – 4730mm in length and 1770mm wide – and offers and abundance of space, for people and cargo. The downside to its growing proportions, however, is a rather slab-like appearance. The Outback lacks styling detail and the character that other Subaru models and competitors offer.

At 459 litres seats up the Outback’s cargo capacity is huge. Add to this the versatility that comes with split fold seats, which increases the cargo space to 1628 litres and there’s not much you couldn’t load into the Outback. Sporty, active or just generally gear-laden buyers will be mad for this space.

The dash and centre console of the Outback are very busy, which is indicative of the many bells and whistles that come as standard in this Premium spec vehicle, which include an electric sunroof and leather trim, cruise control, satellite navigation, bluetooth, DVD/CD player, reversing camera and auxiliary input.

The Outback’s interior is very well executed and offers a level of pomp and sophistication you would expect in a more expensive car. Soft curves frame the dash and centre console which combine high quality leather and plastic finishes. The eight-inch screen provides a clear visual for both the satellite navigation and reversing camera. Cabin ergonomics are very good, with a very comfortable driving position thanks to good adjustability of the seat – eight way adjustable – and tilt and reach adjust for the steering column.

Second row passengers are greeted with a big, comfortable space which easily accommodates three adults. Leg, shoulder and headroom are more than generous. In cabin storage is also great.

With safety features such as seven airbags, including driver’s knee airbag, anti-lock brakes with electronic brake force distribution and stability control the Subaru Outback gains a five-star ANCAP rating.

The Subaru Outback is one of those cars that delivers on its promise. It’s a great choice family wagon that can hold its own in the suburbs, while also boasting off road capability. And it does all of this without compromising space, comfort or practicality. Its price tag is fitting for the overall package. It is a definite step up from some of the more drab wagons on the market, and offers an alternative to your typical compact SUV line-up.

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Variant	Body Style	Price From

SUBARU OUTBACK 20D 2.0L DIESEL TURBO F/INJ 6 SP MANUAL	4D WAGON	$40,990*
SUBARU OUTBACK 20D PREMIUM 2.0L DIESEL TURBO F/INJ 6 SP MANUAL	4D WAGON	$46,990*
SUBARU OUTBACK 25i 2.5L MULTI POINT F/INJ 6 SP MANUAL PREMIUM UNLEADED PETROL	4D WAGON	$37,490*
SUBARU OUTBACK 25i 2.5L MULTI POINT F/INJ CONTINUOUS VARIABLE PREMIUM UNLEADED PETROL	4D WAGON	$39,490*
SUBARU OUTBACK 25i PREMIUM 2.5L MULTI POINT F/INJ 6 SP MANUAL PREMIUM UNLEADED PETROL	4D WAGON	$42,990*
SUBARU OUTBACK 25i PREMIUM 2.5L MULTI POINT F/INJ CONTINUOUS VARIABLE PREMIUM UNLEADED PETROL	4D WAGON	$44,990*
SUBARU OUTBACK 25i PREMIUM SAT-NAV 2.5L MULTI POINT F/INJ 6 SP MANUAL PREMIUM UNLEADED PETROL	4D WAGON	$44,490*
SUBARU OUTBACK 36R PREMIUM 3.6L MULTI POINT F/INJ 5 SP AUTO ELEC SPORTSHIFT PREMIUM UNLEADED PETROL	4D WAGON	$57,490*

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	VEHICLE	PRICE
	2011 SUBARU OUTBACK AWD 5GEN MY11 2,567 Kms Sunlight Gold Wagon Manual Petrol NSW	$36,990* Enquire Now
	2002 SUBARU OUTBACK OTHER MY03 119,140 Kms Burgundy Wagon Auto Other SA	$12,950* Enquire Now
	2004 SUBARU OUTBACK PREMIUMPACKAWD 4GEN MY04 122,260 Kms Blue Wagon Auto Petrol NSW	$17,888* Enquire Now
	2004 SUBARU OUTBACK AWD 4GEN MY04 162,218 Kms White Wagon Auto Petrol QLD	$13,990* Enquire Now
	2002 SUBARU OUTBACK OTHER OTHER 228,066 Kms White 4d Wagon Other Other NSW	$9,999* Enquire Now
	2000 SUBARU OUTBACK LIMITEDAWD 3GEN MY00 190,255 Kms Burgundy Limited Wagon Auto Petrol NSW	$8,984* Enquire Now
	2011 SUBARU OUTBACK LINEARTRONICAWD 5GEN MY11 12,673 Kms Graphite Grey Wagon Auto Petrol NSW	$33,999* Enquire Now
	2012 SUBARU OUTBACK PREMIUMLINEARTRONICAWD 5GEN MY12 13 Kms Ice Silver Wagon Auto Petrol NSW	$43,999* Enquire Now

