Subaru Liberty 2010 Review

The world is spoiled for family car choices. And now Subaru has landed another, with a six-seater wagon called the Liberty Exiga.  It's hard to pigeonhole the newcomer, because it sits outside the usual family-first range of showroom choices in the SUV and people mover classes. It's not a high-rider and it's not a full-on family van.

A first glance it looks like a lightly-tweaked Liberty wagon, which it is. But it has six seats and that makes it more like Subaru's heavyweight people mover, the Tribeca.

Subaru itself says the Exiga is a development of the Liberty and got the big green light following a successful tease at the Tokyo Motor Show a couple of years ago. It seemed people were interested in a Liberty with more, at least on the seating side.

It is being rolled into action as an alternative to a Honda Odyssey or a Mitsubishi Grandis, or even the lacklustre Toyota Avensis, with lots of equipment and a starting price that is well under the Honda but not as sharp as the class-leading Kia Carnival.  It sounds good, but there is a catch. And it turns the Exiga into a bit of a Frankenstein.

See, there is an all-new Liberty in Australian showrooms but the Exiga is based on the previous model. And there is some Forester stirred into the mix.  The result is a car which looks good on paper, but is not as good as it should be once you get it into the driveway.

Subaru Australia is keen on the Exiga and has set it for the sort of families who have given its brand the best customer-loyalty scores in the country. There are two models and both come with an easy-driving 2.5-litre engine and constantly-variable transmission, as well as a crucial DVD entertainment system for the back seats.

The Exiga Premium, which jumps the price from a basic $37,490 up to $41,990, is very well loaded with kiddie-friendly leather seats, satnav, a reversing camera, Bluetooth and iPod links, electric front seats and alloy wheels.

"Liberty Exiga is a versatile family wagon that adds a new dimension to our mid-size wagon line-up," says Nick Senior, boss of Subaru Australia.  Not surprisingly, he is also trumpeting Subaru's usual five-star ANCAP safety and all-wheel drive.

DRIVING - with Paul Gover

I got a surprise when I first jumped into the Exiga.  I expected a car which would drive as impressively as the new Liberty, our Carsguide class leader and a solid Car of the Year contender for 2009, and the Exiga does not.  It is not as fluid, or quiet, or refined and the engine feels less responsive and far less impressive.

I immediately got on the phone to ask about the car. And got the news from Subaru Australia that the Exiga is built from the previous-generation Liberty.  So a car that could have been very good is only . . . alright.

That is harsh, but Subaru knows better than to fiddle with a successful formula and the expectations of Australians who know and trust the brand. It is good to have a six-seater in the family, and it's likely to be more suitable for more people than the larger Tribeca, but it is not good to have a car with compromises.

You can see and feel the difference in the seats and quality of the cabin, as well as a CVT transmission that needs stirring - at least with tasty paddle shifters - and can struggle to keep the car at 110km/h on freeway inclines.

But the Exiga is not all bad. It is very quiet, the middle-row seats are comfy and have plenty of adjustments, the cabin is easily converted for storing stuff, and the back-row seats are not nearly as bad as I expected.

It is also very easy to park, with an excellent rear-view camera, and the leather seats and DVD player in the Premium test car are right on the money for families. I also like the flexibility in the centre console, which can carry more stuff or a couple of cups, as well as the light steering and the good visibility.

It works well as a six-seater for people, but they will have to pack light because there is not much space in the tail. Fold the back seats _ one or the pair _ and things get a lot better, but it is never going to rival a Carnival.

The Exiga gets marked down for its failings, and because it does not have the pulling power to win most people away from an SUV, but it will work very well for some families. And, at the end of the day, it's still a Subaru.

SHE SAYS - with Alison Ward

I didn't know what to make of the Exiga at first. It didn’t dazzle me with a fast engine or amazing interior design.  So what is this car- an SUV or a people mover? I’m not sure myself, but I think it suffers an identity crisis.

Don’t get me wrong, this car is good. It will serve owners well with its six-seat capacity, roomy interior and economical drive.  But body is a bit on the ugly side, reminding me of a gigantic windowed hearse, although inside is better.

It’s comfortable and easy to drive.  It handles well, is easy to park and has minimal blind spots.  The entertainment system is the standard easy-to-use touch screen found in the latest Subarus.  So what could this car be good at? It’s all down to the extra third-row seat layout.

This allows the Exiga to compete with chunkier SUVs while retaining that smaller car feel. But I cannot figure out why they couldn’t design the second-row seat to include an extra spot This will remain a mystery and a possible deal breaker for some families.  The Exiga will also frustrate families when all seats are taken because there isn’t much boot space left.  Not great for prams, shopping or hiding presents.

On value, the leather, DVD player and loads of safety air-bags for less than its rivals makes it worth a look and I hope the Exiga survives.   It’s a ‘bums up’ from me but not sure if it will be for larger families.

Score 70/100

THE BOTTOM LINE: Good idea, not-so good result

Subaru Exiga 2.5i Premium

Price: $41,990
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder
Power:  123kW at 5000 revs
Torque: 229Nm at 4000 revs
Transmission: Lineartronic Continuous Variable Transmission, all-wheel drive
Body: Five-door wagon
Seats: Six
Dimensions:  Length 4740mm, Width 1775mm, Height 1660mm, Wheelbase 2750mm, tracks front/rear 1525mm/1530mm
Steering: Speed sensitive rack and pinion power steering
Suspension: Front MacPherson struts; double wishbone rear
Fuel tank: 65 litres
Fuel type: Petrol 90-98 RON
Fuel Consumption: 8.6/100km combined
Weight: 1568kg
Spare tyre: Space saver spare
Brakes: Anti-skid all-round discs
Wheels: 17-inch alloys
Tyres: 215/50 R17
Safety Gear: Dual front, side, curtain airbags, electronic stability control, traction control, anti-skid brakes, brake assist, front seatbelt pretensioners, reversing camera
CO2 Emissions: 202g/km

RIVALS

Dodge Journey 2.7 SXT: 68/100 (from $37,990)
Kia Carnival 2.7 EXE: 76/100 (from $33,890)
Mitsubishi Grandis 2.4 VRX: 77/100 (from $44,950)
Toyota Tarago 2.4 GLi: 75/100 (from $53,250)