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The time is coming to give back our Outback and we're not looking forward to the prospect. We've always liked Soobys and even owned a Liberty at one stage, but have never been that impressed with their fuel economy. That's changing and it's certainly not the case with their "boxer" diesel.
VALUE
The entry level petrol Outback kicks off from $38,990. The diesel starts from $40,490 rising to $43,490 for the top of the line 2.0D Premium. The recently introduced CVT auto adds another $2500 to the price and that brings the grand total to $45,990.
The entry-level diesel includes satnav while the 2.0D Premium with CVT adds a variety of features including leather, power adjust driver's seat, an electric sunroof and 'electroluminescent' gauges with colour information display.
TECHNOLOGY
Many of the Japanese car makers have been late coming to the diesel party. Subaru is one of them but it has certainly been worth the wait, with its distinctive flat pack design and one of the best CVTs we've tested. The turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder Boxer diesel delivers 110kW of power at 3600 revs and 350Nm of torque between 1800 and 2400 revs.
SAFETY
Five stars of course, with all wheel drive and a host of electronic aids. But the diesel continues to miss out on the Eyesight crash avoidance system which is yet to be calibrated for it.
DRIVING
Diesels are best combined with autos and Subaru's clever design manages to give the car a more responsive feel. It also avoids the CVT 'zoom' effect when you put your foot down.
The clever thing about this transmission is the way it slips into manual or stepped gear mode when you put the boot in, so it feels more like a traditional auto. Otherwise there are no discernible gear change points, with an engine that turns over at a constant number or revs even when you're going up hill.
Fuel consumption is rated at an impressive 6.5 litres/100 km. We've been getting 6.8 at last count, easily getting more than 800km from a single tank. About the only thing we're not fussed on is the audio head unit. It seems to be the same as the one used by Toyota and in this case that is not a recommendation. They can do better than this.
Those niggles aside, the Outback is an excellent proposition and we'll be sorry to see it go.
| Vehicle | Specs | Price* | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0D | 2.0L, Diesel, CVT AUTO | $13,640 – 17,930 | 2013 Subaru Outback 2013 2.0D Pricing and Specs |
| 2.5i | 2.5L, —, CVT AUTO | $14,300 – 18,810 | 2013 Subaru Outback 2013 2.5i Pricing and Specs |
| 2.0D Premium | 2.0L, Diesel, 6 SP MAN | $12,540 – 16,720 | 2013 Subaru Outback 2013 2.0D Premium Pricing and Specs |
| 2.5i Premium | 2.5L, —, CVT AUTO | $14,850 – 19,580 | 2013 Subaru Outback 2013 2.5i Premium Pricing and Specs |
$6,990
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