Showrooms > Subaru > Outback

http://www.caradvice.com.au/47719/subaru-outback-review-road-test/
Subaru Outback Review & Road Test
Subaru
Outback

JVR09J

http://www.caradvice.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/PICT0362-625x404.jpg

Nadine Armstrong
Subaru Outback Review & Road Test

4 stars

http://caradvice.com.au auto

anything you say will not convince me to buy this ugly one, especialy with a cvt box
Simonsez

It may be ugly and noisy, but it is apparently more fuel efficient than a Toyota Yaris: “In a segment that achieves some fairly frugal fuel economy, the Yaris sits about middle of the road, delivering 9.1L/100km on our test route”.
TonyB

And why oh why do manufacturers continue to equipe these types of vehicles with any thing less than a full size spare tyre? Yes I know, Subaru are not alone.

sammo

how ironic, the car is the ‘outback’ and doesn’t even come equipped with a full size spare wheel, i just purchased a peugeot 308 touring and even that comes with a full-size spare!!

Ashwin

So true! – I just dont get it! – I own a Liberty 3.0R and have found the fullsize spare to be a lifesaver on long drives! Space savers exist coz we let the car companies get away with it – vote with your wallet people! Can you believe even the Forester and Tribeca have space savers – Subaru is destroying its reputation.

TonyB

Ashwin – while I agree with you about “voting with your wallet” – unfortunately you don’t have much choice in this crossover/medium SUV range of vehicles. I’m currently in the market for a replacement of my ’05 XC70 (which does have a full size spare). With the miles I do, I’m after a diesel, and not one of the possible contenders – this Outback, the current XC70, allroad, XC60, Q5 – comes with a full size spare. And none of them offer either a factory or dealer-fitted option for a full size spare. There is simply not enough room (in either tyre depth or diameter) for a full size spare to be fitted. Renault’s Koleos does, but there are other factors which rule it out. The one that takes the cake is the Audi allroad. While the allroad doesn’t have a full size spare, its “donor” vehicle – the normal road-going A6 sedan – does have a full size spare across the range. Go figure?

Jake02

The styling is so awkward! The massive wheel-arches do not mix with the moderately-sized wheels (which are, unfortunately, the same on every Outback model), the front overhang is too long, the headlights which I actually like, are too big, and the rear-end is just a mix of Renault Laguna/old-gen Outback. The interior has very hard plastics on the dash, and soft-touch plastics are only on the top of the doors. Subaru, the only good-looking car is the Tribeca for god’s sake! Ironic, considering it was awful when it first came out but then after the facelift looked fine (hint, try on the rest of the range!?).

The worst part about this generation Liberty/Outback is that you can tell that they’ve actually benchmarked the car against the Camry etc, and I suspect this crave for sales is coming from Toyota, the owners of Fuji Heavy Industries (who owns Subaru). Sure, it does the boring stuff well (its resonably economical, something old Libertys never had – my old Liberty 2.0 used more petrol than my Skoda Octavia RS 2.0T – , has great interior space, the boot is big etc) BUT its lost something the old Libertys always had. Exclusivety. They always looked different to rivals, and always featured some sort of uniqueness. This one is just like the rest of the competition now

Baddass

I agree. The frameless doors are gone too, presumedly because of safety regs. And surely adding a bit of a curve to the doors and side panels wouldn’t be a disaster would it? It is so slab sided. Hint to Subaru, bigger isn’t always better!

