The Subaru Outback is manufactured by a Japanese auto maker and named for an Australian wilderness, but it is as American as Superbowl Sunday and suing your neighbor. It was specifically crafted for Subaru of North America in 1995. Sales were slumping, and the Pleiades Star Cluster, a la the Star-Spangled Banner, needed a life jacket. Subaru borrowed a tactic from Carl Yung and after much polling and psychoanalysis identified who Americans were and what they wanted. The result: the Subaru Outback. The only question this Subaru Outback review poses is: How did Subaru manage to be so right?
Take a Peek
As evidenced by their controversial history, Subaru and art are unwelcome bedfellows. The Outback is as quirky as its corporate kin, with bloated rear haunches, a legacy-like fascia and a sky-high stance of 8.7 inches. The odd facade is completed with roof rails with fold-out crossbars. The inside is considerably more inviting, characterized by a scalloped dual-cowl dash design accented by glimmering trim.
Anything New?
With the exception of a few features, the 2012 Outback remains almost identical to the 2011 iteration.
Start with the Specs
According to this Subaru Outback review, the base wagon is outfitted with Subaru’s ubiquitous “boxer” 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, which pumps out 170 horsepower and 170 lb-ft of torque. This willing workhorse can tow up to 2,700 pounds when properly equipped, and achieves a commendable 29 mpg when paired with the optional CVT. A six-speed manual gearbox, which steals two mpg, is standard. Power fiends may opt for a 3.6-liter horizontally-opposed six-cylinder, which ups the ante to 256 horsepower and 247 lb-ft of torque. It is mated to a five-speed automatic with paddle shifters. Even with its substantial power gain, it manages a respectable 25 mpg and tows up to 3,000 pounds.
Trail or Track?
Track -Fitted with the base four-cylinder engine, the Outback lacks the power to launch a blitzkrieg against steep mountain grades, but it makes a car-like canyon carver and offers a comfortable ride. The optional six-cylinder significantly dials up performance, allowing the Outback to zip to 60 mph in a hair over second seconds.
Trail -But let us leave the gearheads to their oil-slurping cylinders and take the 2012 Subaru Outback to the trail. The wagon is named for an expanse of Australian wilderness rife with craters, mountains, rivers and deserts; one suspects the rugged Outback may be able to tackle all of them. The Outback is equipped with standard Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive, which makes the Outback the light-duty, family-friendly version of a Jeep Wrangler.
How will this Subaru Outback review say it simply? In much of the country where inclement weather is not a matter of if, but when, the Outback is the only logical choice.
Accommodations & Accouterments
As of this 2012 Subaru Outback review, the Subaru is available in three main trims: Base, Premium and Limited. Levels with the base engine are designated as 2.5i, while their beefier siblings are denoted with a 3.6R prefix.
Starting at $23,295, the base 2.5i includes all basic necessities like AC and cruise control, and adds goodies such as keyless entry, automatic headlamps and a 4-speaker sound system. The Premium models nets Bluetooth, an upgraded 6-speaker audio system, an 8-way power driver’s seat and other deluxe amenities. At the top of the lineup ladder is the Limited, which adds dual-zone automatic climate control, leather upholstery, heated fronts seat, a Harmon/kardon stereo system and other luxurious staples. A full list of options is available. MSRPs run all the way up to $31,695 for a 3.6R Limited without options.
Safety & Reliability
For the third consecutive year, the IIHS has awarded every Subaru vehicle with a prestigious “Top Safety Pick” recommendation. The Outback, with its hardy construction and long laundry list of safety features, remains a top choice for safety and reliability.
Good for the Globe
Thanks to Subaru, which was awarded the EPA’s WasteWise Gold Achievement Award in 2006, the Outback is as eco-friendly as John Muir. It can be PZEV-certified and benefits from Subaru’s zero-landfill recycling program.
To rephrase Abraham Lincoln’s sagacious statement, “You can please some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot please all of the people all of the time.” Honest Abe may have spoke to soon. In the estimation of this Subaru Outback review, the 2012 Outback is well on its way to pleasing everybody.