What's the difference?
The new Subaru Outback is very much like previous generations of the SUV/wagon in that it supposedly gives owners the opportunity to explore a little bit further afield even if they spend the lion’s share of their time on city and suburban streets.
But this time the Outback has more onboard equipment and driver-assist safety technology than ever before. The AWD Touring variant is the top of the range with some fancy gear over its stablemates, but is it worth the extra cash? Read on.
When the Subaru Outback first arrived in the mid-1990s it was an all-wheel drive station wagon with extra ground clearance for the occasional adventure… and it still is.
That the Outback never morphed into a fully-fledged SUV makes it a rare species in a world that’s fallen under the spell of big, tall, boxy machines.
Being a bit different isn’t the only reason for buying an Outback, however, and the 2.5i Premium I tested could be the pick of the model line-up.
During my week with the car I drove hundreds of kilometres, did the daily commute and the preschool drop off, had some dirt road fun and even intentionally locked myself out of it.
The result is this: everything you need to know about the Subaru Outback 2.5i Premium.
The Subaru Outback AWD Touring does its intended job of balancing city and suburban duties with having more than enough dirt-driving ability to take you to your favourite National Park campsite, within reason, of course.
This adventure wagon is nice to drive, comfortable, has improved safety tech, and it also manages to carry on the Subaru tradition of being practical without pretensions.
The Subaru Outback 2.5i Premium is exceptionally good in terms of value, practicality, its design and build quality, safety and in the way it drives. Many might overlook it as just a station wagon and go for a tall SUV instead, not realising that the Outback is exactly what they need.
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