The big problem with this Subaru is the price. It carries an almost identical price tag to an equivalent Audi A4 Avant Quattro. It depreciates at a similar rate too, which is a pleasant surprise for anyone who bought it from brand new – or even ‘nearly new.’
But anyone looking to buy a one year old or two year old version, I suspect, would be looking to see the price soften a bit. If it were to do that, then it would be a no-brainer buy (especially with the new boxer diesel engine that came out in 2008).
It needs to be slightly cheaper than an Audi because it is achingly close to be as good. But it doesn’t have the same brand image and some of the basics are not quite good enough. For example, rear legroom is tiny. The radio auto searches when it shouldn’t and picks up pirate stations and interference in cities too easily. The immobiliser comes back on in the time it takes to put your shopping in the boot, which makes you look like a twit in Sainsbury’s every week. By the end of my week with the car, I got used to locking the car again after closing the boot, then unlocking it again to get in myself so there was time to start the engine before the immobiliser clicked on. But a couple of times I forgot and set the alarm off; I had to lock myself in, then unlock the car, and then start again….
This stuff doesn’t happen in an Audi. But in almost every other way I think Subaru can legitimately claim to be an alternative to the premium German estates. The Sat Nav is easy to use, the controls and trim are all intuitive and pleasant to touch. The leather trim is of a good quality and the seats are accommodating for hours at a time. Long and short journeys are enjoyable, as are countryside dashes and motorway sprints.
The latest diesel engine gives a remarkable combination of performance and economy. It averages over 40 mpg even when you have been driving it like a racing car (apparently). The downsides to this achievement are a fierce clutch and gear ratio combination that make it easy to stall when moving about in low speed traffic. If you do any City driving at all, this is not the car-engine combination for you. If you are rolling gingerly waiting for a light change, or gap in traffic, and find your speed not quite slow enough for 1st, in most cases, you won’t be quite quick enough to get enough torque out of 2nd either. If you do come to a stop at a junction, there is this very slight, occasional tap from the engine. Like a toddler is inside it playing with a rubber mallet.
Apart from the occasional absence of torque when you want it, if you accelerate in town you become very aware of the cloud of diesel fumes that engulfs everyone on the pavement. Of course, you can pull away more gently and then that won’t happen, but the gearing only gives you the option of crawling away or racing away. There isn’t much of a happy medium.
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It is out of town on motorways, A-roads and the twisty back roads that this car takes its place in the winner’s circle. It delivers an involved driving experience and handling of a smaller GT-type car. You need to like your driving to get the best from this because you will be very busy at the wheel. Every little steering input seems to magnify, then be transmitted directly to road; let your concentration drop and your passengers will complain about the ride you are giving them. But if you enjoy driving you will derive great satisfaction from the precise way you can put the car where you want it to be in a corner with only small steering inputs. The brakes do not have the same bite as a BMW, so if you approach roundabouts quite briskly, you will need to apply a surprising amount of pressure, relative to the ease with which the car builds up speed.
It cruises quietly along the motorway, and as luck would have it, I drove this car through some shocking rain storms: A cold night drew in, the motorway spray built up and the tempo of the rain just kept increasing. It was the kind of intimidating weather that occasional motorists prefer to avoid. But the Outback pushed standing water aside, and sliced through the wall of rain without hesitation. Its stability was nothing short of amazing. Modern Subarus have taken over from Volvo in terms of delivering a tank-like feeling of safety. I had to make a conscious decision to slow down because there was nothing in the feel of the car that made me feel I needed to.
Summary
A handsome, if not quite attractive, family estate car. It offers tremendous stability, performance and grip; overall a driving experience not found in many family cars. Rear leg room is small and some gadgets seem temperamental. Pricey, but worth it for driver involvement.
Road test car details
Subaru 2.0TD Outback
OTR: £ 22,021 (new price – check out the used price)
MPG: 48.7
0-60 mph: 8.8 secs
Co2 KM: TBA
By: Matthew Tumbridge