Automotive Reviews
Five Doors
2008 Subaru Outback
01387 days
Back in the day, the family car was expected to do everything–it wasn’t uncommon to see mattresses or furniture strapped to the roofs of sedans, or sports cars struggling through the snow in the dead of winter. In the new millennium, however, we’ve got an automotive landscape that’s diversified and specialized, and there’s a car, truck or SUV suited for just about every task you could imagine.
So where does that leave the old-fashioned do-all? Well, as it turns out, that’s a class of car that’s evolved along with everything else. In the Thirties, the ubiquitous Ford Model A was the car that could do just about anything. In 2008, cars like the Subaru Outback continue to fill that role. Freshened for 2008, the Outback is a road car, an off-road vehicle, a family sedan, and a cargo carrier. It’s even reasonably fun to drive, within its limits. For 2008, it gets a comprehensive round of updates to its styling, powertrain, suspension and interior.
Visually, the Outback hasn’t changed much. It sports a wedgy profile and tapered, boatlike prow that take some of the stodginess out of the station-wagon silhouette. The Outback’s face has been tweaked front and rear with a larger grille and newly stretched headlights. Overall the car’s familiar look has been smoothed and subtly modernized. Fans of the odd-duck Outback sedan will be disappointed to hear that the high-riding AWD four-door has been discontinued for 2008.
Much work has been done with the interior. The instrument panel is all new, with a fresh layout that borrows a bit from sports sedans. Black trim figures heavily into it, but a lighter lower section keeps the interior from resembling a cave. The available navigation system is nicely integrated into the dash front and center, and easy-to-read electroluminescent gauges are now used across the board. Subaru has made the Ouback’s interior look less cheap over the years, but there are a few subtle downmarket flaws still, like the action on the glovebox. Shorter passengers complained (loudly) that the leather seats were uncomfortably hard and poorly shaped, though taller folks didn’t seem to mind. The heated seats were a welcome option on twenty-degree Michigan winter nights. The available cargo area spill-mat is also handy. Like most sport-utes, the Outback is available with a wide range of dealer-installed accessories aimed at making cargo loading and hauling easier.
The 2.5 liter flat-four engine makes pleasant noises and 170 horsepower, but the four-speed autobox requires a firm stomp at times to wake it up. Merging in the four-cylinder Outback is an annoying and daunting process if you catch the transmission sleeping out of the powerband, a situation that we found ourselves in more than once. Power is otherwise adequate; freeway cruising is comfortably relaxed. Drivers who want more than “adequate” can step up to the Outback 2.5 XT Limited with its 243-horse turbocharged four-cylinder, or to the Outback 3.0 R L.L. Bean which is equipped with a 245-horsepower six-cylinder. Subaru’s standard Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive is unstoppable on snow, and in fact the Outback practically begged for drifts to plow through. The XT Limited and L.L. Bean Outbacks, Subaru’s SI-Drive system is also available, offering three-mode engine response that can be tuned to different road characteristics.
In any flavor, the Outback is a nasty-road champion, and enjoys hammering along at stupid speeds over cracked pavement, gravel and even the beat-up stretch of road that I use to evaluate the suspensions of my test trucks, floating and drifting through puddles but always in control. The suspension is independent at all four corners, and it’s got excellent balance and feel thanks to a low center of gravity. You wouldn’t know it from the driver’s seat, but the Outback rides high, with up to 8.4 inches of ground clearance. The Outback’s even got some limited off-road ability, thanks to its high-riding stane and the all-wheel drive’s sure-footedness. It’s got wood trim inside and a neat, luxurious interior, but the Outback begs to be used hard. Standard anti-lock brakes ensure that the fun doesn’t get out of hand.
All said, there isn’t much you can’t do with an Outback. Hauling the family, carrying groceries, making road trips and even banging along unfinished roads to get to a remote fishing spot, this car can do it all. Opt for the turbocharged Outback XT and it’s even got a hint of the performance that makes Subaru’s Impreza STi a favorite of driving enthusiasts. Pricing is reasonable as well; my test car was an Outback Limited and light on options, with only satellite radio and a convenience group that added cargo nets and an auto-dimming mirror, and it stickered for $29,312.
Specifications:
All specs are for the 2008 Subaru Outback.
Length: 189.0 in.
Width: 69.7 in.
Height: 61.6 in.
Wheelbase: 105.1 in.
Curb weight: 3395 lb.
Cargo space: 33.5 cu.ft. (seats up); 65.4 cu.ft. (seats folded)
Base price: $27,695
Engine: 2.5 liter horizontally opposed four-cylinder
Drivetrain: four-speed automatic transmission, all-wheel drive
Horsepower: 170 @ 6000
Torque: 170 @ 4400
Fuel capacity: 16.9 gal.
Est. mileage: 20/26
2008 Volkswagen Touareg 2 V10 TDI
01387 days
Okay, so why does the Volkswagen Touareg suddenly have a “2″ at the end of its name? Is this a smaller Touareg, or a companion model? You’d be forgiven for assuming that the name “Touareg 2″ referred to VW’s upcoming compact sport-ute, but nope, that rig goes by the name of Tiguan. No, “Touareg 2″ is what VW is calling the redesigned Touareg that’s debuting for 2008.
