2004 Subaru Liberty Reviews

Ewan Kennedy road tests and reviews the 2003, 2004, 2009, 2010 and 2013 Subaru Liberty and Outback as used buys.

Subaru's largest passenger car, the Liberty, has a well-deserved reputation for toughness and reliability with Australian buyers. The Subaru Outback is an interesting variant on the Liberty station wagon. On the market since 1996 it is intended as a halfway step between a conventional station wagon and a dedicated 4WD.In its earlier models Subaru Outback had a tougher appearance than the standard wagon because of the additional protective plastic facings on the doors. These were discontinued with the new generation of 2003 to give the vehicle a more upmarket air, though there are many Subaru advocates who preferred the tougher look of the original.Since 1995 only all-wheel drive Liberty models have been sold in Australia, prior to then there were also front-wheel drive versions, even by 1995 these were comparatively rare because buyers had already sussed out the advantages of driving all four wheels.Unusually for Japanese cars, Libertys and Outbacks, indeed all Subarus, are popular with country drivers as well as those from metro areas. Libertys and Outbacks are much loved by snow skiers because their permanent all-wheel drive system makes them safer and more capable in slippery conditions than a 2WD vehicle.Subaru Liberty first arrived in this country in 1989 and struck a chord with local buyers almost immediately. These older models are generally getting long in the tooth so may be near the end of their lives. You’re probably better off avoiding them.Liberty is sold as a four-door sedan and a five-door station wagon, with a much larger percentage of wagons being sold than in other models in the mid-size class. The combination of the traction of all-wheel drive and the practicality of a wagon rear end is a strong one.The engines have a flat ‘boxer’ layout to lower the centre of gravity for improved road holding. Engine capacities in the four-cylinder models are 2.0, 2.2 and 2.5 litres. The 2.0 actually has more performance than the 2.2 being a later design.Flat-six engines began with a 3.0-litre unit in the Outback and later the Liberty range, its capacity increased to 3.6 litres in September 2009. Subaru calls the flat-six engines the H6 - ‘H’ for horizontally opposed, but most owners tend to retain the use of flat-six or boxer for it.There are a couple of high-performance Subaru Liberty variants. The Liberty RS has a 2.0-litre turbocharged unit and was introduced here in 1992. It was on sale for less than two years, when it was upstaged by the smaller and lighter Subaru Impreza WRX, a car that went on to be a huge success.The Liberty B4 sports machine has a twin-turbo 2.0-litre. It first came here in August 2001 but was somewhat of a disappointment in Australia because the engine had to be significantly detuned from the one offered on the Japanese market to run on our lower-octane petrol.These Subarus are reasonably easy to work on and most routine jobs can be carried out by an experienced home mechanic. However, safety items and most areas of the high-performance variants are best left to the professionals.Spare parts prices are about average for a car in this class. The Subaru dealer network, though relatively small, works efficiently. Because of Subarus’ popularity in country areas there are dealers in comparatively remote areas.Insurance charges on all but the turbocharged high-performance Liberty RS and Liberty B4 are moderate. The turbo models can be really expensive to cover, especially if you are a young and/or inexperienced driver. Living in a high-risk area further increases charges. Be sure to get a quote before falling in love with a turbo Liberty as premiums can be scary.Look over the interior trim and carpets for signs of damage, though they usually hold up well to all but the most outrageous of treatment. Mud or a real buildup of dust may indicate a lot of time spent of the beaten track.Check out the luggage area for signs of harsh treatment caused by carrying big and/or sharp loads. Have a look underneath a car, particularly the Outback, for signs of damage through it coming into contact with the ground. Some owners really do treat them as though they are ‘real’ 4WDs.The undersides of the bumpers, especially on their corners, are usually the first to suffer. Be sure the engine starts quickly and immediately idles smoothly no matter how cold the conditions. The sixes are naturally smoother than the fours, but the latter should be pretty good as well. Manual gearboxes should be quiet in operation and gearchanges should be smooth and light. Automatics which tend to hunt up and down the gears, or which are slow to go into gear, could be due for an overhaul. Rust is not common in Subarus, but if one has been badly repaired after a crash it may get into the metal. Call in a professional inspector if there’s the slightest doubt.

