Test drive Subaru Outback
Subaru Outback still knows how to drive sideways, although now something else is much more important for it - a new level of comfort and equipment.
It seems to be the same car, but the line has disappeared from the front panel. But the snowy road turned into an unpleasant itchy comb. There is rarely a chance to compare a new product and a pre-styling car in one test. In the case of the Subaru Outback, not only this happened: the Japanese brand brought its entire model range to Lapland.
It was not hard to guess that some new Subaru model, which the company planned to present in an atmosphere of strict secrecy, is the updated Outback. Each restyling adds LEDs, electronics and comfort to the modern car. And Subaru is no exception.
In the USA there is a larger model - Ascent, in Europe and Russia the Outback got the role of the flagship. And this role must be matched: therefore, chrome and LED touches were added to the exterior. The front panel was stitched with beautiful contrasting stitching and decorated with new combined inserts (wood plus metal). The multimedia system is quicker to understand and better at recognizing voice commands. The Outback is now literally hung with cameras: some facilitate maneuvering, while others, as part of the EyeSight security system, monitor the traffic situation, markings and pedestrians.
Driving at night has become more comfortable due to headlights with cornering lights. The rear passengers now have two USB sockets at their disposal - for Subaru, which stubbornly saved on interiors and options, this is a luxury. As are the guide lines on the rear view camera. What to say about such little things as a warning about a low key charge or a clutch lever with a smoother ride.
The changes also affected the technology: Outback should now ride more comfortably, quieter, better controllability and braking. A trip in a pre-styling car confirmed all these points. Especially with regard to the smoothness of the ride - the updated station wagon does not inform about the road relief in such detail, smooths out irregularities and does not annoy with vibrations. We can say that its driving character has become better.
Snow and ice are the best you can think of for Subaru. Especially when there is an opportunity to compare several models of the company. The new XV is happy to spin dimes due to the shortest base and the most liberal settings of the safety electronics, although the ESP is not completely switched off here. After prolonged slides, the crossover still issues a warning about overheating of the clutch, but this does not affect the operation of the transmission.
In ruts, the XV is overly nervous, although it rides no worse than its older brothers - it has a good reserve under the bottom, and the X-Mode electronic assistant will help out in difficult situations. The suspension settings seem to be perfect at all: the car rides in a sporty elastic way and at the same time does not notice any unevenness. This was achieved thanks to a new platform and a more rigid body. The XV's ride quality is exactly what it reconciles with a small trunk and a serious price tag.
Forester should look towards the forest and the dacha, but his character is also fighting. The stabilization system is tuned stricter than on the XV, but the crossover is not afraid of sharp turns. Once on the parapet, Forester is able to get out on its own. The steering and suspension settings may be faulty, but this is without a doubt the most versatile Subaru model.
The larger and heavier Outback can also slide with the stabilization system partially disabled, but it does not do it willingly. Its wheelbase is larger than that of the Forester, and the stabilization system is the strictest. It can be fooled, but as soon as the slip begins to work out, the electronics intervenes and spoils the whole buzz. This is understandable, the Outback is a large, comfortable car, and the safety of passengers should come first.
It is strange to expect feats from the Subaru Outback on the rally special stage or in the very heart of the forest, at the same time it does not lag behind the "Forester". But this is not even a crossover, but an off-road wagon with a long front overhang. The ground clearance here is impressive - 213 mm, but if you swing the car when moving over bumps, there is a risk of putting it on the ground.
A long nose and a small angle of entry force you to be careful, cameras in the radiator grille and the right mirror help with maneuvers. The X-Mode button activates the off-road all-wheel drive algorithms, quickly delivers traction to the rear axle and brakes the slipping wheels. I also liked the comfortable operation of the descent assistance system. If Outback is inferior to competitors, then in geometric cross-country ability - you will not find fault with the work of all-wheel drive.
If you have any questions, so to the unheated windshield. However, this is a claim to all Subaru. In the Lapland cold, fine snow dust from under the wheels turns into ice, and the brushes begin to smear or even freeze. An additional nozzle on the passenger wiper does not really help out.
Representatives of the Japanese brand claim that the proprietary EyeSight system with stereo cameras mounted on the sides of the salon mirror interferes with making glass with threads. It looks vigilantly, recognizes pedestrians and allows you to confidently hold on to adaptive cruise control. If there is a passenger car, bus or truck ahead, they leave behind a suspension of snow, in which the EyeSight fades.
It doesn't matter if she sees in the twilight. Subaru basically goes its own way, different from other brands, but this is probably exactly the case when you should not be original and add radars to the cameras, like everyone else.
In any case, it is more important for the driver to see the road, and heating the windshield of Subaru cars will definitely not hurt. Considering that otherwise they are great for countries with harsh climates. Including for Russia, but the price is also important for our market.
Now the pre-styling Outback costs at least $ 28, and the price for the 271-horsepower version with a 260-cylinder boxer is over $ 6. Prices for the car of the 38 model year are still kept secret, but, most likely, taking into account the options, the updated Outback is guaranteed to rise in price. The only thing that is known so far is that the top version can be ordered not only with 846 cylinders, but also with four, which makes it more affordable.
In the meantime, the most expensive model remains the WRX STI - $ 42. This is generally the best Subaru, and not only in terms of power and dynamics. If the Outback had to be dragged into corners, the WRX STI, on the contrary, strives to turn its nose into the parapet and fill the wide mouth of the air intake with snow.
This is not a civilian car, but a complex racing machine - with a 300-horsepower engine, fine-tuned all-wheel drive and complete shutdown of the safety electronics. He alone roars menacingly in a Subarov way, and this roar easily penetrates through the additional layer of noise insulation.
The active differential has lost its mechanical locking and is now controlled exclusively by electronics - so it works faster and smoother. There should be no problems with fast steering and gear shifting - the amplifier and the manual gearbox mechanism have undergone improvements. All the same, the ride on the updated sedan is full of adrenaline and struggle: either you will go through the circle even faster, or you will hang on the parapet.
A passing acquaintance and basic driving skills are not enough to get a feel for this car. If you're a Finnish rally driver, the WRX STI will ride like no other car. If not, the super sedan will seem incomprehensible and too expensive to you.
Yes, the interior was refined as best they could, and the effort on the clutch pedals became less, which makes the driver less tired in traffic jams. But the dual-zone climate control is unable to dry the fogged-up windows, and the brushes are unable to clean the windshield of fine snow dust. Either you go blindly, or a volcano is breathing in your face.
In the new reality, there is no longer any room for such cars. Mitsubishi, for example, has already disowned the Lancer Evolution. It is all the more important to preserve the WRX STI - as the standard of a real Subaru, so that in the pursuit of comfort and ecology we will not forget how to make such cars.
| A type | Universal |
| Dimensions (length / width / height), mm | 4820/1840/1675 |
| Wheelbase, mm | 2745 |
| Ground clearance, mm | 213 |
| Cargo space, l | 527-1801 |
| Curb weight, kg | 1711 |
| Gross vehicle weight, kg | 2100 |
| engine's type | Petrol 4-cylinder boxer |
| Working volume, cubic meters cm | 1995 |
| Max. power, h.p. (at rpm) | 175/5800 |
| Max. cool. moment, Nm (at rpm) | 235/4000 |
| Drive type, transmission | Full, variator |
| Max. speed km / h | 198 |
| Acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h, s | 10,2 |
| Fuel consumption, l / 100 km | 7,7 |
| Price from, $. | Not announced |
