Subaru Outback test drive since 2009

Need a 4x4 station wagon for 1.5 million rubles

Do not tolerate SUVs to the spirit, but need a spacious, comfortable and fast car, which also has certain off-rock talents? The answer is one: Looking for your dreams among all -wheel drive station wagons

Alexander Barmin, 25 years old, manager, driving 3 years, travels to Toyota Corolla, wants an all -wheel drive station wagon, the budget - 1,500,000 rubles.

Car requirements
Image
Firstly, the car should be respected on the road. In addition, the brand should be eminent so that in response to the question: what are you going to? I did not have to blush.

Style
Something is not too aggressive, but not too amorphous. I like dynamic and strict, but not futuristic design.

Economy
It is not crucial.

Shodal qualities
The car is needed for light off -road, most of the time I will drive along road roads.

Interior
The quality of the interior decoration is no less important than the capacity and ergonomics.

Equipment
The machine is required. Given the initially considerable cost, I would also like to see a bixenon, a decent audio system, six pillows and ESP, but I do not see the need for a hatch or leather salon.


I have long understood that stereotypes have been ruleing this world. As for the choice of cars, for sure. Most of my friends have no doubt that, say, BMW is always more sports than Audi, a real kid is an SUV, and only pensioners drive the station wagons. Nothing but mild irritation, this opinion of the majority personally does not cause me. SUVs, SUVs, pickups and generally any cars that at least somewhat side by the SUV segment leave me completely indifferent. Do not like and okay, it would seem, what is the problem? But the fact of the matter is that now there was a need for a full-wheel drive car for the city and traveling to the country. He should playfully cope with light off -road, at a time to get out of the snow -covered courtyard and without fear of pressing informal Moscow borders. Yes, I almost forgot a prerequisite: a big trunk. With indignation, having rejected all the SUVs, I came to the conclusion that with all the wealth of the modern automobile market, the choice is not very great. In fact, three all -wheel drive universals Audi A4 Allroad, Subaru Outback and Volvo XC70 are fitting into my budget. True, I immediately removed the Swedish barn from the run. With all due respect to the company from Gotharg, the image of Volvo is not my cup of tea, as the British would say. But who will be better from the remaining couple?

Subaru Outback 2.5 Lineartronic. $ 45 450
It was chosen because: the Japanese station wagon of increased cross -country ability has long become a hit in this specific, but prestigious segment.

Style
Looking at the new outback, it is difficult to guess that it is really new. Not impressed

Shodal qualities
Subaru off -road talents are not called into question, as well as reliable and predicted controllability. But the dynamics, alas, disappointed. Compromise

Interior
Everything is very convenient, but without a highlight. But the trunk is just magnificent! Good

Economy
11-12 liters in the city is normal. At the level

Equipment in the standard
Outback equipment for 1,526 200 rubles. It includes even a leather salon and an electric lover in the roof. With a margin

Advantages and disadvantages
+ Off -road abilities, reliable controllability, equipment level, ergonomics, large trunk.
- sluggish dynamics, modest design.

Specifications
Mark and model - Subaru Outback 2.5
Dimensions - 4788x2170x1817 mm
Engine - gasoline, 2457cm3, 167 hp/5600 min -1
Transmission - Step -shaped variator
Dynamics - 198 km/h, 10.4 s to 100 km/h

Subaru design has always been slightly not from this world. And many liked it. However, the latest Outback generation is not impressive. The appearance of the car is completely devoid of charisma, just a hefty barn, in profile something like old Volvo. And these headlights blurred throughout the physiognomy ... No, not mine. The most annoying thing is that Outback version is only increased by an enlarged clearance and a plastic skirt along the lower body perimeter. With such a nondescript appearance, Outback is completely dissolved in the flow of machines.

The salon looks equally modest. The design and decoration materials clearly do not correspond to the price and status that Subaru claims. On the other hand, a strict laconic dashboard and the central Outback console delighted with thoughtful ergonomics. There is nothing superfluous here in the case. Good and sofa. In the back seat, which has several positions of inclination of the back, a tall driver will easily be placed. Well, the trunk is completely luxurious. Even in the minimum configuration, its volume is 575 liters, and if you fold the sofa, then the volume will increase to 1725 liters. That's what I probably don’t need so much.

Outback left a dual impression in the movement. On the one hand, I was pleased with the new variator. The Lineartronic stranded box, installed only with a 2457 cm3 gasoline opposite engine, distributes a torque of 229 nm to the front, and through a multi -disc friction coupling and on the rear wheels. Thanks to the constant pressure in the coupling, the back of the clutch all the time receives a craving from the engine, which favorably affects the driving habits of the car. Therefore, in motion, even on roads with mixed coating, outback behavior remains confident and predictable. In addition, the increased road clearance of 213 mm allows Outback to meddle even where the entrance was ordered to all cars, except for serious SUVs.

