psychephylax

I've been meaning to write a ride report on this, but since you beat me to the punch, I'll add some more info.

The Subaru Outback is one of my choice cars, especially since I can usually ask and get it for our C-class rates, and it's about the right size. It also comes with All-Wheel Drive standard.

I love how Japanese cars handle and drive, the feel of them is superior to (most) American cars in many ways. The suspension could be a tiny bit better on the Outback but it's bearable. It's definitely fuel efficient....I can get up to 32mpg highway miles going easy on the gas pedal, pretty good for an AWD car. It's a pretty comfortable ride for long distances (yes, there are better but the seats are not uncomfortable...Eg. Infiniti G35 seats are less comfortable than Outback imho). The gas tank is not 13 gallons, according to the Subaru website it has a tank size of 19 gallons. The engine is not powerful but then again, it's a 4 cylinder engine that can easily get to highway speeds but yes, there will be some issues with merging and some passing situations but I won't be getting a speeding ticket driving the Outback, that's for sure. There's a good amount of trunk room, and you can fold down the rear seats for even more cargo space. The roof has crossbars which may come in handy. I wish they had a better stereo in the car and it had justa tiny bit more room. That's probably my biggest pet peeve with Subaru cars. The Outback looks big but once you get in, it's tighter than an Altima.

I think you guys have too much of an expectation for the Outback. I haven't driven the Legacy yet but I think that may be more of what you're looking for in terms of speed/power.

Not a bad ride by any means and although it certainly doesn't have a lot of power it's quite a capable car.