Subaru Outback 2004 Review

The world was rocked when Subaru unleashed its first Outback.

The high-rider Liberty wagon with the macho bodywork was a worldwide hit, doing almost as much as the hot-rod Impreza WRX to establish the Subaru brand.

The latest Outback is more of the same, and better again, but faces new challenges and newer-age rivals.

The Toyota Kluger and Lexus RX330 are the best examples of the shift in the four-wheel-drive scene. They look bigger and tougher than the Outback, but are really just a high-rider Camry wagon with plenty of custom work and equipment.

There are plenty of 'crossover' all-wheel-drive wagons on the way to make life tough for the Outback.

But that won't hurt a car which is the right size, price and package for Australian families.

Subaru says its rivals include the latest Holden Adventra wagon, Toyota's Prado four-wheel drive, and even the BMW X5 3-litre and Volvo XC90. That spread gets even bigger when you add the Kluger, RX330 and classy Honda MD-X.

They don't line up neatly on price, size or features, but the growth in four-wheel drives – we still don't like the trendy Sports Utility Vehicle label used by carmakers – means many people are shopping in a wide range of size and price brackets.

The new Outback is based on the all-new Liberty lineup, with the usual toughened bodywork, taller, firmer suspension, and the option of a punchy H-6 engine.

Upgraded suspension and steering means improved safety – even for pedestrians – and a full package enhancing quietness and comfort.

The new look for the Outback features a bolder nose with huge lamps in the bumpers, flares over the wheels which are better integrated, new-shape alloy wheels and –: inevitably – chunkier tyres.

Outback prices start at $38,180 with a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine. The H6 starts at $45,990, jumping to $53,440 for the fully loaded 3.0R Premium Pack with leather trim and five-speed automatic gearbox.

On the road

We tried the Outback as a four and a six, and found plenty to like.

We went seriously off-road in the four and it handled incredibly tough challenges with plenty of grip and enjoyment. More torque for low-end pulling power would have been nice, but that's there in the pricier H6.

We didn't miss the "crawler" gears that come with heavyweight off-roaders, and the basic suspension set-up worked well in dirt and mud.

The H6 Outback was even better, although we question the value of a car that jumps beyond $50,000.

We also wondered, several times, how the test car's tan leather trim and carpets would survive the sort of abuse that's almost inevitable.

Still, the 3.0R Luxury Pack is a lot of car for the price, and it can do almost anything a family asks, without compromising on luxury.

The new Liberty is a fairly roomy machine and the Outback is just the same, with good luggage space in its wagon tail and a roomy back seat.

One driver complained that the seat was too narrow, but it could have been that they were too broad in the beam.

The Outback is very well equipped, with classy sound and all the usual electrical assists, but it's the basics that make it impressive.The H6 Outback is a very refined machine that gets along well, thanks to 180kW of power and 297Nm of torque, all fed through a smooth-shifting five-speed automatic. There is a touch-change manual mode, but the wheel-mounted buttons fitted to the Liberty GT are missing in the Outback, and replaced by sound system controls.

It is quiet, very comfortable, and a car that shrinks any drive down to L-size.

The Outback flagship rides and handles more like a sports car than a four-wheel drive. The suspension is set firm, with very little rock or roll, and plenty of grip even without low-profile sports rubber.

It also stops well, is easy to park, and relatively light on fuel.

Even the headlamps, a let-down in previous Subarus, are good. The spread is wide and the lamps bright, a plus point for after-dark work.

Lined up against a variety of rivals, we believe the Outback stars. It looks a lot better than the Kluger, is more affordable than the RX330, is more car-like than an MD-X, and undercuts all of its European rivals.

The new Outback is a great car. And, just as importantly, it's the four-wheel drive that more Australian families should be choosing ahead of hulking trucks.

It will face tougher and tougher rivals in coming years, but right now it's a definite favourite.