Best known as the carmaker to offer all-wheel drive in all of its vehicles, Subaru has been offering an all-wheel drive passenger car for more than 15 years, with the first Subaru four-wheel drive passenger car dating back nearly 25 years.

With that experience under its belt, it's no surprise that Subaru is among the most capable all-wheel drive vehicles, with systems as advanced as those found in more expensive cars like the Audi All-Road, A4 Avant Quattro, Volkswagen Passat 4-motion, and Volvo V70 Cross Country and new Volvo Vehi-Cross.

To put the newest of Subaru's offerings to the test, we selected two of the all-new Outback models - among the most popular of the Subaru line and nestled nicely between the smaller Forester and larger Legacy models.

Putting power to all four wheels has distinct advantages, which have come to the driving public's attention in recent years, due largely to the rising popularity of sport-utility vehicles.

This power on all four corners can lead to some confusion. To clear that up read our detailed information about all-wheel drive.

Subaru Outback for 2001 comes in two basic body styles - the sedan and wagon.

A new 212-horsepower, horizontally opposed 3.0-liter six-cylinder high-output engine, the H6-3.0 VDC, powers both. The six-cylinder Outback packages Variable Torque Distribution (VTD), all-wheel drive, with a new stability system called Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC) and all-wheel traction control. The new motor features an aluminum crankcase, double-overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, sequential fuel injection, and direct ignition.

Outback is available in a variety of trim levels, and an L.L. Bean edition adds comfort and trim features that include two-tone beige leather trimmed seats with the L.L. Bean logo, outside badging, and matching floor mats. The package includes other optional luxury features and a Momo wood and leather steering wheel.

Outside, the Outback features some aggressive styling that does not overwhelm the softer side of the cars appearance. Large cladding covers the lower panels, and big, oversized front and rear bumpers give a rugged look. Large, round driving lights are covered with a plastic grate, and the headlights are contoured to the shape of the nose. Rear lights are large and placed higher for better visibility. The wagon roofline is slightly higher than the sedan, mostly due to raised mounts for the roof rack. The wagon also sports dual sunroofs.

Inside, both the sedan and wagon offer a comfortable environment with many features found on more expensive cars. The wagon loses some headroom due to the dual sunroofs, but not much. Both the sedan and the wagon are laid out identically inside, except for the wagon's rear cargo area that the sedan replaces for a conventional trunk. The rear seats have special child seat anchors and plenty of legroom and easy access. The front seats are heated, cupholders are in the dash and center console, and the all the controls are well placed, and are easy to understand and operate. The instrument cluster features analog speedometer and tachometer. The cabin is roomy, quiet, efficient, and more luxurious than you would expect.

Driving the Outback is a pleasure. The sedan seems more nimble with less body roll than the wagon, but the wagon feels better suited to touring and is smoother than the sedan - though both of these characteristics are very subtle. Tire fitment is excellent using Firestone Wilderness mud and snow rated tires that are attractive, quiet and provide the excellent grip needed to compliment the all-wheel drive system. Acceleration is smooth with power coming on quickly, however pressing the maximum rpm's to near redline at full-throttle. Braking is precise and fast on the wet or dry. Steering is smooth and nearly effortless, and we preferred the wood trimmed leather steering wheel in the wagon to the standard wheel in the sedan.

The Outback wagon (including VDC) suggested retail base price is $31,895., with our test vehicle priced at $32,390. as equipped including destination charge. Fuel economy rating for the Outback wagon is 20-mpg city and 27-mpg highway. In our severe winter weather testing of both cars, we averaged around 25 m.p.g. for both.

The Outback sedan (including all-wheel drive) suggested retail price is $25,995., with our test vehicle priced at $26,490. as equipped including destination charge. Fuel economy rating for the Outback sedan is 22-mpg city, 27-mpg highway.

Subaru uses "The Beauty of All-Wheel Drive" in their advertising and literature. We agree. Overall, Subaru is an example of delivering on a promise - and exceeding some expectations. We were most impressed with the all-wheel drive system, overall styling and interior comfort, and price.

Subaru has been selling cars in the U.S. for about 30 years, and they are headquartered in Philadelphia and owned by Fuji Heavy Industries of Japan. The Legacy and Outback models are made at the Subaru-Isuzu Automotive plant in Lafayette, Indiana. A sticker on the car window says that 45% of the parts content on our test Outback vehicles were from Japan, with the rest coming from North America, including assembly.

Contents Copyright (c) 2001, Vince Bodiford's The Weekend Drive, All Rights Reserved. Enjoy the drive - remember, always buckle-up, obey all traffic laws and drive safely.