Subaru Outback test drive since 2009

Once in Japan

The story of Subaru has always been surrounded by a halo of independence: they say, there is such a small, but proud brand
       
However, in the less advertised version there are periods of quite close cooperation with Isuzu, GM and Suzuki. But for the past few years, Subaru has been actively buying Toyota. Moreover, the companies came together so close that they are ready to create a joint platform. However, while they solve more burning problems: Toyota conquers the market of European subcompacts, and Subaru ends update the model range.

More precisely, she has already finished: the last admission was the updated Legacy line and almost off -road, but equally fresh outback, which was once listed in this family. He gained independence in the last century, but finally did not come off the parent model. Which was once again confirmed when last year the new generations of Legacy and Outback were presented at the same time (the latter was usually late for several months). However, this is not the main thing, much more important than another: the new outback has nothing to do with the predecessor, this is a completely different car in form and in content.

The old version of the 2003 sample by external data, frankly, was not impressive initially: an average and therefore uninteresting car without any complaints to the notorious premium and with the same mundane and fresh salon, the modern version grew up (65 mm in length, 50 mm in width and 80 mm in height) and greatly buried, adding a healthy fraction of machism to his style and turning from a gray office clerk into a kind of yappy that has risen on a social staircase with a good salary and an obligatory annual fitness card in general, maybe it may look, maybe, maybe And not masterpiece, but more than serious and presentable.

The same is inside. True, the first thing you are distracted by, being in the station wagon, landing and an abundance of free space. Possessing decent by basketball standards, the author of these lines has long come to terms with the fact that in Japanese cars it was necessary to constantly endure the same inconvenience: short seats, limited adjustments (and a hundred percent of cases) and traditional tightness in the second row. Subaru interiorists could not cope with the first problem: the seat was perfect in width, but there are still no questions with the length of the other parameters. As for the adjustments, the last time the author of these lines also sat in the new VW Golf: pushing the driver's seat back to the stop, he didn’t reach the pedals elementary. Not bad for starters. For dessert, Outback demonstrated that people with such dimensions will easily fit behind. Naturally, we are not talking about any third passenger, but a couple of healthy adult men can be transported there without problems.

Here with the quality of the materials of the Outback interior, traditionally unlucky. This time, however, only slightly. Previously, the Legacy Salon looked very cheap. Now everything looks much more decent. It is upset by another: having paid for a smaller, but no less pathos (and, of course, cheaper) Impreza, the client, in fact, will receive the same plastics and similar functionality. But Outback has not anyone, but almost luxury Volvo XC70 and one of the truly premium new products last season, Audi A4 Allroad QUATTRO. Both the first and the second, the salon is decorated, frankly, more subscribing

Embarrassment? Almost. The situation, oddly enough (after all, is about the machine at least with a 1.36-million-billion price tag), architecture successfully saves. With the design, recently, Fuji Heavy Industries, not only with external ones. Yes, fanatical adherents of the brand still suffer from the fact that the traditional image of Impreza is allegedly lost. But the fact that Subaru machines are clearly shredded and flush internally today deny only the most stubborn. What can I say? Just look. The central console in the form is almost Lexus, and not some, but the most off-road in the LX line. There is the same protruding, clearly drawn semicircle with a flat lid and massive deflectors of the ventilation system on the flanks. The set of equipment, of course, is not a couple Lexus. And this is especially true for cars for the Russian market. On European versions of Subaru, at least there are color monitors (by the way, from the same Lexus), in Russia a three -line electronic display with dubbing on the instrument panel. True, there are more options there: for example, in its upper part, the number of the selected gear is broadcast, as well as a hint for the ideal moment of switching. All this, however, refers to versions with mechanical KP. By the way, they are now 6-speed, they are installed, as before, on the basic motor, but as an alternative they are offered a new unaccountable CVT with a wedge-wheel drive.

There are still two engines. True, the power of the base 2.5-liter boxer, which was equipped with the old outback, in the new version decreased by 6 hp. The struggle for the ecology but in the top execution of the station wagon received a 3.6-liter opposite six from the Tribeca crossover, which develops 249 hp. and paired with a non-alternative 5-speed automatic transmission.

