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2010 Subaru Outback

Published 12:14 pm Friday, January 8, 2010

Model year 2010 marks a fourth generation for Subaru’s well-loved Outback, meaning the vehicle is completely redesigned for the fourth time since its introduction 15 years ago.

The new Outback is so good it won Motor Trend magazine’s 2010 Sport Utility Vehicle of the Year award — considerably less prestigious than a thumbs up from Larry or me, but still a nice feather in Subaru’s kyappu.

Some people, especially competitors who didn’t win the Motor Trend honors, would argue that Outback isn’t really an SUV — even Subaru calls it a crossover wagon — but whatever, it deserves major recognition.

Among the changes contributing to the making of this winner are an all-new platform with a longer and wider wheelbase, a 7-percent increase in interior space, a higher roof, 4 more inches of leg room for rear-seat passengers, a 6-cubic-feet boost in cargo capacity and a one-inch reduction in overall length. So, it’s a lot roomier (the roomiest Outback ever) but isn’t turning into a barge.

And of course Outback has Subaru’s trademark all-wheel drive, along with a track record for being an able-bodied performer on pretty rugged dirt roads. With a car-based platform and sturdy construction, it’s also a smooth, quiet and comfortable ride on the highway.

Outback gets two new Boxer engines for 2010: a revised 2.5-liter four-cylinder generating 170 horsepower, and a 256-horsepower 3.6-liter six-cylinder that replaces last year’s 3.0-liter.

The 2.5i models are available with Outback’s first six-speed manual gearbox, or a continuously variable transmission (CVT); 3.6R versions have a five-speed automatic with steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters.

EPA ratings top out at 22 mpg city and 29 mpg highway for the 2.5i with CVT, and taper off slightly from there. Both engines are perfectly happy with regular fuel.

There are three trim levels for each model: base, Premium and Limited. Pricing, including destination charge, ranges from $23,690 to $31,690.

My tester was the base 3.6R, which got a good chance to prove its mettle on a trip to Oregon to visit family. That tedious and interminable run down I-5 caused no jangled nerves, physical agony or regrets about having left home. On a day-hike outing, with my 6-foot-5-inch son and me in the Outback’s front seats — and in the back, his wife, their long-legged 5-year-old daughter in a booster seat with legs fully extended, and their 6-month-old son in a car seat the size of a Barcalounger, there was more than enough room to keep us from attacking each other. The full boat didn’t phase the six-cylinder engine or silky-smooth CVT, either.

Even the entry Outback model comes standard with adequate comfort, convenience and safety features to please all but the most overindulged princesses. More standard goodies are lavished as you make your way up the model line, and to that the 3.6R adds 17-inch alloy wheels with 225/60R17 tires, body-color mirrors, a cargo area cover and rear privacy glass.

Available options include a harmon/kardon 440-watt audio system, power moonroof, backup camera and voice-activated navigation system.