A new Touareg? Yes, I know it looks at a glance to be just like last year’s model, but the Touareg has undergone quite a bit of revision and updating.
The redesign is one of the most subtle ever. The front end has the same tall, sleek good looks as before, but the grille and headlights have been substantially revised to match the rest of VW’s lineup. The larger, deep-chinned grille is chrome on V6-powered Touaregs and more subtle matte chrome on the V8 and V10 models. Chrome eyebrows over the rounded off headlamps offer additional distinction. The long-nosed profile and muscular side contouring haven’t changed, but at the rear there’s a new roof-edge spoiler and a bit of tweaking to the taillights. 19-inch wheels are standard on uplevel models. The Touareg is a bulky-looking vehicle, and still tends to give the impression that it’s much larger than it is.
Twist the key, and the HID headlamps come imposingly to life, a dance of light that’s especially impressive at night. Day or night, the interior drips with Volkswagen’s special brand of high-tech working-class luxury. Amenities include heated seats front and rear, a backup camera with a parking guide that overlays the direction the Touareg’s going to go in the display, automatic four-zone climate control, and a sunroof. Sirius satellite radio is standard equipment, and there’s a specially tuned 620-watt Dynaudio sound system available as an upgrade. The Touareg’s dash hasn’t changed much with the redesign and continues to play the command center vibe to the hilt, with acres of buttons and controls that are sometimes less intuitive than they ought to be. Wood trim on the console adds a warm touch. The standard power tailgate works quickly, though the 31 cubic-foot cargo area that it reveals could use bag hooks of some kind. The big Volkswagen’s cabin is a very nice place to be, and it’s one of the places the Touareg’s rather high bottom line shows.
The other big justification for the Touareg’s base price is under the hood. A choice of V6 V8 or V10 diesel power is available, and all three are world class. A new FSI fuel management system improves power and efficiency across the board. Touareg buyers get a choice of a 3.8 liter V6 with 280 horsepower, a 4.2 liter V8 making 350, or the 5.0 V10 TDI that churns out 310 horses and 553 pound-feet of torque. Driving the high-horsepower middle child, the V8, is a pleasant and relaxing experience. Docile at low speeds, the Touareg’s V8 is quick to roar, and offers great power throughout the range. On the freeway it’s relaxed to the point of calmness, yet there’s enough power for the Touareg to handle a good-sized trailer. The six-speed automatic transmission is geared nicely for high-speed freeway cruising, and the Touareg masks its hefty 5300-pound curb weight well under acceleration. Do not ask about fuel economy, for it will only make you cry. At least Touareg measures decent off-road skills among its achievements, to make up for its fuelish nature.
The Touareg’s all-wheel drive gets added security from standard Electronic Stabilization Program (ESP) stability control. The ESP includes rollover mitigation and understeer protection, and as a result sloppy roads and ice don’t seem to concern the Touareg at all.
A double wishbone suspension is used up front, with an independent four-link setup at the rear. It’s not exactly sporty, but the Touareg is very responsive and confidence-inspiring. The on-road ride is stiffer than most, but not particularly waddly. Of course, there are so many SUVs on the road these days that there’s no point in comparing it to a car. The Touareg manages its high center of gravity gracefully, offers excellent steering feedback through the wheel, and brakes well enough that it’s easy to forget that it weighs two and a half tons. The brakes include a dry-braking system that skims water off of the brake discs when it’s raining, as well as offering the capability to dislodge small bits of gravel and other debris that might get wedged in between brake pad and rotor when off-roading.
You can have it all, but you can’t have it all for nothing, of course. The revised 2008 Touareg is a high-class, high-capability vehicle. It’s also undeniably a high-ticket item as well, with pricing starting at $39,320 for the V6 model and $48,320 for a V8 like the one I drove. The V10 TDI comes in at a startling $68,320, which is considerable even taking into account that vehicle’s indstrial-grade towing and hauling capability.
Specifications:
All specs are for the 2008 Volkswagen Touareg
Length: 187.2 in.
Width: 75.9 in.
Height: 68.0 in.
Wheelbase: 112.4 in.
Curb weight: 5300 lb.
Towing capacity: 7716 lb.
Cargo space: 31 cu.ft. (seats up); 71 cu.ft. (seats folded)
Base price: $48,320
Engine: 4.2 liter DOHC V8
Drivetrain: six-speed automatic transmission, four-wheel drive
Horsepower: 350 @ 6700
Torque: 324 @ 3500
Fuel capacity: 26.4 gal.
Est. mileage: 12/17
2008 Nissan Rogue
01387 days
There’s always been something about compact sport-utes that makes them great companions for around-town errand running. Whether it’s their urban-friendly size plus the excellent visibility, the cargo area that’s much larger than you’ll find in the average compact station wagon or sedan, or simply the ability to drive over curbs if you want to, the urban jungle has always been a good habitat for the smallest SUVs.