Baddass

CA, why wasn’t the diesel tested? It would make more sense to test the new model.
This car has real presence on the road, and not in a good way. It looks massive for a start, and I really hate the C-pillar. It looks really thin because the have blacked out the section that eats into the rear windscreen. I mean, why do they do it if it doesn’t give better visibility for the driver? Maybe I’m the only one who thinks this, but I like the C-pillars to be sturdy looking, not these which look like they could be snapped with a single punch. Subaru have really stuffed a chance with the Liberty range, by making it bigger to suit the American market. I think a better solution would have been to leave the Liberty the size it was (or smaller), and make a large car like a Aurion/Camry for the American market, like they made the Tribeca because the Forrester wasn’t big enough for the Yanks.
Shak

I really wanted the new one but the styling put me off immediately. It is good inside and under the hood but the part that i see everyday has to be good looking.
Owen

Is this model made in Lafayette IN? If so, I saw the manufacturing plant in Sept the day after they had produced the 3 millionth Subaru in 20 years. The appearance is a matter of taste, but I find it very attractive and robust. The Tribeca was to be a joint Subary/SAAB model, hence its awkward front when first released, now corrected, and as one reader stated, very attractive too. In the flesh this Outback is a real looker, and can’t be ignored. The quality of build in the US is outstanding too.

Projet -L

The current front is the one that was supposed to go on the SAAB.
Check out the new 95 which has a scaled down Tribeca front.
They needed to introduce the SAAB front end on it as the Subaru one
was too confronting. (personally I like the old tribecca front).

Jake02

Owen,
Aus-spec models are made in Japan, which is why we get the Liberty wagon (the US doesn’t because the Outback outsold the previous gen by like 3 to 1 and was announced as irrelevant, and dropped. I’m glad they are too!
Skep

Beauty is in the eye of beholder and is a purely subjective judgement…so how is it that pig-dog ugly Liberty is so universally panned? The massive 300C flares with skinny wheels and short rubber is probably the most obvious starting point. Fitting better boots can transform the looks and dynamics but will cost fuel and up front $ + the 4 banger hasn’t got the torque to turn them.

I drove a Maxima the other day and the screamy/whiney CVT doesn’t half get on your nerve.

Libertys used to be cool – why are you making such ugly product Fuji?, do you have a link with SSSanyong?
tommo617

Well, despite all the naysayers, I am still buying one. I own a current model Outback and have, unlike most who comment here, have actually driven the new model.

The CVT fixes the old gen’s most obvious flaw, the 4 speed auto, which had a MASSIVE gap between 2nd and 3rd. My wife didn’t notice the CVT and would not have been able to tell the difference if I hadn’t pointed it out. The model I test drove had no noticable gear whine, but I’ll listen out for it once I take delivery later next month.

Oh, and good luck trying to find one in the dealers, Subaru are selling them as fast as they can get them from Japan (2 1/2 month wait for one specced the same as the test car here).

The styling? I initially hated it when I saw the release images from the US, but in person it really isn’t that bad, and grows on you.

We didn’t automatically go back to Subaru for the Outback, I had bench marked several other cars against it, including the Mondeo Wagon, the Mazda 6 wagon and several European alternatives. None offer AWD, and my wife preferred the interior of the Subaru to all the others.
spellbound

Gee iam glad i didn’t go back for another liberty wagon, which was a classy looking car , and it still looks very cool .

This is unco in the extreme , but it will sell like hot cakes to 50 plus grey army cruisers and thats where subaru are targeting this baby .

It looks solid and dependable they will love it at the bowls club .

Me never again will i buy a subaru they have lost the plot with ever model style wise , mechanically they are a very good car , but not this look its terrible.
Projet -L

Without negative you cannot have positive a vice versa.
This thing makes a Santa Fe look stylish.

Bloody crook from every angle.
And yes I have seen plenty on the road.
They look like those cardboard cars you can assemble from
a flat sheet of card.
The resale value of the previous gen just firmed up considerably.
Neo Utopia

A person mentioned about miss matching wheel arhes and wheels, add the budget-looking sound system to that!

Jake02

Ok I shall

darren

Owning the new MY10 Liberty, these cars really do look fresh/modern and fantastic in the flesh. The color you choose makes a huge difference, silver, pearl white seem to blend the front lights in better than black and red which dont look as well blended.

Hung Low

Looks like a Kia to me!

KM

Hung Low,

Kias these days look alot better then this thing.

Hung Low

You are correct, I should have said last generation KIA but somehow the rear of the Liberty/Impreza looks like the current RIO sedan!
themaster

let me help you with this.

“alot”?
“then” this thing huh?

AB

I have seen plenty on the road now, and my first thoughts each time I see front on is a facelift Holden Epica!

davie

The previous model wagon/outback looked fast and sleek as every single pillar except the A Pillars were blacked out. The car had that 2-door shooting-brake look about it.

I am ready to believe that its a great car and maybe the front styling does get it noticed.

