| + Used Car Home + Used Cars for Sale + Car Reviews + Auto Repair |
| 2005 Subaru Outback Review | |||
| Whether you're about to spend $40K on a brand new car, or half that on a used car, it is always important to learn as much as you can about the used car. Read these car reviews to learn about all aspects of the vehicle. Each of the usedcar reviews cover interior and exterior features, options, road tests, and more. | |||
|
Introduction
| Road Test
| Inside & Out
| Other Thoughts
| Last Word
|
|||
| Other Thoughts | |||
The fraternal Legacy and Outback twins officially parted ways during the 2000 redesign, and divided they stand. First, let's get one thing out of the way: when people menion the Subaru Outback Sport, they're not talking about the Legacy. Now that "Outback" seems to be a free-for-all term, the car known as the Outback Sport is a version of the Impreza wagon.Now on to the rest of the confusion. Aside from stance and styling, the Legacy and Outback lines both get some versions the other cannot. Going by powertrain, each starts off with a single-cam version of the 2.5-liter 4-cylinder with 168 horsepower (valve timing improves this to 175 next year). Like in the last version, it mates to either a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic and is found in the Legacy 2.5i sedan/wagon and Outback 2.5i wagon. Second is the 250-horsepower turbo motor that pairs to a differently-geared 5-speed manual or 5-speed automatic; it's found in the Legacy 2.5GT sedan/wagon and Outback 2.5XT sedan. Lastly, there's the 250-horsepower H6 engine that mates only to the 5-speed auto and is exclusive to the Outback - either the 3.0R sedan (the only Outback sedan variant) or 3.0R LL Bean wagon. The line ends with the Outback 3.0R VDC Limited wagon, significant for its stability control system, subwoofer, and MP3 playback. Nice how Subaru starts with a perfectly adequate base engine and offers two separate, equally appealing routes to 250 horsepower, isn't it? As the H6 offers 219 pounds-feet of torque, the 250 pounds-feet turbo car is actually the faster one. Cheaper, too. The 82-horsepower spread is nothing compared to the 12-grand gap between the $22,020 Legacy 2.5i sedan and the $34,020 Outback 3.0R VDC Limited. Just to illustrate some of the journey throughout the many Legacys and Outbacks (9 or 15, depending on how you count), an automatic transmission costs $1,000-$1,200. The Limited Package on the base and GT/XT models - always adding leather and a moonroof and in some cases a boatload of other items - costs between $2,500-$3,450, depending on model. In the Legacy line, the leap from sedan to wagon costs $1,000-$1,200. The sideways leap from Legacy to Outback costs between $1,000-$2,000 (due to varying equipment levels), and going from a base to a turbo model runs between $3,700-$4,800 (same reason). The H6 engine is reserved for the wealthy, as the Outback 3.0R sedan starts at $31,820 and the two following wagons at $33,020 and $34,220. Expensive? Well, compared to what? The 34-grand Volkswagen Passat GLX 4MOTION? The 36-grand Volvo XC70 2.5T AWD? The 37-grand A4 3.2 Quattro? (All of which are slower.) Subaru might or might not be the first name that comes to mind against those brands, but the list of like-sized sedans/wagons with all-wheel-drive is a very brief one. You could compare Subaru's troopers to the likes of the Mazda 6 - another sport-minded sedan/wagon in this price range. $27,555 buys the V6-powered wagon, which is a little lower than a Legacy 2.5GT automatic's 29, but Subaru has the better, faster engine and all-wheel-drive - items that are usually worth a couple thousand in MSRP. The base Legacy sedan is also a little higher than all its fellow Japanese class leaders - but none of them - not Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Mazda, or Mitsubishi - can be bothered to use their back legs. Surprising, given that all-wheel-drive is now en vogue. |
|||
| UsedCar.us.com - Copywrite - All Rights Reserved |