In the upper half of the dash to the left of the gauges are two vents, one small for defogging the driver's window, the other large, with four-way directional vanes and a roller knob that varies the air flow from full to off. Below these are controls for dash light intensity, outside mirror adjustment and remote gas filler cover and a small storage bin. At the opposite end of the dash, matching vents fulfill the same functions.

Topping the center stack are two large, tall vents, again with four-way directional vanes but no air flow adjustments. Between these vents is a large storage bin with retracting cover. Directly below this is the trip computer display. Next down the C-stack is the stereo control head, and at the bottom is the climate control panel. With the exception of the stereo's tuner, all these features are managed by large, round knobs and intuitive, easy-to-use buttons and switches; tuning the stereo other than by way of the start-and-stop of seeking or scanning, though, requires pressing a lateral rocker switch and scrolling up or down through the frequencies until the desired one is reached. The C-stack and forward portion of the center console are covered in a metallic-look, matte-finish plastic with chrome-like accents. In models so equipped, seat heater controls are set in the center console directly forward of the slider covering the two front cup holders.

Inside door pulls are ergonomically designed, almost vertical and open, easily grasped. The opening lever is chrome, the accent surrounding the power window buttons and door pull, a metallic matte finish. Headliner has a soft nap, with assist grips over the doors. The sedan's trunk and trunk lid are finished, and the wagon's tailgate clears a six-footer when open and a pull-down spares hands contact with the exterior's collected road dirt and grime.

Forward visibility is above average, aided by the sloping hood. Side and rear vision is excellent in the wagon, which is no surprise, but better than expected, too, in the sedan, thanks to good-sized rear quarter windows and trim C-pillars.

The glove box is adequate, if not voluminous. Two rear seat occupants have their own cup holders and a place to store magazines on the back of the front seats. Both sedan and wagons have a compartmentalized storage tray hidden beneath the floor and on top of the spare tire. The wagons have two covered storage bins in the cargo area.

Driving Impressions

The long-time knock on station wagons, that they're land yachts, with bad handling and suburban-hauler looks, is passe. Today's wagons can be fun to drive and functional to own. And the new 2005 Subaru Outback is a prime example of this.

The base 2.5i model is adequate transportation, if a bit short of exciting. Still, with the five-speed manual and optional short-throw shifter, it should be fun on winding roads. With the automatic, which returns the same EPA-estimated miles per gallon as the manual, it'd be a perfect commuter and weekend workhorse for homebody do-it-yourselfers. The diet Subaru put the Outback on helps; as much as 180 pounds have been trimmed from the 2004's mass, adding to the new Outback's responsiveness across the line, but especially in the base 2.5i with the lowest horsepower numbers.

Subaru increased the ground clearance across the line by about an inch, so it'll venture a bit farther off-road on camping trips, too, and quite competently. Fitted with the manual transmission, the 2.5i (as does the similarly geared XT) gets an all-wheel drive system using a viscous-coupling center differential that distributes power where it can best be used; the default is 50/50 front/rear but can reach 100 percent to either end if conditions warrant. With the four-speed automatic comes an electronically managed, continuously variable transfer clutch that splits the power as needed, but not to exceed 50 percent to one end.

The Outback XT is much more fun to drive. The turbo spools up with minimal lag, and when it hits its stride, at a relatively low 3600 revolutions per minute, it comes on in a linear surge that pulls all the way up to redline. Changing up a gear 500 or 600 rpm before that point delivers more power quicker, however, as it drops the engine back into the deep part of the torque curve sooner. Shifting the manual isn't as intuitive or as crisp as it could be, but with acclimation, this should become more reflexive. The five-speed automatic, called Sportshift, is a friendly manu-matic, with gear changes accomplished as they should be: push the lever forward to shift up, pull it back to shift down. It upshifts on its own well before the engine hits its rev limiter, however, depriving manual gearbox lovers a degree of control over their car that they consider essential to enjoying the driving experience.

Steering is light and responsive in the XT, with good on-center feel. The suspension is properly calibrated to absorb pavement irregularities and undulations without disturbing directional stability, whether in a straight line or on winding roads. There's some body lean in hard cornering, but nothing untoward. All of this is a credit to a lower center of gravity in the 2005 over the 2004 achieved by an added inch in track front and rear, by lowering the engine in the chassis about an inch and by a redesign of the rear suspension that lowered the roll center.