The best feature this car has and which distinguishes it from many other cars in it's size is it's unique All Wheel Drive system. Since 1972, Subaru has been working on this system. But many say: "What really makes it different?". Well it's simple. Subaru's system is symmetrical for a start, if you looked at the drivetrain layout and folded it across it would match, thus the term symmetrical. Most vehicles have a unbalanced layout such as in-equal shaft lengths or transverse mounted engines which offsets the weight distribution side-to-side. The system is also a 'proactive' system which means it's always delivering power to all four wheels whereas most others are 'reactive', that meaning after slip is detected, the four wheels kick in with power which usually can lead to lesser traction & control.

The Outback we tested had a very appealing suede leather interior in a beige / cream tone. A dark mahogany trim lines the centre console and steering wheel to distinguish it's luxurious interior & atmosphere. The steering wheel is a sporty based variation from the race company MOMO which has itself wrapped in leather.

An high quality audio system was in our tester, it featured a McIntosh subwoofer & amp which was hooked into a 6 CD Stacker in the rear, each garnished with glossy panels & accents. The system also has a mini-disc player which really who uses that nowadays.

The body of the car is well distinguished from it's sister, the Legacy. Strong cladding and wide fenders bulk up the car to make it look more rugged and 'outdoorsy' as Crocodile Dun-dee would say. It shares some other cosmetic features you'd find on a large SUV's such as large spot lights with plastic guards, mud flaps, a high roof with rails and a rugged styled bumper.

Optional for the Outback included a Moon-roof which extended to the rear passengers, full-leather seats, heated seats, cruise control and a rear spoiler. Yet we found our tester which was a top-of-the-line to have more than enough features for what we expected.

Goodies we ended up discovering were a windscreen wiper de-icer, a cargo fan, headlight adjusters, heated mirrors, a rear cargo blind and cargo net. These features seemed to disappear with the newer Outback models which was quite disappointing.

The top-of-the-line would've set you back $65,000 in 2001. But with ~$12,000 you can buy a nice Outback with low mileage quite easily, but thats if there are any on the market... they are really good cars and the 3.0 H6 can be hard to come by.