Subaru Outback (1996 - 2003)
5, 3.0R
BY ANDY ENRIGHT
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Ever-so slightly unusual looks, eccentric touches like Subaru's 'hill-holder' device (makes hill starts easier for those who never got the hang of a normal handbrake), superb quality and great reliability. Most will buy these cars for their all-weather transmission. The fact that a Subaru doesn't look like a four-wheel-drive is exactly why many people buy them. The Legacy has always been a favourite of the dale-dwelling doctor-on-call, so if you can find a one-owner country car, all the better. You might only need the all-wheel drive a few days a year, but, like having air conditioning in a heat wave, you'll never be without it again. The Series 2 models built between 1998 and 2003 are most commonplace on our roads and theyre tough but very well equipped. The 2.5-litre model features a clever list of standard equipment and true to form they include everything but the kitchen sink.
No, scratch that: you do get a kitchen sink in the form of a washing-up bowl in the boot well, said to be ideal for items like muddy walking boots. More common standard features include a top quality stereo CD system, air conditioning, twin front and side airbags, ABS, and alloy wheels. Inside, there are heated front seats with the dashboard and armrests colour-co-ordinated in beige and brown. It doesnt quite disguise the plastic however and the mock-wood fascia fittings seem a touch contrived.
The 3.0-litre version gets heated front seats with the dashboard and armrests colour-co-ordinated in beige and brown. Although the interior isnt the most stylish, the Mercedes-like auto-gear selector gate is evidence that theyve been learning from the Europeans. Nice touches include illuminated vanity mirrors, a de-icing system for the windscreen wipers and heated door mirrors, plus of course the obligatory retractable cup holder.
Prices for Series 1 Outback 2.5 automatics tend to start at just under £4,300 but there is a huge variation based on whether they are UK cars or parallel imported models from Japan. Series 2 models are worth the additional outlay and these start at just under £5,300 for a manual with automatics costing an additional £200. A 2001 X plated 2.
5 automatic retails for around £7,300. The H6-3.0 version is a rare beast and opens at £8,700 on a 2000 X plate with a 2002 51-plated example costing just over £10,500. Insurance costs are quite hefty Group 15 for a 2.
5-litre car and Group 16 for the 3.0-litre models.
Legacy Outback models are hardy things and little goes wrong with the mechanicals or the electrics. The body is well rustproofed and the only grumbles that have emerged concern the plastics quality of the Mk 1 models and the paintwork that on some examples is has the finish of orange peel. The main thing to look out for is that the car hasnt been subjected to overly enthusiastic off roading. Despite the marketing blurb, the Outback is really only a trail and track device and if somebody has attempted to go rock hopping with one they may well have wreaked havoc with the exhaust, the suspension, the spoilers and valances and the wheelarch liners.
(Based on a Legacy 2.5 and exclusive of VAT) A clutch assembly will set you back about £220 and a new exhaust about £185 excluding catalyst. Front shock absorbers are close to £130 each. An exchange alternator comes in at around £300 and an exchange starter motor at around £150.
A new radiator is about £215. Replacement door mirrors are around the £150 mark and a headlamp about £180.
Flat four cylinder engines and all-wheel drive are Subaru trademarks and the Outback 2.5 conforms to this pattern. In this sector of the market, 154bhp isnt going to blow up too many trousers, but such is the sophistication of the four-wheel drive mechanicals that the heavyweight Outback can still bound to 60mph in a mere 9.2 seconds.
A 250bhp Audi Allroad 2.7T is less than a second quicker and retailed at £12,000 more. Okay, so the Subaru cant reduce whole swathes of the Kings Road to green-eyed jealousy but thats part of its appeal. Inconspicuous it may be, but in certain circles it presses just the right old money buttons that the ostentatious Audi doesnt know exist.
The Outback H6-3.0 has a flat six-cylinder engine upfront, differentiating it from the opposition who utilise straight five-cylinder or V6 engines. Subaru have worked hard on this six-cylinder engine in recent times, fine-tuning the airflow rate and the accelerator mechanism to give livelier throttle response. Revisions to the standard 4-speed automatic gearbox also allow the engine to rev higher before change-up.
This is a powerplant no bigger or heavier than the 2.5-litre four-cylinder unit used in other Outback models. Rest to sixty occupies 8.5 seconds on the way to 130mph and mid-range torque is described by the engineers as plentiful: dont doubt it. Not that this is a particularly sporty car: you could have guessed that by the lack of a manual gearbox option.
The used Legacy Outback is a car that makes a lot of sense. In certain respects its well ahead of its time and the market for estate-based 4x4s is only now becoming popular. The Outback represents a cut-price ticket into one of the fastest growing market niches, plus you get the bonus of a claim on originality. Subaru owners have consistently voted the Outback one of the UKs most reliable cars in JD Power customer satisfaction surveys so it really is difficult to go wrong.
If you need a car that will run and run, the Outback makes a great choice.
