Being critical of the 2011 Subaru Outback is like harping on an A- student. There's nothing wrong with it at all, but with a little extra effort, the 2011 Outback could definitely be an A+ student.
This summer I went to the Rocky Mountain Driving Experience, which is a driving event for automotive journalists in Colorado, where I got to take an Outback on a rally course. This isn't the typical schlepping-of-kids-and-groceries tasks that we generally ask of our vehicles, and I couldn't believe how well the Outback handled on a high-speed dirt course. The 2011 Outback 3.6R Premium I got to test drive in my daily life was hardly different from the one I drove this summer, and it performed really well in the road course that is my daily life.
I didn't push the five-seat wagon as hard in real life as I did on the rally course, but that's not because the Outback didn't want to. With a six-cylinder engine, I could have gone a lot faster with ease. Unsurprisingly, the six-cylinder has good acceleration and handles with confidence and strength on dirt roads as well as paved ones, thanks to its standard all-wheel drive. The Outback's suspension allowed me to have a good feel of the road without being horrendously stiff. The inclusion of paddle shifters and manual-shift mode with its five-speed automatic transmission also provided a bit more fun and control, and the braking was responsive and quick.
My test Outback had an optional Harmon Kardon audio system and dual moonroofs that pushed the base MSRP price of $29,195 up to $32,660, but they're well worth the additional money.
EXTERIOR
The Outback had a major redesign in 2010 in which it got longer, among other things. The 2011 model isn't significantly different from the 2010. I found the Outback's looks to be a little generic, but my test car's Azurite Blue paint helped it look modern.
While it looks like a wagon, the Outback has a touch of SUV styling to it because of its higher ground clearance of 8.7 inches. This means the Outback has a good-sized step-in height that can make it harder for kids to climb in independently. It's not too bad, so they'll either get used to it or grow into the car.
A terrific feature for active folks is the Outback's roof rails with stowable cross bars. When the roof rack isn't in use the cross bars tuck back into the roof rails, which reduces wind noise and improves the car's aerodynamics. Nice touch, Subaru; A+ again.
My test car, a 3.6R Premium, had a 256-horsepower, 3.6-liter six-cylinder engine that takes regular gas and gets an EPA-estimated 18/25 mpg city/highway. If you're looking for better fuel economy, the Outback also comes with a 170-hp, 2.5-liter four-cylinder that gets 22/29 mpg.
SENSE AND STYLE
Family Friendly (Not Really, Fair, Great, Excellent): Excellent
Fun-Factor (None, Some, Good Times, Groove-On): Good Times
INTERIOR
The Outback's interior has lots of room for both people and cargo, and its easy-to-navigate center stack makes life easy on the driver.
The center stack is encased in a brushed-metal-looking plastic. It looked sharp with my test car's light-colored interior and black dash and floor, but the plastic seemed a little cheap. I'm afraid that's only worth an A-. The center stack itself is easy to navigate with only a few buttons and knobs on it. This would likely change if you got the optional navigation system, but as it was, my test car's stereo and climate controls were a cinch to operate. There also were steering-wheel-mounted audio and cruise controls that were easy to use.
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