18 Years of Subaru Outback

"NaturallyAspirated" (NaturallyAspirated) 02/05/2016 at 16:51 • Filed to: Subaru, Outback

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My coworker just bought a 2016 Subaru Outback, so I took the opportunity to take a few pictures with my 1998 Subaru Legacy Outback. Despite vastly different styling, you can definitely see the family resemblance. The overall length, ground clearance, and roof height are surprisingly similar.

The blacked-out rocker panels make the new Subaru appear to have a lot more ground clearance, but the actual increase is less than it appears at first glance.

The roof of the new Outback has a much more aerodynamic teardrop-like profile vs the flat roof of my ‘98.

The 2016 does have the rear spoiler that I wish my car had.

My coworker was nice enough to let me take the 2016 for a spin, and I have to say it felt remarkably similar to my ‘98. Solid steering feel, very planted in the corners, and respectable but not truly fast acceleration. The CVT felt surprisingly good to this manual diehard.

Also, adaptive cruise control is amazing and I wish my car had it.

m-b-w loves his SUBAROO > NaturallyAspirated 02/05/2016 at 16:59

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Sweet. Reminds me of a pic I took when my car was new.

Here’s how she looks now!

NaturallyAspirated > m-b-w loves his SUBAROO 02/05/2016 at 17:04

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I like that chrome grille delete a lot.

BrianGriffin thinks “reliable” is just a state of mind > NaturallyAspirated 02/05/2016 at 17:14

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When I park my older Leggy next to a coworkers new one, I’m always shocked. The new ones *feel* and *look* so much bigger, but really aren’t.

FWIW the new Subies also feel slower than the 2.5 and about the same as the 2.2.

MonkeePuzzle > NaturallyAspirated 02/05/2016 at 17:20

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I had a similar experience with my 95 impreza

MonkeePuzzle > m-b-w loves his SUBAROO 02/05/2016 at 17:20

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she looks lonely now

MonkeePuzzle > NaturallyAspirated 02/05/2016 at 17:27

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if you want to compare subarus across generations, you can always just head to an REI in colorado

http://oppositelock.kinja.com/game-show-time…

m-b-w loves his SUBAROO > MonkeePuzzle 02/05/2016 at 18:38

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I think she’s fine haha. I try to park her with her relatives whenever possible.

m-b-w loves his SUBAROO > NaturallyAspirated 02/05/2016 at 18:38

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Thanks. It’s actually the Japanese market mesh grille.