This particularly blokey Subaru Liberty GT was such a car. The thrill of the traffic light take-off makes life worthwhile with Liberty's turbocharged, two-litre engine and silky gearshift.But the zero to 50km/h sprint takes less time than you can say "hmmm" and it's back to steady coherence of road rules.Just like one of my favourite U2 songs – Running to Stand Still.It makes me wonder why Subaru, which makes its sought-after peppy cousin WRX, bothers with making a more understated version for grown-ups.Subaru Australia general manager Nick Senior has called it "Subaru's interpretation of a European-style sports sedan".Surely this Japanese car maker does not have to kowtow to Euro-styling. It already has a loyal fan club of drivers who understand the delights of a boxer engine and its off-road capabilities.But I'm inclined to think the Liberty GT will be the choice for women, often decision-makers on the type of car a family drives, who must compromise with their men who want the go-fast WRX.Liberty falls somewhere between the sporting man's plaything and the safety-conscious buyer's choice.But while WRX owners hold a badge of honour with a car renowned among rally enthusiasts, Liberty GT owners lack the same grunty pedigree.In fact, its shape and performance seem to blur with other new four-cylinder sedans on the road. I guess that's the problem with compromise.It has all the things that make you go "VROOM" – engine hole thingy in the bonnet, high-performance tyres, fancy neon-like dash lights, black leather interior.Under the bonnet, Subaru says the turbocharged engine can take you from zero to 100km/h in 5.7 seconds. Impressive.Plenty of doof-doof too, with a sound system able to blast out from 13 speakers, squawkers, tweeters, woofers and a "super woofer" on the back shelf.But the "it" factor is elusive.Surely Liberty GT is a status symbol for the more family-oriented petrolhead – too young to drive a station wagon; too old not to be laughed at in the sporty WRX.Costing $52,990, it would perhaps make more sense to pay an extra $2000 for the Liberty GT wagon which has more off-road, camper-cred.A word of warning – an Australian summer and the skin-baking, sauna-like qualities of a black leather interior are a bad combination ... no matter how good the airconditioning is.

Latest into the fold is a brace of 3.0-litre, flat six cylinder Liberties complementing the 3.0-litre Outbacks.They are essentially the same vehicle except the Outback is on high heels and has some off road kit while the 3.0R is more of a low-slung sports touring wagon.Same mother, different sons.There are two models, the 3.0R and the R-B with enhanced Bilstein suspension and other tweaks.The 3.0R sells for $52,990 and leaves little to be desired on any score.The 180kW/297Nm flat six has superlative perform- ance and is capably harnessed by a silky five speed automatic transmission only. It doesn't even sound like a boxer engine any more, having more in keeping aurally with a sewing machine.Naturally, power transmission is constant 50/50 all wheel drive.I drove the new Liberty four in Japan last year and it was impressive but with a DOHC six under the bonnet, the car moves to a much higher plane.There was always going to be a six but Subaru Australa definitely has a problem fitting all 12 wagons under the umbrella.Realistically, why would you buy the turbo four cylinder GT wagon when you can buy the six for the same money. It's bigger than the previous Liberty and comfortably takes five inside with plenty of luggage space.Aluminium is selectively used in the chassis to save weight and it gives the car enhanced performance as well as impressive chassis strength.Ride and handling are excellent for such a vehicle thanks in part to the all wheel drive but also to the sporty suspension, low ride height and low profile 17in tyres.Pretty well nothing is left off the standard equipment list, nothing you need anyway. There's also an extensive array of options. Included in the package as standard equipment is climate control air, a premium McIntosh audio system, leather upholstery and power everything.The 3.0R is practical too with folding rear seats, numerous storage compartments, seat back storage nets, map lights and headlights auto off to name just a few handy items.But the car is angled towards an enthusiast type of driver who will revel in its performance and grip, to say nothing of its sexy styling.Take this car to a winding road and give it some stick and you will see what I mean. The auto's sequential shift mode is fun to use and it sits plumb under all cornering conditions. And it's pretty good on fuel.The steering is firm and direct and the brakes are powerful.On top of all this is a little sticker on the driver's window that says the Liberty wagon has been awarded a five star NCAP rating. What more do you need.

