Subaru Legacy Test drive station wagon 2003 - 2006 station wagon
Do not shoot at Subaru!
Almost a detective story that happened to the Outback model cold afternoon 2003
We, generally speaking, in which state do we live in? Why do Moscow and its surroundings are increasingly reminiscent of a closed garrison with many guards in a variety of forms? What secret objects are they ordered to prevent a person with a camera? Is it really that in this office building do we develop weapons of the future? And in that mansion, with their own mini-football field and a beautiful Japanese kindergarten, do evil geniuses carry out brainstorms? What is the frightening in the new Subaru Outback, which has just appeared on the Russian market (as, indeed, in all other markets)? Really I look like an agent 007? Be that as it may, that day ended with a real pursuit ... Forewarned is forearmed
I think our editor -in -chief is to blame for everything. It was he who called me to his office and asked me to shoot the car more interesting, on the cover. So, it was necessary to find at least three or four beautiful places, in each of which I had to spend at least an hour of time. And the days are getting shorter, so you need to move to the places of shooting quickly. However, there were no problems with this. Under me was a powerful modern car with a three -liter six under a hood developing 245 hp. According to the good old tradition of this Japanese manufacturer, an engine like Boxer, that is, it does not stand under the hood, as is customary for many, but lies. The pistons in it move horizontally and towards each other. If you look at a similar engine in the context, it really seems that these are not iron mechanisms, but three pairs of boxing gloves that constantly strike on counterclaims. The pluses from such a layout is obvious - the car receives a significantly lower center of gravity, respectively, and is controlled more reliable. In addition, the return of such a power unit is slightly higher. 
Outback crowns the Subaru lineup and, in fact, is a slightly modernized Legacy Wagon station wagon, which is distinguished by a plastic body kit of the lower part of the body and enlarged road clearance. According to the laws of physics, if you compare the controllability of this pair, then Legacy is winning, since its center of gravity is closer to the road. However, the new Outback differs from relatives not only externally, but also in technical terms. All alterations were just aimed at pressing the center of mass as close to the ground as possible. Other shock absorbers and springs that increase the clearance are compensated in this machine with more thin, let’s say, engine supports, so the Japanese managed to distribute weight along the vertical axis almost at the Legacy level. 
The second Outback trump card is that the car is equipped with a branded AWD drive system. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that thanks to a motor located exactly in the middle of the longitudinal axis of the car, it has lateral symmetry. That is, the moments of the inertia of the shafts suitable for each wheel are equal. Accordingly, the driver has the opportunity to more predict and accurately control the traction. The British have such a proverb Foreward - is Forearmed, that is, who is warned, he is armed. Well, Outback seems to be warned about any road situation. Well, in very difficult circumstances, the VDC and ABS stabilization system will help. The trick is not a vice
... Leaving the Salon U-Service+, I was already mentally ready for the fact that I would have to break through many cordons of guard. Well, we can’t take pictures anywhere except our own apartment or cottage. In the first one can’t call by car, but the second can only be a background for the film about the post -war restoration of the country, but not a newspaper cover. Okay, we’ll figure it out on the spot, and now we’ll hurry out of the city, in one of the summer cottages.
On the highway, the new Outback showed himself well done. The five -speed machine operates smoothly and does not pull the car at all, only the dynamics seemed sluggish. But this is in standard Drive mode. There is also a sports range inside the box, combined with a manual selection of transmissions. However, this does not mean that they work only in pairs. If there is no desire to control the process of changing speeds, the selector just needs to be transferred to the side groove of the lining on the tunnel and not touch anymore. The motor in response to this action seems to wake up and begins to breathe in its entire three -liter chest. It is spinning to 6500 rpm, and transfers alternate in a holo quickly and biting. At the same time, amazing silence reigns inside the cabin - only a pleasant engine baritone is heard. Neither the whistle of the wind at a speed of 150 km/h, no rustle tires. The latter is especially surprising. He even stopped and looked at what the car was shod. Everything is clear, Japanese Yokohama rubber with AWS technology designed to fight with noise. Excellent tires! They are well kept in turns, predictably behave during accelerations and braking. Later, on the asphalt platform, I tried to call an artificial skid - it cost considerable works. The machine and tires in this case are in complete harmony. Let's get back to the machine. If you need to sharply accelerate to complete, for example, overtaking, then the automatic transmission lever should just be pulled back a couple of times - the box will jump two steps down, and the turns will fly into the zone in which the maximum torque is issued.
