Road Test
Follow-Up Test: 2005 Subaru Outback
Outback Moves Up Front
The Subaru Outback has gotten a brand-new face for 2005.
It seems like everyone is getting a makeover these days. Tune into your satellite television's handy-dandy programming guide and you'll find countless opportunities for people, places and things to reinvent themselves. Whether you're looking to nip a few tucks or redecorate your departing college student's room into a Laura Ashley laden haven, it seems that every item in your life, including your car, is fair game for a big change.
Auto manufacturers are forced to play the improvement game, too, with pressure to make every revamped model more alluring than its predecessor. Most are successful. Occasionally, there's a lengthy consensual groan, as in the case of a few recent BMW makeovers, but typically manufacturers do enough homework to get it right. Subaru's classy new Outback is a good example of a job well done.
The Outback, originally just a trim level of the Subaru Legacy, became its own model designation with the last major redesign in 2000. During the past couple of years, the Subaru Outback has been tweaked a bit both mechanically and stylewise, but 2005 brings an extreme makeover.
On the outside, the 2005 Subaru Outback has a much sleeker look. The tapering hood lines form a narrower nose that integrates a shapely new headlamp assembly. The new wagon is longer than the previous model, and still has a taller stance than its Legacy sibling. Larger 17-inch tires came standard on our L.L. Bean Edition test car (last year's L.L. Bean wore 16s) and aid the more aggressive look. Additional L.L. Bean trim distinguishers include a front underguard, a new alloy wheel design, L.L. Bean badging on the exterior and embroidered and embossed Bean logos throughout the cabin. Two-tone exterior colors remain predominant, but two monochrome choices are also available, providing a more refined appearance.
We drove our test car north to one of the hoity-toityest automotive events of the year, the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance near Monterey, Calif. With Ferrari and Aston Martin products a dime a dozen, it's easy to feel outclassed while cruising the Monterey Peninsula during the annual posh weekend. But not only did the Outback not embarrass us among the swells, it garnered a compliment or two itself. While sitting in stopped traffic along Pebble Beach's scenic 17 Mile Drive, one enthusiastic pedestrian marched right up to the Outback's open driver window to ask how we liked the car. He said he currently owns a Subaru WRX, and based on the Outback's new look, had just ordered a new wagon as well.
Taking the idle moment to scrutinize the interior, it was obvious that the Subaru Outback's makeover wasn't limited to the exterior but truly ran skin-deep. The high-quality tan leather was inviting, and the wide, yet supportive seats were comfortable. A small manual lumbar switch puffed up the seat back just enough to prevent back fatigue.
The new soft-touch dashboard and door surfaces also provide an upscale look and feel. The L.L. Bean floor mats had a Berber-like looped weave that looked far richer than the usual flat fare. The dash and center stack controls have a simple, clean arrangement with sporty interlocking gauges that illuminate in red. Our only complaint has to do with the placement of the digital clock and trip computer. These items are located directly below a covered storage compartment, and we spent hours on the road craning our necks and squinting to read the washed-out time and temperature display. Turns out that during the entire drive we had our cell phones stashed in the storage compartment above the display with the lid open. When we later closed the lid, it effectively blocked the sun and the LED readout appeared as it should.
In the back, the Outback's rear seat is a fairly flat bench which provides a good surface for mounting a potentially tippy toddler safety seat; although, the seat bottom does seem to dip down toward the back slightly, making egress a bit like climbing out of a hole. With the doors open, rear passengers will also want to watch out for the wide upper fender sill, since it brushed the pant leg of more than one departing passenger.
Pop the rear hatch, and it's amazing how light the Subaru Outback's door is to lift open. After a few open-close repetitions, we realized it was an equally light "two-finger" closer — a welcome relief to package- or kid-burdened drivers. Our weekend adventure was really a four-day excursion for a family of three, transporting duffle bag luggage, plus two hat boxes, two briefcases, two computer bags and a secret stash of Barbie gifts for an unsuspecting four-year-old birthday girl. Notorious overpackers, we had no problem loading up all of our stuff, and were still able to pull across the cargo cover and hide it from sight. As convenient as the Outback proved to be for our party of three, it's important to note that the 2005 model actually has less cargo capacity than its predecessor. The new Outback provides 33.5 cubic feet of capacity behind the rear seats and 66 cubes when they're folded — compare that to respective totals of 34.3 and 69 on the old model.
