Once inside, we struggled with the steering wheel. With an adjustment lever on the left of the wheel and a locking feature on the bottom, getting the wheel into position was awkward.

That said, much of the front suited us well. Legroom was fine, and our tall driver still had an ample two inches of headroom. The cockpit-like front console sported well-laid-out analog gauges and large, easy-to-use buttons.

There were a few more problems with the interior up front. The sun visors looked as if they had been cheaply made, there wasn't any lighting on the floor and when we pulled out the cupholder tray, access to the radio was blocked, thereby eliminating the possibility of enjoying a soda and scanning for your favorite tunes.

The rear of the vehicle was more thoughtfully conceived, though, with an emphasis on storage and convenience. Again, we had to enter rear-first, and the seats were more than firm, they were pew-like. However, legroom was good, even with the front seats all the back. Subaru says the Legacy Outdoor Wagon seats five, and we found that to be accurate.

Our vehicle boasted a 60/40 folding rear seat, so we could store skis inside while still transporting a passenger in back. By folding down the rear seats all the way, we increased rear cargo length from four to seven feet.

The cargo area offered the most detail in the Legacy Outdoor Wagon. Underneath the carpeting was a formfitting plastic tray, a pleasant alternative to the standard pegboard. A canvas cargo mat folded out from the back of the front seat to cover any valuables stashed in the rear.

The rear wiper fluid reservoir and tire jack were neatly placed on one side of the cargo area, with a storage compartment on the other and the spare tire sitting underneath the plastic tray. The lug-nut wrench was fitted into a piece of formed plastic just over the wheel well. Another nice touch: A dome light illuminated the back when we lifted the Legacy's hydraulic hatch lid.