Subaru's slogan is: "Love. It's what makes a Subaru, a Subaru." This is the second Subaru I've ever owned, and the slogan rings true. I had purchased this auto since Subaru had such a great reputation, and I was not disappointed. I only needed a car for commuting, and this fit the bill. This was an Outback wagon (like my previous car) but with full-time, all-wheel drive instead. It was also the Limited Edition package, so it had bells and whistles that I never had before: heated leather seats, side window defrosters, fog lights and wood paneling. Even still, the car was pretty basic—it was almost 20 years old when I bought it—but it was exactly what I needed. I bought it at a good price and never regretted it. In fact, my next car is probably going to be another Subaru. Performance-wise, the engine was not designed for racing, to put it mildly. It was powerful enough for getting on the freeway to and from work. The handling was pretty much what you would expect, nothing fancy. Style wise, it was unremarkable, but again, that didn't matter much to me.

The first thing that blew me away about the Subaru Outback was the amount of interior space it has. My previous vehicle definitely looked like it was bigger but was in reality smaller. I'm able to fit a 10'6" stand-up paddleboard inside and close the rear door. Also, this is a very pleasant car to drive; it handles well, get pretty good gas mileage and, so far, has been ultra reliable. It also has a reputation for being very safe and rugged and my experience has been borne out. I was in a minor fender bender, and my bumper held up really well. In addition, I have not experienced any signs of early wear or nuisance breakage (handles, knobs, buttons, etc.). The only money I've put into it is for normal routine scheduled maintenance, fuel, tires and such. My only regret is that I bought a car with a black paint job. In southern California the sun is hot and a vehicle with a lighter paint job would have been a nice thing to have and easier to live with.