2006 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited Wagon

Subaru Convert

The Good

Minimalist interior
The price tag

The Bad

Annoying, inconsistent seat-belt warning bell
Very cheesy "wood" details

I almost drove past the Subaru dealership. I don't really care for their styling so I've never taken much interest in them. But because Chris has mentioned the Legacy several times and my Land Rover experience earlier in the day was disappointing, I decided I'd try to open my mind a bit.

I know Subaru makes a Legacy wagon, but searching the very small dealer lot turned up everything but that - mostly Foresters and Outbacks. A salesman soon came out to greet me and answered that they don't stock the Legacy wagon since the Outback is pretty much the same thing and more popular. I hadn't realized they were similar, but one look at the brochure sums it up – exactly the same but with slightly different styling cues. The Outback is more rugged (if you can call a wagon rugged), the Legacy is more streamlined.

He led me into the showroom to show off the Outback parked inside. I don't know why, but I was expecting cheap plastics and a dated interior, so I was shocked to find a clean, simple, elegant interior that reminded me of Volvos. Cheap wood-styled-plastic detailing aside, the interior is high quality and very well laid out. One standout feature is the efficiency of the buttons. Instead of a separate button or knob for each feature, they combine them into logical groups. For example, the driver-side a/c knob turns to adjust temperature, but clicking on it controls the "auto" a/c setting. The passenger-side knob controls temperature and defrosters. It's a great utilization of space.

The steering wheel is a nice size and very pleasant on my hands, both material- and width-wise.

I drove the 2.5i model which has a four cylinder boxer engine and is rated for 175 horsepower. It felt plenty peppy and I had no problems getting up to speed on Houston's busy I-45. Of course it might be because the car weighs a scant 3,365 pounds.

The sunroof is a monster, and an unusual one at that. It has a front panel that slants upward to deflect the wind, and if you choose you can also open the rest of the very large glass – apparently Subaru's designers ride in the backseat often and want fresh air. It's so long that it's a good thing the shade comes back automatically when you close the window, because my short arms wouldn't be able to reach it to pull it shut.

I found the front seats very comfortable. The driver seat was power-adjustable, including the backrest, and there's a manual lumbar adjuster on the side of the seat. The only odd bit was that I felt very hot in the seat - it wasn't a really hot day and the a/c was running, but I was sweating in the seat. I asked the salesman if the seat heater was on - no, it wasn't. Weird.

The backseat is comfortable and roomy, although I miss a center armrest. I believe another model had it, so it might be an option. Oh and remember I'm 5'1" so take "roomy" with a grain of salt – I barely have legs. The seats fold in a 60/40 split with an added bonus of being able to fold down either one. (In an Audi A4, if you want to fold down the 60, you must fold down the 40 first).

Behind the rear seats is a generous cargo space with a cover that hides your goodies from prying eyes. The cargo space had a few small built-in cubbies on the sides and one included a power plug (the cigarette lighter kind). The mini-spare is inside the cargo area under a solid cover.

One odd note is the seat belt warning indicator. We sat in the car with it running for some time and the light was on and a bell sounded. After what felt like an eternity the bell turned off. And then turned back on. Repeat cycle. I finally tired of it and put my seat belt on (I always wear my seat belt driving, but not usually while sitting in dealer parking lots), and the light and bell went off, even though the passenger seat belt wasn't engaged. I thought that was strange and that it should signal if either of the front seat belts wasn't engaged.

Overall Impression

I loved the streamlined interior, the peppy engine, and the price tag. This is on my list of possibilities for my next car (or it was, until Chris rode in it).