... I recall my military past, I use tricks described in detail in combat charters, and here I am inside the country village. So, about 15 minutes before they notice the camera in my hands, I have. Ten frames are already not bad. And here are the guests! Stupid questions began and where are you from, and why, and who allowed? Honestly, I wanted to answer rudely, but all the most interesting landscapes have already been preserved inside the camera, so I ask only to shoot at Subaru, and while they are thinking with a creak that I said - I am leaving. Another throw is to the other end of the city, to a recently superviser of a small hotel in the style of country. There is a large parking in front of him, so there will be where to put the car. Again I transfer the machine gun selector into a sports mode and press the gas. By the way, how does the driver feel in the cabin? The interior of the car underwent serious changes and began to look much more modern. Dear plastic panels, finishing for a dark tree, leather upholstery of the seats. The central console is slightly turned towards the driver, hinting to all other passengers that their business is to survey the surroundings and relax. Moreover, passing machines do not interfere with enjoying the surrounding reality, since the landing inside Outback is very high. The ergonomics of the driver's workplace was well worked out, but I was caused by controversial feelings for two points. The first is the Mute button on the steering wheel, which muffles the volume of a fairly high -quality radio. I am used to the fact that the second press on it restores its initial level, but here - no, then I have to reduce the key to the key. Moreover, it simply cannot be kept - the system does not respond to such an action.
The second point - a short -term driver's seat pillow seemed to me. Its profile itself is good enough, the chair as such has electrical regulations, but there is no one that would be responsible for moving the back relative to the pillow, to my disappointment. My advice - let the manager talk about Outback inside the car in the car dealership, and just during this time you will have time to feel the convenience of landing. Otherwise, everything is at the highest level. ... I drive up to the hotel. The weather inspires optimism - the low sun works as a free sophite, the building has almost been completed and it looks like a pure Russian field anyway that the newfangled business centers that flooded the center of Moscow is alien and wildly. And again, I only had half an hour to play with light and angles, then builders appeared in the parking lot along with security. The first without complexes began to wander around Outback, the latter headed straight to me. And again familiar questions. Tired! Without saying a word, I just get behind the wheel and leave. But not in another place, no. In addition, the secret building can be driven from the reverse side, by primer. I’m partially an off -road car, so the quality of the coating does not bother me. Subaru easily slipped across the field, without straining, traveled puddles along the plowed virgin lands. Here, the smooth mode of the Drive automatic machine came at the very way. I could definitely dose traction.
Now - about the pursuit. The car hit the test literally from the car carrier, brand new and brilliant. And to be honest, I don’t know what the guys with shaved heads on the views of Mercedes wanted, but the fact that they got close to me is definitely. At the same time, no police and other guards were clearly not embarrassed. The situation is almost unimaginable in ordinary life - I, like a spy, looped several times around the city, stopped without any logic, sharply changed the route. Seeing behind all the same satellites, frankly, began to worry. It remained only to hope for speed. She saved me. And also - reliable and clear controllability of Outback. He can pass the turns frighteningly, while absolutely reliable (the merit of the body that increased almost twice the stiffness of the power cell), and without rolling. In just 8.5 s, it gains 100 km/h. Just where it turned out to be worse - on the section of the third ring - Subaru easily came off the pursuers. It remained only one of the turns to turn right, just on the road leading to the car dealership. Having decided not to experience fate anymore, I give the car. Here is such a detective with a happy ending.
And as an afterword, I’ll say that the machine that visited the test was in the maximum configuration, with four airbags, its cost was $ 49,830. Warranty - 3 years or 100,000 km of run. The main competitors are Audi Allroad, Volvo Cross Country. Brief technical characteristics of Subaru Legacy Outback
Engine volume, cubic meter. See: 3000
The number of valves for the cylinder: 4
Power, l. With. at about./min.: 245/6600
Max. Torque, Nm/at about. min.: 297/4200
Acceleration to 100 km/h, p.: 8.5
Maximum speed, km/h: 224
Average fuel consumption l./100 km.: 9.8
Fuel tank volume, l.: 64
Dimensions, mm.: 4730x1770x1545