I just don’t understand why they didn’t black out the D pillars like the previous model.
Mike

It looks like a station wagon with an awful lift job.
Gilly

I thought I could overlook the design, but at that price for a N/A 4 pot!!! Why would you buy this over a more capable Forester XT?
Sammy

50 grand on road for a 4 cylinder with 226nm of torque, geesh! you wouldnt want to have too many passengers or too big a load on board.

converted

you’re right there! we were warned the 2.5 was just about adequate…..unless you wanted to get past traffic in overtake zones.

The 3.6 is the go and with four adults and all our luggage achieved slightly under 8L/100 on a recent 1100kms trip and had plenty of punch when needed. The weight of 1569kgs helps here compared to SUVs which mostly hover around 1800 and upward. All in all enjoying our first Subaru experience very much.
In pearl white we think it looks very nice too.

Rob

Gilly – people buy the Outback over the Forester because it’s a much bigger vehicle, and at least in previous incarnations, has been a “classier” vehicle than a Forester.

Sammy – peak torque figures aren’t everything – the area under the torque curve is much more important for driveability than the peak figure. Subaru boxer engines have a nice wide torque band, they’re surprisingly capable, especially with a CVT ensuring the engine spends all its time right in the meaty part of the curve.
Hung Low

VAG lovers, how much off road production experience does Audi have? After all the Outback is supposed to be a bit of a trail blazer! Range/Land Rover, Jeep aside the Japs have been producing off road vehicles for decades before anyone from the VAG!

Devil’s Advocate

What would you call the Audi Quattro Group A rally car of the early 80s Hung Low? It was the car that started the AWD Turbo rally revolution that Subaru/Mistubishi etc subsequently followed/copied… Whilst it is not a full on ‘off road’ vehicle, they have had at least some experience in off road AWD vehicles.

Not to mention, you would hardly call an Outback an ‘offroad’ vehicle. It is no more an ‘offroad’ vehicle in design specification than a VW Tiguan and less an ‘off road’ SUV than a Touareg (using a VAG example to fit in with your argument). Name a Subaru that you could compare to a Land Rover/Range Rover/Land Cruiser/Patrol/Pajero…

With a little research (around 5 minutes) I was able to find out that VW made a 4WD Beetle in the early 40s. Not to mention 4WD vehicles like the Schwimmwagen and Iltis that were desgned and produced between the 40s and 60s. If you count Porsche as part of the VAG, 4WD history goes all the way back to 1899 when Ferdinand Porsche built an electric powered 4WD vehicle. Subaru didn’t have a 4WD vehicle until 1972. Now, I am not the best at maths, but by my calcuations VAG have been building vehicles with 4WD/AWD longer than Subaru. I was able to find all this info in about 5 minutes, imagine how much more I would have been able to find if I spent longer…

BTW, I am not a VAG lover.

Hung Low

“What would you call the Audi Quattro Group A rally car of the early 80s Hung Low? It was the car that started the AWD Turbo rally revolution that Subaru/Mistubishi etc subsequently followed/copied… Whilst it is not a full on ‘off road’ vehicle, they have had at least some experience in off road AWD vehicles.”

While I was aware of the Quattro, it is hardly a production off road vehicle!

“Not to mention, you would hardly call an Outback an ‘offroad’ vehicle. It is no more an ‘offroad’ vehicle in design specification than a VW Tiguan and less an ‘off road’ SUV than a Touareg (using a VAG example to fit in with your argument).”

Exactly, which they and other Japanese manufacturers have been building way before the Tiguan or Touareg!

“With a little research (around 5 minutes) I was able to find out that VW made a 4WD Beetle in the early 40s. Not to mention 4WD vehicles like the Schwimmwagen and Iltis that were desgned and produced between the 40s and 60s“.

If they built some primitive one off 4wd derivative from over 40 years years ago and nothing in between does not exactly mean that they have vast production experience does it? Now compare that with Subaru who has continued to build AWD vehicles for almost 4 decades!

Devil’s Advocate

Define what you mean by “build AWD vehicles for almost 4 decades” as 4WD and AWD are different! Subaru have been making 4WD vehicles for almost 4 decades, but HAVE NOT been making AWD vehicles as long as the VAG. Audi basically pioneered AWD in the early 80s with the quattro system in PRODUCTION numbers and available ACROSS THE RANGE. Subaru didn’t have an AWD vehicle UNTIL the MID 80s. VAG STILL have LONGER production experience in AWD than Subaru. THAT IS FACT. NOTE: I did NOT say better, just longer.

