Love, Tetons, & The 2010 Subaru Outback: Car Review

October 09, 2009

Love, Tetons, & The 2010 Subaru Outback: Car Review

By Sara Hoffman

Ever ridden a rollercoaster called the Mad Mouse? Its small, wide cars make tight, flat turns on a narrow track, giving riders the exhilarating rush that they may fall off, but with the security of a seatbelt and knowledge that they are safe inside a theme park. I have to say, even behind the driver’s seat in a similar but trackless situation, I felt just as secure in the 2010 Subaru Outback 3.6R Limited, which I test drove with a fellow journalist through the Grand Teton National Park in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Winding up and down the rollercoaster-esque (and pretty treacherous, in my opinion) road, which took us to the top of one of the area's most intense ski mountains should have been a challenge - but the Outback seemed to do all the work. It was soon clear that Subarus are made to get dirty, as a thick film of road dust scattered over the back windshield.

Its incredible maneuverability easily handled 90 degree turns on sharp inclines - even the miniscule distance between its wheels and the edge of the deadly cliff couldn't cause the usual neck-pinching tension I get from a highway commute.

Aggressively priced, the fully loaded 2010 Subaru 3.6R Limited retails for just under $31K but the base price for an Outback 2.5i is less than $23K. Versatile and roomy inside and out, its high ground clearance enhances safety while on rough roads, unpaved trails, and in snow, without sacrificing the comfort of a lower step-in height. The crossover's electronic parking brake with Hill Holder came in handy when we stopped on a steep incline for a photo op. With great fuel mileage for a crossover (29 mpg) and built in a U.S. plant that produces no landfill waste, the Outback is also a responsible buy.

After a brief lunch stop on the mountain plateau, we returned to our test vehicles to find the word "love" written across the Outback's windshield through the accumulated dirt. The Jackson Hole local residents, who had taken a ski lift to the mountain top to enjoy the view, were huge Outback fans. I guess it pays to leave the dirt on your Subaru window!