Subaru Outback 2002 test drive - 2003 station wagon

Subaru Legacy Outback (1998-2000 release)

Full -wheel drive, clearance of 190 mm, differential lock, low gear, trunk volume of 1646 liters. Do you think - SUV? No - the station wagon of the Subaru Legacy Outback.
Outback appeared in the Subaru production range in mid -1994 as a modification of the Legacy Wagon station wagon. As a result of some changes in the suspension aimed at expanding the all -terrain capabilities of the machine, as well as the replacement of the wheels with rude and tenacious and bumper with more formidable, a completely new car turned out - a station wagon of increased cross -country ability. The equipment of the machine was distinguished by frills such as climate control, cruise control, a full electric package, heating seats, two hatches in the roof and even a leather interior (to order). This Outback line lasted without global changes from 1994 to 1998. In the process of evolution, the design of the body, engines and the distribution of torque along the axes changed slightly, but the most serious alteration of the audit system was subjected to the 98th year.
The magic of the opposition four. From 1998 to 2000, three four -cylinder power units with the opposite location of the cylinders, a Subaru kitchen kitchen, were present in the range of OutBack engines. The most common in Russia is a 2.5-liter upper engine with two upper camshafts has a power of 150 hp. The second is a 2-liter capacity of 116 hp The third is almost unknown in Russia, upper, like the previous one, with one distribution shaft, a volume of 2.2 liters and a capacity of 131 hp. The latter were supplied exclusively to the US market.
The statistics of service centers indicate that the 2.5-liter Legacy Outback with an automaton appear quite often in service centers, so they should be treated with special caution and addiction. The main reason for how the servicemains say is the engine overheating, which occurs due to the barbaric driving style and a chronic oversight behind the power unit.
It should be added to this that the most common 2.5-liter engine in our country is not the most successful in design, despite its mass. The fact is that it was developed primarily on the demand of the American market and the basis for it was a 2.2-liter power unit. A 2.5 -liter alteration was made, almost by the simplest bastard, as a result of which the fuel combustion scheme was clearly not perfection - in tandem with the automatic transmission, the engine was prone to overheating. This problem, alas, has not been solved to the end to this day. And if the engine is strongly rolled with the owner, then in its treatment you can not do the replacement of the cylinder head block. Repair, which theoretically will have to be done after 60 thousand km, can cost from $ 800 to $ 3000, depending on the scale of the breeding of the motor. Therefore, the engine inspection should be treated with all seriousness. Of course, it is recommended to diagnose on the authorized Subaru service. The $ 50-100 spent on it can protect your wallet from much more serious amounts.
From the engine to the wheels. All Legacy Outback engines are aggregated with a five -speed mechanical gearbox or a four -speed automatic. Both boxes are known for their reliability and durability. Nevertheless, the mechanics of the servicemen are more to their liking. As you know, manual gearing upwards occurs, as a rule, at increased engine speeds, bypassing a dangerous range from 1,500 to 2500 rpm. The machine makes these switching at 2100-2300 vol./Min., In the most undesirable zone, thereby setting the engine a heavy and hard mode of operation.
 
