Subaru Liberty 2.0R 2006 review

It is light, nimble, chews meagre amounts of fossil fuel and looks sporty, even if the four-cylinder engine is not quite up to the challenge.

At $33,990, the car represents top value in these days of escalating petrol prices.

For your dollar, you get a lot of quality standard fittings.

There are five-spoke alloys with a full-size spare in the boot; climate control; leather steering wheel, gear shift and handbrake; plenty of cup holders; cruise control; dual exhausts; curtain and dual front side airbags; front fog lamps and DataDot technology which helps detect stolen vehicles.

Integrated blinkers in the mirrors and a general tidy up all round make this a handsome little vehicle.

Inside, there is smart trim, even in the cloth seats which are firm and supportive. The front seats are nearly as good as Recaros.

Rear passengers get plenty of fore-aft room on the seat, with a trade-off of limited legroom, while headroom and shoulder room is fine for three adults.

The quality of the interior continues all the way through to the cargo area which is neat, well-insulated, flat-bottomed and deceptively large for a medium-size vehicle.

The cockpit is ergonomical, even though the steering wheel is only adjustable for height. You can find a comfortable driving position because the seat is adjustable in every direction, including height.

Steering is light and neutral and handling is similarly light, but always predictable thanks to Subaru's symmetrical all-wheel-drive system.

Off the mark, there is a little lag in the automatic transmission, but once it gets into the revs, there is ample go with good feel from the electronic throttle control.

Up hills and with a bit of load, it struggles.

The four-speed auto box doesn't help here, being a little sluggish and vague.

Yet if you drive more conservatively, it is quiet and smooth, delivering fuel economy commensurate with the manufacturer's estimate of 9.1l/100km on the combined cycle.

I achieved a lot better than this on a weekend trip to the Sunshine Coast.

Being an entry model, it doesn't get the delightful McIntosh sound system found in some of the more expensive Liberty models.

This one had a bass speaker that became particularly excited and buzzed annoyingly. I suppose you keep the duff-duff music for the WRX anyway.

The Liberty 2.0R is more of a Michael Buble sort of car.