Test Drive: 2015 Subaru Outback in Yellowstone

An adventure vehicle that handles expertly in the backcountry's mudpots and mountains

by Sasha Barkans “There are Washburn Expedition reports from 1870 suggesting these springs sounded like distant artillery,” our guide shouts over the bellowing Dragon’s Mouth Spring in Yellowstone National Park. As he tells us about the minerals and bacterium responsible for the otherworldly geographical features surrounding us, it’s hard to understand how difficult it must it have been, in 1870, for explorers to navigate these …

Test Drive: 2014 Subaru XV Crosstrek Hybrid

Fuel economy, ruggedness and storage capacity in this affordable hybrid crossover

by Davis Adams Subaru recently invited CH to Key West for a lesson in the brand’s values, as well as an introduction to their very first green car­: the 2014 XV Crosstrek Hybrid. Of the car’s design, Michael McHale (of Subaru North America) says, “Our customers are three times more likely to cycle, three-and-a-half times more likely to hike and four times more likely to …

Test Drive: Subaru Outback with EyeSight

Windshield-mounted cameras deliver adaptive cruise control, pre-collision braking and lane departure warning

Last week I was invited to the Outer Banks of North Carolina to spend some quality time with the Subaru family. Beyond getting to know the small, fun and passionate team behind the cult manufacturer’s US presence, it was also a chance to put the 2013 Outback through some rigorous testing. Proving the all wheel drive wagon could tackle sand dunes was fun, but what …