2010 Subaru Outback 3.6R Limited
Credit: Automobile Magazine (www.automobilemag.com)
By Rusty Blackwell
Months in service: Twelve Miles to date: 38,939
Our Subaru Outback got no reprieve from hard labor during its last month in our hands. This time around, it made a 3000-mile, week-and-a-half hunting trip to North Dakota with Tim Jennings, husband of our editor-in-chief Jean. Mr. Jennings left his wife at home but filled the Outback with two of their big Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, duck-hunting gear, decoys, a forty-eight-quart cooler, and upland gear.
“We were packed to the gills,” Tim reported upon returning home to Michigan. “My daily driver is a Chevy Suburban, and I wanted to see how a smaller, more fuel efficient vehicle would fare on the long trip. It did well. At times, we traversed snow-covered, muddy roads with winds up to 60 mph, and the Outback was sure-footed the whole way.”
In one instance, he tackled a two-track with deep mud created by an autumn snowstorm and an ensuing thaw. A local hunting guide doubted that the Outback could make it through some of the toughest spots, but the Subaru proved him wrong. “When I finally got to a quarter car wash, though,” Jennings says, “it was a $15 affair.”
In addition to the North Dakota hunting trip, the Outback took a beating of another sort when it was accidentally backed into a tree, damaging the liftgate below the rear window. There was no damage to the glass or the bumper, but the part, paint, and labor came to $443.53.
That was less than the cost of the Outback’s 30,000-mile maintenance visit, however, which set us back a steep $527.54. That was uncharacteristic, though, as most of the Outback’s service visits have been less than $50 apiece -- nice, since we racked up so many miles.
2010 Subaru Outback 3.6R Limited
Base price (with destination): $31,690
Price as tested: $35,541
Overview
Body Style: 4-door wagon
Accommodation: 5-passenger
Construction: Steel unibody
Powertrain
Engine: 24-valve DOHC flat-6
Displacement: 3.6 liters
Power: 256 hp @ 6000 rpm
Torque: 247 lb-ft @ 4400 rpm
Transmission: 5-speed automatic
Drive: 4-wheel
Fuel economy: 18/25/20 mpg (city/hwy/combined)
Chassis
Steering: Power-assisted rack-and-pinion
Turns lock-to-lock: 3.2
Turning Circle: 36.8 ft
Suspension, front: Strut-type, coil springs
Suspension, Rear: Control arms, coil springs
Brakes F/R: Ventilated discs, ABS
Wheels: 17-inch aluminum
Tires: Continental ContiProContact (all-season)
Tire Size: 225/60TR-17
Measurements
Headroom F/R: 38.7/39.3 in
Legroom F/R: 43.0/37.8 in
Shoulder room F/R: 56.3/56.1 in
Hip room F/R: 54.5/53.9 in
Wheelbase: 107.9 in
L x W x H: 188.2 x 71.7 x 65.7 in
Track F/R: 61.0/61.0 in
Cargo Capacity: 34.3/71.3 cu ft (rear seats up/down)
Weight: 3658 lb
Fuel Capacity: 18.5 gal
Est. Range: 370 miles
Fuel Grade: 87 octane
Standard Equipment
Stability control
ABS
Front, side, and side curtain air bags
Tire-pressure monitoring system
Air-conditioning
Power windows, mirrors, and door locks
Ten-way power driver's seat; four-way power front-passenger seat
Heated front seats, sideview mirrors, and wiper de-icer
Leather-trimmed upholstery
Tilt and telescopic steering wheel
Trip computer
Options
Option Package 08 (power moonroof, voice-activated navigation system, auxiliary audio USB/iPod input, backup camera, Bluetooth audio capability), $2995
Popular Equip Group 1a (auto-dim mirror/compass, security system shock sensor), $326
Sirius satellite kit, $461
All-weather floor mats, $69
Credit: Automobile Magazine (www.automobilemag.com)
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