 There
must have been a sixth sense involved when editors of ROAD & TRAVEL Magazine
chose Subaru's Legacy Outback Wagon for its 2003 longterm review. With much of
the country in an extended deep freeze for months, it became the perfect time
to test out Subaru's long-standing reputation for going just about anywhere in
any weather without losing comfort and style.
We
had waited impatiently at our home base just across the border from frigid Canada
as autumn moved towards winter and the temperature range inched downward. The
urge for a serious snow drive was somewhat satisfied when some modest storms brought
inches of snow that local road crews quickly turned to salty slush. But
there still were those tantalizing questions piqued by Subaru's All-Wheel-Drive
heritage. This was the vehicle long revered for its moxie in snow by outdoor sports
enthusiasts, its independent attitude by hippie-bred college professors and its
solid dependability by doctors and nurses working the night shift. But how would
the Outback wagon behave if pushed to the very limit? Did it truly have the underpinnings
to match the worst that weather could bring? Winter, it turned out, didn't disappoint. Now,
with spring at last emerging, we finally can tally the score in a match that pitted
Subaru's gutsy wagon against some of the meanest weather to hit North America
in years. RTM
Publisher Courtney Caldwell was the first to find out exactly what the Outback
was made of during a midday trip out of town when a blinding snow squall suddenly
blanketed the road she was driving. Some drivers, caught off-guard by the sudden
slick pavement and zero visibility, began spinning off the road when they tried
to slow or stop. But the Outback, she said, just hunkered down and stayed put.
"I've never had an experience like that, where I couldn't see anything,"
Caldwell recalled. "All I could think of was, 'Thank God I'm in this car.'" Her
rescue could be attributed to Subaru's advanced "VDC" system in action,
according to Subaru spokesman, Rob Moran. The company's most refined and capable
stability system to date is only the latest iteration in the long-term development
of All-Wheel-Drive that set Subaru apart from its competitors in the U.S. as long
ago as the late 1970's.
• THE
HARDWARE AT HEART • "The
VDC -- the vehicle dynamics control -- is really the most sophisticated All-Wheel-Drive
Subaru has," said Moran, on hearing the outcome of our rough weather testing. The
VDC uses the vehicle's sophisticated systems such as Variable Torque Distribution
(the driving force to the wheels) and all-wheel, all-speed traction control (to
combat slippage). It monitors what is happening with the vheicle, and determines
which tires have traction and which don't. All actions that come into play are
instantly sensed, from the angle of the steering wheel and speed of the individual
wheels to the lateral or "G" forces on the vehicle and amount of unsettling
sidewise movement right or left referred to as the "yaw" rate. This
sort of electronic "sixth sense" meter combines all that input to determine
what direction the driver is trying to go and applies braking or acceleration
pressure at exactly the wheel points that need it. The VDC system also shifts
the vehicle's front to rear weight balance to aid in maintaining control. If
the vehicle needs to turn, for example, but is heading too much in a straight
line (a condition called "understeer"), the system is designed to bring
it back under control. Same thing with another dangerous condition called "oversteer,"
when the rear threatens to whip around in a spinout. The
VDC system works constantly and acts within milliseconds to prevent loss of stability,
said Moran. It's so fast that when the little "VDC" icon glows yellow
on the dash, the correction is actually complete. The
Outback's horizontally-opposed H6-3.0 liter "boxer" engine also is a
contributing factor in maintaining stability. Because the pistons that provide
power move side to side like two boxers sparing back and forth at each other,
it can be situated lower in the vehicle than a traditional engine where piston
movement is more vertical. That not only keeps it running smoother than other
engines, but also lowers the center of gravity for a much more stable feel. It's
an engine configuration surprisingly ignored by most auto companies, although
Porsche uses it with a rear-drive system in its sports cars. The
VDC was standard on our test Outback wagon, as were all the amenties from leather
seating, and premium sound system to electronic controls, including eight-way
driver seat adjustments, and GM's OnStar satellite communciations system (although
not yet activated). Handsome touches -- luggage rack, dual sunroof, and even the
stubby European style antenna in the rear -- were included. The only option on
this wagon, badged at $33,215 when first delivered, was a $295 trailer tow package. I
had learned to respect the capability of Subaru's earlier All-Wheel-Drive systems
a few years ago at a vehicle research station in northern Michigan, where an ice
pond used for traction tests was so smooth a man standing on it began sliding
across the surface when a strong gust of wind caught his jacket like a sail. Somehow,
the Subarus we rode in got through.