Outback on the handle and with a symmetrical all -wheel drive of the genre classic. It would be a classic if this Subaru did not become asphalt: the stabilization system is now non -clogged (in extreme cases it can be converted into sleep mode), but the main thing is not a decreasing series. The demultiplier was not put on cars with machine guns, but on mechanical versions there was a present that allowed the owners of such cars to fight for the championship not only with direct competitors, but also with more serious rivals like a single -phase Forester. However, it is quite possible that the lowering from the Autback Arsenal was excluded, this is why such rivalry is not welcome today even within the framework of a single concern.

In general, only the legendary symmetric four-wheel drive, a 213-mm road clearance and an anti-scanning system, remained from the mild-resistant lotions of the new version. By the way, it was also possible to do without the latter: an electromechanical handbrake, also listed in the list of innovations, is self -turn out at the first attempt to move. Obviously, in its work the system uses its resources, but why is this copying? In general, if you look true, outback is now no more practical (due to a larger trunk) analogue Forester, and the lifted Legacy Tourer with a more plastic body kit. According to the snowdrifts in which we dragged him, he walked still confidently and stably, but recklessly let him into the rubber -blurry, the author of these lines would be stained with: rolled gravel, solid snowy nast or vested sand in the power, but quit a tractor track in a tractor track .

But to the asphalt part of its existence now there are much fewer questions. Firstly, Subaru has become more comfortable and solid. A dense energy -intensive suspension catches almost everything that falls under the wheels, the rolls are a little more than they could be, but they do not bother. Thanks to the features of the drive and, accordingly, neutral rotation, the one and a half-ton car still clearly prescribes any arcs. By the way, with the advent of the steering wheel power power steering (in the previous version it was hydraulic), Outback became less exciting, but the imposition of his athlete is not at the same time.

It is quite logical and dynamics. The 2.5-liter boxer, having lost in power, did not lose his advantages. Thanks to the branded system of changes in valves (probably not without engineering assistance to the Union Toyota), he begins to pull decently from the bottoms, and after 3,000 revolutions simply shoots, after a second driving the tachometer's arrow into the limiter. For UPP (a station wagon of increased patency) is quite worthy, especially when you take into account its acceptable appetites. The only thing that I did not like here at all is the slurred mechanism of switching KP. The moves are small, but the lever dangles wildly even when the transmission is turned on. In addition, he clearly lacks clarity: either the first sticks with a crunch, then the third is at least unpleasant, but in general the car leaves a completely positive impression.


SPECIFICATIONS
Subaru outback

Dimensions (mm) 4775x1820x1605
Wheel base (mm) 2745
Road clearance (mm) 213
Mass (kg) 1533
Trunk volume (L) 5261726
Slave. engine volume (cm3) 2457
Max. Power (L.S.) 167
Max. Twist the moment (NM) 229
Max. Speed \u200b\u200b(km/h) 201
Acceleration 0100 km/h (c) 9.6
Cf. fuel consumption (l/100 km) 8.6
Price (rub.) From 1 363 500

Competitors

FOLLOWER
Officially, the history of the Volvo XC70 has been conducted since 2003, nevertheless, the first off -road station wagon of the company saw the light in 1997, three years after the start of the first generation Outback. True, then it was called the V70 XC, but it was this model that later became the first swallow of the XC corporate family. Today, Volvo XC70 in our country is offered with four engines (two 2.4-liter turbodiesels and two gasoline engines with a volume of 3.0 and 3.2 liters). Moreover, the version with the base 175-horsepower turbodiesel can only be front-wheel drive. Prices start from the mark of 1,439,900 rubles.

JR
Until 2009, one of the main competitors of Outback was the Audi Allroad, built on the basis of the A6 station wagon. But at the same time, it was almost twice as for Subaru. And last summer, the Germans introduced the Russians a more affordable model Audi A4 Allroad Quattro. It is slightly inferior to Outback in size, as it is built on the A4 platform, in addition, it has an 180-mm clearance. Under the hood of Russian versions, only a 2-liter 211-horsepower TSI, aggregated with mechanics or with a robotic S-Tronic KP. And you will have to pay for A4 ALLROD at least 1,563,900 rubles.

A BUDGET OPTION
The de jure wagon Passat Variant is not considered non-road, however, it may well compete with Subaru and all other similar cars. Firstly, it has a completely reliable 4Motion all-wheel drive system. Secondly, it is almost 200,000 rubles cheaper than the most affordable outback. Moreover, the car is supplied in the top execution of Highline. Under the hood, he can only have a 2-liter FSI, developing 150 hp. The cheapest Passat Variant costs 1,186,000 rubles.


material: Vladimir Zhidkov

 

A source: MKOMBILA magazine [February/2010]