1) FIRST IMPRESSIONS

First impressions and comparison to the other vehicles we've had on test over the last 5years: -. Rover 75, Jaguar X-Type estate, Audi A3 Sport, Toyota Rav4, Vectra sri.

The Outback is based on the Legacy estate and aimed at Volvo XC70 and Audi Allroad Quattro buyers.  This 2008 model in Diamond Grey metallic, has done just 8k miles and won't win any prizes in a beauty contest. The grille is replaceable by one of 3 options available from Subaru, but at a cost of  £275. I might try some diy cosmetics first...I did with some matt black paint (below) and its a lot better than the silver painted standard one - above.

It has permanent all wheel drive with a 50:50 front : rear split and a limited slip centre diff. Ground clearance is 200mm/8" .

As its an estate, my initial driving impressions are focused on a comparison with our other estate - a 2007 X-Type. The fact is, the Outback is superior to the X-Type in terms of the absence of squat and dive under acceleration & braking and of torque steer. I must say I was shocked to find these traits present in the Jag to such a degree. You do get used to them so they don't spoil the car too much but when you drive another estate that doesn't suffer them, it brings them back into focus. 

Ride quality is also superb - almost as good as a Rover 75, albeit without the 75's feeling of great solidity that no other vehicle yet driven, can match. I think that Subaru have sensibly exploited the improved grip and traction of the permanent four wheel drive system (50:50 split) to keep the ride very supple without sacrificing road holding and handling. The Audi and Vectra have firm rides and sharper turn in but only the Audi feels like a true 'hot hatch' in the handling department, with the X-Type lying between Outback and Audi/Vectra.  

On the down side, the taller stance, narrowish 215 section tyres of old fashioned 55% aspect ratio and soft springs do not result in sporty handling. I may change to 225/50 series Toyo T1rs in the spring for improved grip. 

The brakes are a little better than the X-Type's and Rav 4's,  but none can match the Audi A3, Rover 75 or Vectra for initial bite and sensitivity.  There is electronic brake assist which increases braking when you stamp on the pedal and it does work well and fairly unobtrusively. Or rather, it is a bit disconcerting if reassuring to find that when you stamp on the pedal, the actual pressure required is less than you expect for the degree of braking! You can feel the ABS pump/modulator working by a slight pulsing felt through the pedal when the brake assist is working.

The steering weight and feel from the electrically assisted steering rack (also fitted to the Vectra) are fine but unremarkable and there is the now fairly common (switchable) vehicle stabiity system that uses the ABS system to brake one or more wheels & cut engine torque to reduce understeer or oversteer and hopefully prevent unintentional off-road excursions! I'll let you know if it works in due course..!

Handling: Subaru have set the car up to understeer quite noticeably even at normal speeds. My daily drive of a few miles has many bends and many of them require correcting mid bend to avoid grazing the verge or crossing the white line. Its a long time since I've driven a modern car with such pronounced understeer. However the cure is quite easy and affordable. See below.

Equipment levels of this RE spec 2008 model are very good indeed. All the usual electric gizmos plus leather, electric sunroof, power fold mirrors, cruise, sunroof, HID Xenon headlights,  headlight washer, wiper defroster, heated electric 8way adjustable front seats with 2 memories on the drivers side, dual zone climate, 6 cd stereo, tilt/reach adjustable steering wheel, mpg / av speed / fuel remaining trip computer, traction control, brake assist, stability control. No parking sensors though - an omission soon to be rectified on a fine day.

The leather seats are comfortable and have plenty of adjustment and the steering wheel has both reach & rake adjustment. There are no radio controls on it, unlike the '09 demonstrator I drove. 

The immobiliser engages after 30secs whether the doors are open or not and regardless of whether the key is in the ignition so you have to press the button on the remote to deactivate it before the engine can be started if the 30sec has elapsed (Subaru haven't heard of transponder fobs then!) 

Switchgear feels solid unlike the flimsy Vectra ones and the doors shut with a solid thud, though the tailgate doesn't.

The Xenon HID healights are excellent.

THE BOXER ENGINE "I can't believe its not a petrol motor!" 

The twin horizontally oposed 'boxer' engine engine is now my benchmark for its almost petrol-like refinement and smoothness, but not for low down responsiveness. The Jag remains ahead on this front and its turbo can be felt from below 1300rpm, whereas the Outback, like the Vectra, 75 and Rav4 need another 250rpm or so before the turbo wakes up.The top mounted intercooler is as expected, less efficient than a front mounted one:  the intake air temp hovers around 15-20C above the external air temp and rises to 35C above it on full boost (read using a Scangauge via the ODB port) . European manufacturers binned this type years ago but Japan based manufacturers still use them.

