Test Drive: 2010 Subaru Outback

By Kevin Harrison

People love to throw words around all the time when they don’t really make much sense. For instance, the word ‘epic’ is grossly overused. Have you noticed that? Somehow everything is ‘epic’ these days.

“What an epic goal!”

“Epic fail!”

“That pizza I just ate was epic”

And so fourth. But really, the only thing that’s “epic” these days is the tolerance I have for people who overuse the word.

Likewise, people (car manufacturers specifically) are all about the word ‘crossover’. But what exactly is a crossover? Some people say it’s a vehicle that looks like an SUV, but has a car-like ride. Oh really? Then why not just buy a car? Why do you need to ‘crossover’ into another vehicle segment?

In my mind, a true crossover is a vehicle that can handle all the elements. That is, it can handle all sorts of terrain, can swallow all sorts of cargo, can hold its own performance wise, is safe, looks good, is decent on gas, can hold a lot of people comfortably and won’t cost you an arm and a leg. If you’re going to ‘crossover’ different vehicle segments, might as well cross them all to be a true crossover.

A lot of people say Subaru was the first to do this with its Outback. Now completely redesigned for 2010, does the crossover that started the whole craze still have the goods?

The 2010 Subaru Outback was selected by AJAC as Canadian Utility of the Year beating out the Lexus 450h and the Volkswagen Touareg TDI. Before they even announced that the Outback won, I had chosen it as my pick for the award. My exact words were:

“It was quite the toss up between the Outback and the VW, but we like how Subaru proves again and again that a nice wagon can do anything that an SUV can do, and sometimes even do it better. It’s unique styling, AWD, versatility and reasonable price makes it a great all year round vehicle perfectly suited for Canadians.”

If I’m honest, I made those comments without actually driving any of the cars in the segment. They were purely made based on specifications, and conclusions of other reviews. Don’t act like you’ve never done it before. However, after actually driving the Outback, the 450h and the Touareg TDI I can now say that I was in the right.

The first thing you’ll notice right away is that the Outback looks significantly bigger than the outgoing model. It has a larger platform, and a larger cargo area. While I think the new Outback is agreeable to the eye, I think the previous generation gets my vote as the better overall design. The previous generation looked like a jacked up wagon, which is exactly what the Outback is. However this newer version looks almost SUV like (even though it’s still a jacked up wagon). This was almost certainly done on purpose to appeal to the taste of foolish North Americans. Standard 17 inch six spoke alloys complete the look. There are no optional wheel sizes.

Inside is pleasant, if a bit contrived. There is brushed aluminum everywhere which is better than fake wood, but there really is too much of it. This gives the interior a bit of a stainless steel fridge look and feel to it. It’s trendy, but a bit much. The quality of materials is excellent though. There is lots of cubby holes throughout the interior which is great for versatility. Speaking of, the Outback can swallow 972 litres of cargo. That’s 23 more litres of room than the outgoing 2009 model. With the seats down, it can pretty much carry a whale. There will be no complaints about lack of space, that is for sure.

My tester came with the base 2.5 litre 4-cylinder classic Subaru boxer engine. It produces 170 horsepower and 170 pound foot of torque. While the engine itself is a decent engine, the Outback really needs something more powerful. It is very slow as a result and the standard CVT means a less than attractive exhaust note on top of it all. There is a 3.6 flat six engine available in a higher trim level which remedies this problem with a much healthier 258 horsepower. It’s also worth noting that you can get the Outback as a Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (PZEV). The technology reduces emissions by 90%, making the Outback among the cleanest on the road when equipped with this technology. There is no penalty for power or performance either. Kudos to Subaru for that!

Even thought my tester was equipped with the CVT, I’m happy to report that Subaru still offers a throw-the-gears-yourself transmission. So many crossovers in the segment don’t have this as an option. Gear shifts in manual mode are good, as are the paddle shifters model on the steering wheel, not the steering column – exactly where they should be. For a vehicle so underpowered however, using the manumatic transmission is a bit pointless.

Being a jacked up wagon, handling isn’t the Outback’s forte, but I will say with absolute certainty that is feels way more planted than the majority of SUV’s and crossovers out there. The Outback gets 23 millimetres more grand clearance than the Legacy. Body roll is minimal and if you happen to catch the Outback off-guard, the superb all-wheel drive system is there to ensure no unfortunate results. I would wager Subaru’s all-wheel drive system is only rivaled by Audi’s Quattro system. It is quite impressive.

Around town the Outback is quite comfortable. It will swallow up potholes and bumps with ease. Seriously, you don’t ever really feel anything when you go over a pothole. And believe me, I challenged the Outback to some monstrous potholes.

And that’s the thing with this car. It isn’t a wannabe off-roader like most in the segment are, it’s still credible. So, here we have a vehicle that gives height to those who want it (and thus why those people opt for SUV’s), safety with a tremendous AWD system and crash test scores, excellent cargo room and versatility, comfortable ride, decent handling, manual transmission and more powerful engine options, decent fuel economy scores, good quality interior materials and technology that actually cleans the air of emissions when you drive.

Now do you understand why AJAC and I chose it for Canadian Utility of the Year?

There’s no doubt that the Subaru Outback is quite an epic crossover.

Uh, I mean… impressive wagon.

Base Price: $28,995

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