In Europe, rallying is a huge spectator sport. Entire villages of car-crazed lunatics line rally routes, trying to get themselves maimed or killed. To touch a rally car as it speeds by is considered masculine by these wine-and-cheese consuming dolts. The single reason half of these people are alive today is superior driving skills by rally drivers who can wend their way through deep mud puddles, toss cars into four-wheel drifts with a flick of the steering wheel, and blast through narrow human-lined crevasses in ancient cities like they're walking a dog in the park.
Subaru won the driver's title and manufacturer's title in the 1995 World Rally Championship with Impreza sedans. Those award-winning rally cars used the same platform, suspension, and drivetrain layout as our 1997 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport test car. We've spent lots of time in Subarus lately; last year we tested a Legacy Outback, an Impreza Coupe, and an Impreza Outback. More recently, Subaru invited us to compare Imprezas and Legacys to front- and rear-wheel drive products from other manufacturers on test tracks that simulated real-world pavement conditions. We've already driven a 1997 2.5GT sedan through the wilds of southern Utah on dirt and paved roads, and then jaunted 700 miles over the Rocky Mountains to Denver. Now, we sample the new Impreza Outback Sport, and we're quite smitten with this street legal rally car.
What makes the Outback Sport different from last year? A host of improvements, most notably a half-inch increase in ground clearance. Power is up slightly from last year, with the 2.2-liter four-cylinder boxer engine pumping 137 horsepower to all four wheels. Peak torque is made lower in the rev band, and the Outback Sport feels more sprightly than last year. Styling cues include revised front styling, with integral fog lights and honeycombed hood vents. That's not a mail slot on the upper portion of the hood; it's a functional air scoop that helps cool the engine, not make extra horsepower. Inside, new seat fabric is of questionable attractiveness. The climate controls have been revised as well.
The Outback Sport is lots of fun. Our automatic test car provided strong in-town response, and didn't feel much more lethargic than one equipped with a five-speed manual. High speed stability was outstanding, with firm steering that provides fine feedback from the road. Brakes consistently worked effectively, though the pedal displayed some mushiness in drive-thru lines and approaching traffic lights. The automatic transmission upshifts rather abruptly when accelerating quickly, but operates unobtrusively the rest of the time. Whether cruising along the interstate, pointing and shooting through urban traffic, or drifting around 90-degree angle turns on loose gravel, the Impreza Outback Sport displays impeccable control and communicates clearly. Better yet, the Impreza feels tight as a drum in all driving situations, though our test car did develop a bothersome squeak from the rear liftgate that made its presence annoyingly known on long stretches of rumpled pavement.
We like the new styling, though one editor did not enjoy the view of the hood scoop from inside the Impreza. The front of the car is more aggressive in appearance, and somehow makes the rear styling appear more conventional and less like an AMC Pacer. Our green-over-gray test car wore very attractive 5-spoke aluminum wheels, which retail for $775. If this is too steep a premium for a set of wheels, and we think it is, drop by Discount Tire and get a set of aftermarket rims to replace the Outback's standard wheel covers, which must be the cheesiest plastic discs we've seen since perusing the automotive aisle at Wal-Mart.
Inside, the Outback Sport is covered in fabric that looks like a bad acid trip. Seating is comfortable up front, with plenty of leg and head room. The seats are mounted a tad low for some tastes, and a seat height adjustment would be welcome. Subaru changed the climate controls this year, swapping the superb tri-rotary dials of 1996 for a mess of dials, slide levers, and a push button for 1997. Bad move. The heater works effectively though, providing enough heat to sear a sirloin. The sound system in our test car sounded great, and the in-dash CD player was welcome. Under the brittle plastic center armrest is a storage box designed to accommodate four compact discs and not much else. At McDonald's, we pulled the cupholder out of the dash, literally. After gingerly reinstalling it, we discovered that our Super Size Sprite wouldn't fit anyway. Switchgear and gauges are easy to see and use, though we wish the low-mounted stereo featured more knobs and fewer buttons. Modulating bass, treble, balance and fade is nearly impossible while driving, thanks to a tiny mode button and an LCD display that is easily washed out by the sun. With a sticker price of nearly $21,000, our Impreza Sport disappointed with vinyl-covered sunvisors, no tethered fuel cap, and no cruise control. Don't expect to toss much cargo in the Outback Sport. The cargo bay looks larger than it is, and is compromised somewhat by the steeply raked rear window.
Anti-lock brakes are standard on the Outback Sport. To get ABS on any Impreza this year, you've gotta pop for the Outback. Last year, LX models offered this safety feature, but Subaru canceled the LX for 1997 and failed to give Impreza L buyers the opportunity to equip their car with ABS. Bad Move II -- the Sequel. As much as we like the Outback Sport, $21,000 is too damn much money to pay for a compact station wagon with vinyl sunvisors and no cruise control, regardless of the all-wheel drive system. Our recommendation would be the Impreza L Wagon, but without optional ABS, who cares if it has all-wheel drive traction for better control in a variety of conditions. We want to stop effectively too. Why ABS is not available across the board from a company currently touting the safety benefits of all-wheel drive is a mystery to us.
Subaru is pitching the Outback Sport to the same crowd snapping up the Toyota RAV4, Jeep Cherokee, and Geo Tracker 4-door. Since the Legacy Outback was such a big hit, Subaru figures the same treatment for the Impreza will result in increased sales figures. The way we see things, folks snap up Explorers by the hundred thousand for the space, image and 4WD. The Legacy Outback offers all three, along with car-like performance, handling, and ride at a lower price. The young upwardly mobiles raving to get a RAV4 actually drive off-road, and want something cool looking to put a mountain bike in, while enjoying a car-like ride, visibility over traffic, and ground clearance to reach the really gnarly singletrack. The RAV4 may not handle as well as the Outback Sport, and doesn't accelerate as quickly, but it delivers exactly what buyers in this segment want. The Honda CR-V, which is expected to undercut both the Outback Sport and the RAV4 while offering substantially larger interior accommodations, should hit the bullseye. Subaru is off the mark with the pricey Outback Sport. The success of the Legacy Outback was based on providing the people with the style and space of an SUV, the ride and handling qualities of a car, and a low price. The Impreza Outback Sport doesn't perform the same magic in the more price-conscious mini-SUV segment. However, the RAV4, CR-V, and Tracker are all underpowered. If Subaru added the Legacy Outback's 2.5-liter engine to the Outback Sport without jacking up the current price, this wagon would make a compelling argument against purchasing a Toyota or Honda.
Fun to drive? Definitely. We enjoy every minute behind the wheel of an Impreza, as long as we aren't fiddling with the climate or radio controls. But to appreciate this wagon's virtues, you've gotta love to drive. The Outback Sport simply doesn't offer much value. Case in point: when asked which car she would prefer, a Ford Escort LX Wagon or an Impreza Outback Sport, my lovely but frugal wife, Christy, immediately responded in favor of the Subaru. Then I told her a fully-loaded Escort (including cruise control, cloth visors, and an integrated child safety seat) could save her $3,500, and all she'd have to give up was the CD player, twenty horsepower, a little ground clearance, and superior traction. Suddenly, Christy didn't much care about the beauty of all-wheel drive or rallying around the streets of Denver.