The 150ps engine produces a very healthy 258lbs ft (350nm) of torque from1800-2800rpm and this translates into rapid and effortless performance. Deceptive in fact because the engine and car as a whole are so quiet.  However, as mentioned earlier, due to the high gearing and lack of interest from the turbo until over 1500rpm, does mean you need to stir the 'box to exploit the performance.  With a Synergy plugged in,  this should be well upto tuned X-Type / Vectra levels. It really could be mistaken for a petrol motor due to its silence and smoothness and also in its smooth but strong power delivery and willingness to rev. Its virtually inaudible when idling and the heater fan is on its lowest speed.

There is more from Subarau here

The engine, being a horizontally opposed engine is very short - half the length of a conventional engine. Being flat the alternator and injection pump are able to be  mounted on top of it. The transmission starts just in front of the intercooler so the engine only takes up half the engine bay length.

The turbo is a watercooled model with variable geometry, to which the combined catalyst and particulate filter is bolted. I'd really like to fit a bypass for these - I suspect the difference in throttle response and lag reduction would be quite significant.

The clutch & gearbox are smooth and light but the latter is equipped with 5 speeds rather than 6 and the gearing is quite high, necessitating more frequent gear changes than in the Rover 75 or X-Type (both also 5speeders). 60mph requires 200rpm, and this contrasts with the low geared Rav4, where only 52mph is achieved at 2000rpm .

Interior ambience and overall refinement. The latter exceeds the X-Type, Vectra & Rav4 too because of the relative  lack of tyre noise from the Yokohama Geolander P900s, the engine is all but inaudible and wind noise is minimal. Its definitely the quietest of the bunch although the 75 isn't far behind.  The cabin is very pleasant and solidly built with good quality plastic and rubbery absorbent feel to the dash plastics. All the controls feel good but some of the buttons on the stereo are a bit small and fiddly.

Niggles & wish list:

The absence of a transponder fob is irritating because you have to remember to press the button to manually disarm the immobiliser if you don't start up within 30secs of unlocking the car. Its all too easy to set the alarm off if you press it at the wrong moment.

The one button fob itself is a minor annoyance because that single button both locks and unlocks so you cannot press it without observing the indicators in case you unlock it when you want to lock it - e.g because you've already locked it or because the auto lock feature has done it for you. (If you unlock it but don't open a door within 30secs, it relocks them)

Reversing sensors and steering wheel radio controls would have been welcome.

Prices: If you compare Outback prices,  you'll probably find them cheaper and/or equipment levels higher than comparable crossover estates like the Volvo XC70 and Audi Allroad. 

The 2010 Outback:
The new model has a revised bodyshell and stands a wee bit taller, being more of a conventional SUV than crossover estate. I'm not sure this was the right move, because the Forrester is little bigger and is also cheaper and more of a serious offroader than an SUV. Channel 4's website review was luke warm, with criticisms of the gear change 'notchy', ride - 'agitated', front end weight causing understeer and lack of low down torque. So were they unlucky or is the latest model inferior in gear change and ride aspects to the  2008 one?  See below for how to cure the understeer, and I am working on the low down torque issue!

To sum up.
    I was most disappointed with the X-Type - I feel Jaguar were (still are?) trading on the badge rather than the virtues of the car. With  a remap and a Synergy 1, the performance was really outstanding and Toyo T1rs and EBC pads sorted the brakes, handling and grip. A decat would have been the icing on the cake but none were available whilst I was driving the Jag. So once again, a good car needlessly spoiled by some cost cutting and lack of attention to detail but redeemmable at minimal cost... More here

    I enjoyed the hot hatch feel of the Audi A3 - it reminded me of my Renault 5GT-Turbo go-cart and 205GTI (1.6 & 1.9) days but with more grunt. Its the only car of the group where the sombre black interior didn't detract from the driving enjoyment.  More here

    The Rav 4 impressed with its ability to cope last winter, shrugging off whatever the weather deposited on the roads and with a Synergy 2b went very very well and still returned a respectable 38-45mpg. I have no hesitation in recommending one - provided you fit a Synergy!. More here

    The Vectra (with a Synergy 2b) has astounding performance for a 1910cc engine in a large & heavy body, yet the decently smooth and quiet engine never feels stressed. It was only slightly slower than a Golf R32 (3.2L 240bhp) in the 30-50 and 50-70 sprints. I hope to achieve similar results with the Outback. More here

    The Outback deserves to sell in greater numbers and although its not what I'd call a good looking car, so far, its hard to fault, combining qualities of the 75 and the X-Type with (hopefully!) the winter weather conquering ability of the Rav. It offers very good value for money and Subaru always did well in the JD Power reliabilty reports. Subaru's website:

I can see Subaru producing a diesel Sport Imprezza with WRX running gear and a tweaked engine. It might take some sales from the 2.5L petrol turbo models but there are many who are put off by the fuel costs of these. 

