2012 Subaru Outback 3.6R Limited SUV Wagon Review & Ratings

The 2012 Series Four Subaru Outback Limited SUV Crossover Station Wagon earns its place in history as the supreme crossover, equally home off road, in the city or on the highway. A more than comfortable five seater with ample cargo carrying capabilities, the Outback gives the Volvo XC60, Toyota Venza and Jeep Grand Cherokee a tremendous run for their money in terms of luxury and power while offering unrivaled value for money.

Outbacks have been around for a long time now, more than fifteen years to be exact. Since the first model was launched, has proved to be a very steady seller, with many Outback owner reviews coming back to report repeat orders every couple of years. Until it arrived at the Outback, Subaru gave their classic all wheel drive (AWD) SUV a number of titles, eventually settling on Outback, following the vehicle's tremendous success in Australia.

Especially popular in the East Coast and Mid West of the United States, as well as most of Canada, the Outlook has justified Subaru's faith in it by producing sales of close to one million units since it was first launched in 1995.

The Outback concept evolved much earlier than that, sometime in the early nineties, when demand for a crossover SUV vehicle began to gather considerable momentum in the US. Subaru took up the challenge and their response came in the form of the Series One Outback, based on the award winning Impreza platform.

The Subaru Outback Limited Crossover Station Wagon was developed very much with the SUV market in mind, as its thick roof pillars, overstated wheel arches, and overall chunky look has always been emphasized, and is even more evident in the 2012 version. With the Series Four Limited SUV Crossover Station Wagon, the Outback has gone slightly wider (two inches) as well as a noteworthy four inches taller.

In its role as on-off road the Series Four Subaru Outback Limited SUV Crossover Station Wagon comes into its own, capable of making light work of the steepest of inclines, roughest of road surfaces, while coping with ice, snow and sleet being child's play for it. All that and more thanks to the Outback's powerful 256-hp 3.6-liter six-cylinder engine, ably assisted by a rapid reaction five-speed automatic transmission from the Subaru stable.

For the Series Four Limited SUV Crossover Station Wagon, Subaru went European, opting for a side loaded Boxer style engine, that allow the pistons to operate in horizontal opposition. This configuration works well for the Outback Series Four 2012, with increased acceleration thanks to torque levels which are much higher than their leading opponents in the category, the Land Rover Discovery and the BMW X3.