• IGNORING
HAZARDS AHEAD • With
that still etched into memory, I mapped out an extended drive in the Outback wagon
that would take me West to the heart of Michigan's infamous "snow belt"
bordering Lake Michigan, before cutting South toward Chicago. Just days before,
a 70-vehicle pileup had occurred in the area from one of the season's unpredictable
snowstorm white-outs. There were ominous weather reports. But this was Subaru,
mind you, and snow driving was a reason for my trip. So I cast an apprehensive
eye at the latest storm prediction and headed out to chase down a blizzard. The
beginning was uneventful, with traffic flowing at speed. The engine that pumps
out 212 horsepower and 210 lb.ft. of torque, felt smooth and authoritative, while
steering was responsive and agile without a need for muscle heft. Inside I had
a pure comfort zone, cradled coatless in deliciously heated, lush leather seating,
cool vibes flowing through the premium McIntosh sound system with six CD changer,
cruise control clicking off miles without strain. It felt like security in a luxurious
package. Nearly
half-way across state, a snow squall swept over the Interstate, leaving a glistening
icy roadway before snow began piling up. As ice and snow increased, I retained
a feel of communication with the road. Although the Outback maintained control,
I cut my speed considerably as I've developed a healthy respect for driving anytime
in hazardous conditions. The
snow came down heavier, with thick flakes pelting the windshield like little white
missiles aimed directly at the center of my vision. The outside -- with sub-zero
wind chills -- had an Antarctic trek feel, with long sweeps of blowing snow scouring
the roadway clean, then swirling to obliterate everything as 40-mile-an-hour winds
blasted at anything above ground level. The
Outback held me in place with its superior traction and lower profile than some
small sport utility vehicles it competes with. Despite the buffeting winds, there
wasn't a sense of skidding or slipping. Several mounds of car-shaped snow at the
roadside, or emergency flashers blinking from a ditch suggested other drivers
weren't as lucky. When
visibility dropped to near zero feet, I sought shelter on the shoulder until I
could see once again. Pulling out from foot-deep snowdrifts was no problem; the
car just dug out and was back on the road.
• PROVEN ABILITY
• In
retrospect, I could contrast this experience with two less successful ones that
twice left me stranded during Michigan's notoriously unpredictable winter weather.
A while back, on a similar trip in a comparable blizzard -- in a sports car as
I recall -- driving felt so unstable and vulnerable I abandoned the Interstate
where sweeping winds had at least kept tire track lanes visible. It was a big
mistake. The snow was so thick it became impossible to see the ground and I spent
the night parked outside a truck stop. Much
earlier, while driving a two-wheel-drive, empty-bed pickup truck on the same Interstate,
a mist on the roadway unexpectedly turned to black ice. Although I already had
slowed, just the subtle movement of a sidewise glance was all it took to send
the truck into a wild spin that ended in a water-filled ditch. The
intended Outback trip to Chicago would have been about 400 miles as mapped out,
with a short mid-trip stopover. After traveling half that distance in about seven
hours, it was halted when state police closed the connector road. Yes,
the trip was tiring. But it wasn't as exhausting as it might have been in some
other vehicle. And although Michigan's finest halted the trip, I'm not convinced
it was necessary. While I had run down, I think the Subaru still could have made
it through. | 
