Subaru Outback

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Subaru Outback

Manufacturer	Fuji Heavy Industries
Production	1996–present
Assembly	Ōta, Gunma, Japan Lafayette, Indiana, USA
Class	Mid-size
Layout	Front engine / four-wheel drive

See also the smaller Impreza-based Subaru Outback Sport

The Subaru Outback is a crossover sport-utility vehicle based on the Legacy / Liberty station wagon.

Created in response to the popularity of the truck-based sport-utility vehicle, the Outback made largely visual changes to the existing Legacy extended roof Touring Wagon platform to suggest a more adventurous, rugged and capable persona. Speculation has suggested the popularity of the first generation Legacy wagon air suspension height control inspired Subaru to replace the air bags that would begin to leak with age with a permanent increased ride height and larger wheels and tires. Over the years since its introduction, Subaru has incorporated the Outback nameplate variously to the Outback wagon itself, an Outback sedan (in 1999, suggested by a New England Subaru dealer) and an Impreza-based Outback Sport model. As of the 2008 US lineup, the Outback nameplate will once again apply only to wagon models. The Outback has steadily outsold its Legacy sibling in the US.

Subaru introduced the all-wheel-drive Outback to the US market in 1994 as a 1995 model. The US Outback is manufactured alongside the Subaru Legacy and Subaru Tribeca models at the Subaru of Indiana Automotive plant in Lafayette, Indiana.

Subaru chose to use the boxer engine in the Outback as well as their other products, to simplify the powertrain implementation of all wheel drive and because of the natural smoothness of the engine design. According to Subaru, because the engine sits inline, or longitudinal, with the transmission, instead of being offset,or transverse, as can be commonly found by other FWD and AWD vehicles, body roll is minimized. The weight of the engine and transmission are balanced instead of being offset, which causes the weight of the engine and transmission to be unbalanced in the engine bay in other vehicles. The boxer engine also affords a low center of gravity because the engine sits low in the engine bay and close to the ground, as opposed to other vehicles, allowing the vehicle to stay more stable in moderate to high speed manovers. Other manufacturers attempt to counteract the offset weight by making their powertrains weight evenly distributed, which overall causes the powertrain to be heavier than the Subaru layout, which is manufactured from lightweight alluminum. The boxer design also provides perfect vibration mitigation due to the fact that the movement of each piston is exactly countered by the corresponding piston in the opposing cylinder bank, eliminating the need for a harmonic balancer attached to the front of the engine at the crankshaft. Torque steer is also reduced with this type of powertrain layout. This is achieved by having the front driveshafts being of equal weight and length, and extend from the transmission to the front wheels at almost perpendicular from the transmission.

Initial US advertising included Subaru's trademarked phrase: "The World's First Sport Utility Wagon," despite AMC's having earlier launched in 1979 its Concord-based AMC Eagle, a 4-wheel drive wagon discontinued in 1988. Subaru itself has manufactured four-wheel drive station wagons since 1975. (4WD was only available in the wagon version until 1977 with the introduction of the BRAT).

Other US Outback advertisements featured Australian "Crocodile Dundee" star Paul Hogan, placing the Outback in adventurous situations besting its competitors, notably the Ford Explorer.

Trim levels on all past and current USA Subarus can be easily identified by the color of the outside door handles. Base trim levels can be identified by black plastic door handles, whereas uplevel have painted door handles that match the exterior color.

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Subaru Outback

Japanese Car Portal

1 First generation (1995-1999)
2 Second generation (2000-2004)
3 Third generation (2005-current)
4 Future
5 External links

First generation

Also called	Legacy Grand Wagon (MY99) Legacy Lancaster
Production	1995–1999
Body style(s)	4-door station wagon
Engine(s)	2.2L 135 hp (101 kW) H4 2.5L 165 hp (123 kW) H4
Transmission(s)	4-speed automatic 5-speed manual
Wheelbase	103.5 in (2629 mm)
Length	185.8 in (4719 mm)
Width	67.5 in (1715 mm)
Height	63 in (1600.2 mm)
Fuel capacity	15.9 US gallons (60.2 L/13.2 imp gal)
Related	Subaru Legacy

1st-gen Legacy Outback SUS Limited

The Outback was available in Japan from 1995 as the Legacy Grand Wagon, and in the US as the Legacy Outback, a trim line with normal ground clearance but an "SUV look" with two-tone paint and fog lights. In Australia it has always been known simply as "the Outback". The exterior was designed by Olivier Boulay, who was hired by Subaru on a short-term basis. It became a separately-marketed line in the United States in 1996. At this point it gained Outback-specific changes included unique bumpers (with large fog lamps incorporated into the front bumper), tweed-like seats and door panel inserts, taller tires with more aggressive tread, and a slightly higher ground clearance. In September 1997, the Japanese Legacy Grand Wagon was renamed Legacy Lancaster. The JDM Grand Wagon and Lancaster were only available with the DOHC 2.5 liter engine, receiving a 10 hp improvement in 1998.

The Outback SUS (for "Sport Utility Sedan") was launched with a limited production test run sold in New England (USA) in 1998 and based on its success, was rolled out nationwide the following year. This included all the Outback wagon upgrades applied to a sedan body, with the addition of a (non-functional) hood scoop and trunk mounted rear wing.

The 4 speed automatic transmission had a feature where the transmission could be instructed to ignore 1st gear from a standing stop to assist driving on traction limited situations, such as ice and snow. The system was activated by depressing a button on the gearshift selector marked "Manual" and moving the gearshift from the "D" position down to "3rd". The car would then start in 2nd gear, and not 1st, then as the car gained speed would shift up to 3rd, locking out the overdrive gear 4th. The transmission also splits the delivered torque 50-50 between the front and rear wheels. Once the car stopped, the transmission would start back in 2nd and not 1st, until the system was disengaged with the "Manual" button or upshifting to 4th.

