‘ the Outback is an excellent option as a family vehicle ’ cont ...
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The Subaru Outback is one of the best vehicles I have ever driven . With reasonable power ( 2.0 ltr diesel ), nice ride and for a SUV handles very much like a car .
The ergonomics are high class and it offers many features to aid with drive comfort and safety .
Having to wear glasses for driving , I found some of the buttons and switches difficult to read but vital instruments were larger and easily identified . In fairness though ; if I were to purchase this vehicle , in time I would know where all of the controls are situated .
There are engine options and all models come with continuously variable transmission with a seven ration manual override available through steering wheel mounted paddle shifters .
Outback does not have extra height of the normal SUV , but even with the sunroof the interior is spacious , with room for 6 adults . Seats are large and have front seat power adjustment . Driver compartment is excellent .
Maximum cargo area is excellent and increases by an extra 1300 litres with the rear seats folded down . All models have automatic boot release buttons on the key . Across the range all have a 5 star ANCP rating . Many features include collision avoidance system , ABS brakes , electronic stability control , traction control , halogen daytime running lights , hill hold , electronic parking brake .
Other features include blind spot monitoring lane change assist , high beam assist , rear cross traffic alert that sounds when another vehicle is approaching ; the side mirrors are much larger than average , seven airbags and whiplash reduction seats . The Premium-level Outback gets standard leather seats – with eight-way power adjustment on the driver ’ s side – a power sunroof , dual-zone climatecontrol , satellite navigation and a reversing camera .
‘ the Outback is an excellent option as a family vehicle ’ cont ...
Certainly Subaru customers give it the thumbs-up by relegating it just behind the company ’ s best-selling Forester on the sales charts . Fuel economy is pretty good for a mid-size luxury-spec SUV : Subaru ’ s claim is 6.3L / 100km for the Premium 2.0D , although we were some way off that in our comparison with the Passat Alltrack where we averaged 7.8L / 100km . This suggests a cruising range of not much more than 700km would be a reasonable expectation .
Road grip is helped by the Outback ’ s use of 18-inch alloy wheels with 225 / 60-series tyres ( the spare too ) and off-road capabilities are assisted by a handy 213mm of ground clearance – although not by the Outback ’ s jutting front and rear overhangs . If you are after an AWD that offers most of the versatility of a regular SUV but drives like , and looks like , a regular station wagon , the Outback is about as good a choice as you will find .
Priced at $ 34717 including on road costs , the Subaru Outback is a good choice for normal every day driving to off road adventures .
Towing Capacity is between 1500kg to 1800 kg . On the road the Outback , with its MacPherson strut front suspension and multi-link rear end , offers a controlled , compliant ride and quiet cruising at highway speeds . The turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine , tucked low in the engine bay , is smoother and quieter than most , even if it ’ s not the quickest .
With the Australian family car production coming to an end - the Outback is an excellent option as a family vehicle . Although being an All Wheel Drive , it offers the same driver comfort and ergonomics as a standard sedan .
Review by Dean Heffernan , Touring Australia ’ s resident expert on all things ‘ touring ’ on land or water . With over 50 years of experience exploring our great land .
8 touring australia magazine • summer 2017