In the memory of computers of service centers, very exclusive modifications that have locked differential and even lowering the transmission are stored once through official channels. Possessing a sufficient degree of luck, you can try to find such an exotic copy with the design of the transmission like a real jeep. The reducing gear will allow you, moving slowly, but true, to storm mud approaches to the dacha in spring and autumn or winter snowdrifts and a dense dense slurry of unclean yards near the house. And the blocking of the differential will multiply the traction effort, distributing torque at all wheels equally, will not let one of them slip relative to the other through the differential. In any weather and road conditions, your Subaru will confidently dig snow or dirt under him, moving to the intended target as a tank.
Achilles fifth suspension can be considered the thrust of reptile stability stabilizers. The front go 30 thousand km, and the rear they ask for replacements every 20 thousand km. The cost is about $ 50 apiece, and there are four of them.
Another weak place should be considered the rear crows, which, due to their design features, dying, drag the hub bearings in the scrap and hub. If any spare parts and consumables can be selected non-original, then the elements of the rear suspension in the assortment are, as a rule, only relatives. Subaru's rear hub bearing costs about $ 60, and along with the work, its replacement will cost $ 100. The rear shreus is $ 340 with work.
Winter-Sol-corrosion. It is such associations that arise during the phrase features of operation in Russia. Subaru body has high corrosion resistance due to galvanizing. Outback, especially 1998-1999, are known for their high-quality galvanizing. If traces of corrosion are found when buying a car on the secondary market, then this is a clear and alarming sign of a bat and poor -quality garage repair. Even if the rust is not visible, it is still recommended to pay special attention to the leno of body panels or non -red.
Attention should also be paid to the integrity of bumper, headlights and frivo. The rear bumper will cost $ 368, but the front costs almost twice as much as $ 578. The headlights with a light bundle corrector cost about $ 350, and without it - $ 230. And special attention should be paid to the large and beautiful central rear light, located in the middle of the trunk door directly above the license plate, because, unlike the rear side lamps, which cost $ 190 for each, it will cost you in fabulous $ 500. Against the background of such large expenses, replacing the rumpled or scratched wing worth $ 168 looks like a real trifle.
Recyclable. Speaking of the secondary market-the 3-4-year-old Legacy Outback, now presented in the market of used foreign cars, for the most part they have about 100 thousand km, and this is just the period of the most expensive then. Unlike the previous one, produced by 50 thousand and consisting in the replacement of consumables, liquids and trifles of the transmission (only $ 250-300), then for 100 thousand km, it includes, in addition to consumables and oil, the replacement of timing belts, rollers and oil seals, which At the average cost of a norm-hour, $ 30 will cost $ 600-700.
So Subaru is very expensive both when buying and with further operation, a machine. But you should not despair: reasonable savings exist - repairmen allow the use of both native details and materials, and a high -quality non -original. Unoriginal consumables are two, and sometimes more than times cheaper. So, for example, the Subaru air filter costs $ 28.5, while no less high -quality non -native - $ 6.5. Subaru front or rear brake pads will cost $ 115.5 and $ 94.5, and third -party products - $ 47.5 and $ 26.5. For non -original front and rear brake discs, you will be asked for $ 52.5 and $ 47.5, and $ 105 and $ 119 for wheels with the Subaru label. They say that this is how very painless for the health of the car you can save money.
Text Sergey Lortachin, photo Alexey Ilyin

Subaru Legacy Outback 2.0 2.2 2.5
Length/width/height (mm) 4720/1745/1580
Working volume (cubic meter cm) 1994 2212 2457
Power (L.S.) 116 131 150
Equipped mass (kg) 1250 1400 1400
Maximum speed (km/h) 185 190 200
Acceleration to 100 km/h (sec.) 10.5 10.0 10.0
Fuel consumption (medium, l/100 km) 10.5 10 11
The price in Moscow (1999) $ 14-17 thousand $ 16-18 thousand $ 19-24 thousand.
 

The cost of original spare parts (USD)
Front belt 94.5
Tensioner (assembly) 126
Brake pads (per./Ass.) 115, 5/94.5
Brake discs (per./Ass.) 105/119
Bumper (per./Ass.) 578/368
Front optics:
with a light bundle corrector 350
without a light -beam corrector 230
Hind optics:
lateral 190
central 500

The cost of then consumables for official dealers (USD)
Then (50 thousand) 250-300
Then (100 thousand) 600-700
Oil (5 l) + oil filter 57.5 + 10.5
Air filter 28.5
Fuel filter (non -original.) 13
Candles (pcs.) 5.5
 

Source: "Autopilot"

Video Crash tests Subaru Outback 2002 - 2003

Subaru Outback test drives 2002 - 2003