If you want to get that technical, Subaru DON’T have a PRODUCTION OFF ROAD vehicle either and NEVER have (in your production numbers you so boldly justified!). Just like VAG do now, they make ‘jacked up’ passenger vehicles than can handle rougher terrain better than a standard car, but not as much as a TRUE off road vehicle like the landrover etc.

I can see you have trouble with accepting FACTS when they go against your argument!! As I said before, I AM NOT saying one is better than the other, I am just stating the FACTS. Subaru are still at the leading edge when it comes to AWD systems for gravel roads/low grip surfaces, but they are NOT the pioneers of AWD that you seem to be elluding to.

Also, you would hardly call the VW Iltis a “primitive one off” 4WD. Sure it was basic, but that was what it was designed to be like that from the outset due to it’s purpose. It was produced in quite large numbers over a period of around 20 years (60s-80s) for various defence forces etc!!

Devil’s Advocate

P.S. I am not saying VAG is better or worse, I am just stating the facts. For info, the VW Iltis was VWs version of the Willeys Jeep which was even used by the Canadian Military. Of note, an Iltis even won the Paris/Dakar rally in 1980.

Joker

I saw one in the Flesh the other day…Still Ugly. With its already High suspension set up and those high door panels . It looks like it sits abnormally high on the road.
I don’t know how it even managed to score three stars for looks. Motor’s editorial said it was ugly and Subaru have no excuse. I agree.
I’m still at a loss as to how Subaru can go from producing nice shapes like the MY05 Liberty and now this.
Joker

I saw one in the Flesh the other day…Still Ugly. With its already High suspension set up and those high door panels . It looks like it sits abnormally high on the road.
I don’t know how it even managed to score three stars for looks. Motor’s editorial said it was ugly and Subaru have no excuse. I agree.
I’m still at a loss as to how Subaru can go from producing nice shapes like the MY05 Liberty and now this.
spellbound

The first 4wd production car , outside of serious off road 4wd vehicles ,eg landrover and toyota , was the jensen interceptor ff 1967 , in those days called 4wd , now days would be awd , which is what an outback is awd , bush tracks only not serious deep rutted roads .

Car Fanatic

and it had ABS, the production run was around 300 between 66 and 71, so Subaru were quite dinosaurian compared to the Jensen and more then half a decade later.

Neo Utopia

You know more than 95% of buyers of this car probably don’t really care about how it looks or how refined the new Outback is, all they care about is the price, how reliable, safe and big the new model is. Less less than 5% of the market buyers which have enough money would want to buy an Audi Allroad anyway mostly because of its exclusivity, which is dictated by it’s price, design quality, comfortability and handling. Thats not to say that the Outback doesn’t have some these features, it’s just that it does’t have some them on the highest level, which is why of course it’s much much cheaper in price.

If I was in the market for one of these types of cars, which I was temporarily once before but didn’t go through with it, I would prefer to opt for a four year old Allroad, but only if I could afford the serving costs (much lower from a non-Audi dealer which is quite similar to a Subaru dealer). But thats just my opinion, and I know the Subaru may be a bit more reliable, but I give more criteria to a holistic well designed car, not just one which some people use reliability as the dominating criteria, bloody boring in my opinion!
Hung Low

Crikey!! $60k + for the 6 cylinder premium model!
Thats Volvo XC60 money for an Outback!

converted

not really.
The 3.6R premium has lots of bells and whistles compared to nearly none in an XC60 unless you are happy with the front wheel drive T5.
I know, having done all the homework after originally opting to go for an XC60 D5. Price one of those with SatNav, sunroof and premium sound system, bi xenon lights etc and it shocks a little.

spellbound

Spot on devil you have nailed the argument , discussion is ended .

Remember the outback is not a serious off road vehicle it is awd same as tiguan , Q5, mazda 7 and 9 etc its AWD NOT 4WD

Hung Low

That is right, my point is what production models from that VAG group have been have been continuously commercially available and that fit the same bill before the Tiguan and Touareg? i.e soft roaders?
The Japanese manufacturers have always had one in their line up for decades, VW has only recently jumped on the band wagon.

A bit off topic but you started it with your retarted comment “No VAG group off road awd or 4wd uses cvt , i wonder why“. Like their are the pioneers and masters of AWD!!

