Image via Complex Original
When Subaru invited us to come check out the new 2013 Outback and experience the lifestyle of the typical Subaru consumer, we knew we were in for a good time. After all, the company's entire ideals are based around adventure, so plenty of outdoor activities lied ahead. One of those activities involved our first time going hang gliding. With that said, our favorite part of the trip did not have anything to do with those activities. We enjoyed getting behind the wheel of the Outback on the beaches of the Outer Banks in North Carolina and testing the all-wheel drive capabilities as hard as we could. As the slogan "Confidence in Motion" implies, there wasn't a time when the tires seemed to be in a compromising situation.
Subaru's AWD is nothing new, though. We were able to experience a plethora of new technological features in the car that assist and ensure safer driving. Things like adaptive cruise control and lane-departure warning are a first in non-luxury production cars. Hit the next few slides to see how we felt about the rest of the car in 8 Reasons Why the 2013 Subaru Outback Is Perfect for Active Lifestyles.
8. It's a Hybrid (Not the Gas/Electric Kind)
When we say that the Outback is a hybrid, we're not referring to the kind that runs on a combo of gas and electricity. We mean it in the same sense as a hybrid golf club: Instead of having one narrowly focused function, it excels in multiple areas. It's safe enough and big enough to carry your kids or grab some groceries, its AWD abilities make it capable in any weather, and it doesn't sacrifice gas efficiency with 30 MPG.
7. It's Built Specifically for its Key Demographic
A feature that is becoming more and more popular in a variety of vehicles is variable climate control for the driver, the passenger, and the back seat. When we saw the new Outback had vents on the rear of the center console, we assumed the usual: It was for people. Wrong. It was for owner's pets, dogs in particular. According to the company, about 70 percent of Subaru owners have dogs (hence, these sweet commercials). Therefore, they put in a rear vent to make sure the dogs were staying nice and cool. This is only one of the many features made exactly because of Subaru owners' adventurous market. That's dedication to your customers.
6. It's Not Meant To Wow People With Its Looks
The 2013 Outback is lengths and lengths ahead of the original Outback in 1994 as far as exterior design goes. It's more modern, has sharper lines, and looks more like a fun family utility vehicle than a boxy wagon. With that said, it still doesn't really grab your attention with a striking build, and we think that's okay. People don't buy Outbacks to stunt on their friends, they buy these cars because they're extremely functional vehicles. Besides, you don't want to have to worry about scratching your car when you're plowing through jungles, beaches or snowy trails.
5. It Will Protect You From "Around-Town" Fender Benders
In the 2013 Legacy and Outback, Subaru is introducing new technology called Eyesight. It basically consists of two cameras on either side of your rear-view that detect trouble or danger in front of or around your car and help you avoid it. The first feature of this new tech is pre-collision braking. If somebody in front of you stops quickly, the cameras will recognize this, alert you, and apply the brakes for you, even with your foot still on the gas.
We hesitantly tested this feature, driving about 20 mph straight for a wall with our foot on the gas pedal, and guess what? It stopped! We didn't press the brakes at all. The title highlights protection from "around-town" fender benders, because at speeds higher than 20 mph, no car is going to be able to stop fast enough. So, don't expect the feature to save you from an unexpected obstacle while you're going 60 on the highway.
4. Adaptive Cruise Control Makes For an Extremely Comfortable Ride
This was easily the nicest feature on the car. When driving a long distance on an open road or on a highway, cruise control can be your best friend. You don't have to continually keep your foot locked in one place for hours, and it's better for your gas mileage. However, other drivers appear as land mines of frustration that have been strategically place just to piss you off. Having to wait for somebody to move out of your lane or having to slow down for adjusted speed limits is downright annoying. The Outback's Eyesight adaptive cruise control elminates all of those troubles.
Although you should still be hovering above the brake for possible disruptions, the overhead cameras see cars and will adjust your speed to that of the car in front of you whiel keeping you an adjustable distance behind. When they speed up, you speed up. When they slow down, you slow down. This feature isn't restricted to high speeds either. As we drove around a small beach town, I set my cruise at 30 and didn't touch the pedals for a solid 20 minutes. The car will bring itself to a complete stop, and all I have to do is flick the "Resume" button on the steering wheel, and it picks up to the exact same distance behind the car ahead. My ankle was extremely thankful for the lack of effort during stop-and-go traffic.
3. It Has an Intelligent Throttle
On one end, we're sad, because Subaru's new intelligent throttle will decrease the number of hilarious Youtube videos of people driving through their garages. On the other side, wer'e elated that we have a much lower chance of ending up as the subject of said Youtube video. Using its Eyesight cameras, the car will recognize that you have a car, a garage door, a brick wall, or any other object in front of you, and will bog down the throttle response if you accidentally press the gas instead of the brake. It'll help if you think you're reversing, but are actually in drive, too. We were able to try it out, and it felt like when you try to start a manual in second gear instead of first. There wasn't that instant "get up."
2. It Alerts You When You Swerve and Depart Lanes
The lane departure alerts were our least favorite part of the Eyesight. That, however, was mainly because we're attentive drivers. The Eyesight recognizes when your car is driving in between lines, and if you deviate from that path, it will beep at you. Our issues were that 1. All of these alarms were exactly the same with no way to tell which alarm was actually happening, and 2. Going around corners or turns, or if you're trying to see around another car results in that beep. For young texting drivers, older people who might risk falling asleep, and all the idiots who move their arms when they turn their heads, this is a good advancement. If nothing else, it will help protect us from those types of drivers.
1. It Can Handle Diverse Terrain
Elaborating on the hybrid label we gave this car earlier, the Outback is made for an extremely active lifestyle. This is because most of Subaru's consumers are always out biking, kayaking, hiking, or going to be beach. To get to good spots for these activities, you're going to need a vehicle that can handle going off the road and through the sand, weeds, rocks, and mud. We had the opportunity to test this out on the beaches of the Outer Banks.
Like we expected with the four-wheel drive, neither wet nor dry sand provided any sort of difficulty. I purposely went through the deeper, softer sand looking to get stuck, but the Outback refused to show any weakness. If you're in the market for a solid-looking car with cutting-edge technology, reliability, and the versatility of cars three times its size, the 2013 Outback is a steal.