As impressive as the Subaru Outback looks, its redesign is more than just superficial beauty. It has received a substantial mechanical overhaul as well. There are now three engines available for the Outback: a 168-horsepower, 2.5-liter four-cylinder; a turbocharged 2.5-liter four good for 250 hp; and a 3.0-liter six-cylinder also rated for 250 horses. Our L.L. Bean test car came standard with the 3.0-liter, six-cylinder boxer engine.
There were no complaints when it came to power, but the transmission was less agreeable. Our Outback had the all-new five-speed automatic tranny with Subaru's Sportshift mode, which allows the driver to shift manually using the console-mounted gear selector. While climbing a steep grade out of the Los Angeles Basin, the transmission nearly drove us nuts with its propensity toward early upshifts. While motoring along flatter terrain, the Subaru had plenty of power in reserve, but the only way we could keep from chugging up a hill amidst a chorus of surging up- and downshifts was to lock into the Sportshift mode and take care of the shifting business ourselves.
When it comes to ride quality, the 2005 Outback offers a slightly stiffer ride than its predecessor, but not so rough that it's a bad thing. The revised front strut/rear multilink suspension features a wider track than before, on a wheelbase that's grown by nearly an inch. The modified setup provides much improved handling with less body roll around turns, something we experienced firsthand as we wound through the Laurels Grade in and out of the Carmel Valley. With a turning circle that's been cut by nearly a foot and a half, the Outback was also an easy handler around the numerous restaurant parking lots we patronized during our short getaway.
For those Subaru lovers who prefer the quirky Subarus of old, get ready to be disappointed. Subaru has transformed the Outback from a simple girl-next-door to a refined and glamorous beauty. But forays into self-improvement are rarely cheap, and the new Outback comes with a new price to accompany its new look. Luckily, at $32,195 — $1,775 more than last year's L.L. Bean wagon — the Subaru Outback hasn't priced itself out of its league.
It seems like everyone is getting a makeover these days. Tune into your satellite television's handy-dandy programming guide and you'll find countless opportunities for people, places and things to reinvent themselves. Whether you're looking to nip a few tucks or redecorate your departing college student's room into a Laura Ashley laden haven, it seems that every item in your life, including your car, is fair game for a big change.
Auto manufacturers are forced to play the improvement game, too, with pressure to make every revamped model more alluring than its predecessor. Most are successful. Occasionally, there's a lengthy consensual groan, as in the case of a few recent BMW makeovers, but typically manufacturers do enough homework to get it right. Subaru's classy new Outback is a good example of a job well done.
The Outback, originally just a trim level of the Subaru Legacy, became its own model designation with the last major redesign in 2000. During the past couple of years, the Subaru Outback has been tweaked a bit both mechanically and stylewise, but 2005 brings an extreme makeover.
On the outside, the 2005 Subaru Outback has a much sleeker look. The tapering hood lines form a narrower nose that integrates a shapely new headlamp assembly. The new wagon is longer than the previous model, and still has a taller stance than its Legacy sibling. Larger 17-inch tires came standard on our L.L. Bean Edition test car (last year's L.L. Bean wore 16s) and aid the more aggressive look. Additional L.L. Bean trim distinguishers include a front underguard, a new alloy wheel design, L.L. Bean badging on the exterior and embroidered and embossed Bean logos throughout the cabin. Two-tone exterior colors remain predominant, but two monochrome choices are also available, providing a more refined appearance.
We drove our test car north to one of the hoity-toityest automotive events of the year, the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance near Monterey, Calif. With Ferrari and Aston Martin products a dime a dozen, it's easy to feel outclassed while cruising the Monterey Peninsula during the annual posh weekend. But not only did the Outback not embarrass us among the swells, it garnered a compliment or two itself. While sitting in stopped traffic along Pebble Beach's scenic 17 Mile Drive, one enthusiastic pedestrian marched right up to the Outback's open driver window to ask how we liked the car. He said he currently owns a Subaru WRX, and based on the Outback's new look, had just ordered a new wagon as well.