UPDATE 24-OCT 2009

I did a 280mile each way trip to the Caravan & Motorhome show at the NEC (sister company EnergyTuning.co.uk had a stand there) this month and averaged about 45mpg using the Synergy on setting h/h and m/h. Motorway driving was not only as smooth and quiet as a Rover 75 but the excellent top gear acceleration from 50-70  left the likes of  BMW 320ds, Insignias and a Scooby WRX floundering. Commuting from the hotel to the NEC was effortless thanks to the performance and smoothness. I did notice a misfire (probably due to a big increase in intake air temp upto 75C) through the 50mph roadworks on the A1m which I am told is due to the egr or dpf systems.

The egr system also seems to recalibrate itself every so often when idling - you can hear the change in engine note and the idle speed fluctuates to the extent that the whole car shakes.

I am told that the ecu recalibarates the injectors regularly as well and there is even a technical bulletin 1-1b-036 dated 22-08-09 which is for service staff to explain to customers what is happening and to assure them its not a fault.

UPDATE 1ST JAN 2010 - THE WINTER..   Another permanent 4wheel drive system proves its worth !

The Outback has been unstoppable since the snow and ice arrived. Like the Rav4, it climbs the steepest of hills without so much as a hint of wheel spin. On a 250mile trip over Christmas to Argyll, it shrugged off the slush on the dual carriage ways and got me there when my camper would have reduced me to a nervous wreck trying to keep it on the road. With the Synergy on setting 6, the overall mpg was around 47:  not particularly impressive considering the speeds possible due to the weather and about 10% less than the X-Type or Rover 75 would have given, but about the same as the Rav's.

I am certainly a convert to fixed 4 wheel drive and crossover 4x4s like the Outback, Skoda Yeti, Volve XC70, Audi Allroader. They make more sense than large heavy conventional 4x4s unless you need the weight to permit heavy towing or for major off-road use. I suspect those that opted for the cheaper 2 wheel drive version of the Kuga, Yeti etc wish they'd gone for the 4wheel drive one! Decent all weather tyres are a must and I cannot fault the Geolanders for all round ability.

Ideally I'd have these fitted on some steel rims for the winter and my favourite Toyo T1rs on the alloys for the rest of the year.

Another 100mm of snow fell overnight (New Year's eve) and I cleaned it off and went out to see if I could get stuck. Alas, no chance - deep snow, compacted snow, snow on top of ice - all were dismissed by the Outback as completely unchallenging.

One niggle: the drivers washer jet is more prone to freezing than the others. The rear one rarely froze, the passenger side lasted longer but the drivers side was most annoying. However the washer additive is more dilute than once was - its 'ready mixed' rather being a concentrate. Had I noticed this then a stronger solution would have avoided the problem. Shockingly, despite being more dilute, it costs more  - rip off Britain again....

ENGINE TUNING: FITTING A SYNERGY 1cr

The fuel pressure sensor is hidden away behind the alternator and under the egr valve so requires removal of the alternator. This is easy as its on top as can be seen from the photo above (with engine cover removed - it just lifts up and slides forward). Take the tension off the serpentine belt with a 19mm spanner on the tensioner, lift off the belt, undo the two 12mm nuts holding it on, disconnect the multiplug and remove the battery cable (12mm nut). Tape this up to stop it shorting on the inlet manifold. Prise out the alternator. Before refitting it squeeze the sprung spacer in the rear mounting hole into the bracket using a vice or mole grips.

I fitted an extension cable which allows easy removal of the Synergy without having to remove the alternator again.

The injection system is Denso - a type commonly used by Japanese manufacturers including Nissan, Toyota & Mitsubishi. I initially tried some fairly standard Denso settings as used on many other Japanese engines and then switched to the stronger settings normally reserved for European engines. There was a fair bit of smoke on the high settings but no warning lights or limp mode. The power delivery was very smooth and progressive with no sudden surge, just an ever increasing muscular build up. This, & the quietness of the engine and car makes the performance very deceptive. You definitely need to keep one eye on the speedo.