But with all these advantages, the dynamics of the car openly upset. Acceleration occurs too smoothly, without a patch that pleases the soul, and most importantly, 10 and a half seconds to a hundred, this is an extremely low result for a car worth a half million.



Audi A4 Allroad. $ 52 130
Selected because: the new player in the segment of all -wheel drive station wagons deserves at least a close acquaintance.

Style
Elegant and not raising questions. I like. Exactly what is needed

Shodal qualities
Road habits are fascinating. The magnificent dynamics and controllability of ALLROD give true pleasure. A reasonable compromise

Interior
Beautiful, convenient, high quality. What else to wish for? Super

Economy
More powerful Audi consumes less fuel than outback! Marvelous

Equipment in the standard
For one and a half million Allroad will be without skin, xenon and only with mechanics. Expensive, but cute

Advantages and disadvantages
+ Magnificent dynamics, luxurious and thought out interior, solid appearance.
- High price, expensive options.

Specifications
Mark and model - Audi A4 Allroad
Dimensions - 4775x1820x1605
Engine - gasoline, with turbocharged, 1984 cm3, 211 hp/4300 min -1
Transmission - semi -automatic, 7 -speed, with 2 clutches
Dynamics - 230 km/h, 6.9 s to 100 km/h


Perhaps the appearance of Audi does not affect the imagination, but also does not raise questions. Strict, recognizable, solid and, say, rich design. Off-road elements such as thresholds, extensors of wheeled arches, plastic decoration of bumper, resembling metal protection of real off-roads, are successfully integrated into the appearance of a passenger station wagon. The machine captivates with this naturalness. But the road clearance for a car, in the name of which there is a transparent hint of off-rock, could be higher. Like it or not, and 180 mm is not ah.

But if you can still argue about the appearance of Audi, then the salon conquers once and for all. It is worth at least a couple of minutes to sit at the wheel of Allroad, and I no longer want to go out of there. Everything is great here: from the selection of finishing materials and a strict, but elegant design to the ergonomics and wealth of equipment thought out to the smallest detail. The trunk of the AlloDo is smaller than in Outback, but also a volume of 490-1430 liters will be enough for me with a margin.

One has only to start the Audi motor and go to the city, as you understand this dynamics! 2-liter turbo engine with a capacity of 211 liters. p., Working paired with a 7-speed semi-automatic gearbox with two clutches, does not leave indifferent. I heard the opinion that the S-Tronic box, it is DSG, allegedly not yet brought to perfection. I don’t know who, but, in my opinion, there are no complaints about the transmission and cannot be. The car understands the driver’s commands at a glance when it is necessary to quickly switch down to add energy to explosive acceleration, and in a calm driving mode, on the contrary, vividly climbs the steps up, saving fuel. As I already noted, the appetite of the car does not particularly bother me, but the very fact that the more powerful and much more fast Audi eats a liter less than outback, says a lot.

On off -road A4 hopelessly loses to the Japanese. With a smaller clearance, the machine rubs with a belly even on small waves, and the track, punched by Nivami, is like death for alloD in general. But I do not need a car for an off-rock rods in a sandy career. In order to storm the winter borders in the city and not afraid of the autumn slush in the country ground, A4 characteristics are quite enough for me.



My choice
Unlike Subaru, oriented more on off -road, Audi is a more urban version. In all, the rest of the aesthetics of appearance to the quality of plastic in the salon, the German leaves no chance to the Japanese. I especially want to note the luxurious dynamics and the S-Tronic super-halved box. For myself, I definitely choose Allroad, despite the fact that the equipment that suits me will cost more than one and a half million. It is better to pay a little and drive your dreams a little than to save a couple of hundred thousand and regret it at least three years of operation.

Editor's Choice
One cannot help but admire the talent to impress all Audi cars. Here is A4 Allroad in such disciplines as the quality of the interior decoration, the wealth of equipment and dynamics, the opponent is smashing. Another thing is that the talents of a German all -wheel drive station wagon are very expensive. Even in the basic configuration with the manual transmission, a cloning salon and halogen headlights, the Alload is more expensive than the most sophisticated outback 2.5 with a variator, leather, xenon and even hatch in the roof. If you add all these dopes to the cost of Audi, then the price of the car will come close to two million. Here, the A4 ALLROD rival will be a completely different Outback with a 3.6 -liter 6 -cylinder opponent with a capacity of 260 liters. With.


Photo: Sergey Krestov

A source: Magazine 5 wheel [November 2010]