2015 Subaru Outback Reviews

Ewan Kennedy road tests and reviews the 2003, 2004, 2009, 2010 and 2013 Subaru Liberty and Outback as used buys.

High-riding wagons have more offroad cred than some SUVs. It's Czech Republic v Japan and Craig Duff calls a close result.

Richard Blackburn road tests and reviews the Subaru Outback with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Peter Barnwell road tests and reviews the Subaru Outback 2.0 Diesel Premium with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Call it desperation, or shrewd opportunism. Either way, Subaru Australia's decision to slash prices on 2015 Liberty and Outback by up to 25 per cent should give its mid-size sedan and SUV spin-off a healthy rev up in showrooms.Philanthropy doesn't come naturally to car companies, of course. Liberty and Outback were class frontrunners a decade ago, with combined sales of nearly 14,500 units in 2006. At the end of November last year, the tally was 3173 units.Both are ageing nameplates verging on atrophied with all the design flair of a fridge that has fallen off the back of a truck. The Liberty no longer possesses that critical desire factor either, for anybody but a few old blokes looking for a suitably somnolent conveyance to get them to God's waiting room in one piece.Subaru Australia boss Nick Senior's decision to reach for the sharp pencil on 2015 Liberty and Outback follows a similar strategy on the WRX STi hot rod, introduced at the beginning of last year with discounts of up to $11,000.It had the desired effect. WRX STi sales took off and ended the year more than 330 per cent up on 2013.Senior's "Have I got a deal for you!" pitch has been assisted by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's policy of stimulating exports by anaesthetising the yen. Unlike its hometown rivals, most of which now make more cars abroad than in domestic factories, 80 per cent of Subaru's total production still comes out of Japan, so the revised Australian dollar-yen exchange rate works for Subaru Australia and its Fuji Heavy Industries parent.Senior has also pre-empted the elimination of the 5 per cent import tariff on imported vehicles when the Japan-Australia free trade agreement takes effect on January 15. Beyond these factors, though, it's the discrepancy between actual showroom transaction bottom lines and fanciful manufacturer's list prices in the ultra-competitive Australian market that has prompted the deep discounts. Holden did the same with the VF Commodore in 2013, dropping prices by up to $9800 because dealers were doing it anyway. The days of car companies introducing new models with take-it-or-leave-it price hikes are over.Liberty, now in its 25th year, faces the greatest challenge. Australian buyers are bailing out of sedans en masse, moving into larger SUVs if kids are part of the buying decision or downsizing to a hatch or small SUV if they're not. The exception is Mercedes' all-conquering C Class, which won every car award worth winning last year and outsells every other mid-size sedan bar the Toyota Camry.Prices for the 2015 Liberty start at $29,990 for the 2.5-litre four cylinder petrol/continuously variable transmission (CVT) base model, $3000 less than its 2014 equivalent. The 2.5i CVT Premium, which includes leather, sunroof and navigation, is $35,490 (a $4000 discount). The 3.6-litre six-cylinder petrol/CVT Liberty 3.6R is $41,990, a $14,000, or 25 per cent, haircut on the 2013 model's $55,990 sticker price.Senior sees an opportunity to cash in on Commodore's demise with the 3.6R. While we no longer buy enough family-sized six cylinder cars to keep making them in Australia, Commodore is still doing 30,000 or so units a year. Come 2017, when it disappears, Senior believes many of those customers will be looking for an alternative sixpack.The previous Liberty's major shortcoming - sheet metal styled by the House of Dork - has been addressed in the 2015 car, which has a lower profile, coupe-ish roofline and arch-filling 18-inch alloys. The word 'want' still doesn't spring to mind when it drives by, though.The previous model took Liberty close to large car territory; this one is longer again in the cabin, with the front pillar pushed forward by 50mm. There's generous back seat legroom, though the lower roofline has compromised headroom a little, and boot space is reasonable.Liberty's spacious, formal interior features an easy to use touch screen multimedia system, a luxurious, super-sized (read: American market) driver's seat and Subaru's signature precision fit and finish.Like its predecessors the 2015 Liberty comes with a blue-chip safety CV, including Isofix child restraint anchors, seven airbags, a reversing camera and Subaru's Eyesight system as standard. Eyesight uses cameras and radar to read the road and the traffic. It now incorporates a vehicle in front brake light alert function, plus automatic emergency braking from 50km/h or less, lane departure warning and adaptive (or conventional) cruise control.Drivetrains are basically unchanged, save for fuel efficiency gains of up to 10 per cent, derived from improved aerodynamics and automatic stop-start on the 2.5-litre variants.So the on-road Liberty experience is familiar. The 2.5's modest numbers and narrow powerband are flattered by the smooth, responsive CVT transmission, engine and road noise levels are low and the car is balanced, intuitive and easy to drive. Its all-wheel drive point of difference helps Liberty maintain its position as one of the best handlers in the class. The 3.6R also has that lovely linear power delivery and top-end kick you miss out on with turbocharged engines. Complaints? The steering's accurate but far from tactile while the ride's a touch fussy and sharpish on rough roads.Twenty years after its introduction, Outback remains the SUV you should consider if you hate SUVs. You'll find its light weight, fine balance, disciplined body control and outstanding road-holding a much more satisfying, enjoyable combination than the sloppy, barge-like histrionics you have to put up with in most rival wagons. It runs taller, more absorbent tyres than Liberty, so the ride is more comfortable, too, on any surface.Subaru has increased body rigidity and tightened up the suspension on the 2015 model, to excellent effect. A back-to-back test drive with the benchmark Audi Q5 will give you an idea of how far the Outback has progressed as a drive. It's a long way.Outback is the sole wagon in the 2015 line-up. Liberty-badged freighters are no longer offered.Prices start at $35,990 for the 2.5i CVT, a $3000 drop from 2014. Base Outback is now the 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel/six-speed manual 2.0D, at $35,490 (down $5000); CVT adds $2000 to the diesel and Premium specification adds $6000. Top of the range Outback 3.6R is $47,990, a $10,000 discount on the 2014 price.Petrol drivetrains are as per Liberty. The Outback's 2.0-litre turbodiesel, however, is a strange device that suffers from a lack of low down pulling power which is particularly apparent in the manual. As with the 2.5i petrol, the CVT almost disguises this deficiency, but you still need to be more vigorous with the go pedal than in other diesels and overall performance is sedate. However, the Subaru boxer engine is smooth, quiet and frugal.Eyesight is still being calibrated into the diesel drivetrain, so it's not yet available. Outback specification levels are close to Liberty equivalents; specific 2015 wagon improvements include wider opening doors for easier access, roof rails that can carry up to 80kg, and a power-operated tailgate on Premium variants.Outback inherits Forester's X-Mode system, an effective push-button substitute for low-range gearing that adjusts the traction control and enables it to crawl down, or up, a steep slope and traverse rough or slippery terrain with ease. In concert with 213mm of ground clearance, X-Mode gives the Outback genuine - if far from extreme - ability off the bitumen.

Car interiors rarely feature in large print when new models are launched. Body shapes, engine sizes, new gearboxes, ride and handling tend to steal the limelight. That is of course unless the old model copped a bit of flak for its interior. Which brings us to the 2015 Subaru AWD Outback launched this week in

Craig Duff road tests and reviews the new Subaru Outback and Liberty at their Australian launch.