Subaru Outback 2002 test drive - 2003 station wagon

The emotionality of the intellectual

The Subari Subari sedan and the station wagon debuted in 1989. Eight years later, on the basis of the station wagon, Legasi Outbek, characterized by combat appearance and increased road clearance, created. In 2003, the latest car generation was shown in Frankfurt.
Outback is supplied to the domestic market with two gasoline opposition engines: four -cylinder 2.5 liters, 121 kW/165 liters. With. and six -cylinder 3.0 liters, 180 kW/241 l. With. A five-speed manual gearbox, as well as a four- or five-speed automatic machine, is provided. The latter is only with a 3.0 liter engine.
In the salons of official dealers, the prices of new Subaru range from $ 36,700 to 53,000.

It is difficult to imagine Mark Subaru without a permanent all -wheel drive, an opposite motor and the unfading glory of the rally championships. And although in the production range of hot Japanese there are many different cars, it is worth sounding a magical name - consciousness immediately draws something spectacular, rapid, with compulsory sound support.
Nevertheless, the concept of the company is quite versatile. Putting all -wheel drive at the forefront, the company improves all its advantages to subtleties, transferring them to cars quite civilians, designed to saturate your life not only with new impressions, but also with opportunities.
The new Subaru outbar is called to strengthen consumer sympathies. Indeed, according to the plans of marketers, it is he who combines the main components of success - emotionality and intelligence. But how else - having preserved the silhouette and the concept of an active station wagon, the outback became more interesting: externally, supplemented with the most important electronics and a five -speed automatic box, which, according to the creators, is best suited for the most powerful - three -liter motor, acquired a fashionable interior.
As you have already guessed, our guest today is one of the top versions of Subaru Outbek, which absorbed the largest number of innovations.
Big but small
Of course, you can meticulously look for a novelty in more significant lines of the body, other bumpers or repeaters of the turning indicators, fashionably carried out on the side mirrors. Nevertheless, this is not the main thing: after all, in fact, the exterior of the car has not changed dramatically and the outback is still easily recognizable. He acquired everything that is now laid by status, remaining a large solid universal.
Another thing is the internal content: here you feel the hand of an experienced stylist who has worked hard over the interior. Result: expensive plastics and skin, excellent readable devices and the steering wheel of MOMO, a comfortable and thoughtful central console, which legally claims the role of the most noticeable detail. It seems that the Japanese were seriously imbued with the promised spirit of emotionality, not only saturating the car with everything necessary, but also taking care of the quality of the offered services and functions. At least outwardly everything looks great.
However, in the first minutes of communication with the car, a sense of stiffness, clamping in the workplace does not leave. It seems to be a large set of seats, but the longitudinal range is clearly at the limit. The hands are cool, sheathed with leather, but it is regulated only in height. And then there is a powerful tunnel on the right and a handbrake adjacent to the thigh. Does all this resemble?
Sitting in a large and solid car, I suddenly found myself in a dense environment of the main driver's cause, which is more characteristic of sports cars. Even the imposing seat suddenly imperiously fixes in his arms. Of course, we do not get used to, although, judging by the outer sizes, you expect more from the car. And here everything seems to be comfortable, everything is at hand, but too tight and saturated.
The same is the same. Together, in principle, it is comfortable, but the gap over your head is not enough, and you will not particularly relax the limbs. It’s even interesting where the alleged internal space has gone. You find it ... In a huge trunk, where even a full-size 17-inch reserve looks for granted.
What is the outback from the inside? Stylish, beautiful, but at the same time unexpectedly constrained for the driver and passengers.
Movement energy
Turning the ignition key - even before turning on the starter and engine, the arrow of the instruments come to life, running in the test mode of the semicircle of scales.
In the city, we get together quite quickly. At first glance, Subaru is alien to the sharpness and impulsiveness. Rather, the opposite: you willingly take enveloping and soft switching of the machine, get used to the long-flowing pedal of the accelerator and a barely audible well-fed rumbling as if just a waking up engine. He, of course, makes it possible to feel all his potential, but does it with a laziness, as if weighing whether it is worth spending gas and strength in vain.
If you go more actively, you will quickly feel that the delay of the machine gun is too big, and the engine that woke up, promoting up to 5000-6000 rpm, it reinss with displeasure, replacing the bassuled murmur to the folders. No, the car clearly does not impress the ride in a fussy torn rhythm. But why pacify your own self, when there are more than two hundred horses under the hood, and the box has a manual control mode, and even with the prefix sport. Having connected all this, you will no longer be held to the delay, because the box holds the selected gear, allowing you to twist the engine to the limiter. It is clear that in the city bustle and crowding it is much more convenient to go just on the machine. However, our path lies with the auto polygon, where it will be possible to experiment with all this. In the meantime, let's look at the rest.
Perhaps the pendants in this version became more built, more tight. At least in comparison with a comfortable predecessor, this persistently shakes on minor irregularities, tracking the profile of the canvas in detail. With an increase in speed, the irreconcilability of suspensions weakens and the outback becomes quite comfortable car: it copes with surprises of domestic roads perfectly, without tiring the sharpness of the strokes.
Even on winter tires, Outbek is stable in most road situations and a bit to the driver’s teams, which allows you to play a heavy machine. Its solid dimensions and mass are especially noticeable in the kingdom of ice and snow, where we finally get, escaping from traffic jams and the tenacious grip of dry asphalt. Here, almost so, a dynamic stabilization system (VDC) interferes in the management. Sliding this or that wheel, it helps to fight side slides. But still I would like to have a little fuck, and the thoughtfulness of the machine and electronics interfere with this again. Therefore, we translate the box into manual mode, turn off the assistants to the clinic - and go, towards new impressions.
I must admit, excites when a powerful car forgets about the degree and dimensionality and begins to frolic with the driver. But on his armament, not just a full -wheel drive transmission, but also the rear differential of increased friction, and all this is perfectly debugged. It is amazing how simple and logical such a Makhin can move in sliding. However, panibrad and ill -conceived actions - does not tolerate. I slightly went too far with a traction or speed - immediately outback, despite the thoroughbred winter tires, will make us work on the pacification of his character.
The classic appearance, interesting internal content - the new Subaru outbar has become definitely brighter, more noticeable among competitors. Of course, the salon is crowded, but, unlike the majority, this is a classic all -wheel drive, on which in any situation you feel confident.

SUMMARY
Subaru outback
+ Convenient and thought out interior, excellent sledged capabilities, roomy trunk.
- The salon is cramped.
Sergey Voskresensky. Photo: George Sadkov
 
  
 

Source: The magazine "Driving"