[toggle title_open=”Car specification” title_closed=”Car specification” hide=”yes” border=”yes” style=”default” excerpt_length=”0″ read_more_text=”Read More” read_less_text=”Read Less” include_excerpt_html=”no”]Price: $49,990
Engine: 2.5 litre four-cylinder boxer, 127kW/229Nm
Transmission: Six-speed Lineartronic CVT
Fuel economy: 8 litres/100km
Emissions: 185gr/km (Euro5)
Equipment: Massive emphasis on safety including EyeSight avoidance technology
Safety: Five-star ANCAP crash rating
Factory warranty: Three years/unlimited km[/toggle]
Okay, sign me up and let’s not quibble about a discount, mate. Your requirements may differ, but I reckon the 2014 Outback Sport is near enough to the perfect wagon. It’s beautifully built, lavishly equipped, roomy, obsessive about safety handles well in all conditions, and well priced for what you get. Rougher roads and tracks aren’t even a problem with its 213mm of ground clearance, so don’t hold back on the exploring, or at least mild exploring. The ratio at the bottom of the transmission is usefully low for picking a route among obstacles like trees or rocks. The latest Sport has, by Subaru’s reckoning, some $6000 worth of added stuff – and worthy stuff it is – for last year’s price. Among this is the company’s camera-based EyeSight accident avoidance technology, migrating down from the six cylinder range. It warns of wandering from a lane and when a collision is likely. It’ll even brake to limit the effect of a shunt. Other new goodies include 18-inch alloys, satnav, dusk-sensing headlights and rain-sensing wipers. Steering wheel-mounted shift paddles suggest sporting performance, but the 2.5i struggles to deliver brisk acceleration, taking more than 10 seconds to ramble to 100km/h (compared to under eight seconds for the 3.6 litre six-cylinder). But more importantly, handling remains balanced and poised, underpinned by the refined all-wheel-drive system. The Lineartronic is probably the best-sorted CVT on the market. Towing? The 2.5i is rated for 1500kg, braked, 750kg unbraked.
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Likely Owners
Soft-A adventurers
Good features
Such a good overall package
Not so good
Fuel consumption, emissions still a tad high
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[box type=”tick” size=”large” style=”rounded”]Rating 8/10[/box]