I was sent an unused K&N panel filter by Mike, a Forester owner who is testing a Synergy on his vehicle. I was pleased to find it reduced the smoke to negligible proportions even though the original filter had only done 8k miles. Clearly there are benefits to be had once the engine is tuned, for improving the air supply so perhaps a full induction kit will be worth trying. I believe Mike has one on the Forester.

An extension cable will be supplied  to avoid the need to remove the alternator.

to be continued.

HANDLING IMPROVEMENT.

Fitting a thicker 20mm Whiteline adjustable rear anti roll bar (sway bar) in place of the standard 16mm one has restored the handling to current standards. Turn in is more precise and generally speaking, it goes where it is pointed with no need to correct mid bend. In fact it feels 'normal' - or how it should be when it left the factory.

FITTING THE WHITELINE ARB. Part no BSR39Z , from Balance Motorsport

This is straightforward  and simply involves running the rear wheels onto some a ramps, removing one wheel and undoing all 8 fixings - 2 for each clamp and 2 for each drop link. I chose to remove the bar with the drop links attached. The next stage is beyond the capability of any robot - manoeuvring the bar out over the suspensions links and exhaust pipes and then past the wheel hub is indescribably fiddly but can be done so don't give up.

Once out, the drop links were swapped over and then it fitted using the polyurethane bushes supplied.

From a purists point of view, fitting antiroll bars is like treating a symptom and not curing a disease. Body roll should not affect the handling and grip if the suspension is properly designed to keep the tyres perpendicular ot the road surface regardless of roll angle. I once owned a 1998 Rover 400TD and it had a limo like ride but roll was excessive, however it could be thrown into corners at silly speeds and just gripped the road relentlessly. A few years later my Astra estate suffered a broken front arb drop link - I only realised when I started clipping the kerb on corners and roundabouts due to the quicker turn-in and reduced understeer. True, there was a bit more body roll but I almost didn't bother replacing the drop link.

So fitting a front antiroll bar will increase understeer because the front is resisting the roll and so the front outside tyre is more heavily loaded. Its slip angle therefore increases as manifest by the tendency to 'run wide' on corners. To reduce the understeer you then fit a rear arb. This moves some of the loading to the outside rear tyre which reduces the understeer. But by giving the front more grip, you have also given the rear less. So arbs overall reduce the available grip on which ever end they are fitted. Not an ideal solution. 

 A front antiroll bar also makes the steering feel more 'wooden', reduces steering responsiveness and increases single wheel effective spring rate.  (have you noticed that the ride is smoother if you go over speed bumps with both wheels compared to those on just one side?) But for road use, where we need a comfortable ride, there is no avoiding them.
 

SUBARU FORESTER (Many thanks to Mike for the photos and feedback)

If you need a larger 4x4 which is both refined and economical, look no further. The good looking new model is excellent value (cheaper than Antaras and the like) and every bit as good as more upmarket 4x4s like the BMW X5, Merc M Class. Subaru recently released an ecu update that has improved the driveability at low rpm so its worth checking that this has been done when buying one

Mike has done a few mods to improve his, which of course also involves fitting a Synergy. He has been good enough to test and report back on his findings which generally confirm my own.

More pics when I find them (sorry Mike)

PERFORMANCE MEASURING

I recently acquired a Performance Box from here:

It uses a high speed (10 updates per second) GPS engine to calculate speed and acceleration so only one connection is needed - to the cig lighter socket for power. It comes with a USB cable and mains power supply so you can connect it to a PC to download the data from the 256meg SD card into the supplied software. (You could just plug the SD card into a reader)

It can be programmed by the buttons to record acceleration to any speed you choose, as well as over any two increments of your choice, shown opposite as 30-50 and 50-70. The instantaneous mph (or kph) is displayed and showed the car's speedo to over read by only 2-3mph.

The times are continuously updated - so that for example, if you let your speed drop to 25mph, it will start timing again automatically as soon as it reaches 30mph and update the 30-50 display when you reach 50mph. 

In other words, its completely hands free - no need for start or stop buttons. Standing start timing commences as soon as the car starts moving.  By pressing the down/up buttons you have access to other screens, showing 0-10, 0-20, 0-30 etc times, the 'best' times achieved since setting off, as well as longitudinal and lateral G forces. It does the usual 1/4 mile, 0-60, 0-100-0 times but these can all be altered to whatever you want.