Taking the idle moment to scrutinize the interior, it was obvious that the Subaru Outback's makeover wasn't limited to the exterior but truly ran skin-deep. The high-quality tan leather was inviting, and the wide, yet supportive seats were comfortable. A small manual lumbar switch puffed up the seat back just enough to prevent back fatigue.
The new soft-touch dashboard and door surfaces also provide an upscale look and feel. The L.L. Bean floor mats had a Berber-like looped weave that looked far richer than the usual flat fare. The dash and center stack controls have a simple, clean arrangement with sporty interlocking gauges that illuminate in red. Our only complaint has to do with the placement of the digital clock and trip computer. These items are located directly below a covered storage compartment, and we spent hours on the road craning our necks and squinting to read the washed-out time and temperature display. Turns out that during the entire drive we had our cell phones stashed in the storage compartment above the display with the lid open. When we later closed the lid, it effectively blocked the sun and the LED readout appeared as it should.
In the back, the Outback's rear seat is a fairly flat bench which provides a good surface for mounting a potentially tippy toddler safety seat; although, the seat bottom does seem to dip down toward the back slightly, making egress a bit like climbing out of a hole. With the doors open, rear passengers will also want to watch out for the wide upper fender sill, since it brushed the pant leg of more than one departing passenger.
Pop the rear hatch, and it's amazing how light the Subaru Outback's door is to lift open. After a few open-close repetitions, we realized it was an equally light "two-finger" closer — a welcome relief to package- or kid-burdened drivers. Our weekend adventure was really a four-day excursion for a family of three, transporting duffle bag luggage, plus two hat boxes, two briefcases, two computer bags and a secret stash of Barbie gifts for an unsuspecting four-year-old birthday girl. Notorious overpackers, we had no problem loading up all of our stuff, and were still able to pull across the cargo cover and hide it from sight. As convenient as the Outback proved to be for our party of three, it's important to note that the 2005 model actually has less cargo capacity than its predecessor. The new Outback provides 33.5 cubic feet of capacity behind the rear seats and 66 cubes when they're folded — compare that to respective totals of 34.3 and 69 on the old model.
As impressive as the Subaru Outback looks, its redesign is more than just superficial beauty. It has received a substantial mechanical overhaul as well. There are now three engines available for the Outback: a 168-horsepower, 2.5-liter four-cylinder; a turbocharged 2.5-liter four good for 250 hp; and a 3.0-liter six-cylinder also rated for 250 horses. Our L.L. Bean test car came standard with the 3.0-liter, six-cylinder boxer engine.
There were no complaints when it came to power, but the transmission was less agreeable. Our Outback had the all-new five-speed automatic tranny with Subaru's Sportshift mode, which allows the driver to shift manually using the console-mounted gear selector. While climbing a steep grade out of the Los Angeles Basin, the transmission nearly drove us nuts with its propensity toward early upshifts. While motoring along flatter terrain, the Subaru had plenty of power in reserve, but the only way we could keep from chugging up a hill amidst a chorus of surging up- and downshifts was to lock into the Sportshift mode and take care of the shifting business ourselves.
When it comes to ride quality, the 2005 Outback offers a slightly stiffer ride than its predecessor, but not so rough that it's a bad thing. The revised front strut/rear multilink suspension features a wider track than before, on a wheelbase that's grown by nearly an inch. The modified setup provides much improved handling with less body roll around turns, something we experienced firsthand as we wound through the Laurels Grade in and out of the Carmel Valley. With a turning circle that's been cut by nearly a foot and a half, the Outback was also an easy handler around the numerous restaurant parking lots we patronized during our short getaway.
For those Subaru lovers who prefer the quirky Subarus of old, get ready to be disappointed. Subaru has transformed the Outback from a simple girl-next-door to a refined and glamorous beauty. But forays into self-improvement are rarely cheap, and the new Outback comes with a new price to accompany its new look. Luckily, at $32,195 — $1,775 more than last year's L.L. Bean wagon — the Subaru Outback hasn't priced itself out of its league.
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