Outback is reliable

By Eric Blair
THE Subaru Outback is one of the original ‘crossover’ vehicles – that is, part car and part four-wheel drive.
Indeed Subaru was ‘crossing over’ well before the name was invented. And doing it extremely well.
Launched in Australia in September 1996 Outback was an immediate success, appealing to owners who wanted good traction in all road conditions, without the loss in creature comfort often afforded by truck-type four-wheel drives.
Interestingly, the name Outback was chosen by the vehicle’s US designers at a time when Australia was the flavour of the month to conjure up images of the Australian way of life – a nation of adventurers with a free and easy lifestyle. And for a change the image-makers got it just right.
The Outback is almost ideally suited to Australian driving – be it deep in the solitude of the bush or in the harsh world of suburban shopping centres and schoolkid transportation.
Though it isn’t intended to be a pure off-road vehicle, it can do more than the great majority of owners are ever likely to contemplate.
Outback is basically a Subaru Liberty station wagon with extra ground clearance, bigger wheels and tyres, a tougher body and suspension.
In the original 1996 model there was some appearance differentiation from the Liberty by way of body cladding.
This also helped protect the paint in tight bush running.
However, the cladding wasn’t installed on the latest Outback, introduced in September 2003.
October 2000 saw the option of a 3.0-litre flat-six engine. The latter is a very refined unit but there’s not a lot to criticise in the performance of the four-cylinder so don’t rush straight into the six without having a drive in a flat-four as well.
Originally, the Outback only used a four-speed automatic transmission, but five-speed manuals were offered from September 1997.
From the model change in October 1998 the manual Outback came with a low-range ratio for improved off-road torque.
Subaru feels sufficient torque multiplication in the automatic is provided by the converter so doesn’t use the dual-ratio box with it.
It its latest format, from 2004, Subaru Outback has gone deeper into ‘real’ four-wheel drive territory, but has done so without sacrificing the comfort, stability and drivability.
It has also placed a lot of emphasis on the towing ability of the Outback, claiming it will do almost everything the big, truck-type vehicles will do.
Both the Outback and its four-wheel drive sibling Forester occasionally attract criticism because of their conservative, some say bland, appearance.
Such critics overlook the fact that they are not aimed at the young, ‘hot shot’ market but at those people who are looking for reliable, functional, high-quality vehicles. As such the styling is accurately targeted.
To arrange a test drive contact Albroy’s Subaru, 146 Queen Street, Warragul.
Phone 5623 4399.