Driving Subaru’s Outback Sport Touring XT AWD – a special edition high riding wagon that sits at the top of the Outback range at $57,490 plus on- road costs. Distinguished with special Geyser Blue exterior paint and black 18-inch alloy wheels, also highly equipped. Power source the traditional 2.5-litre horizontally opposed four-cylinder turbocharged driving all four wheels through a continuously variable automatic. As has always been the case with this mainstay Subaru, the drive experience most reassuring. It’s not an SUV but a high riding wagon with a go-anywhere ability and it just gets better year on year. Yes, it’s been around for a while in its current guise and varied little over the years – just more refined and better equipped, a firm family favourite, practical with good rear seat room and load space and importantly a five-star ANCAP safety rating. The turbocharged engine perhaps showing its age a little in that it uses more petrol, and it does require higher grand 95 octane petrol – I achieved 11.1L/100 with mainly urban driving – but it is a permanent all-wheel drive and the tractability in the recent rain was confidence inspiring. It does have a full-size spare, peace of mind for those that venture off road. Warranty five-years/unlimited km.

IMAGE CREDIT / Subaru Australia

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