Far from ended!

PS: the winner of best luxury AWD in COTY awards, the Volvo XC60 uses a CVT!!!

Jake02

All XC60s have 6-speed autos…

Hung Low

I stand corrected with my retarded comment, the site said Continuous Variable Timing for the 3.2 variant, which I mistook for transmission!

Jake02

Oh ok then. Makes sense

Grammar Nazi

Land barge.

Rat Patrol

eh! the review talks of its competent handling.
And at 1569kgs it’s far lighter than what is commonly understood to be an SUV.

so there are obviously lots of vehicles (including Falcons and Commodores)that qualify as land barges

Roman

I agree with others that the previous generation styling was more appealing. I would have thought 459 litres for the now ‘bigger’ Outback is a little light-on or have I mis-read the stats in the review? An Astra wagon is quoted as having a 450 litre boot.
macca

“Gear changes from the auto transmission are a little sluggish”.

There are no gears, it’s a CVT.

Robin Graves

Watch out, I got moderated for such talk.

http://www.caradvice.com.au OSU811

I am surprised at the comment on the review about engine noise!!, as I have found the total opposite with the new model , its to quiet!!!, its missing that lovely BOXER THROB, from the previous models…
orfroader

So a 2.5 outback is nearly 1.5 Lts/100km better economy than a 1.5 Yaris (as per last weeks test) Very strange result then, even more bizarre now….
http://www.CarZ.com CarZ

Subaru is making a name for itself. Can’t beat that. They are coming out with smaller size SUV with affordability and durability and their sales are proving it.
Bongz

I just bought a 2012 Outback 2.5l, not break-in yet so i can’t comment yet whether the 2.5 is adequate. All i can say is , it’s quite and the handling is good.
bonz

“quiet” not quite
Robin Graves

I have driven one Tommo, and as you may not know in ‘normal’ mode there are no gearshifts, so how can someone compare the sluggish ‘gearchanges’ in normal mode. It doesn’t make sense and makes the article seem like the writer has no idea about the fundamentals. Thats what I was referring to, if you take the time to read the article and my comment before shooting your mouth off.

“Gear changes from the auto transmission are a little sluggish, however using the paddleshifts – which seem quit the anomaly in the Outback – delivers a whole different result. Flipping through the paddles – which are standard on all automatic models – produces fast gear changes and I find myself enjoying the drive experience a whole lot more.”
spellbound

No VAG group off road awd or 4wd uses cvt , i wonder why.
Gilly

Because they have invested in the DSG transmission, which is not perfect either!
Adding to the fact that they are relatively new to the AWD market compared to Subaru, Nissan, Mitsubishi & Toyota who have been producing AWD/4WD vehicles for decades and are all using CVT’s in their soft roader’s these days!
Why does everyone think that the VAG group is the ducks guts in all things automotive?
spellbound

Try audi early 80′s awd , i would presume thirty years of experience counts .
Projet L

Ref: Gilly. What are you serious?

Subaru followed Audi’s lead in the early 80′s.
Without Audi there would be no WRX or EVO.
AB

Have you forgotten Audi who practically pioneered AWD for production cars. Thats VAG product
Gilly

Apologies, yes I precluded Audi and assumed Volkswagen and Skoda only!
Cannot forget the Quattro!
Safety Frist

Actually Subaru had the 1600 wagon in 4×4 back in ’76 :p
I still give credit to Audi to bringing AWD to the interest of the public though….They weren’t the first but
Devil’s Advocate

To help your arguement, the first Subaru 4WD was made in 1972 with the first 4WD released in Australia (a 1.4L station wagon) in 1975. http://www.easternsubaru.com/Main%20Pages/Museum%20Page.html
Projet -L

I stand by my statement.

Don’t dispute Subaru produced what amounted to
farm implements in the early 70′s though.

The VAG/Porsche link to 4WD goes back a long way though.

From Wikipedia:
“Ferdinand Porsche designed and built a four-wheel driven Electric vehicle for the k. u. k. Hofwagenfabrik Ludwig Lohner & Co. at Vienna in 1899, presented to the public during the 1900 World Exhibition at Paris. The vehicle was powered by an electric hub motor at each wheel. ”

Didn’t Audi just do that with that Super Electric R8?
Devil’s Advocate

Sorry Project-l, beat you to the Porsche electric car from 1899. Scroll up a little! Thanks for backing it up by quoting the passage too!!