What is it?
The Subaru Outback…let me answer the question right off the bat. It is a crossover station wagon based on the iconic Subaru Legacy. It’s a wagon with SUV capabilities that rides like a luxury car. The fact that it is all-wheel drive just adds to the confusion. All I know is, I have one and I LOVE IT.
The only knock on the car is that it’s sluggish off the line. While it’s no speed demon, I find it more than adequate. How fast do you need to go in a wagon-crossover-SUV anyway?
With 8.7 inch ground clearance, it’s a breeze to get in and out of. I’m 6’1″ and it is a pleasure not to have to do a squat thrust just to exit the car. At 5 foot tall, Zippy finds getting in and out just as easy as I do.
The Outback is a car that is equally comfortable to drive around town or on the highway. The smooth suspension irons out the roads imperfections and the engine is quiet, unline my wife’s compact Buick Encore that sounds like an egg beater with very little power.
The cabin is roomy and comfortable with plenty of legroom in both the front and back. An 8″ touchscreen Starlink Multimedia System offers Apple Car Play as well as Android Auto Integration and Sirius/XM.
Then there is the safety factor that Subaru is known for. Pre-collision braking, lane departure warning, and active cruise control are just starters.
NOTE: When I picked the new car up at the dealer I noticed an issue with the way it ran on the way home. Since the dealer where I purchased the car was almost 2 hours away, I brought it to nearby Dyer Subaru in Vero Beach, FL. Even though it turned out to be a difficult problem to diagnose and fix (it took them 3½ weeks to get it right), I was provided a top of the line, fully loaded loaner for the entire time at no charge.
To sum up, the Outback is comfortable, stylish, great on gas and worry-free. I am 67 years old and this may be the best car that I’ve had yet.
