Outback 2.5i, 2.5i Special Edition & 2.5i Limited

For the best mileage, the 2.5i manual is your best bet, rated at 20/27 mpg city/highway. Along with 1 mpg better highway mileage, the five-speed stick will help you get better acceleration out of the base horizontally opposed four-cylinder. The automatic has enough oomph for grocery-getting and other errands, but it quickly gets winded when pushed hard. The transmission could use a fifth gear; in many cases you can press the gas pedal halfway down without inducing a downshift, which doesn't help your passing confidence.

Outback 3.0 R Limited

On the other end of the spectrum is the 3.0 R Limited's normally aspirated 3.0-liter H-6 engine, which shaves another city mpg in exchange for ... not much. As the table shows, it brings a negligible horsepower increase and much lower torque — at higher rpm, where you don't want it. This option is the key to towing 3,000-pound trailers, rather than 2,700 pounds with the four-cylinder. If you're not planning to tow, I just don't see the point of this engine.

    See also:

    Display selection
    Type A and B audio Type C audio Press the “TEXT” button while receiving the satellite radio to change the display as follows. ...

    FM reception
    Although FM is normally static free, reception can be affected by the surrounding area, atmospheric conditions, station strength and transmitter distance. Buildings or other obstructions may cause mom ...

    Hill Holder function
    The electronic parking brake system has a Hill Holder function. If the Hill Holder function is activated, the parking brake will be automatically applied when stopping on an uphill slope with the ...