There was a time when Subaru was just about the sexiest car brand in the world. It was a time of Richard
Burns and Colin McRae, of the SVX coupe showing Beemer lads what cool looked like and countless hot Imprezas
showing wide boys in Porsches and Ferraris what fast looked like.
But it was also a time of cool wagons. The Legacy and Forester were born from everyday cars but they had all-wheel drive and, oh God yes, low range. Low range! To know them was to love them. The Legacy spawned the Outback and it also became available, for all too short a time, with a glorious quad-cam turbo engine that turned it into one of the all-time great street sleepers. Subaru was riding the crest of a wave – its cars were so sexy, they even made practicality look cool.
Somewhere along the line, the fun factor disappeared. Subaru is no longer a brand young lads aspire to being seen in. But it still pretty much defined the crossover estate market, which has seen many other names come and go – and to know it is still to love it. The Outback and Forester are hugely popular among country dwellers, and once you’ve owned one you tend never to want anything else.
Read the full article in the June issue of Overlander 4×4 https://shop.assignmentmedia.co.uk/issue/4×4202406