A unusual interior change placed the power window switches flat against the door panel, whereas the window switches for the first and third generation Legacy, for which the Outback is based, extended from the door panels and were oriented in a horizontal position and were located underneath the drivers or occupants hands for easy location and use, and integrated into the door pull and armrest.

Other Subaru Outback products

Subaru Outback Sport

2nd-gen Subaru Outback Sport

An Outback Sport, based on the Subaru Impreza five-door hatchback was introduced in 1998.

Second generation

Also called	Subaru Lancaster
Production	2000–2004
Body style(s)	4-door station wagon 4-door sedan
Engine(s)	2.5L 165 hp (123 kW) H4 3.0L 212 hp (158 kW) H6
Transmission(s)	4-speed automatic 5-speed manual
Wheelbase	104.3 in (2649 mm)
Length	187.4 in (4760 mm) (wagon) 184.4 in (4683.8 mm) (sedan)
Width	68.7 in (1745 mm)
Height	63.3 in (1607.8 mm) (2000-01 wagon) 62.2 in (1579.9 mm) (2002-04 wagon) 58.3 in (1480.8 mm) (sedan)
Fuel capacity	16.9 US gallons (64.0 L/14.1 imp gal)
Related	Subaru Legacy

2nd-gen Subaru Outback Limited sedan

Although based on the third generation Legacy, in 2000, Outback became its own model and added a 4-door sedan, as well as an available horizontal six-cylinder engine. The Outback was called the Lancaster in Japan for the second generation, with the six-cylinder in Japan called the Lancaster 6.

The six-cylinder was offered with Subaru's VDC (Vehicle Dynamics Control) system, which integrated stability control with traction control. The system was also mated to an entirely new AWD system, in which power was split 45/55 front-to-rear in normal conditions. When wheel spin is detected, the system cuts power to the spinning wheel and directs power to those that aren't. Only when necessary do the brakes slow the affected wheels.

Other models retained the typical AWD layouts seen in previous generation Outbacks, depending on transmission choice. Manuals came with a mechanical "Continuous AWD" system which was normally 50/50 front/rear, and relied on limited slip differentials to redirect power front to rear, rear to front, and from one rear wheel to the other (when fitted with a rear limited slip differential). Automatics had an electronically-controlled AWD system that was 90/10 front/rear and redirected differing amounts of power to the rear wheels continuously depending on how hard the accelerator pedal was pressed.

The 4 speed automatic transmission, had a feature where the transmission could be instructed to ignore 1st gear from a standing stop to assist driving on traction limited situations, such as ice and snow. The system was activated by moving the gearshift from the "D" position down to "2nd". The car would then start in 2nd gear, and not 1st. The transmission also splits the delivered torque 50-50 between the front and rear wheels. Once the car stopped, the transmission would start back in 2nd and not 1st, until the system was upshifted to 4th.

The Outback came standard with a 165 horsepower (123 kW) 4-cylinder boxer engine, however it differed from the previous four-cylinder in that it became an SOHC design; that, and maximum torque (166 ft·lbf (225 N·m)) was available at a lower rpm.

In the highest trim level (VDC, for Vehicle Dynamics Control), a 200 W McIntosh stereo system was standard from 2001 to 2003. These were some of the only vehicles ever factory-equipped with McIntosh stereo equipment. Options also included an in-dash 6-disc CD changer and dual moonroofs.

Third generation

Production	2005–present
Body style(s)	4-door station wagon 4-door sedan
Engine(s)	2.5L 173 hp (129 kW) H4 2.5L 175 hp (130 kW) H4 2.5L 250 hp (186 kW) H4 3.0L 250 hp (186 kW) H6
Transmission(s)	4-speed automatic 5-speed manual 5-speed automatic
Wheelbase	105.1 in (2670 mm)
Length	188.7 in (4793 mm) (2005-07 wagon) 186.2 in (4729 mm) (sedan) 189 in (4801 mm) (2008-present wagon)
Width	69.7 in (1770 mm)
Height	63.2 in (1605 mm) (wagon) 59.1 in (1501 mm) (sedan) 61.6 in (1565 mm) (2008-present base wagon)
Fuel capacity	16.9 US gallons (64.0 L/14.1 imp gal)
Related	Subaru B9 Tribeca Subaru Legacy

3rd-gen Subaru Outback Limited sedan

In 2003, with the debut of the fourth-generation Legacy at the 60th Frankfurt Auto Show, the Outback name is now being used worldwide with the launch of the second-generation Outback wagon. Models equipped with a 3.0 L H6 were introduced at the 2004 Chicago Auto Show.

The Outback carries the same model codes as the Legacy Wagon, BP9 for the 2.5 liter, and BPE for the 3.0 liter model. In Japan, the Lancaster name was changed, again, and it's officially called Legacy Outback.

The Impreza-based Outback Sport, based on the most recent Impreza, is marketed on Subaru's U.S. website as a trim of the Impreza. The Sport's look more closely mimics the older Outback's style than the latest Outback.

MY08 Subaru Outback Limited

The Outback received styling revisions for the 2008 model year, notably an enlarged, chrome-ringed grille.

As of the 2008 model year, the Legacy wagon and Outback sedan were discontinued in the United States, leaving the Legacy sedan and Outback wagon.

The JDM model has been shown with a "Start/Stop" button which suggests that the vehicle has been equipped with keyless ignition, found in Lexus, Infiniti, Audi and other high end makers.

The Legacy and Outback will both be redesigned in 2010.