In August of 2002, I had the chance to drive a 2002 Subaru Outback.  Naturally, getting to drive this car was a blast, as I also got to drive it in one of my favorite cities, Albuquerque, New Mexico. 

  First impression was the car was very nicley fit and finished.  Nothing in the interior seemed cheap.  Admittedly, the last AWD Subaru I had driven was over 10 years ago, and that was a SVX AWD Turbo...  And I liked it except, I didn't fit well.

  Interior room was NOT up to my 6'3" frame.  It might have been my limited time in the car, I just couldn't get comfortable.  The padding in the drivers seat was good, but all in the wrong spots for my larger (than it was in my last Subaru drive) posterior.  I DO know a gent with an older Legacy that is taller than me and he loves it...  Also, for me, headroom was not excessive, and my left shoulder kept rubbing the doorjamb.

  I never lifted the hood.  I didn't want to, because as underpowered as the car felt, I didn't want to find the 6 cylinder motor.  Don't get me wrong, the car drove nicely, and got up to traffic speeds reasonably.  But it just wasn't a blast of speed or power I had hoped for.

  Now lest you think this is going to be a total bash of this car, you are quite wrong.  For me, this car shines in the dirt.  There are many excellent trails near Albuquerque.  And the Outback did very well.  Hardpack, two-track, soft, deep sand...  Ground clearance was not really a problem.  If I have a complaint, it is with the front and rear overhangs.  I never dragged the rear, but was concerned.  The front is another story.  I tapped it a couple times, one time hard enough that I decided not to continue my forward travel.  Since I was slowly going downhill, the nose dropped into a rut and scraped really hard.  I tried not to damage the car, so I chose to back up.  I ALMOST got the little car stuck, trying to go backwards up the hill, but gathered enough traction in the softer sandy ground by riding the brakes and feathering the gas to pull myself out.  All Wheel Drive is a wonderful thing.

  Playtime in the dirt was cut short by a thunderstorm.  As I noticed the wind shift, and the air smelled a little damp, I realized I needed to get back to a firmer surface.  I got the car a little airborne once and it landed well.  The last obstacle before the pavement was a deep ditch with very soft and loose dirt.  But the AWD system pulled it right out.  At this point, it started to rain.  Thirty mnutes later, I returned to the ditch to find it flowed deep enough to possibly cover the car had I been stuck.  Told you it was deep.

  Further, the car did well in the rain and on wet surfaces.  One of my favorite things to do is splashing through puddles, and this car did so quite well.

  In all, all the little gadgets and trinkets in the Outback worked as advertised.  I wish the car had more interior room and headroom, and that the seats fit me better.  I wouldn't have minded more power either.  But I cannot complain at all about the way the car rides.  Whether on rough city streets, Interstate highways, two lane county highways, or off highway driving, I just can't fault the Outback.  It drove quite well in my opinion.

  I don't remember how many miles I traveled in the two days I had the car.  But, I did practically drain the gas tank to under one eighth of a tank.  And considering how I drive, that was fairly decent.  I must also add, I NEVER get rated fuel economy in any car.  I could probably get only 45 MPG in a Honda Insight!!!

  Sadly, I had to return the car, even though I never got comfortable, I liked it.  It was a fun car to drive, but I just don't know that I could live with one on a daily basis.

  Thanks for reading.
2002 Subaru Outback
The Beauty of All Wheel Drive