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:

    Side ventilators
    Side ventilators 1) Open 2) Close 3) Thumb-wheel Move the tab to adjust the flow direction. To open or close the ventilator, turn the thumb-wheel up or down. ...

    Type A
    NOTE The blower fan rotates at a low speed when the engine coolant temperature is low. For efficient defogging or dehumidifying in cold weather, press the “A/C” button. The automatic climat ...

    Front seatbelt pretensioners
    The driver’s and front passenger’s seatbelts have a seatbelt pretensioner. The seatbelt pretensioners are designed to be activated in the event of an accident involving a moderate to severe fron ...