Manuals and automatics always feel different, but with the Liberty it is surprising just how different these two cars are.They are both powered by a 3.0-litre six-cylinder boxer engine with 180kW of power at 6600rpm and 297Nm of torque at 4200rpm.The interior is the most obvious point of difference. The 3.0R is dressed in ivory leather and features a light-coloured woodgrain strip that defines the centre dash area to reflect its more luxurious feel. It also has woodgrain door highlights.The 3.0R-B has black leather interior and a chrome surround to define the centre dash and emphasise its sporting prowess.The 3.0R-B is the sportier of the two. The B stands for Bilstein, a performance suspension package that gives the 3.0R-B better body control, sharper cornering and overall stability. And, it can be felt.They feel totally different on the road despite both being all-wheel drive. The R-B is a stiffer ride and on the firm side but still compliant on the rougher roads.On the toughest of corners the R-B turns in predictably and has plenty of grip on hand.The R-B is equipped with a version of the WRX STi's six-speed manual gearbox which is blissfully smooth and responsive.The clutch is light and combined with the electronic throttle control with clutch actuation helps stop you stalling.The R-B allows the driver to revel in the throaty six-cylinder tones from the moment the right foot is applied, while the 3.0R is quieter and only hints at what is under the bonnet when the pedal is firmly applied.The 3.0R is noticeably tamer and gives a softer ride. It has a lighter steering and can float a bit when pushed. The five-speed Sportshift automatic is silky smooth.The 3.0R-B sits on 18-inch wheels while the 3.0R only gets 17-inch rims.The manual and automatic average fuel reading fluctuated between 12.4 and 12.6L/100km, on highway and city driving.The Libertys flash a distance-to-empty reminder when the fuel light comes on.Both have the brilliant 13-speaker MacIntosh sound system which gives great quality sound but the electronic readout disappears in certain angles of sunlight.Both boast a five-star ANCAP crash rating and are equipped with ABS brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution, full-length curtain airbags, dual front airbags, dual front side airbags, front seat belts with pre-tensioners and load limiters and a three-point rear centre seat belt.The 3.0R gains vehicle dynamics control (VDC) and a shift-lock mechanism which means the ignition must be on and the brake pedal depressed before the gear shifter can be moved from park.Inside, standard features include an adjustable steering column, climate control airconditioning, cruise control, eight-way adjustable power front seats and speed sensitive intermittent windscreen wipers.Also standard is a sunroof, leather gear shift, momo steering wheel, multi-function trip computer, power everything, DataDot security technology, electronic throttle control and full-size spare.The sedan and wagon share the same nose and while the sedan has a nicely shaped rear, the wagon is destined to be the star.The low-slung sweeping roofline that seamlessly tapers to the rear is accentuated by the rear spoiler, the whole shape giving the wagon an instant attraction.The sedan easily fits the weekly shopping in the rear with a 433-litre boot capacity but is 67 litres shy of the its rival, the Mazda6.The wagon's boot is expanded to 459 litres which grows to 1628 (with sunroof) with the rear seats folded flat. Overall, the wagon is 55mm longer and 45mm taller.Both benefit from Subaru's high build quality and clean but elegant finish.The 3.0R-B sedan is $51,990 and the 3.0R sedan is $50,990. The 3.0R wagon is $52,990 while the 3.0R-B wagon is $53,990.

But in soul the pair of all-wheel-drive Libertys could not be further apart.There is the 3-litre R and a 3-litre R-B.The B stands for Bilstein, giving it a performance edge in the suspension. These Bilstein uprights make all the difference by lavishing the B-spec variant with a harder edge for greater body control, hard-nosed cornerning and a push-me-to-the-edge of adhesion approach.About the only other way you can tell these two apart without actually getting behind the wheel and haring into a complex of flowing s-bends is by the black leather trim and the 18-inch seven-spoke wheels and Bridgestone Potenzas that are hooked up to either end of both axles in the B-spec.Both are powered by the silky 3-litre six-cylinder engine that produces an impressive 180kW of power.A figure that is not too shabby considering its relatively low capacity and reliance on natural atmospheric conditions rather than artificially rammed air.First-up the B-spec Liberty that uses a version of the WRX STi's 6-speed manual gearbox is blissfully sweet. There is a European feel to its performance with its sprinting capabilities at 80km/h or 100km/h in fourth gear giving it the power to overtake slower traffic without a whimper.Around tough off-camber corners, the B-spec turns another trick, offering balance, body control and stability from the stiffer Bilstein suspension. While the ride is flat and firm it remains compliant even over chopped-up bitumen of the kind that springs up on Queensland B-roads after heavy summer rains.The engine and suspension are highlights of a package that remains inherently Japanese in style and flavour but wants for nothing in substance.Up front the balance of the horizontally opposed boxer engine's low reciprocating mass and positioning well back from the front of the car gives it an almost four-cylinder feel in weight.But it's not until you press the right pedal with more authority and let all the horses gallop that you are reminded there are six cylinders firing on song.There are hardly any dull moments in the B-spec which is endowed with soft leather seats with perforated seat cushions, and as with the standard 3-litre and the 2-litre GT which have just joined the 2005 Liberty family, it is pumped with the dynamic 13-speaker McIntosh sound system.Stepping into the 3-litre R is a bit of a shock; a shock in that it is armed with a totally different persona from the B-spec jigger.It is powered by the same 180kW motor that extracts almost a neat 300Nm of torque but instead of the close-ratio 6-speed manual, it uses the responsive 5-speed automatic with the Sportshift sequential capability.While the auto is unsurprisingly a bit tamer than the manual, it is the undercarriage that first emerges as the major difference. It is way softer and the body floats around a bit more when stressed but this characteristic is sure to win its share of admirers.Away from the harder black interior the standard 3-litre R is dressed with ivory leather inside for a more luxurious feel. The tone of this car strikes a fine balance between luxury and performance whereas the B-spec is slanted toward the latter as its main trait.Inside there is a change to the trip meter which now displays fuel consumption in litres/100km instead of kilometres a litre.It's a change for the better although the electronic readouts are a tad hard to read in certain degrees of sunlight.

