Alternative review of Subaru Outback

To be honest, I was a little intimidated by the image of the Subaru Outback. It's probably not the sort of car I'd lay down my own money for, being a little too macho for my refined sensibilities. The latest car pulverises such generalisations. Although it rides at 200mm, it's a good deal more refined than I expected and the interior quality has been immeasurably improved. There's also less body cladding which means it no longer looks quite so 'military surplus'. The big bumpers and flared wheelarches distinguish it from its Legacy sibling and the side protectors give it a chunky profile. Suddenly I didn't feel at all embarrassed by the Outback.

Subaru have listened to customer feedback and acted accordingly. Owners raved about their car's engines, the running gear and the reliability but weren't quite so keen on the materials used in the cabin and felt the exterior styling wasn't the sharpest. The latest Outback concentrates on these twin Achilles heels with some success. With soft touch surfaces and smooth, damped stalks and buttons the cabin feels a good deal more upmarket. The fascia, the door trims and roof lining all now benefit from extra padding and texturing, Subaru benchmarking the best German manufacturers to get a feel for what was required. Interior space was never a problem with the Outback but in the latest car it's better than ever, with more shoulder, leg and elbow room for front seat passengers. As ever luggage space is excellent and there's the added attraction of all-wheel drive to haul you out of the mud.

The Outback sticks rigidly to the tried and tested Subaru formula of 'boxer' engines and all-wheel-drive. The boxer tag results from the distinctive horizontally-opposed engine layout that sees the banks of cylinders punching out at each other like pugilists. There are two four-cylinder units, a 2.0-litre diesel and a 2.5-litre petrol, but customers wanting a car that can throw a real haymaker might like the 3.6-litre six-cylinder petrol option. Expect vigorous performance and charismatic engine notes and you won't be too disappointed, although don't expect the Outback to serenade you with the classic Subaru burble of a tuned Impreza. The 148bhp 2.0D diesel that will be the choice of most buyers can get from 0-60mph in 9.7s and has 350Nm of torque. It makes the 165bhp 2.5-litre petrol engine look rather redundant. Lacking the turbocharger it employs to ferocious effect in fast versions of the Impreza, this petrol unit comes up with a 10.4s 0-60mph sprint and torque of 229Nm. The 3.6-litre engine has 256bhp and 350Nm at its disposal and is the fastest Outback with a 7.5s sprint.

I thought I'd vehemently dislike the Outback but it wasn't what I'd expected. It's a good deal more sophisticated and the mechanical package has come on to such a degree that it'll no longer bankrupt you to run if you live in town. My choice would be for the diesel version. Safari shorts and bush tucker are now strictly by invitation only.

TOP 5 OUTBACK DEALS

The results below show the top OUTBACK deals on buyacar

Subaru Outback 2.0D SE NavPlus Outback 5dr
Price £28,562 Read Outback Reviews	Save £1,793
Subaru Outback 2.5i SE Outback 5dr Lineartronic
Price £26,522 Read Outback Reviews	Save £1,533
Subaru Outback 2.5i SE NavPlus Outback 5dr Lineartronic
Price £28,581 Read Outback Reviews	Save £1,774
Subaru Outback 2.0D S Outback 5dr
Price £25,430 Read Outback Reviews	Save £1,425
Subaru Outback 2.5i S Outback 5dr Lineartronic
Price £25,448 Read Outback Reviews	Save £1,407
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