2010 Subaru Outback 2.5i Premium CVT

I am by no means an expert when it comes to automobiles, but I have always been moderately intrigued by them, and when it comes specifically to the vehicle that I own, I obsess over it. Just recently I was in the market for a new car, and I emerged with the all new, redesigned 2010 Subaru Outback 2.5i Premium CVT. For the record, I was never much of a Subaru fan until the new Outback caught my eye.

The new Outback is exceptionally different from it's ancestor models. It sits higher, is larger all around, and presents itself in an SUV style. These are all points which helped sell me on the new Outback. Gone are the days of awkward (and random) oval windows, flat (smashed) looking bodies, and the boring (yet admittedly convenient for families) station wagon style. The redesign has caused such a distrubance in the Outback's line that even Subaru and the FDA are unsure how to classify it. According to Subaru (and many independent automotive authorities) the new Outback is in a class of relatively new vehicles called "Cross-over Utility Vehicles", or CUV for short. The more traditional category, and the one used by the FDA is the Sport Utility Vehicle, or SUV, category. Either way, I personally welcome the changes made to the Outback line.

PROS
A number of things are good and truly unique to the Outback and the Subaru family of vehicles. For starters, their symmetrical AWD is truly impressive. Coming from an impressive implementation of the 4WD in Jeep's Grand Cherokee line of SUVs, I must say that I'm not disappointed with the change. Both AWD and 4WD still have their place, but they serve different purposes. Until I am ready to spend more than 80% of my driving time off-road, AWD just makes more sense to have.

Equipped with the latest improvement to Subaru's Continuously Variable Transaxle (CVT) I was initially skeptical about having it. I had only ever driven a traditional automatic in the past. Since owning the new Outback for about 3 weeks now, I can say that I am pleased and impressed with the CVT's performance. You aren't going to race this (or any other) Outback. You're completely derailed if you think that the Outback is in that market. Better stick with the WRX if racing is what you want. If what you want is a practical vehicle and that has enough power to get the job done, the Outback is right up your alley. It's nice to know that the CVT helps to improve gas mileage awhile providing a smoother ride.

Built-in MP3/WMA factory stereo reduces the need for an after-market unit. This is nice because it also reduces the concerns about theft, as after-market stereo units are a large factor to many automobile break-ins. Having this all factory installed includes the steering wheel mounted audio controls, which are very nice to have.

Fuel economy couldn't go without a mention! In terms of vehicles that are coming out today, I would place the new Outback squarely in the "average" circle. But in relative comparison to my previous Jeep Grand Cherokee, I'm getting an average of 10 miles per gallon improvement. That makes this "average" fuel economy pretty attractive, none the less. I could do even better with the fuel economy if I would just slow down a bit on the freeway, but then where would the fun be in that? :-P

Specific to the configuration of my Outback, the Graphite Grey exterior color is beautiful and the interior off-black cloth is not as bad as I thought it would be. For awhile, I was upset that I wasn't able to get the leather interior, but the premium cloth is starting to grow on me, and so far, it's been pretty easy to clean with a Shark hand vac. I've gone to the beach several times with the car, and while I am careful not to bring any sand back into the car, it inevitably happens. The material resists trapping the sand and the Shark vac is able to remove any sand residue without any trouble at all. I spent about 20 minutes cleaning out the interior yesterday, and when I was done, it looked just like brand new.

CONS
The Boxer Engine is in fact pretty interesting and has many pros, but the one con I identify is the noise. The engine is quite noisy and worries me at times, though nothing has gone wrong yet.

The new Outback is only rated for 170hp/170ft.lbs which is a bit less than my previous Jeep Grand Cherokee. I do plan on having the towing package installed, and at some point (probably in the next 9 months) I will need to use it to tow a trailer. I reserve my final judgment on this for now, but I am worried that the new Outback might not be able to handle the task.

Aesthetically, I am generally pleased with the new Outback with all but one area. I feel that the front end of the vehicle looks awkward. Almost like it retains the "squashed" look of the older Outbacks. They should have made it a little taller, in my opinion, but this is a very minor concern.

Intentional or factory error? I've noticed that at higher speeds, a discrepancy between my speedometer and my GPS unit surfaces. At around 70 miles per hour on my speedometer, the GPS unit begins to read a different number than the speedometer. When my speedometer reads 80mph, my GPS unit reads about 74mph. I found this to be very strange, and I wasn't sure which instrument to trust. A part of my initial intuition wanted to trust the GPS because it was always spot on in my Jeep and the GPS utilizes some very sophisticated science and technology. After doing some research online, I came across people suggesting that the auto manufacturer's may intentionally mis-calibrate the speedometers. One speculation to why is to try and reduce the speed of drivers. Many drivers lock themselves into these "speed" margins where they feel like they should go 72mph on the highway when the speed limit is 65mph. If they mis-calibrate your speedometer on purpose to read 72mph, you will psychologically be satisfied, regardless of how fast the car is actually going. I'm personally not okay with this, for whatever the reason. I would prefer my instruments to be accurate and at the moment, they are not.

NEUTRALS
Paddle shifters are a fun toy to include, but honestly, they don't serve much purpose. It becomes particularly difficult to derive use from them if you're driving on a road that is not straight or need to make frequent turns. This is because the paddles are mounted in a relative spot on the underside of the steering wheel. When you turn the wheel, the paddles move with it. When you're making a 90 degree turn, that pretty much flips the position of the paddles and can be difficult/confusing to try and shift up or down at that point in time. Aside from really being a toy, the only merit I find from having them is the ability to perform engine braking, additional controlled acceleration and an introduction to the concept of gear management, a prerequisite to driving a manual transmission vehicle (something which I've never done).

FINAL THOUGHTS
All in all, the new Subaru Outback is actually a very awesome car and I am happy with my decision. Under my excellent car and obsessive attention to detail, I'm sure the vehicle will last for many many years. It may end up being one of the cars I pass down to my first child when (s)he is ready to start driving, haha.