The number of ageing Subarus still going around – many two decades old – impressed GM. So did the evolution of Subaru's range from dinky little commercials and terminally boring cars and wagons in the 1980s to vehicles offering decent performance, character and, with STi and GT badging affixed, driving excitement as good as it gets.The rally-inspired WRX may have been the halo car for the brand once better known for Brumby utes and Sherpa vans.But it has been the sustained success of Forester, Outback, Liberty and Impreza that has cemented Subaru's presence and assured its future.The fourth-generation Liberty is typical of the manner in which Subaru has continually improved and refined its models.Once again, the Japanese car maker has come up with a fat portfolio of improvements – not merely a bit of fresh metal and new-design headlights.Less weight, more power, better economy with improved emissions, a larger body for increased cabin space, a more rigid monocoque to improve handling – not to mention better running, turning and stopping. All this, plus more and a 5 per cent fall in the price of the volume model, with the help of favourable dollar-yen forex rates. The new Liberty range consists of a 101kW two-litre manual sedan at $30,990, rising to the popular 121kW 2.5i from $34,990.The range-topping GT is powered by a single turbocharged two-litre motor – like all Subaru engines employing a horizontally opposed Boxer design. A wagon variant is available in every grade, including, for the first time in 10 years, a turbocharged wagon.The GT sedan and wagon – at $50,990 and $52,990 respectively – are aimed at buyers looking for a versatile performance vehicle, well equipped and sensibly priced. The 2004 Liberty is 60mm longer and 45mm wider than before, and comes dressed in aluminium bonnet, bumper beams and wagon tailgate to reduce the all-up weight.As has been the trend of late across its range, Subaru have developed body styling which is appealing from any angle, projecting a strong brand image.Both sedan and wagons in the Liberty line-up look more than capable of taking on similarly-priced European products.Liberty comes well equipped in all forms. New features for the 2004 model year include new steering suspension components and brakes, drive-by-wire throttle, new five-speed automatic on GT models with Tiptronic control, airbags in top-line models, turn indicators in the door mirrors and more.The entry level comes with anti-lock brakes, electronic brakeforce distribution, dual front airbags and front-seat-belt pretensioners and load limiters.Comfort and convenience kit includes adjustable steering column, airconditioning, six-speaker sound system, cargo area light, cruise control, height-adjustable driver's seat, immobiliser system, multi-function trip computer, power steering, mirrors and windows and sports seats.Both car and wagon rides on 16in alloy wheels. The 2.5i comes with the larger, naturally aspirated engine, climate-control airconditioning, 17in alloy wheels, dual exhaust and front fog lamps.The GT picks up two-litre turbocharged horizontally opposed engine with active valve control system, dual front side airbags, Momo steering wheel, six-stack CD player and, unusually, a cassette player.A GT with premium pack – which adds $5000 to the bottom line – comes with leather trim, sunroof, curtain airbags, 13-speaker sound system and eight-way adjustable power driver's seat.Bonnet scoops, 17in alloy wheels, colour-coded mirrors and door handles, dual exhaust. fog lamps, rear roof spoiler and rear wiper on the wagon identify the GT from other models in the range.The GT really is an excellent package in either sedan or wagon forms. They are smart-looking vehicles and well capable of competing on both dynamics and price with similarly priced Euro models.GT models run a new twin-scroll turbocharger with titanium turbine which is 30 per cent lighter than before. To overcome the inherent problem of turbo lag, the turbine diameter has been increased to reduce response time by 40 per cent. As as result, acceleration is fiery, with a zero-to-100km/h sprint in just 6.8 seconds – not quite as quick as a lighter-bodied WRX, which does its dash in about six seconds.The GT produces 180kW – 12kW more than the WRX – and churns out really good thrust in the mid ranges. Handling is remarkably good, and hard cornering highlights the exceptional chassis design – plus the value of all-wheel drive, the common feature of all Subaru's imported to Australia.At a glanceSubaru has not put a foot wrong in recent years.Year-to-date sales are up 15 per cent. And that is double that of the record-breaking market.Forester and Outback claim 25.5 per cent of the compact sports utility segment.The new Liberty line-up is playing a huge part in Subaru's growth with sales a massive 65 per cent up on last year.